3 Easy Tips for Healthier Hair.
Happy 2021 to all of you! I will save any overly inspirational quotes or formal "goodbye" to 2020, but I do love the feeling of having a fresh start. With the studio being closed I have been having a bit of fun experimenting with some new products and hair routines, (Which I will share down the road) and also had some storage shock when I spent some time organizing my beauty drawers...
It was bad. Bottles I completely forgot about, things beyond expired, multiples of the same thing. I'm sure we can all relate, we buy things to solve our problems and then here comes the "newest technology" we feel pressured to buy. It had me thinking, what good is having a drawer full of products if we aren't even using them to their potential?
So with my first educational post I've broken down 3 of the EASIEST things we can do to really get the most of what we have at home. It won't require you buying anything, just requires a little bit more mindfulness.
So here are a few tips and their benefits! It's a bit of a read, but hopefully it helps some of you!
Brush your hair!
"Okay, duh", some of you might say - but so many of us don't. At least not on the regular. It's messy bun followed by dry shampoo for too many days in a row.
Try this - Brush your hair morning and night. Remember in classic films, we would see people sitting in their mirror brushing for "100 strokes"? If you have a boar bristle brush, use that! Boar bristle brushes (blends also work fine!) are the most similar brush fibre to mimic our own hair. I could go on about all of the benefits.
This will distribute the oils from your scalp and increase circulation. Meaning it can add extra time before your next shampoo, lightly exfoliate your scalp, and remove product build up. All huge for scalp and hair health!
Try doing this morning and before bed. And really focus on the roots and alternating different directions. (If you have curly hair, try doing this the night before or before you wash, because it will brush out your curl pattern!)
Shampoo Twice! (And effectively!)
"Lather, rinse, repeat". If you're not feeling clean enough from your shampoo, make sure you're doing this. Use a dime to quarter sized amount and ADD WATER to work it in your hands before applying to your scalp. Most sulphate free shampoos don't give as much of a lather so if you "get it started" in your hands first then you won't need as much product. Try one shampoo to remove product and one shampoo to make you feel a little more squeaky clean.
If you really struggle with feeling like you're getting deep enough with your shampoo and need some help, a shampoo brush is an amazing tool. (I use the Hairstory one, Which you can get here if you're looking).
Let your Masks SIT!
I get frequent feedback from newer clients saying they feel like their masks/conditioners don't do enough. However, I find that a lot of the time we're just rushing it, try this and you will notice a difference. (And if you don't own a mask, do this with your regular conditioner for now)!
1) Towel dry your hair a bit (or just squeeze out most of the water) to really help it soak in.
2) Rub it in your hands first to make sure it will be even. Apply it focusing on mids-ends.
3) Then let it sit for 5-10 minutes. If you paid top dollar for a luxury mask, it's likely not going to show any difference if it's on for less than 5 minutes. (I like to do this at the beginning of my shower to help save time). Clip your hair up too, so you're not rinsing it out before you mean to.
4) For a bonus of extra shine and smoothness, rinse it out with cool water for 2 minutes to really seal everything in.
Are any of these new tips for you? If not, can you tell a difference when you stop doing some of these on the regular? I know I can, and sometimes I just need a bit of a reminder to be more mindful. If these are new tips then I hope they help make a difference for you!