I have been watching a lot of TikTok (who hasn’t), and I have seen these haircare routines. I am super big into skincare routines and products, so seeing all of these haircare products got me thinking. I use shampoo and conditioner, the occasional hair mask, and dry shampoo, but I never thought about what was in my haircare products. Because of some health reasons, my hair has recently started thinning and falling out. So this summer, I started on a haircare journey, to find the best products (affordable) and what would work best for my hair.
I read a lot of articles and blogs, and they all said the same one thing: do not wash your hair every day. I got very weirded out because I originally thought that was gross, but the more I started reading, the more it made sense. Washing your hair everyday can actually do more harm than good, which at first glance seems very weird, but your hair needs to hold on to natural oils and you don’t want to strip your hair of the oils with shampoo or conditioner. This is a peak into my hair journey.
Shampoo:
I have never colored, bleach, or done anything to my hair beside haircuts. So I didn’t every really think about my shampoo and what could be in it. We all know that sulfates and parabens have become the biggest no no in the beauty world, but I didn’t think it would affect my hair. With all my research, I found using a damage repair shampoo would actually be the biggest help. My hair wasn’t really damaged (except from heat), so I decided to give it a try. It did not work. It made me have split ends, my hair was not as thick or as soft as before and all around I felt like my hair was not being cleaned properly.
So, I am still on the hunt for a good shampoo. I definitely want to look into paraben and sulfate free shampoo, and I know Kristen Ess or Shea Moisture but work really well. But I also read in order to not to wash your hair so frequently, that doubling shampooing maybe your best bet. So, you can use two different shampoos that target two different things.
Conditioner:
I have been using an ultra-hydrating conditioner and it seems to be working for the most part. I like it, it does what is says, but isn’t like the best conditioner ever. But for a while, I would put conditioner in, scrub my head, and then immediately rinse it out. I found now that if I wash my hair first, then conditioner, let it sit while I’m doing other things, it works a lot better. And my hair isn’t as tangled when I get out of the shower either. I still might be looking for a better conditioner, but I am happy enough with this one.
Dry Shampoo:
I have grown to LOVE dry shampoo, especially since I am not washing my hair every day. Kristen Ess has this dry shampoo powder, that I find to work better than the dry shampoo aerosol, especially for my bangs (since they get oily literally the day after). I spray my hair generously, let it sit, move all of my hair around and then brush, brush, brush. I flip my hair upside down and brush all the shampoo around, and then flip my head back and brush some more. My hair is now clean, and I can style it, with the extra volume.
Hair Mask:
I have read mixed reviews on hair masks. Some say they don’t do anything, some say they do so much. I have recently used a Kristen Ess hair mask with the zip up technology and I love it. It is gentle enough to use every day, and really works. I also want to try a hair mask with argon oil, a hydrating mask and a thickener mask as well. But hair masks are a part of my Sunday night routine and a must.
Microfiber Towel or T-shirt:
Another tip I read all over while doing research was do not use a towel to dry your hair. Either use a microfiber towel or a t shirt. It is much gentler on your hair and actually the microfiber towels dry my hair so fast.
Other products:
Heat protectant is a must anytime you are using heat. I also use a blowout spray that helps drying time and creates a silky-smooth blowout while using my Revlon blow-drying brush. I heard of sea salt spray, conditioner mist and so many other products that I definitely want to do research on to keep trying to perfect my haircare routine.