Well you all know I’m a psycho about my hair. I spend a lot of mental and physical energy, money, and time trying to make my hair as perfect and healthy as possible. You probably don’t want to be as psycho as me. But just in case you’re interested in my process, which seven million hair products I use (and which might be useful for you), and my tips for keeping your hair happier, I’m here for you.
Before we begin, let’s make one thing clear. There is no judgment here! I don’t want to hear any of your opinions on how many shampoos I have or how I should be using a different hairspray. I already get lectured enough by my hairstylist, thank you very much.
Shampooing & Conditioning
Okay, I am not one of those people who rarely washes her hair. First of all, I love washing my hair. It’s a fresh start every time! Second of all, someone for real tell me how you exercise without shampooing your hair often? No like, I’m not being rude- I don’t get it! Third, and I’m sorry, but what is the point of not shampooing your hair so it looks better one day a week if it looks bad the other six days? (Plenty of people I know who don’t wash their hair very often look very lovely. I would not be one of them). And lastly, my hair does just fine with all the shampoos.
My deep, dark secret from my hair stylist is that I wash my hair like…all the time. He thinks I do it once and then just leave it like that for three days. Lol, no. But if he can’t tell I’m using too much shampoo, then I’m doing alright.
ANYWAYS (oh god, this post has already gone off the rails), here are the shampoos and conditioners I use.
1. OGX Curls Shampoo 2. OGX Curls Conditioner 3. Nexxus Diametress 4. OGX Anti-Breakage 5. Nexxus Hydra-Light 6. Bb Sunday
When I’m planning on going natural with my hair, I use OGX Quenching Coconut Curls Shampoo and Conditioner. I chose this brand because it’s the first type I found after looking at three drug stores (real scientific about it). Does it make a difference? Eh, I think sometimes. And it smells nice!
When I’m doing my hair, I switch back and forth between Nexxus Diametress Luscious Volumizing Shampoo and OGX Anti-Breakage Keratin Oil Shampoo. Mostly I love Nexxus and volumizing shampoos more than anything, but one hair stylist when I was 15 told me to switch it up. Apparently your hair gets used to one shampoo and then its magic won’t work as well, so I added OGX to the mix. It has made my hair healthier and it smells good as well!
I always use Nexxus Hydra-Light Conditioner because it’s moisturizing without weighing my hair down. This is the only hair washing product I swear by and it’s the best.
Oh and every other week, I use Bumble & Bumble Sunday Shampoo. I don’t use this all the time, but it’s good for getting rid of product buildup in your hair. I used to use it every week, but since I’ve cut my hairspray use (you’re welcome, Warren!), I don’t need it as often.
Styling My Hair
I think of how I do my hair two different ways. Either I do my hair, which means my hair is down, big, and curly from a curling iron, or I don’t do my hair, which means I put my natural hair in a braid or ponytail. I almost never wear my hair down and natural because I hate it. And also, the best thing about my hair is that it holds whatever I do to it, so I’m obviously going to play up its strengths.
Here are the different products I’ll use for one or both of these styles.
1. Davines Beauty Treatment 2. Rusk Thick 3. Tresseme Tres Two 4. Davines Curl Building Serum 5. Oribe Impermeable
Every time I have wet hair, I use a leave in conditioner with heat protectant in it. The best is Davines Oi Multi-benefit Beauty Treatment. It detangles, moisturizes, controls frizz, protects from heat, and adds shine. It’s a miracle product! Okay, not really, but it does do all of those things. I don’t know when it happened, but all of a sudden, we’re all being told to use heat protectant. Did anyone ever tell you this when you were growing up? No one told me. But after getting yelled at by my hair stylist, I swear by it. Davines makes it easier to brush my hair and keeps my hair safer from damage, so I love it, but any store brand heat protectant will do the job.
Next, I either go one of two ways. If I’m curling and styling my hair, I use Rusk Thick Body and Texture Amplifier. I LOVE this stuff. I looked for years, YEARS I tell you for the right thickening spray. Thickening spray is hard because it can leave your hair looking too producty or it can make no difference at all. Rusk is light, but adds a ton of texture to my hair. It’s activated with a blow dryer, so it when I dry it, my hair gets much bigger, which is obviously my number one goal. Rusk forever!!
Then, after I style my hair, I use Tresemme Tres Two Extra Hold Hair Spray. My hairstylist says this brand has too much alcohol in it, but sorry, I love it too much. It holds very well and if you don’t go TOO psycho, will eventually kind of evaporate into your hair so you can’t tell you’re actually wearing a ton of hairspray.
If I’m not doing my hair, I use Davines Curl Building Serum. I scrunch it throughout my hair and you can pretty quickly see your hair curling more. It won’t survive a full on blow dry though, so make sure to use a diffuser. It’s light and very effective, but if you use too much, you can tell, so be careful.
Lastly, I’ll use Oribe Impermeable Anti-Humidity Spray on a humid day. I’ve found if I mix less hairspray than I normally use and the humidity spray, my hair can last through one humid commute, which is all I need. The best way to avoid humidity’s effects, though, is to move to Arizona….which, I sometimes consider.
Alright, there it is! All the hair products I might use in a given day. Don’t you feel like I’m probably really fun to live with and travel with? You’re right, thank you- what a sweet thing to think.
