The Complete Guide to pH Care After Colour and Bleach
The Complete Guide to pH Care After Colour and Bleach
If you've ever had highlights, a balayage, or a full bleach — you've probably noticed your hair feeling drier, more fragile, or harder to manage in the weeks that follow.
That's not just dryness. It's a chemistry problem.
And once you understand what's actually happening inside your hair, the solution becomes clear.
What Happens to Your Hair During Colour and Bleach?
To lift colour or open the hair for a chemical service, hairdressers use alkaline agents — typically with a pH of 9 to 11. Your hair's natural healthy pH sits between 4.5 and 5.5 (slightly acidic).
When alkaline products are applied, the hair cuticle — the outer protective layer — swings open. This is necessary for the colour or bleach to work. But here's the problem:
After your service is done, the cuticle doesn't automatically close again.
Alkaline residue stays in your hair. Research shows it can remain in the hair fibre for 10 days to 3 weeks after your appointment. During that time:
- Cuticles stay open or partially lifted
- Moisture and natural lipids escape freely
- The internal protein structure (keratin) is exposed and weakens
- Colour fades faster — alkaline environments reduce colour retention by 40–50%
- Hair becomes dry, frizzy, and breaks more easily
A 2025 study published in the International Journal of Cosmetic Science confirmed that alkaline conditions above pH 8 cause measurable damage to both the hair's surface and its internal proteins. The damage isn't just cosmetic — it's structural.
The 5-Step Home Routine for Colour and Bleach-Treated Hair
Here is a complete routine using KAMI Lab products, designed to restore pH balance, repair internal damage, and protect your hair every day.
Step 1 — Remove Alkaline Residue Before You Shampoo
Product: GRAN Color Revive
Most people shampoo and condition — and that's it. But if alkaline residue is still sitting in your hair, no amount of conditioner will fix the underlying problem.
GRAN Color Revive is a pre-shampoo treatment designed to neutralise and remove this residue before you wash. Its key ingredients work together:
- Hematin — removes residual hydrogen peroxide and repairs keratin damage
- Catalase — breaks down oxidising agents that cause colour to fade
- Sodium Acetate — rebalances the hair's pH back toward its natural acidic state
- Darkenyl — supports scalp health and helps slow grey hair progression
How to use:
Before shampooing, pre-rinse hair and scalp thoroughly with warm water (~38°C)
Pump 5–8 pumps of foam directly onto areas of concern (hairline, parting, crown)
Gently massage in — no need to rinse off
Apply your shampoo directly on top and lather together
Rinse well, then finish with your usual treatment
Use daily for best results. Consistent use is what creates long-term improvement.
Step 2 — Strengthen Hair from Within While You Shampoo
Product: Inform 5.5 + LUCA Shampoo
Regular shampoo cleans the surface. Inform 5.5 takes it further — it's a hair-strengthening booster that you mix directly into your shampoo, using a molecular micro-fragmentation technology that gives it 40× the penetration power of water alone.
Its sulphur-based compounds work inside the hair to reinforce the internal protein bonds (the same bonds weakened by bleach and colour), making the hair stronger from the core outward.
How to use:
Take your usual amount of LUCA Shampoo into your palm
Add 3–5 pumps of Inform 5.5 and mix together in your hand
Apply to hair and lather well — leave as a foam treatment for a minute or two
Rinse thoroughly
Always follow with a treatment or conditioner
Inform 5.5 works with any shampoo, but pairs especially well with LUCA Shampoo — an amino acid-based formula designed for scalp health and aging hair.
Step 3 — Repair Internal Keratin Structure (Weekly Deep Treatment)
Product: METEO Connector + LUCA Treatment
METEO Connector is not a regular conditioner. It's a professional-grade keratin repair treatment — the kind used in salon treatments — that works by reinforcing the internal keratin structure of the hair, not just coating the surface.
Hair is made of over 80% keratin protein. Bleaching and colour services break down these proteins. METEO Connector supplies activated keratin and bonding ingredients directly into the hair fibre to rebuild what was lost.
How to use (1–2 times per week):
After shampooing, firmly squeeze excess water from hair
Apply 2–3 pumps of METEO Connector through mid-lengths to ends — work it in well
Without rinsing, apply LUCA Treatment directly on top of METEO Connector
Leave for a few minutes, then rinse thoroughly
For enhanced results: after blow-drying, finish with a hair iron
- Normal hair: 180°C / High-damage or bleached hair: 160°C
The activated keratin in METEO Connector bonds more deeply with heat — so the blow-dry and iron step makes a real difference.
Step 4 — Protect and Finish Every Day
Product: NOAH Hair Oil
After washing, your hair needs protection before heat styling — especially when cuticles are still recovering. NOAH Hair Oil is a lightweight leave-in emulsion (between an oil and a milk in texture) that protects from heat, tightens cuticles, and locks in moisture without weighing hair down.
Its key ingredients:
- Levulinic acid — tightens the cuticle surface for smoother texture and shine
- Pea protein — fills in damage gaps inside the hair fibre
- γ-Dococelactone — activates with heat to lock in smoothness and manageability
- 5 types of ceramide — seals moisture in and protects the cuticle bond
How to use (daily):
After towel-drying, emulsify the oil well between both palms
Apply through the inside of hair first, then mid-lengths, ends, and lightly over the surface — avoid the roots (5cm from scalp)
Run a wide-tooth comb through once or twice
Blow-dry from roots to ends, finish with a cool shot to close cuticles
Apply a small amount to dry hair in the morning if needed
Amount guide (damp hair):
| Hair length | Fine/thin | Normal | Thick/coarse |
| Short/Bob | 1–2 pumps | 2 pumps | 2–3 pumps |
| Mid-length | 2 pumps | 3 pumps | 3–4 pumps |
| Long | 3 pumps | 4 pumps | 4–5 pumps |
Start with less — you can always add more. Too much is harder to fix than too little.
Your Complete Weekly Routine at a Glance
| When | Step | Product |
| Every wash | Pre-shampoo residue removal | GRAN Color Revive (5–8 pumps) |
| Every wash | Strengthening shampoo | Inform 5.5 mixed into LUCA Shampoo |
| Every wash | In-shower treatment | LUCA Treatment |
| 1–2× per week | Deep keratin repair | METEO Connector first → then LUCA Treatment on top (no rinse between) |
| Every wash | Heat protection & finish | NOAH Hair Oil before blow-drying |
| Daily (non-wash days) | Texture & frizz control | Small amount of NOAH Hair Oil |
How Long Until You See Results?
With consistent use, most people notice improvement within 2–4 weeks:
- Hair feels smoother and less frizzy
- Colour looks more vibrant and lasts longer
- Less breakage when brushing or styling
- Better elasticity — hair stretches slightly without snapping
If your hair has had repeated bleach sessions or significant damage, give it 4–6 weeks. The key is consistency — especially with GRAN Color Revive daily and METEO Connector weekly.
The Bottom Line
Colour and bleach services temporarily shift your hair into an alkaline state. Left unaddressed, that shift causes damage that builds up with every appointment.
The solution is a routine that works at every stage:
- Remove the residue before it continues to damage (GRAN Color Revive)
- Strengthen the internal structure while you wash (Inform 5.5 + LUCA)
- Repair keratin from within weekly (METEO Connector)
- Protect from heat every day (NOAH Hair Oil)
Your hair is designed to be slightly acidic. Help it get back there — and you'll notice the difference.
Written by the KAMI Lab team — Japanese hair care, based in New Zealand