You can have the shampoo, the mask, the oil, the heat protectant, and still feel like your hair is fighting you.

If your colour dulls quickly, your blonde never looks quite as bright as it did leaving the salon, or your ends seem to snap no matter how careful you are, there could be something else going on.

And weirdly enough, it could be your water.

Water can contain metal ions such as copper, which can build up inside the hair fibre over time. On coloured, bleached or porous hair, that can make the hair more vulnerable to breakage and can also interfere with colour results.

It’s one of those things most of us would never think about, but once you know, it suddenly makes a lot of sense.

What's The Problem With Metal?

L'Oréal Professionnel Paris developed Metal Detox to help neutralise copper deposits found inside the hair fibre.

Research from L'Oréal Professionnel found that metal particles can build up inside the hair fibre, rather than simply sitting on the surface.

And copper can cause a few problems when you're colouring or bleaching your hair. Metal particles can react with the main active ingredients used in colour and bleach services. This can affect colour results and contribute to hair breakage.

That's particularly worth knowing if your hair is already coloured, bleached, damaged or feeling a little fragile. Basically, your hair doesn't need another thing working against it.

What Does Porous Hair Actually Mean?

Porosity sounds much more complicated than it is. Put simply, it's about how easily your hair absorbs and holds onto moisture.

Hair can become more porous through things like colouring, bleaching, heat styling and damage to the hair fibre. When the hair fibre has these tiny areas of weakness, it can absorb more water — and potentially more of those metal ions along with it.

This is why porosity is worth considering if your hair feels rough, tangles easily, loses moisture quickly or seems particularly prone to breakage.

And if you're thinking, "Okay, but how do I know if my hair is porous?" Those everyday signs are often a better place to start than getting too hung up on the terminology.

Meet Glicoamine

This is the science bit. We'll keep it painless.

Metal Detox uses patented technology with Glicoamine, a molecule designed to penetrate inside the hair fibre and target metal particles. In simple terms, it helps find and bind to metal inside the hair, rather than just dealing with what's sitting on the outside.

The Metal Detox protocol is designed to help prevent hair breakage and colour fade, while leaving hair looking smoother, healthier and more conditioned.

So, you don't really need to remember what Glicoamine is called. Just think of it as the clever bit that helps Metal Detox deal with metal where it matters.

So, Which Metal Detox Products Do You Actually Need?

Here's where we'd say: you don't necessarily need every product in the range.

Your hair has its own set of problems, and your routine should reflect that. If your main concern is keeping your blonde looking bright, you'll have different priorities from someone whose ends are dry, tangled and snapping.

Here's what each product is particularly good for.

What's The Metal Detox Routine?

If Your Hair Feels Fragile: Start With The Pre-Shampoo Treatment 

If your hair is porous, damaged or constantly getting tangled, this is the step we'd be looking at first.

The L'Oréal Professionnel Metal Detox Pre-Shampoo Treatment is designed to target hair vulnerability before you even get to shampooing.

Infused with 2% Glicofiller, it refills 1 million hair micro-breaks in one use* and provides instant detangling and intense nourishment for up to 72 hours**.

It's particularly suited to coloured, damaged and tangled hair, while also helping to prevent colour fade.

For Your Regular Wash: The Cleansing Cream Shampoo 

The L'Oréal Professionnel Metal Detox Anti-Metal Cleansing Cream Shampoo is the everyday cleansing step in the routine.

Its rich cream formula transforms into a concentrated foam, gently cleansing the hair fibre while helping to remove the accumulation of metal particles.

Hair is left feeling cleansed, smoother, softer and more nourished, with a glossy finish.

It's a particularly good place to start if you're mainly concerned about keeping your colour looking fresh between salon visits, especially if you've put a lot of time into getting that colour just right.

When Your Hair Needs A Little More TLC

We're not saying everyone needs a mask every time they wash their hair.

But if your hair is coloured, bleached, heat-styled or simply feeling a bit rough and dry, this is where we'd bring one in.

The L'Oréal Professionnel Metal Detox Anti-Deposit Protector Mask conditions and protects the hair from metal particles, while helping to nourish and smooth the hair fibre.

It's a good option when your lengths need a little more attention, leaving hair feeling softer, smoother and more nourished.

If your hair already feels soft and healthy, you can keep this as an occasional treatment rather than feeling like it's something you have to use every wash.