Professional Malibu Treatment

Trials and Tribulations of Red Color-Treated Hair

Today, I went to Boston to Vidal Sassoon to get my hair re-redded  after 5 weeks of being out in the summer sun. Though I try to wear a hat, I don’t always manage it. Red fades, and in the summer sun, it fades even faster.

In addition to sun damage, my hair suffers from being washed in hard water: water with minerals in it. Hard water deposits minerals into and on the hair  shafts. The result over time is dull and or discolored color-treated hair.

Professional Malibu Treatment

When I walked into the salon at 2pm, Laurel, my long-time colorist, looked at my hair and asked me if I wanted to get a Malibu treatment. Honestly, I had been hoping to get the 5:00 train back to the North Shore, so I hesitated. At that point, Laurel told me that I really needed one because the ends of my hair were so saturated with color that they looked “muddy” or even “green”.

Though I didn’t see green in my hair, I agreed with her that the top of my hair was a different shade than the bottom of my hair. Finally, I gave in. Laurel is just about always right when it comes to my hair.

The benefit of a professional Malibu treatment is that it removes the minerals like copper, iron and calcium from the hair and also removes some of the color as well. (I look like either a strawberry-blonde or a weird shade of blonde after the treatment.) In sum, the Malibu removes build-up and allows the colorist to start with “a clean slate”. 

The Process

Having a Malibu treatment adds quite a bit of time to my appointment. An assistant (a student in the color department) washes my hair, conditions it, and applies the thick Malibu substance that Laurel mixes with granules and water. Next, the assistant puts a shower cap on my hair over the Malibu treatment, and I sit under the heat for 30-40 minutes while the treatment removes build-up and replaces it with proteins to strengthen my hair.

Next, my hair gets washed and conditioned a second time. Then the assistant dries it quickly with a blow-dryer.

Laurel returns and paints the color onto my ultra-clean hair. I sit for another 20 minutes while the color penetrates my hair.

After that, my hair is washed for a third time! But no conditioner this time so that the hair can absorb even more color. Next, the assistant paints on a glossy “rinse” with more color that helps my hair look brighter and resist fading a little better. After the rinse painted on and another shower cap with cotton around my hair is placed on my head, I go back under the heat for another 15-20 minutes to help that color rinse penetrate.

Finally, my hair is rinsed without shampoo in plain water to remove the excess color conditioner (or “rinse”), and then it is conditioned one more time.

Here’s a description of the professional Malibu treatment including the key ingredient:

“A professional Malibu Hair Treatment involves a specialized solution created by mixing crystallized vitamin C granules with filtered or distilled water to form a paste or gel. This mixture is applied evenly to the hair and scalp, focusing on areas with the most buildup. The treatment is then processed under a hooded heated dryer for approximately 20 to 40 minutes to allow the ingredients to penetrate and work effectively. The key components include vitamin C crystals, which act as a natural chelating agent to bind and remove mineral deposits and impurities like those from hard water and chlorine. The treatment also contains antioxidants to combat environmental damage and moisturizing agents to restore hydration. The process is designed to deeply cleanse the hair and scalp, removing product residue and buildup, thereby preparing the hair for subsequent treatments like coloring by creating a clean, residue-free foundation. It is recommended that the treatment be performed by a professional stylist at a salon due to the need for even heat distribution, which a regular home hair dryer may not achieve.”

After all of these steps including the Malibu treatment, the color application, the color conditioner, 3 shampoos and 3 conditionings, I am ready to dry my hair and style it. Today, I actually dried and styled my own hair so I didn’t have to pay someone to do it. Here’s the final result with no makeup except lipgloss.

In addition to going back to my “regular color”, I think my hair color looks brighter, less dull and especially more uniform. I’m satisfied. Plus, I have the cleanest hair and scalp on the planet, lol!

If you color your hair or if you have hard water like I do, have you tried a professional Malibu treatment?