11 of the best colour correcting conditions to upgrade your colour while softening your hair
Man, do we love a multitasker. We also like pretty hair that plays ball how we want it to. It’s for both these reasons that we’re partial to colour-correcting conditioners to keep our strands looking fresh, vibrant and beautiful at all times.
Now that we’re spending more time at home, we’ve all become our own colourists – in charge of keeping the shade and condition of our hair at its best. The good news is there are easy things we can do ourselves to make sure our hair looks like it's had a salon service in between the lengthier waits for appointments.
Colour conditioners work in a few ways. First, they can protect against the factors that cause colour fade in the first place: namely pollution, sunshine and the minerals in our shower water (for this, look out for antioxidants like vitamin E and plant extracts). Second they can use colour depositing formulas like purple and blue conditioners to counteract the brassy tones that naturally emerge in our hair over time (the blue and purple neutralise the yellow and orange oxidisation that makes our colour look slightly off). Third, they can include hints of tint that colour, enrich or enhance our shade (like John Frieda’s Red Boosting Conditioner, or Moroccanoil’s Color Depositing Masks). Lastly, they can combine several of the techniques above to not only revive the colour of your hair, but also leave the condition stronger, glossier and ultimately, much more fabulous.
For best results, pair your colour-correcting conditioner with a colour-correcting shampoo and get to grips with the best hair toners, what they do and how they work.
Here are 11 colour correcting conditioners and masks to introduce into your haircare routine…
Best conditioner for locking in colour
Amika Vault Color Lock Conditioner, £14, Beauty Bay
Brimming with antioxidants to strengthen hair, boost moisture and protect it against pollution (which can fade the shade), this conditioner improves the colour of hair by preserving the health and condition. And it has UV filters to prevent against colour bleach.
Best conditioner for an all-round colour boost
Kerastase Reflection Fondant Chromatique Conditioner, £25.90, Look Fantastic
The contains a clever system designed to neutralise external aggressors (like sunshine, pollution and minerals in our shower water) that compromise colour. UV filters and antioxidants like vitamin E help to prevent colour fade and keep our hair looking rich, vibrant and beautiful.
Best colour-correcting conditioner for tricky undertones
Christophe Robin Shade Variation Mask, £39, Look Fantastic
Christophe Robin has a range of masks tinted in specific cobalt, violet, nutmeg, gold and copper shades to neutralise or enhance tricky tones that need a nudge in the right direction. Choose from ash brown, baby blonde, warm chestnut and more.
Best purple conditioner for banishing brassiness in blondes
John Frieda Violet Crush Purple Conditioner, £5.99, Boots
This vivid violet shampoo also works with the colour wheel to help counteract green or yellow tones and restore blondes to a beautifully balanced colour.
Best blue conditioner for banishing brassiness in brunettes
Joico Color Balance Blue Conditioner, £17.50, Look Fantastic
This works with the colour wheel. The blue in this conditioner counteracts the darker orangey-red tones found it brunette hair to eliminate brassiness.
Best conditioner for softening brassiness and strands
Kevin Murphy Blonde Angel, £23, Cult Beauty
A nourishing formula packed with natural ingredients like lavender flower and brazil nut extract, this softens and moisturises hair as well as toning down yellow-orange hues to restore bleached, highlighted and grey hair to a fresh, balanced colour.
Best conditioning mask for dark hair
Moroccanoil Color Depositing Mask, £28.85, Look Fantastic
This colour enriching conditioning mask contains coloured pigments in a range of shades to temporarily tint hair and add extra depth.
Best conditioner for boosting grey hair
Redken Color Extend Graydiant Conditioner, £19.50, Look Fantastic
Designed specifically with grey hair in mind, the anti-yellow conditioner targets the distinctive creamy colour that plagues grays, custom dyes are deposited to restore cool silver strands.
Best for enhancing brittle blonde hair
L’Oreal Professionnel Serie Expert Blondifier Masque, £15, Look Fantastic
This leaves hair so shiny and silky, it feels like you’ve had a trip to the hairdresser. It tames brassiness and deeply nourishes damaged and bleached hair to leave it ultra soft.
Best conditioner for redheads
John Frieda Radiant Red Boosting Conditioner, £6.99, Boots
Not only does this contain a genius dye complex that targets colour fade and deposits a boost of semi-permanent dye exactly where you need it most, the conditioning agents leave hair silky soft. Use it across ginger, auburn and even brunette hair to refresh red tones.
Best conditioner for boosting caramel tones
Josh Wood Caramel Gloss, £19, Josh Wood Colour
Warm up dark blondes, medium brunettes and balayage with this semi-permanent glossing mask. It deposits a toning hit of caramel colour while leaving hair extra glossy.
