The right hair products can cut your styling time in half. Most people buy whatever shampoo or hair spray is on sale or has nice packaging. With so many options available in the hairstyling aisle, it can be overwhelming to try to figure out texture, thickness and other details. Then they wonder why their hair looks flat or frizzy by noon. Read on to find out more about how to choose the right products for your hair type and never stand around the shampoo aisle looking confused again.
Figure out your hair type first. Fine hair needs lightweight products, as heavy products make it look greasy and limp. Thick hair is different. It needs serious hold and moisture. Frizz happens because your scalp’s natural oils can’t reach the ends fast enough. Curly hair does better with creams, which shape each curl and stop the frizz from taking over.
Buy hair styling products that match what your hair actually needs, which can take some trial and error. Even when you know that you need creams for your curly hair, there are still lots of options. Generic products work for some people but most of us need something specific. If one brand isn’t working for you, try another brand. Your hair either holds the style or it doesn’t. You can see the difference by 3pm.
Protecting Your Hair from Heat Damage
Your flat iron hits 450 degrees. Put your hand near it and you’ll feel just how hot that is. (It’s the temperature at which potatoes roast in the oven.) Your hair burns at those temperatures. The protein structure falls apart. You’ll see split ends within a month. Then pieces of hair start breaking off when you brush, leaving the ends of your hair looking frazzled and damage.
Use a heat protectant every single time. Spray it on your hair before you turn on any hot tool.
The Right Application Order
How you layer products matters. Start with damp hair, not dripping wet. Too much water dilutes everything. Put your leave-in treatment on first to seal the cuticle. Next comes your styling product from roots to ends. Work through small sections. A light spray at the end locks it in place.
Building Your Essential Product Kit
Fine hair needs a volumizer. Thick hair needs a smoothing cream. Both need a heat protectant if you’re using a curling iron or flat iron, and then a finishing spray or serum. Buy three good products instead of ten mediocre ones.
Read the Ingredient List
Sulfates strip color from treated hair. Avoid them. Silicones weigh down fine hair and create that greasy look by lunch. Look for argan oil, keratin, or biotin. Your hair absorbs these ingredients. They make strands stronger.
Adjusting for Environment and Age
Your location affects what works. Humid air (like our wet lower mainland weather) makes hair swell and lose its shape. You need strong anti-frizz formulas that actually hold. Dry air (like a typical Alberta winter) pulls water out of your strands. Your hair gets brittle. Static electricity builds up. Switch your products when seasons change (or if you travel regularly to another climate).
Your hair will also change as you age. If you have teens, they may notice that their hair gets greasier as they go through puberty, and may need help finding new products (or adjusting their personal hygiene routine) to accommodate this. Pregnancy can also affect your hair’s thickness and texture. Finally, age (including menopause) can also change your hair and may again require an adjustment to what products you use in your hair. If you notice that your usual products are no longer achieving the results that you want, consider what’s not working and revisit the hair styling aisle to try something new.
For example, we currently have three shampoos on our bathroom caddy: one for me (a woman in her 40s with short, straight hair), one for my husband, and one for my teens (who both have long, slightly curly hair).
Price vs. Performance
Price doesn’t tell you much. Drugstore brands copy the expensive formulas all the time. Same ingredients, different packaging. Read what’s in the bottle. The first five ingredients are what you’re actually paying for. Often, the no-name label right beside the brand name label has the same product inside a different container.
Testing Products Properly
Use a new product for three weeks straight before you judge it. Your hair adjusts to different formulas over time. One bad hair day means nothing. Take pictures every week to compare and then, if it’s not working after 3 weeks, try another product. It can sometimes help to ask a friend with similar hair what has worked for her or to get your hair stylist’s recommendations.
If you have kids or teens, you may have to go through this process with them too, as the same hair products may not work for everyone in the home. It’s a good idea to discuss this process with your teens and help them choose the right products for their hair. Be aware of sensory needs here too; some teens may not like the smell or feel of particular products, so again, it can take some trial and error to figure out a routine and product that works for them.
Starting Simple
Build a basic kit before you buy specialty products. Master the essentials. Three versatile products create more looks than you think. Start there. Add more only when you know exactly what gap you’re filling.
For example, as a teenager, I often used shampoo, conditioner and then a spray-in conditioner to manage my long, thick, dry hair in Alberta weather. Brushing my hair every day was a constant struggle and Mom usually braided it for me to keep it less tangled and out of my way. During a summer vacation at my aunt’s vacation rental one summer, I used the shampoo and conditioner samples provided. I noticed an instant difference in my hair; I no longer needed the spray-in conditioner and my hair was smooth and easy to brush after showering. We immediately switched to that shampoo brand, which I used for many years afterwards with great success.
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