My Colorist Told Me That My Bleached Hair Feels Virgin-Healthy Thanks to This Serum

I’m doing something drastic to my hair for the first time in my life — I’m taking my dark brown tresses to season 2 Carrie Bradshaw-blonde. It’s a laborious and tedious process because of how fragile and sensitive my curls are; they’ll fry and flatten if they’re pushed too hard too soon. I’ve spent two sessions, a total of seven hours, in a salon chair — and probably still have that much left to go.

Still, the process is on a fast track. There was supposed to be a month break between my first and second lightening sessions that was truncated to two just weeks when my colorist saw my hair was basically virgin-healthy. My secret? Shu Uemura’s Essence Absolue Overnight Serum. 

Every night since the first bleaching session, my hair has been treated with one mask, oil, serum, or another. I tested out Shu Uemura’s Essence Absolue Serum on the third night and used it for the next two weeks straight. It detangles, hydrates, and softens my hair without making it oily and repairs intense frizziness on even the most bleach-damaged strands. Plus, it feels light and is absorbed well by my hair, which is very important to me; other products I’ve tried have made my scalp and strands feel like they were dipped in a vat of grease, but this one would be invisible if it weren’t for the noticeable improvements it makes. 

Camellia oil is at the heart of this formula to protect and repair hair from the drying, damaging, and stripping effects of dye and bleach, making it perfectly suited for the trials my hair is going through. It’s also an antioxidant-rich ingredient, which protects hair from the environmental stressors that cause further damage and hair loss, and is packed with fatty acids to restore hair’s moisture, shine, and strength. 

The bottom line is that my hair is quite fragile, and despite exposing it to bleach and dye, my curls remain as glossy and healthy as ever. Head to Shu Uemura to shop the healthy hair-restoring Essence Absolue Nourishing Overnight Serum.