So let’s be honest for a minute here. How many times have you spent lots of money buying hair products that promised you volume and shine, but instead damaged your hair and left it greasy and sticky? That’s our twenties and thirties tragedy when we are spending an hour in the bathroom trying to fix the damage done by the volumizing mousse that cemented the roots of our hair. Actually, we are just one bad hair day away from shaving off our hair and buying some nice hats.
Marketing departments of the biggest beauty brands are the masters of the lies and make us think that volume should be achieved by the aerosol can and the shine by the silicone-based products. However, the fact is that our hair is not some kind of something that should be fixed chemically. Our hair is a biological organism and it requires respect.
First of all, you should stop fighting your natural hair texture. If you have wavy hair, do not try to straighten it using the round brush. Embrace your waves and let them dry out in the air using the Ouai Wave Spray. Unlike other hair styling products, it enhances the natural hair texture rather than creating the new one, which will not work properly.
The fine hair girls should stay away from the heavy oils. Even though Moroccanoil bottle looks very stylish in the bathroom, it weights your hair like an anchor. Try the lightweight foams such as the Living Proof Full Thickening Cream. In order to make your hair float, you need to switch to something lighter.
I want to say several words about the sulfates to curly girls and boys. Sulfates are like a dish soap and remove all the moisture that you need. You can try some co-wash or even a gentle cleanser like As I Am Coconut CoWash. It cleans your hair without turning it into the straw.
And, please, if you still use the same 2-in-1 shampoo and conditioner that you used in your college times, we have a problem here. It belongs to the dorm room, not to your apartment. Now your scalp produces different oils and has more stress and, thus, you should care about your scalp. Do not forget to use a scalp scrub like Christophe Robin Cleansing Purifying Scrub once a week to clean the canvas.
Yes, it seems excessive to buy some special product for your scalp, but it makes a huge difference. Consider your scalp as an exfoliation. You do exfoliate your face, right? Then why would you neglect the skin, which grows your hair? It’s the base of everything and you need to take care of it.
Hair styling products are often a source of trouble for the graduate students. We are busy, tired, maybe even late, and, thus, we use a lot of dry shampoo. Batiste is awesome, but if you use half of the can, your hair will look like you have a dandruff made of chalk. Use less and apply it to your hair properly.
The heat protector is something you need if you use a hair dryer, even if you do not style your hair using a flat iron. The Amika Blockade is a good choice that does not have any chemical smell. Neglecting the hair protector is like driving without insurance – you may be safe for a while but sooner or later you will crash and burn.
One of the toughest pills to swallow is that expensive does not always mean better. There are some of the best hair care products that I’ve tried and which cost me much less than a fancy coffee. For example, Aussi Instant Freeze Gel is considered to be a cult hair styling product for a reason. It holds the curls without making them crunchy, which is a miracle in a bottle.
On the contrary, there are some products that you need to buy despite of their price. If the Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray is a holy grail for you, do not be shy to budget for it. Sometimes quality ingredients cost money. Just make sure that you pay for the results, not for packaging.
There is one thing that you need to know – you should read the back of the bottle, not just a front of it. Forget about some beautiful phrases like “botanical extracts” and look at the first five ingredients. If water and alcohol are on the first place, then you are just paying for some filling products. Keratin, biotin, and argan oil should be in the list if you expect some results.
Also, do not forget that your hair behaves differently depending on the season. What works in the humid summer will ruin your hair in winter because of the static. Thus, you need to change your hair products depending on the season. You need some rotation of products, not just one bottle in the shower.
Just remember that hair care is the self-care and sometimes you need to spend five minutes applying the mask while reviewing your notes. The Briogeo Don’t Despair, Repair Mask is a good choice for weekly hair care routine. It smells good and actually penetrates the hair shaft.
Do not buy some hair products just because they became popular due to TikTok videos. Just because some girl with perfect genes and healthy hair uses this product does not mean that it will work for you. Do not forget to check reviews by people with the same hair type.
If you have some colored hair, you need to be more careful with it. Cheap shampoos will remove your expensive hair color within two washes flat. Use some color-safe formulas like the Pureology Hydrate Sheer system.
To conclude, I would like to say that finding the right hair products is some kind of a journey with a lot of trials and errors. You will buy some duds but you will find some gems. Try not to waste your money on the products that damage your hair and listen to your hair.
Your hair is a mirror of your state and your habits. If you are stressed, it reflects it. If you are dehydrated, it also reflects it. Take care of your body and your hair with good food and drinks and you will see the results.
Thus, when you are standing in the aisle in Target, feeling yourself overwhelmed by the number of choices, do not panic. Just pick the bottle and read the label. And ask yourself does it fit my hair type? If the answer is no, put it back. Your hair will thank you later.
Thanks for reading this post! – MyPlugin