Your Guide to Maintaining Great Hair All Year (Even When Resolutions Fade)

We're settling into late January. Some resolutions are going strong, others not so much (looking at you, gym membership, you can’t blame the arctic winds forever!). But if you changed up your hair for the new year—fresh color, bold cut, complete transformation—that investment deserves to last well beyond February (or, at least, into February).

The difference between hair that looks salon-fresh in June versus hair that's already faded and fried by Valentine's Day? It's all about how you care for it. And no, you don't need a complicated routine or a degree in hair chemistry.

At Aliis, we want to keep it simple: gentle, sulfate-free formulas designed to protect color, restore moisture, and keep your scalp healthy. Whether you went blonde, added highlights, or just refreshed your natural shade, this guide will help your hair stay fresh all year long.

In this post, we'll cover why color-treated hair needs different care, the exact daily and weekly routine that keeps color bold, how to adjust for your specific color type (blonde, vibrant, dark, or dimensional), winter-specific tips to combat dry air and hat hair, quick troubleshooting for when things go wrong, and a few of our tried-and-true products to keep your hair healthy all year long. 

Why Color-Treated & Bleached Hair Needs Different Care

When you dye or bleach your hair, you're essentially opening up the hair cuticle (those overlapping protective scales) and depositing or removing pigment. This process is necessary for gorgeous color, but it leaves your hair more porous, more vulnerable, and desperately thirsty for moisture.

What happens to your hair after coloring:

• The cuticle layer lifts and becomes rougher, making hair prone to tangles and breakage
• Color molecules sit in the cortex but can easily wash out through that lifted cuticle
• Moisture escapes faster because the protective barrier is compromised
• Your hair becomes more susceptible to damage from heat, sun, and harsh products

The biggest culprit destroying color-treated hair? Sulfates. These harsh detergents strip color faster than anything else and dry out your already-compromised hair. They're in most conventional shampoos because they create that satisfying lather, but they're murder on dyed hair.

This is why switching to sulfate-free products is essential if you want your color to last and your hair to stay healthy.

The Daily Routine for Color-Treated Hair

Your everyday routine is where color maintenance really happens. It doesn’t have to mean complicated steps. It’s just about using the right products consistently.

Daily Shampoo + Daily Conditioner: Your Foundation

Aliis Daily Shampoo and Daily Conditioner are sulfate-free, which means they cleanse without stripping color or natural oils. They remove dirt, oil, and product buildup while keeping your hair's moisture intact.

How to use them:

• Yes, you can wash daily if your hair needs it (the sulfate-free formula won't damage color)
• Focus shampoo on your scalp, let it rinse through your lengths
• Apply conditioner from mid-lengths to ends
• Use lukewarm or cool water for the final rinse (hot water opens the cuticle and lets color escape)

The adaptogens and superfruit extracts in both products support scalp health, which is crucial because healthy hair grows from a healthy scalp. Color-treated or not, that foundation matters.

Weekly Deep Treatments (Non-Negotiable)

Daily maintenance keeps things steady, but weekly treatments are where you actually restore and protect your hair long-term.

Clarifying Shampoo + Lightweight Conditioner (Once Weekly)

Even color-treated hair needs clarifying. Product buildup, hard water minerals, and environmental gunk accumulate on your hair and make color look dull. But you can't use just any clarifying shampoo—most are way too harsh for colored hair.

Aliis Clarifying Shampoo removes buildup without stripping color. Pair it with our Lightweight Conditioner to keep hair hydrated during the deep cleanse.

When to use:

• Once per week, typically at the start of your week
• After swimming (chlorine and salt need to go)
• When your hair feels heavy or products aren't working as well

Hair Masque & Butter (2x Per Week)

Color-treated and bleached hair is thirsty. The chemical process strips moisture, and you need to constantly replenish it or your hair will become brittle, dull, and prone to breakage.

Aliis Hair Masque & Butter is your deep conditioning powerhouse. It's packed with nourishing ingredients that penetrate the hair shaft and seal the cuticle.

How to use:

• Apply generously after shampooing, focusing on mid-lengths and ends
• Leave on for 3-5 minutes minimum (longer if you have time)
• Use twice per week—once after clarifying, once mid-week
• For extremely damaged or bleached hair, consider using it three times per week

The masque helps rebuild your hair's structure, improves elasticity (so hair stretches instead of breaking), and brings back that soft, touchable texture.

Oil Treatments for Extra Protection

Oil treatments aren't just about moisture—they're about sealing your hair cuticle, protecting color from environmental damage, and adding serious shine.

Juveniis Hair Oil (1-2x Per Week)

Juveniis Hair & Skin Oil is formulated with baobab, coconut, moringa, and other nourishing oils that penetrate deeply and seal the cuticle. This creates a protective barrier that keeps color in and damage out.

Best practices:

• Use 1-2 times per week, depending on your hair's needs
• Apply to dry or damp hair before bed, focusing on scalp and ends
• For bleached hair, you might need it twice weekly, as bleach makes hair extra porous
• A little goes a long way; start with a small amount and add more if needed

Oil treatments are especially important in winter when indoor heating dries everything out, and in summer when sun exposure can fade color.

Color-Specific Care Tips

Not all color treatments are equal. Different colors and techniques require slightly different approaches.

For Blonde & Bleached Hair

Blonde and bleached hair is the most fragile because the lightening process is the harshest on your hair structure. You'll need maximum moisture and protection.

Your focus:

• Never skip the weekly masque. Make it twice weekly minimum
• Use Juveniis Oil religiously (damaged hair drinks up oil)
• Consider using the masque as a leave-in on ends (just use a tiny amount)
• Minimize heat styling as much as possible
• Get regular trims to remove damaged ends

For Vibrant Colors (Red, Purple, Pink, Blue)

Fashion colors fade the fastest because the molecules are larger and sit closer to the hair's surface. You're in a race against time with these shades.

Your focus:

• Sulfate-free products are absolutely mandatory (sulfates strip these colors in days)
• Wash less frequently if possible. Consider every other day with dry shampoo in between
• Always use cool or lukewarm water (heat opens the cuticle and dumps color)
• The clarifying shampoo can be used every 10 days instead of weekly to preserve color
• Expect to refresh color more often than other shades

For Darker Colors (Brown, Black, Burgundy)

Dark colors are the easiest to maintain, but they still need care to prevent fading and keep shine.

Your focus:

• Weekly clarifying keeps color looking rich instead of muddy
• Focus on shine. Use the masque to smooth the cuticle
• You can probably get away with one oil treatment per week
• Dark color fades to brassiness just like blonde does, so don't skip care

For Highlights, Balayage & Dimensional Color

When you have multiple colors in your hair, treat it like color-treated hair and focus extra moisture on the lightened sections.

Your focus:

• Apply masque and oil more generously on highlighted pieces
• These sections are more porous and will drink up product
• The contrast in your color looks best when all sections are healthy
• Don't let the highlighted pieces get dry and brassy

Winter Hair Care Considerations

We're deep in winter, which brings its own challenges for hair—especially color-treated hair.

Indoor heating is basically a hair dehydrator. It sucks moisture out of the air and out of your hair, making color look dull and hair feel like straw. Combat this by:

• Adding an extra masque day per week during winter months
• Using Juveniis Oil on your ends during the day (tiny amount for shine and protection)
• Running a humidifier in your bedroom while you sleep

Hat hair and static are inevitable. Your hair rubs against fabric all day, creating friction and flyaways. Solutions:

• Aliis Dry Shampoo refreshes hair after hat removal and adds volume
• A tiny bit of hair oil on your palms, then smoothed over flyaways, tames static
• Satin or silk-lined hats reduce friction (yes, they exist)

Cold, dry air strips moisture just like heating systems. When you're outside in winter weather:

• Wear a hat to protect hair from wind and cold (despite the hat hair risk)
• Deep condition before and after skiing, snowboarding, or extended outdoor time
• Your hair needs more moisture in winter than any other season

What NOT to Do (The Fast Track to Faded, Fried Hair)

Just as important as what you should do is what you absolutely shouldn't do if you want to keep your color and hair health intact.

Don't use hot tools daily. Heat plus color-treated hair equals damage. If you must style with heat, use a heat protectant and lower temperatures. Air-dry when possible.

Don't over-clarify. Once a week is plenty. More than that and you risk stripping color and natural oils, even with a gentle formula.

Don't use products with sulfates, parabens, or harsh alcohols. Check your styling products too—it's not just shampoo. These ingredients undo all your good work.

Don't skip heat protectant. If you're blow-drying or using hot tools on color-treated hair, you need protection. Period.

Don't wash in scalding hot water. Hot water opens the cuticle and lets color molecules escape. Use lukewarm water for cleansing and cool water for rinsing.

Don't ignore your ends. The oldest hair on your head is at the ends, and it's been through the most damage. Those pieces need extra love.

Quick Troubleshooting Guide

When things aren't quite right with your colored hair, here's how to fix it.

Color fading too quickly?

• Switch to cool water for washing
• Increase oil treatments to 2x per week
• Make sure all your products are sulfate-free (check styling products too)
• Consider washing every other day instead of daily

Hair feels dry, damaged, or straw-like?

• Add a third masque day to your week
• Use Juveniis Oil on your ends every day (tiny amount)
• Deep condition before any heat styling
• Get a trim. Dead ends don't come back to life

Lost your shine?

• Time for a clarifying reset—buildup makes hair look dull
• Follow with the lightweight conditioner and masque
• Make sure you're rinsing thoroughly (product residue kills shine)
• Use oil on damp hair before styling

Brassy or yellow tones appearing (for blondes)?

• Clarify to remove buildup that causes brassiness
• You might need a purple toning product between Aliis washes
• Hard water contributes to brass. Consider a shower filter
• Sun exposure oxidizes color. Protect hair with hats or UV products

Hair won't hold moisture no matter what?

• Your hair might be protein-overloaded (too many strengthening products)
• Or it's extremely porous from damage—increase masque to 3x weekly
• Try the LOC method: leave-in, oil, cream to seal moisture
• This might require a salon protein/moisture rebalancing treatment

Making It Stick (Unlike Those Other Resolutions)

Whether you spent hours in the salon or a significant chunk of money (or both), know that your new hair is an investment. You deserve to enjoy the results for months, not weeks.

Unlike most New Year's resolutions that fade by February, this routine actually sticks because it's simple:

• Daily: Sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner
• Weekly: Clarifying shampoo once, deep masque twice
• As needed: Oil treatments 1-2x per week, dry shampoo between washes

At Aliis, we make it easy because our entire line is formulated for this: sulfate-free, color-safe, scalp-focused, and packed with adaptogens and superfruit extracts that actually work. Your scalp stays balanced, your color stays vibrant, and your hair stays healthy.

Want to test the system before committing to full sizes? The Aliis Discovery Box gives you sample sizes of six products so you can experience the complete routine. It's also TSA-approved if you're traveling.

Your hair showed up for the new year. Now it's time to show up for your hair—all year long.