3 Steps Guaranteed To Get Your Best Hair Color Yet From A Celebrity Colorist

Today on mindbodygreen's beauty podcast Clean Beauty School, I had on the man who convinced me to go blond several years ago, celebrity colorist Justin Anderson, co-founder of hair and color care brand dpHUE. And if someone was going to do it, it was him: He's painted the strands of some of the most iconic blondes in Hollywood, from Jennifer Aniston to Gwyneth Paltrow. So he knows his way around a golden wave.

He's also an expert in helping women keep their color fresh between appointments. And the stunning results can be credited to Anderson's signature perfectionism: He wants his work to look luminescent whether it's a day after the appointment or it's been a few weeks.

"Your hair is your most important accessory: You wear it every day. Think about your favorite piece of clothing—if you wear it daily, wash it, don't care for it, it's going to break down," says Anderson.

When I think "natural color," my first thought isn't "contrast." But as Anderson explains this episode, it's the key to getting that elevated, yet lived-in hue color so many of us crave.

Want to help your colorist out in getting the best possible outcome? Show up to your appointment wearing your hair as you do normally.

"I think it's a great idea to come into your first salon visit wearing your hair how you normally wear it," says Anderson. "If a client comes in and it's blown out straight, but they say they normally wear it with some texture, we'll actually wet the hair and rough dry it so we can see the pattern." 

Shampoos strip hair color. They just do. Yes, even if you're using a high-quality formula. So if your priority is keeping your color vibrant, learn how to shampoo less.

But for those who can't imagine not washing their hair daily (or even every other day), rinses are an excellent in-between. "Some people have been taught to shampoo every time they step into the shower, but you don't have to do that. There are other options to clean your hair, like rinses," says Anderson, noting dpHUE's Apple Cider Vinegar Hair Rinse is specifically formulated for this use case. "It's the most gentle way to clean your hair without using shampoo."