Perfecting Your At-Home Hair Routine
Do you remember when your mother taught you how to shampoo and condition your hair?
Oh, right. She didn’t!
Believe it or not, there really is a formula for your home hair-care regimen.
So many of you have asked me about the steps you need to take to ensure that your hair is healthy and hydrated between your professional appointments. I’ve categorized these steps below to guide you through a tried-and-true approach to cleanse, condition, protect, and style your hair for optimal hair health.
In general, I find that this system works well for everyone. The products you choose depend on your hair type and condition. The change of season can also totally influence the way your hair responds. For these reasons, it is super important to check with your own personal stylist on a regular basis to tailor product choices specifically to where you are in your hair-care journey.
Professionals in this industry recommend investing in a luxury brand of hair care.
I mention my personal favorites below. The ingredients in these products bring together the best of tried-and-true home remedy ingredients enhanced with today’s latest in research and technology to get maximum repair, maintenance, and styling results. Buy the best you can afford within your price point. It’s a “get what you pay for” situation.
That said, here are the general categories I recommend clients to consider in terms of a robust at-home hair-care regimen:
- Pre-Shampoo ~ This stage is key to keep your scalp and follicles healthy to support hair growth. Choose a product such as dpHUE’s Apple Cider Vinegar Hair Rinse to remove impurities without stripping hair color and natural oils. It also seals color and adds shine. Use this daily or weekly depending on the condition of your hair and absolutely after a sweaty workout. I have also seen great results from OLAPLEX Hair Perfector No. #3 that clarifies and strengthens hair and reduces breakage.
- Shampoo ~ Your hair texture, condition, and chemical treatment practices are essential components to making decisions here. As you know, I’m a big fan of the Kerastase line and carry it in Salon. We use this prescriptive suite of products designed to target specific hair conditions that begin with repair and then move on to moisture, shine, and hair-health maintenance.
- Condition ~ I like Kerastase’s Masquintense suite of products and recommend them based on the condition and composition of your hair. Mix a pump of Elixir Ultime L’Huile Original Hair Oil into your mask choice and let the mixture sit on your hair under a cap to retain heat for 20 minutes once per week. This is a powerful therapeutic treatment following color or other chemical services. The Elixir can also be used as a daily leave-in oil on wet or dry hair to reduce frizz and build shine.
- Protect ~ I know I’ve said this many times on HairLine, but it is crucial that you use a product that protects your hair from the harsh results of heat. Again, Kerastase offers a great set of Thermique products for the range of hair types. You can’t go wrong with any thermo-protectant, but you can go really wrong without one. Trust me on that.
- Treat ~ This one applies to everyone. Getting a periodic professional rejuvenation treatment like Fusio Dose really does elevate the health and well-being of your hair. This kind of product is totally customized to you and is administered by your own stylist in-salon. Nightly leave-in conditioning retail products like Kerastase’s 8H Magic Night Hair Serum can deliver intense overnight hair nourishment and leave a silky, healthy sheen.
- Style ~ While Kerastase is a prescriptive line that helps repair and maintain the health of your hair, the Oribe lineup specializes in styling products like volume builders, hair spray, oil treatments, pomades, and dry shampoos to help you achieve a certain look or style. These products help you manipulate the character of your hair for a short period of time. Oribe’s game changers are rich in superior ingredients that produce impressive results if styling is your game.
I hope these steps help you maintain your optimal hair health and appearance.
I’m planning to follow up next month with “part two” of this post to share my view on the best tools that accompany this home hair care practice to take your hair to the next level and keep it there. Meanwhile, please reach out with questions or, as always, send your welcomed recommendations for future HairLine topics here.
Regards,
Kenny