I don’t know WHY I didn’t try this sooner; I had read that coconut oil was A+ for dry, damaged, stressed-out hair like mine. And mine was super pissed at me too, because I’d just bleached my roots twice in two weeks and done a toner too. Even though I’d had it trimmed, it was bone dry and frizzy and I was not going to Fashion Week with hair like that. (The color was beautiful, though!)

So with a little advice from Becky of Stormsister (I’ve talked about her shhh. bar before), I took Friday night and coconut oiled my mess of sad hair. (I was too hungover to go out anyway.) My jar had been purchased from Whole Foods a year ago for about $11 and I used to use it in smoothies. Coconut oil is super good for ALL of you, not just your hair. It comes hard, so you have to liquify it; mine had done the work for me by being stuck in a cupboard in my bathroom. Otherwise, just boil water and stick the jar in there.

I got my hair damp, slathered a ton of coconut oil from ends to roots, especially where it felt most damaged. Then I wrapped it up in saran wrap, covered it up in a towel and sat for about an hour and a half; good time to watch Kardashians and infomercials, paint my nails and do a Mario Badescu mask.  

The only thing about coconut oil is that, well, it’s oil. I had to shampoo three or four times to get it all out. But in the morning, my hair was far softer and less frizzy; it loves me again! (And my hair does NOT smell like coconut, which is A-OK with me.) I think coconut oil is my new go-to deep conditioning treatment. I might start taking it orally again too, just to see.

My hair is getting plenty white lately! As you know, I’m all about toning in my quest for the perfect platinum: purple shampoo and conditioner, Manic Panic’s Virgin Snow, etc. I’ve had a few blue chunks in my hair more than once as result of overzealous toning, to the delight of my Len D Outlet customers. (“Where’d the blue go?!” They’ve been asking.) I was always a bit reluctant to try the Big Guns of Toning, Wella’s White Lady. A few days ago, I had the balls to do it. 

White Lady, available at Sally for about $5, is toner of the highest order. You mix one bottle with two parts 20 volume developer, apply to your head in a plastic color mixer bottle and it turns violet. Pretty! (Side note: I look pretty OK with purple hair.) All the info I gleaned from various internet sources said DO NOT leave it on longer than ten minutes, so I went about eight, then washed and conditioned with my Perfect 10 Mask. The result? Perfect pale, shiny, healthy-feeling blonde. (Said perfect blonde hair is currently twisted into a permanent topknot as reaction to the 100 degree weather Minneapolis is having. Loving it, though.)

My hair is finally at the desired color: platinum blonde. It took a few dye jobs, a lot of toning and plenty of Kerastase Elixir Ultime and deep conditioning to get this far, and I’d like to share what I’ve learned about this much-coveted hair color I call my own.

Platinum Tips, Thus Far:

1. Buy a toning shampoo. Purple shampoo is a necessity if you’re going this light. Otherwise, your hair tends to get a little bit yellow, which is NOT pretty. All those girls I see with the yellow bleach-blonde hair, please go get a bottle of Clairol Shimmer Lights. I don’t shampoo that often (usually every eight days), so I always tone. Occasionally I will throw a Manic Panic Virgin Snow toning treatment into the mix for about a half hour. Don’t leave purple shampoo on for longer than about four minutes or your hair might turn blue.

Recommended products: Clairol Shimmer Lights shampoo and/or conditioner, available at Sally Beauty Supply; Pravana Pure Light shampoo for sulfate-free toning; Manic Panic Virgin Snow toner

2. Get trims. Bleaching is bad for your hair, obviously. I have been bleaching my roots every six weeks, but this time I redid my whole head. Certain layers were incredibly fried. So make sure to get trims often; I do mine every time I touch up my roots.

3. Deep condition. A lot. Fried hair needs love. At least twice a month, I deep-condition my hair, and by that I mean the whole shower cap/hot towel/shower steam deep condition for at least half an hour. An occasional salon treatment never hurts either. I’ve been trying lots of different masks and conditioners; this is what has worked for me.

Recommended products: It’s a 10 Miracle Hair Mask, Kiehl’s Olive Fruit Oil Deeply Repairative Hair Pak

4. Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize from day to day!  I have been coating my hair with Kerastase Elixir Ultime and Jonathan Overnight Oil treatment, then twisting it up into a coil and leaving it to soak for a day or two. 

5. Watch what you put in your hair. Certain products can deposit color and contribute to that dull yellowing. Plenty of hair companies make platinum-friendly hair styling aids, from Redken to Pureology. I try not to use hairspray if I can help it.

6. Platinum hair attracts attention. Don’t dye your hair this light if you’re not willing to deal with the attention it can attract. It carries with it an Old Hollywood, glamorous appeal, and people respond to that.

7. Keep it healthy from the inside, too. I’ve been taking both prenatal vitamins and Evening Primrose Oil supplements to help my distressed hair.

8. Work with your hair’s natural texture. At first, I was wearing my naturally wavy hair pin straight. As my hair gets lighter, I heat style less and less. Try your hardest not to heat-style too much, because that zaps your hair’s moisture content. 

As I said before, my platinum hair is a work in progress. Any tried and true tips for me?