So you’ve just left the salon with those gorgeous, sun-kissed brunette highlights you’ve been dreaming about. They’re shiny, dimensional, and perfectly complement your natural color. Now comes the real question: how do you keep them looking this good?
Here’s the truth—maintaining beautiful brunette highlights isn’t complicated, but it does require a bit of intention. Think of it as a three-part approach: protecting your color investment, keeping those strands deeply hydrated (because yes, highlights are thirstier than your natural hair), and managing that sneaky brassiness that loves to creep in uninvited.
The good news? Once you understand what your highlighted hair actually needs, it becomes second nature. Let’s walk through everything together.
The Quick Reference Guide
Before we dive deep, here’s your cheat sheet for maintaining those highlights:
- Wash less, but wash smart—sulfate-free shampoo 2-3 times weekly, always with cool water. Dry shampoo is your friend for extending those days between washes.
- Tame the brass—blue toning shampoo once or twice a week keeps orange tones at bay. Purple shampoo is only for those lighter, yellowy pieces. And always follow with a good conditioner so you don’t overdo it.
- Deep hydration is non-negotiable—weekly deep conditioning from mid-lengths to ends, hair mask treatments twice a month, and never skip your heat protectant (it should work up to 450°F).
- Shield your hair from the elements—UV spray before sun exposure, a cute wide-brimmed hat for those beach days, a shower filter if you have hard water, and definitely a swim cap if you’re hitting the pool.
- Keep up with your colorist—regular touch-ups are worth it, and those color-depositing glosses or cool root smudges between visits work wonders.
Building Your Color-Safe Routine
Let’s be real—brunette highlights can fade faster than you’d think. Between washing, styling, the sun, and just living your life, that beautiful color needs some backup. The foundation of keeping your highlights vibrant starts with what you’re putting on them every single wash day.
First things first: ditch any harsh sulfate shampoos. They’re essentially stripping away the very color you paid good money for. Instead, grab a color-safe, sulfate-free shampoo and consider rotating in one with UV filters. Products like GK Hair Shield don’t just clean—they actually protect against sun damage, pollution, and heat styling. It’s like sunscreen for your hair, and trust me, your highlights will thank you.
Now, about that brassiness everyone worries about. If you’re noticing some unwanted warmth creeping into your highlights, here’s what to grab: purple shampoo works beautifully for those blonde pieces fighting yellow tones, while Alchemic color-depositing shampoos can tune those red or brown tones back to where you want them.
The washing schedule matters more than you might think. Aim for 2-3 times per week—no more. Between washes, dry shampoo is your best friend. And here’s a pro tip that makes a real difference: always rinse with cool water. I know, I know, it’s not as cozy as a hot shower, but cool water seals your hair cuticle and locks in that shine and color.
If you have hard water (you’ll know because your hair might feel a bit rougher or duller), consider installing a shower filter. Those minerals build up and can mess with your color over time.
When you’re planning a day outside, think ahead. Spritz on some UV protection spray before you head out, and throw on a wide-brimmed hat. Going swimming? Use a swim cap and consider a hair screen underneath to block chlorine—it’s one of the worst culprits for turning highlights brassy and dry.
Between salon visits, you can maintain those vibrant highlights by using color-depositing treatments as needed. And please, be gentle with heat styling. Lower temperatures and less frequent use will keep your color looking fresh longer.
Hydration: Your Highlight’s Best Friend
Here’s something your stylist might not have mentioned: when your hair is lightened for highlights, it loses about 30% of its moisture-holding capacity. Suddenly your hair is thirstier, and if you’re not adjusting your routine accordingly, you’ll notice it starts to feel dry, look dull, or worse—break.
The fix? Think hydration-first, always.
Start with your cleansing routine. Remember that sulfate-free, hydrating shampoo we talked about? Look for one with argan oil—it’s a game-changer for maintaining moisture balance. Stick to washing just 2-3 times weekly, and yes, keep using that cool water for extra shine.
Weekly deep conditioning is where the magic happens. Apply your mask from mid-lengths to ends (your roots don’t need the extra richness). Look for ingredients like argan oil, keratin, or shea butter. If your hair feels particularly stressed, an acid-bonding concentrate can actually help repair those bonds broken during lightening. Some of those heavy cream treatments can give you up to 72 hours of extra hydration—worth every penny.
When it comes to styling, air-drying is ideal when you have the time. But we all know that’s not always realistic. So when you do need to heat style, here’s the non-negotiable rule: always, always apply heat protectant first. Get one that protects up to 450°F and use the lowest heat setting that still gets the job done.
The drying technique matters too. Gently squeeze excess water with a soft towel (no rubbing—you’ll create frizz and damage). Wrap your hair for about ten minutes, then when you’re ready to blow dry, start with the roots using a concentrator nozzle. This helps minimize overall heat exposure.
Don’t forget hair masks. Twice a month, rotate in this treatment—it helps rebuild strength and elasticity. And for everyday maintenance, a leave-in bonding treatment can work wonders between washes.
One more thing for those sunny days: keep a UV-protectant spray in your bag. A quick mist before heading outside shields your highlights from sun damage and keeps them from looking dull and lifeless.
Keeping the Brass at Bay
You’ve built your hydration routine, you’re protecting your color—now let’s talk about managing that brassiness that seems to show up out of nowhere between salon appointments.
First, understand what you’re actually fighting. Brassiness shows up as unwanted orange or reddish tones in your brunette highlights. It happens because the cooler tones fade faster, leaving those warmer undertones exposed. Sun, heat, hard water—they all speed up this process.
The solution lives in color theory. On the color wheel, opposite colors cancel each other out. Blue cancels orange. Purple cancels yellow. So for most brunette highlights with that orangey cast, you want a blue toning shampoo. Save the purple for those lighter, more blonde pieces that are pulling yellow.
Here’s how to use toning shampoo properly: apply it 2-3 times per week (not every wash), let it process for 3-5 minutes, and really focus on that first inch to inch-and-a-half at the root where warmth tends to bloom first. Then—and this is important—alternate with a color-safe conditioner. Over-toning is a real thing, and you don’t want to end up with muddy or ashy-looking highlights.
If your roots are particularly stubborn, chat with your colorist about an ashy root smudge or a cool violet-brown gloss (something in the 7V family works beautifully). These professional treatments can buy you more time between full highlighting sessions.
Prevention is always easier than correction. Keep using those UV and heat protectants religiously. If you have hard water, that filter we mentioned earlier will minimize mineral buildup that contributes to brassiness over time.
For an extra layer of defense, products like REVLON PROFESSIONAL EQUAVE™ UV protection spray do double duty—they hydrate while protecting your color from environmental damage.
The Bottom Line
Maintaining beautiful brunette highlights doesn’t have to be overwhelming. It really comes down to being thoughtful about what you put on your hair, protecting it from damage (heat, sun, and water are the big three), and staying consistent with treatments and salon visits.
Your highlights are an investment in yourself—one that looks absolutely stunning when properly cared for. With these three pillars (color protection, deep hydration, and brass control), you’ll keep that fresh-from-the-salon look for weeks longer. And honestly? Once these habits become part of your routine, they’ll feel effortless.
So grab that sulfate-free shampoo, stock up on deep conditioner, and maybe treat yourself to that cute wide-brimmed hat you’ve been eyeing. Your highlights—and your future self—will be so glad you did.
For more detailed guidance on maintaining your specific highlight style, check out resources on making highlights last, everything about highlighted hair, caring for brunette hair, light brunette maintenance, video tutorials, L’Oréal’s brunette maintenance guide, and maintaining balayage highlights.