I've been asked a couple of times how I keep my long hair in good condition and here's what I use on my hair to wash, style and maintain good hair and scalp health.
I wash my hair every 2-3 days (more often in summer) and I'm still reverse shampooing - using conditioner first and shampoo afterwards. It gives my hair far more body than traditional washing.
I'm not fussy about what shampoo & conditioner I use. I choose products which aren't tested on animals, that don't bring me out in an allergic reaction and don't upset my scalp. I've used everything from expensive shampoos to Tesco cheap ones with little difference to the condition of my hair. Diet changes seem to make more of a difference to the condition of my hair, rather than what I put on it. More on that later in the post. My current shampoo/conditioner are from Tesco, and are their version of Herbal Essences. Since I've had Fibromyalgia and CFS/ME I've been chemically sensitive and my scalp is super dry and can weep and scab if I use products which don't agree with it. I've been using this shampoo/conditioner for about a year without issue but recently I had an allergic reaction to it. When this happens my whole face itches terribly, I start to wheeze, cough and squeak when I talk, and I have to take an antihistamine ASAP before my glands shoot up and I feel like death. I was able to start using it again a few days later, thankfully.
If my hair or scalp are feeling in need of some TLC I'll use the Old Wives Tail hair oil or plain coconut oil. I use organic because I like being able to use it for hair and body OR using it as a food. Old Wives Tail appear to have gone out of business as their website is down and their Facebook page is no longer updated. It's a shame as the oil is brilliant. When I wash out the oil I put shampoo on my head before I wet it, because of oil and water not mixing. I have to use lots of shampoo to cover my whole head before I add water, but it does rinse out better that way. Because my scalp is so parched I have to use a lot of oil, and that sometimes means my fine hair is overloaded and looks lank until I've washed it a couple of times. It's worth it though.
I use Dr Organic argan oil serum on my hair to keep it in lovely condition. It smells absolutely delicious, is cruelty free and keeps my wavy hair from being frizzy. When I'm getting near to hair cut time again my ends can look rather ratty and it smoothes them out and stops them tangling. I can put it on wet or dry and it doesn't make my hair look greasy.
My friend Rachel bought me a Tigi Party Girl hair styling kit a while before Christmas and it's really good. The hairspray smells fruity, not like the usual horrible choking hairspray scent. It doesn't make your hair crispy and leaves a lovely shine. The styling cream is good for taming loose strands and I use it to smooth any tangles I get on the day after washing when I wake up with bed head. I also have two chunks of hair that grow behind each ear that are super curly and much more prone to tangling and splitting so the cream helps deal with that frizz. The shine spray is useful to fake a bit of gloss when my hair looks dull. I use it most often if I've dry shampooed my hair and it looks flat and lifeless.
I have my hair cut every 3 months by an ex-Toni and Guy stylist and usually trim my fringe myself every month or so as it grows like wildfire. I also have quite a lot of healthy oils in my diet - olive oil, coconut oil, rapeseed oil etc. I know there's a lot of talk about oils being bad for you, but having oil in your diet is brilliant for your hair and skin in my experience. A little olive oil on some salad, some coconut oil to sweeten your tea or some rapeseed oil in a smoothie all work. Seeds and chopped nuts sprinkled on a side salad is another good way to get that healthy stuff in and help the condition of your hair and skin.
What do you use on your hair?
Thanks for reading.
Leah xoxo
