Kérastase Blond Absolu Cicaflash: What It Is, Who It's For and How to Use It

Reviewed by Les Erasmus, Balayage & Lived-in Colour Educator, Partners Hair V&A Waterfront · September 2026

Lightened hair has a problem the rest of the Blond Absolu range doesn't fully solve: it needs repair, but rich repair flattens it. Cicaflash is the answer to that specific tension — the strength of a treatment at the weight of a conditioner. Here's what it actually does, who should be using it, and where it fits in the routine.

Key takeaways

• Cicaflash is a rinse-out treatment at conditioner weight for lightened, highlighted and balayaged hair.
• Use it instead of conditioner, two to three minutes, on the days you're not masking.
• It's for hair that's lightened and fine or easily weighed down. Thick, very damaged blonde still wants the masque.
• On balayage and lived-in colour it treats the lightened pieces without dragging down the natural base.
• It doesn't tone. Pair it with Bain Ultra-Violet when brass is the issue.

What is Cicaflash?

Cicaflash sits between a conditioner and a mask. It carries the Blond Absolu repair actives — hyaluronic acid for hydration, edelweiss for protection against oxidation — in a fluid, fast-rinsing formula that closes the cuticle and reinforces lightened fibre without leaving weight behind. The name is the point: cica, for repair, flash, for how quickly it works. Two to three minutes and rinse.

Who is it for?

Lightened hair that is also fine, or that goes flat easily. That's a big group — most highlighted and balayaged hair, most lived-in blondes, anyone whose hair looks great after a mask for an hour and then collapses. If your blonde is thick and heavily processed and can take a rich mask without going limp, the Masque Ultra-Violet or Cicaplasme is the better treatment step; Cicaflash is for the people who can't.

Cicaflash vs Cicaplasme vs the masque

Cicaflash — rinse-out, conditioner weight, every wash. Strength without bulk.

Cicaplasme — leave-in, heat-protecting, applied to damp hair before styling. Repair that stays on.

Masque Ultra-Violet — weekly, deep, toning and nourishing. The heaviest step, for hair that can carry it.

They aren't alternatives so much as a ladder. Most lightened hair uses Cicaflash on the everyday washes and the masque once a week; Cicaplasme goes on before heat regardless.

How to use it

1. Shampoo with Bain Lumière on ordinary days, Bain Ultra-Violet when you need to tone.
2. Squeeze the water out of the hair. Cicaflash works better on hair that isn't dripping.
3. Apply mid-lengths to ends — the lightened parts — and comb through with fingers.
4. Leave two to three minutes. Rinse thoroughly.
5. Cicaplasme on damp hair if you're using heat.

On balayage and lived-in colour

This is where it earns its place. On a blended colour the lightened pieces are the most porous hair on your head and the natural base is often close to untouched. A rich mask treats both the same way and the base pays for it — flat, heavy, sometimes greasy at the root. Cicaflash treats the lightened lengths where they need it and rinses clean off the rest. It's the treatment I'd put on almost every balayage client's shelf before anything else.

'Balayage clients get sent home with a heavy mask and then wonder why their hair looks flat by Tuesday. The lightened pieces need the repair, the base doesn't need the weight. Cicaflash is the one product in the range that understands that difference.' — Les Erasmus, Balayage & Lived-in Colour Educator, Partners Hair V&A Waterfront

Personal consultations with Les. Not sure whether your blonde needs Cicaflash, the masque, or a toner first? Book a one-on-one with Les at our V&A Waterfront salon.

Book a colour consultation with Les · Shop Kérastase Blond Absolu

Frequently asked questions

Is Cicaflash a conditioner or a mask?
Neither exactly. It's a rinse-out treatment at conditioner weight — use it in place of conditioner, not on top of it.

Does Cicaflash tone brassy hair?
No. It repairs and protects. For toning, use Bain Ultra-Violet or the Masque Ultra-Violet.

Can I use Cicaflash every wash?
Yes. That's what it's designed for, with the masque once a week if your hair can take it.

Cicaflash or Cicaplasme?
Cicaflash rinses out; Cicaplasme stays in and protects against heat. Most lightened hair uses both.

Is it suitable for non-blonde hair?
It's formulated for lightened hair, but any hair that's been through lightener — highlighted brunettes, balayage on dark bases — benefits.

Advice from salon-trained professionals. Partners Hair — 24 salons across Cape Town, since 1984.