If your colour looks dull a few days after the salon, or your hair feels rough and breaks more easily than it should, the water coming out of your tap could be part of the problem. L’Oréal Professionnel Metal Detox is built to deal with exactly that. Here is what it does and how to use each product in the right order.
What Metal Detox is for
Tap water carries traces of metal, and the harder your water, the more it holds. Those particles build up on the hair and get trapped inside it, where they interfere with colour and weaken the strand. It is the reason colour can turn dull or uneven and why coloured hair sometimes feels brittle. If you want the background, this explainer on hard water covers where those minerals come from. Metal Detox works by binding to the metal so it can be rinsed away, which protects the hair during colouring and keeps the result looking fresh for longer.
How to use L’Oréal Metal Detox, step by step
Pre-shampoo treatment. If you use the pre-shampoo treatment, apply it to damp hair before washing and leave it for a few minutes. This is the deepest step and is well worth it before a colour appointment.
Shampoo. Wash with the anti-metal cleansing cream shampoo, massaging into the scalp and lengths, then rinse. Use it as your regular shampoo two or three times a week.
Mask. Once or twice a week, swap your conditioner for the Metal Detox mask. Work it through the mid-lengths and ends, leave for three to five minutes, then rinse.
Leave-in oil. Finish with the hair oil serum on damp or dry hair for shine and daily protection. A little goes a long way, so start with one or two drops.
Getting the most out of it
The shampoo and mask are the core of the routine, and using them in the week before a colour appointment gives your colourist a cleaner canvas to work with. If your hair is already damaged, pairing Metal Detox with a proper repair routine helps more than either alone. Our guide to damaged hair and how to prevent it is a useful next read.
Give it a few weeks. Metal build-up happens gradually, so clearing it out and keeping it out is what brings the shine and colour back, rather than a single wash.
