My Hair Routine

I'm obsessed with hair. Seriously. The first thing I look at on someone is their hair. I play with my hair all the time (just ask Maud). So, I am very, very conscious of how my hair looks and how healthy it is, and I'll try anything to make my hair happier. I don't want to sound obnoxious, but because of this, I have really shiny (like reflective shiny) hair, no split ends, and next to no frizzies. People always ask me what I do to my hair and expect this long, complicated, confusing answer. But it's not! It's taken me a few years, but I've perfected and simplified my hair care routine, and I'm going to share it with you. For reference, I have colored, medium brown, very, very thick, coarse, flat hair.

Shampoo/Conditioner: If I had the money to buy designer shampoos and conditioners once a month, I would. But I don't, and I've found that honestly, the drug store versions are basically as effective. Any old shampoo and conditioner will do, but I love L'Oreal Vive Hydra Gloss. It keeps my hair moisturized, it's cheap and smells yummy! Remember to switch up your shampoo and conditioner often to keep your hair from getting too used to it. Try to leave your conditioner on for as long as you can. The longer it's on your hair, the more effective it is.

Also, always rinse your hair with cold water before you get out of the shower. The colder the better. Cold water makes your hair super shiny because while hot water opens the cuticles on the hair shaft, cold water closes them. Think of cuticles like pores on your face. When all the pores on the hair shaft are closed, light has a smoother surface to reflect off of, and so your hair looks shinier. It's the cheapest and easiest way to make a big difference in the look and feel of your hair.

Styling Appliances: I personally think blow dryers are unnecessary. Whether you air-dry your hair or you blow dry your hair, it's going to get dry either way, and air-drying is significantly less damaging to your hair. I think it's much easier and less damaging to air-dry your hair, and then go over it quickly with a flat/curling iron than it is to blow dry your hair and then go over it with a flat/curling iron. That said, if you have extremely curly hair that you blow dry straight, or if you are consistently in situations where you have to jump in the shower and rush off to somewhere where having wet hair is simply not an option (i.e., work), then by all means, invest in a hairdryer (spending the extra cash to get an ionic/ceramic dryer is definetely worth it). However, if you're the kind of person who washes their hair at night (like me) or can go places in the morning with wet hair, and doesn't need to change their hair texture, you probably don't need a blow dryer. Invest in a high quality flat/curling iron or hairbrush instead. It'll save you significant hair damage in the future. I love the T3 mini flat iron (see previous post). It curls and straightens!

Styling Products: No matter what type of hair you have, if you use a heat-styling appliance, you need a heat protective spray. I love Tresemme Heat Tamer Spray, because it's cheap, and it works. Enough said. Just spritz it all over any areas you intend to heat style.

If you're like me and your hair could use a little extra volume, one of the easiest ways to get it is by using a volumizing mousse. Look for one that's not heat-activated if you don't use a blow-dryer. I know a lot of people are scared of mousse, but it's really simple to use, I promise! After you get out of the shower, dispense an apple sized amount of mousse into your palm. Distribute the mousse evenly onto the crown of your head, comb it through thoroughly, and let hair air dry. My fav is Dove Volumizing Mousse because it smells yummy, it leaves me hair soft, not sticky, and again, it's cheap.
I use Bumble and Bumble Brilliantine to moisturize my ends, and give them a little separation and definition. I can't really explain what else it does, but it makes my hair look awesome when I use it, and gross when I don't. Plus, it makes my hair super soft and smells like flowers (always a plus). It's not cheap (about $20), but I use it every day, and it lasts me about six months.

I don't use dry shampoo, because I'm way too OCD about having clean hair, but I know Maud swears by it, and she loves her Oscar Blandi dry shampoo. It seems to work really well and, like all of his products, smells divine. I'd also recommend this Klorane dry shampoo, because it's gotten great reviews and was used to texturize Britney Spear's hair for her Circus video. Her hair looked awesome. That's reason enough for me.

Image Sources:

Klorane Dry Shampoo: sephora.com
Oscar Blandi Dry Shampoo: sephora.com
Bumble and Bumble Brilliantine: folica.com
L'Oreal conditioner: lorealparisusa.com
Tresemme heat tamer spray: tresemme.com
Dove Mousse: drugsdepot.com