The best option is to simply minimize how frequently your hair is exposed to water. But since that’s easier said than done, you can also shield your shade by coating hair with a treatment before you hop in the shower. Try misting Aquis Prime Water Defense Prewash ($29; neimanmarcus.com) on dry strands; the mix of hydrating coconut oil and strengthening amino acids coats the hair, making it hydrophobic so that it won’t absorb as much water. Also helpful is turning down the temperature of the water, says Patrick Ryan, a hair colorist and co-owner of Mixed Co. Salon in Chicago. The hotter the water, the more your cuticle (the outer layer of the hair) will open, and the easier it is for those color molecules to slip out.
