Dry Hair + Highlights = a Hot Mess! Try These Shine-Restoring Essentials

I’m so excited to have a head full of honey highlights. I’ve been waiting my entire life to have Beyonce hair (before she was even born, I wanted Beyonce hair). But because I had a relaxer, I was never able to get my coveted goldilocks—doubling up on chemical processes can cause terrible damage, weakness, and breaking. It wasn’t until I went natural two years ago that I was safe to go full-on streaky blonde.

Here’s the thing that no one tells curly-haired chicks with color, though. You’re not out of the “damaged” woods simply because you’re hair is chemical-free. Most thick, textured hair (and, honestly, most black hair types) are naturally dry, so bleach and ammonia can further strip moisture. Even though I adore my color, sometimes my hair is so dehydrated it actually looks dull and ashy.

The good news is, I’ve found three products that help restore gloss and vitality to my colored-within-an-inch-of-its-life coif. Here, my favorites.

1: Treatment

Peter Thomas Roth Hair To Die For | $58

This scalp treatment is literally a cure-all for every hair ailment—especially dry, weak, overprocessed locks. It’s formulated to target all three stages of the growth cycle, repairing damage and keeping hair strong, full, and glossy. I love that it works from the inside out!

2: Conditioner

Bumble and Bumble Color Minded Conditioner | $32

Not only does this ensure that my color stays brighter, longer (it traps water out and seals color in)—the ultra-rich, nourishing formula also smoothes damaged cuticles so that light reflects off of them, creating a shiny, glowy effect. The Rx for dull hair!

3: Oil

Carol’s Daughter Tui Color Care Moisturizing Hair Oil | $14

A lush blend of calendula, chamomile, and safflower oil extracts to replenish moisture lost during chemical processing. Simply massage it throughout strands as a pre-shampoo or hot oil treatment, or apply just a dollop throughout dry hair as a glossifying serum.

Tia Williams has been a beauty editor for 15 years, at publications like Elle, Glamour, Lucky, and Essence.com. Back in 2005, Tia created one of the first beauty blogs, Shake Your Beauty, where she wove her love of products through hilarious vignettes from her life as a beauty expert and mom living in Brooklyn. She’s also written several books, including the best-selling novel The Accidental Diva and supermodel Iman’s The Beauty of Color. Follow Tia on Twitter @shakeyourbeauty.