You may have heard of BB cream in skincare, but what about CC hair cream? Find out all about how this hair cream can give you exactly the colour you want: from neutralising brassy tones to reducing redness and showing off your shine, CC hair cream is here to save your shade!
WHAT IS HAIR CC CREAM AND HOW DOES IT WORK?
"CC" stands for Colour Correction and originally belonged to the world of skincare cosmetics, where it existed as a tinted cream designed to reduce complexion colour irregularities such as bags under the eyes or redness. It worked by using principles from the colour wheel: to reduce a certain tint, the opposite colour on the scale was used. So green can help neutralise red, and purple reduces yellow, for example.
This principal of tonal balancing was then adapted for haircare: as those who dye their hair often find it can change colour quickly, or over time, and develop unwanted undertones. Colour Correction (CC) hair cream came to the rescue!
A CC hair cream replaces your conditioner once or twice a week, so you don't have to give up your favourite haircare routine entirely. Not all CC hair creams are the same, and the way you use it depends on what tones you want to correct, so read on to find out which CC hair cream is best for your hair.
COLOUR CORRECTION FOR BLONDES
A common concern experienced by those with blond, white or grey hair is brassiness, a rusty yelloworange hue that can develop after colouring. This occurs when the hair's natural melanin begins to show through the lighter top tones. Brassiness is a particular risk when you have lightened your hair by several shades, and can be due to not leaving the colour on long enough, not using the right mix of ingredients and UV exposure (which speeds up the colour oxidisation process.)
To prevent or counteract this unwanted orange hue, use the Vitamino Color A-OX CC Cream for blonde hair from the Serie Expert collection. Apply after cleansing and removing excess water and leave the hair cream on for 5-10 minutes, like a hair mask. Remember, the purple colour is to rebalance the warm and cool tones for a more neutral shade, so don't panic – it rinses out.
COLOUR CORRECTION FOR BRUNETTES
Brunettes can also suffer from orange brassy hues, but the main colour concern is redness. While a deliberate choice of warm, auburn hair with fiery undertones can look fantastic, if your goal was a cool cocoa shade, those red hues need to go.
A red tint can develop on brunette hair for the same reason as brassiness on blond hair. It's all due to that natural melanin showing through. And because green cancels out red, a CC hair cream for brunettes uses green pigment to pull the hair colour back to a neutral shade.
Ask your local L'Oréal Professionnel hair stylist about the Vitamino Colour A OX CC Cream for Brunettes, a hair cream formulated specifically to counteract reddish tones from developing in your hair. Simply alternate washes with your regular conditioner, leave on for 2-3 minutes and rinse out. You'll notice immediately that, not only have your reddish hues been neutralised, but hair feels silky smooth and shiny.
HOW TO PREVENT COLOUR FADE
Whether blond, brunette, redhead or multicoloured, when you've coloured your hair the priority is staying salon-vibrant for as long as possible. Resist the dreaded fade with our expert tips for coloured hair:
1. Supportive shampoo
Many "cleansing" or "purifying" shampoos risk stripping the colour from your hair in an effort to remove build-up. Instead, opt for specific formulae for colour-treated hair that will cleanse yet protect the colour.
2. Don't see green with chlorine
It's technically not the chlorine that can give blond-coloured hair a greenish tint, but copper, which oxidises (because of the chlorine) and sticks to the hair's proteins. In any case, try not to spend all day in the pool, and always rinse your hair immediately after swimming.
3. Hats off (or on) to sun protection
UV exposure will speed up the oxidisation process and encourage that natural melanin to show through, creating brassy undertones. Staying out of the sun during peak times isn't just good for your skin, it can help prolong your hair colour and avoid discolouration.