Colored hairspray is one of the most popular “accessories,” so to speak, when it comes to Halloween costumes. But the heavy formula certainly doesn’t come without its issues. Not only are its typical ingredients discouraged against by experts, but it’s extremely difficult to remove from your strands. That said, if you’re committed to the idea, you’ll need some professional guidance on how to wash out colored hairspray.
To break it down for us, we reached out to Leianna Hillo, Lead Colorist at eSalon. Below, the expert shares a concise step-by-step guide to ensuring you don’t spend the whole post-Halloween day in the shower!
Use a Clarifying Shampoo
To start, wet your hair and rinse out any product that has already loosened from your hair. Then, begin cleansing your hair using a clarifying shampoo, starting in the areas with the most buildup. This shampoo shouldn’t take more than a minute, and it’s ok if you still have some product in your hair after rinsing. Clarifiers can break through layers of oil and product in your hair more aggressively than other cleansers, so we’re using our first shampoo to quickly wash most of the excess product from the hair. Still, you’ll probably need and want to shampoo one more time for good measure. Even though clarifying shampoos are very effective, sometimes they can be a little drying.
Second Shampoo
For the second shampoo you can use your usual cleanser, but ideally, something with added moisture to bring your hair’s pH back to normal after clarifying. Shampoo Two, from Paul Mitchell, works really well and should help you achieve the outcome you’re looking for. We also recommend the eSalon Moisture Color Care Shampoo. This also improves the look and manageability of your hair. Work the second shampoo through your hair for one to two minutes, or until you can feel that all the hairspray is broken down.
Condition
After rinsing, follow-up with a conditioner. We love the eSalon Repair Color Care Conditioner that rehabs weakened hair and replenishes the strands so they’re silky-soft.
Heat Protectant
From here, you can style as usual but I recommend finishing with eSalon Triple Prep because it’s great for every hair type. It’s known as a lightweight heat protectant, but this product offers so many more benefits, like taming frizz and adding shine—especially for strands that could use a little more TLC after clarifying or daily styling. Apply it all over to towel-dried hair, and you’re ready to set your style.