Colour Preparation Guide
How to get your hair ready before your colour appointment?
Before We Begin
A great colour result starts before you sit in the chair. The steps in this guide help us read your hair accurately, plan the right approach for your goals, and get the best possible outcome on the day, while keeping your hair’s health protected throughout your service.
Whether you’re booked in for lightening, vivids, semi permanent colour, or grey blending or coverage, a little preparation in the days beforehand makes a real difference to how your colour takes and how your hair responds on the day. This guide walks you through exactly what to do at home before your appointment, and what to expect when you arrive.
Why is prepping the hair important?
Over time, hair can accumulate layers of minerals, silicones, oils, product residue, colour pigments and environmental build-up. Some of this may not be visible — but it can affect how lightener and colour perform once processing begins.
At White Ivy, preparation is part of the colour process, not an afterthought.
Corrective colour and transformations are already expensive, time consuming and require a great level of skill, we want to mitigate any risks as much as we can and of course the best outcome for your hair
The cleaner and more accurately prepared the canvas, the better we can assess your starting point, predict how your hair may respond and create a strategy that prioritises both your result and the integrity of your hair.
Let us know your hairs colour history in as much detail as possible
Sometimes ‘‘brown hair’ is not just brown hair
What we see on the outside doesn’t always tell us what is sitting inside the hair.
Previous salon colour, supermarket colour, root touch-up sprays, glosses, toners, henna, keratin treatments, mineral build-up, hard water, swimming and even some home-care products can influence the way your hair lifts.
That means two guests who appear to have the same starting colour can behave completely differently during lightening.
This is why your colourist needs your full colour history — not just your most recent appointment.
Please tell us everything. There is no judgement — the information simply helps us colour your hair more safely and strategically.
- box dye
- previous bleach
- chemical straightening
- keratin or nanoplasty
- henna or metallic dye
- root sprays
- heavy oils or styling products
- pharmacy/ supermarket products
Preparing Your Hair at Home
In the lead up to your appointment, swap your usual shampoo for a detox or clarifying shampoo as advised by your colourist.
Metal, mineral and product build up can sit on the hair and interfere with the colour process, affecting how evenly and predictably your hair lifts or takes colour.
- Detox Your Hair: Use your recommended detox or clarifying shampoo in the leadup to your appointment. See the next page for the right product for your service.
- Nourish and Hydrate: Focus on conditioning and hydration, and avoid experimenting with new chemical treatments before your appointment.
- Arrive with Clean, Dry Hair: Come to your appointment with freshly washed, completely dry hair, and avoid heavy oils, dry shampoo or styling products.
Need To Know:
Clarifying Shampoo
Clarifying helps remove surface build up, excess oils, product residue and some mineral deposits that may interfere with the colour process.
To use at home:
- Wet hair thoroughly
- Shampoo twice if required
- Focus through the lengths as well as the scalp
- Rinse extremely well
- Follow with your recommended conditioner or treatment
- Avoid immediately coating the hair again with heavy oils or silicone-rich products
Clarifying shampoo is not designed to remove permanent artificial colour. Its purpose is to help give us a cleaner canvas before we begin professional colour removal or correction.
Prep 72 Hours Prior
Malibu C Colour Prepare Crystals
Within 72 hours of your appointment, use Malibu C Colour Prepare Crystals at home to give your colour the best possible starting point.
This 100% vegan, single use treatment gently draws out the minerals from hard water, tank water and product build up that can cause patchy, brassy or unpredictable colour results. With those minerals cleared away, your hair becomes a clean canvas, so your colour absorbs evenly and develops true to tone.
- Shampoo and rinse your hair
- Tear open the sachet and mix the crystals with water in your palm until dissolved
- Apply evenly through damp hair and leave on for 5 minutes
- Rinse thoroughly
Available to purchase online or in store at White Ivy Studio.
Other Recommended Products
To clarify your hair effectively prior to your colour service
Pulls out metals like copper and iron so bleach doesn’t react badly, heat up, or snap your hair.
Cleanses deeply yet gently, freeing the scalp from impurities, dandruff, sebum, sweat and styling product residue. Contains AFA green-blue micro-seaweed, organic achillea and nettle extracts, lemon and rosemary essential oils, eucalyptol, allantoin and zinc pyrithione.
A deep cleansing shampoo that removes buildup, hard water minerals, chlorine, excess oil and product residue, without stripping or drying the hair. Uses Olaplex’s Bond Building Technology to maintain hair strength while clarifying. Shop Here
Nourishing Your Hair During Prep
While you’re using a clarifying shampoo to prepare for your colour service, it’s important to keep the rest of your routine light. We want to nourish your hair from the inside out during this stage.
Don’t:
- Avoid using finishing balms, oils, or conditioners with heavy silicones. These can coat the hair and undo the work your clarifying shampoo is doing to create a clean canvas.
Do:
- Use a lightweight, nourishing mask or treatment instead
A concentrated, lightweight mask formulated with Olaplex’s Bond Building Technology. It deeply hydrates and repairs hair from within, improving texture, softness and shine without weighing hair down.
An ultra-concentrated, rich hair mask for very dry, medium to thick hair. Nourishes and hydrates for instant suppleness, radiant shine and a silky, soft feel. Shop Here
A deeply nourishing treatment enriched with organic muru muru butter. Prevents frizz, conditions the hair, and leaves it manageable, soft and radiant. Shop Here
A Few Things That Help
Bring or Send Your Inspiration Photos
Show us what you like and what you don’t like, whether it’s a colour, a tone, or a finish. Bring them on your phone to your consultation, or send a current photo of your hair in good lighting along with your inspiration photos to our email beforehand.
Inspiration pics, NOT replication.
Every head of hair is different, so your result will be tailored to your own hair’s history, condition and starting point, not an exact copy of a photo.
Book Well Ahead of Any Event
Colour work is often a multi stage process, and sittings can run up to 8 hours. We get extremely busy, so book your consultation well ahead of any event or deadline to make sure we can fit your journey in with enough time.
Be Honest About Your Colour History
Let us know your hair’s full colour history, even the parts you would rather forget. It genuinely changes the plan we build for you.
