How to Do Rainbow Cereal Hair

You’ve probably noticed quite a few people walking down the streets with ultra-vibrant rainbow colored hair hues—ranging from hot pink to electric blue to striking violet. But now there’s a new statement-making hair color trend gaining popularity—and it’s inspired by your favorite rainbow cereals of childhood. Yep, cereal hair is officially a thing.

Cereal hair is marked by streaks of hot pink, yellow, orange, and green, with your base color still peeking through. This makes it a great hair color option to consider if you want to switch things up without changing your mane completely. Sound like your bowl of cereal (see what we did there)? Below, learn all about cereal hair, how to get the look, and how to take care of your new rainbow ‘do.

What Is Cereal Hair?

Remember all those yummy rainbow-colored cereals you ate for breakfast as a kid? That’s where this hair color trend gets its inspiration. Basically, it features chunky streaks of colors that look like the colors you’d see in your childhood cereals of choice. The colors are dispersed throughout your hair with your base shade still in tact, so that it looks sort of like cereal flowing throw milk. Sounds pretty, right?

How to Do Cereal Hair

When you’re attempting to bring any rainbow hair color trend to life, there are a few important factors to keep in mind. For starters, in order for the colors to show up, you’ll need to bleach your hair first if you’re starting with a dark base. And the darker the color you begin with, the more work it’ll take to reach your desired end result. A professional colorist will be able to expertly weave rainbow hues into your hair for a cereal hair color that stands out from the crowd—but you can also DIY it at home if you’d prefer. Just grab shades from the L’Oréal Paris Colorista Semi-Permanent Hair Color line and apply them wherever you’d like. Again, keep in mind that you’ll need to bleach your hair first if you don’t already have blonde, bleached, or highlighted hair.

How to Take Care of Cereal Hair

Like all dye jobs, cereal hair requires special care. That means it’s time to switch up your hair care routine! Follow the tips below to show your cereal hair the love it deserves.

1. Use a system of shampoo, conditioner, and mask formulated for color-treated hair’re sporting a cereal-inspired rainbow hair color, stock your shower with a shampoo, conditioner, and mask formulated for color-treated hair. Try the L’Oréal Paris Hair Expert Color Vibrancy Intensive Shampoo, L’Oréal Paris Hair Expert Color Vibrancy Intensive Conditioner, and L’Oréal Paris Hair Expert Color Vibrancy Intensive Ultra Recovery Mask. Swap out the conditioner for the mask once or twice a week and use it after shampooing.

2. Spritz on a heat protectant. If you want to pair your cereal hair with a smooth, sleek blowout, make sure to reach for a heat protectant first before picking up your blow-dryer. Try the L’Oréal Paris Advanced Hairstyle BOOST IT Blow Out HeatSpray.

3. Embrace your natural texture. While you can never go wrong with a classic blowout, showing off your natural curls or waves is another awesome styling choice for cereal hair. When your hair is damp, apply a styling spray, mousse, or cream, then let your hair do its thing. Try the L’Oréal Paris Advanced Hairstyle AIR DRY IT Wave Swept Spray, L’Oréal Paris Advanced Hairstyle AIR DRY IT Ruffled Body Mousse, or L’Oréal Paris Advanced Hairstyle Undone Style Cream.

4. Make time for regular touch-ups. Cereal hair is super-pretty—but much like any other bold hair color trend, there is some necessary maintenance. In order to keep your cereal hair color looking fresh, you’ll need to touch it up regularly. Remember to stock your bathroom with dye or book appointments with your colorist if you want to maintain your cereal hair.