I recently decided to take charge of my hair and hide the few platinum white hairs that have appeared around my hairline. They are not that noticeable but I know they are there. So I made a brave choice and had a few highlights and a little toner colour applied to blend them away and stop me feeling so self-conscious.

In doing so I have had to slightly alter my hair washing routine so when I was contacted about trying out some John Frieda products I said what the hell, no harm in trying them out.

They sent me two bottles of Sheer Blonde, shampoo and conditioner, which claim to activate the highlights in blonde or highlighted hair. Sounds like the perfect product for my newly highlighted hair, no?

I have been using them both for the last two weeks to really give a chance to see any visible difference to my hair. I’ve never really put much thought into how I wash my hair until now but having to review these products made me realise that I do actually have a routine.

I always make sure that I brush my hair through before washing to remove any loose hairs and tangles to make it easier to clean. I’m also water conscious; I turn the water off in-between shampooing and conditioning. I make sure that I give my scalp a good massage and because my hair is almost waist length now I use about two ten pence piece amounts of shampoo.

The shampoo itself is thick and looks quite glossy, with a fresh almost botanical scent that isn’t overpowering. Even in my hard water area I feel that I get a pretty good lather and always have to remember to apply the shampoo to the nape of my neck (which when I’m lazy I sometimes forget to do…oops). I then prefer to leave it a minute or so before rinsing through and although my hair did not feel silky smooth yet it didn’t feel tangled up which I have found some shampoos can cause; no idea why.

I then squeeze out carefully the excess water before applying the conditioner all in one direction to help smooth the hair follicle, mainly on the ponytail area and only giving the top of my head a little smooth over so I don’t cover the roots (I don’t want greasy looking hair). Then I wait a few minutes before rinsing out with cooler water and I always finish with cold water.

After the first wash with the Sheer Blonde products I didn’t see a massive difference in my hair although it was soft and not static which I always dread after changing shampoos. But now after about five washes I can see that my hair looks a little bit more reflective and my highlights do not seem to be fading as much as they seemed to before I started using it.

John Frieda’s Sheer Blonde products do not perform miracles, they will not lighten or colour your hair in any way instead I’ve found that they appear to prevent a dull sheen that can happen when I wash my hair and has left it feeling soft and manageable and not static.

I think I will continue to use Sheer Blonde as my everyday shampoo and conditioner together with Kérastase Bain Satin as my weekly pamper treat.

I was sent some John Frieda products to try out – all opinions are my own.