Stay-At-Home Salon: Hair Care Like a Pro | Part 1. Straight & Wavy
It’s a time of shelter orders and social distancing, bottomless Zoom calls, and toilet paper hoarding — utterly uncharted territory that’s left most of us reeling during these uncertain times.
If you find yourself lost in the rapidly blurring lines between breakfasts and conference calls and grocery runs in this COVID-19 age, know that you’re not alone. And while it’s tempting to set aside more indulgent practices like beauty and self-care in the name of more practical habits, we’d argue we actually need them more than ever!
Sure, justifying skipping a shower here and there when you’re in all day anyway is simple, but practicing self-care and maintaining personal hygiene — which consists of body cleanliness and grooming — has been consistently linked to a balanced physical and mental health.[1]
And boy, if there was ever a time we needed some semblance of balance and stability, that time is now.
We’re here to help you self-care like a pro with some expert hair care tips for your temporary ‘stay-at-home’ salon. DIY haircare like a professional with these exclusive tips based on your hair type:
TYPE 1: STRAIGHT & SLEEK
While the general consensus seems to be that straight-haired types have had the luck of the draw, ask anyone who’s actually had to live with these envious locks, and they’ll tell you it’s not all rainbows and unicorns! If you have straight hair, you know the drill: it’s either you’re fighting limp locks, an oily scalp, dull hair, or all three!
We know you can’t hop onto the nearest hair salon for a quick trim, shampoo, and blow-dry to settle your straight-locked problems, so here are some expert tips for dealing with the most common issues for straight hair.
Flat: Your wavy- and curly-haired friends are always quick to tell you how lucky you are, but only because the volume is never going to be a problem for them.
Stay ahead of the battle by making sure you wash your hair frequently to avoid build-up that will only weigh it down. Steps two and three? Find an excellent volumizing cream or oil and apply evenly before hair-drying. Finish with a light and lifting hair spray.
Our faves? Professionals love Kérastase’s L’Huile Légère Bi-Phase Oil Spray, an ultra-light volume-enhancing oil mist that’s perfect for fine, flat hair. L’Huile Légère Bi-Phase Oil Spray nourishes the hair and scalp while expanding and enhancing hair volume, without weighing anything down. Top it off Kérastase’s V.I.P. Volume Powder, a weightless styling spray consistently topping critics’ lists!
Oily: Oiliness goes hand in hand with flat, volume-deprived locks. Avoid the grease by making sure you stick to a regular hair washing routine using an excellent clarifying hair scrub or shampoo. Keep the oil at bay with a reliable powder or dry shampoo you can apply throughout the day.
Consistently highly-rated by users and fashion editors alike, Scrub Énergisant Purifying Scalp Scrub by Kérastase is the must-have clarifying hair scrub if you’re struggling with oily hair. It effectively rids hair of impurities and leaves you with 79% more hair volume after use. Need an afternoon pick-me-up between con calls or house chores? Try Kérastase’s new Fresh Affair Dry Shampoo, a non-aerosol finely-milled hair powder that delivers just the right amount for a generous root boost!
Dull: Boring, lifeless strands round up the trifecta of troubles for straight-haired types. Drive dullness away by switching things around, literally: try using a nourishing conditioner for smoothness and shine before applying your shampoo. Sounds crazy? These are mad times, my friend! And there’s no better place to experiment than right at home.
We recommend reaching for that Elixir Ultime Le Fondant Conditioner to drench your dull, lifeless locks with some much-needed nourishment. Rinse and finish with Kérastase’s Elixir Le Bain Shampoo for long-lasting shine and smoothness.
TYPE 2: WAVY BABY
Oh, the joys of having wavy locks. Never knowing what you’ll wake up to, not having a single product in your collection of 238 different hair creams, serums and mousses ever work the way they should on the days you need them the most, and let’s not even mention the humidity.
Fret not. We keep our list of pro tips and recommendations short, sweet and sound because frankly, you just don’t have enough counter space for yet another miracle mousse that simply won’t work. In this edition of wavy haircare self-care – addressing the traumatizing trilogy of dryness, frizz, and thinning. Cue our collective shudder.
Dry: Dry and dull hair is a reigning culprit behind wavy-haired disillusionment. Look, just because we’re staying in doesn’t have to mean settling for lifeless, dry locks.
Start with some self-care in the shower. While daily shampooing isn’t advisable, observe a thoughtful rinsing regimen on the days that you do your hair cleansing. The rule is: start hot, end cold. Use warm water to rinse your hair and seal it all with a cool rinse after you’ve shampooed and conditioned. Towel-dry those sealed locks and liberally apply a high-quality serum before air-drying to ensure smooth and shiny results.
We’d reach for a tried and tested trooper like Kérastase’s Le Masque Hair Mask, made from an indulgent concoction of precious natural oils for a deeply nourishing in-shower treatment. This lauded mask is famous for revitalizing dull hair while leaving it smooth and shiny days after you shower. Seal those smooth waves by applying Not Your Mother’s Beach Babe Texturizing Hair Cream to damp hair for frizz control and enhanced waves.
Frizzy: The battle with humidity and frizz continues even though you’re indoors. To guarantee a gorgeous, frizz-free hair day, the cardinal rule is to moisturize, moisturize, moisturize! This doesn’t just mean layering on the conditioner, masks, and serums. Before you get neck-deep into moisturizers, think sulfate-free, glycerin-rich shampooing. This sets the perfect stage for more moisturized locks, ready for serum sealing.
Cult-favorite Murumuru Restoring Shampoo by Natura Brasil is SLES- and paraben-free, and packed with frizz-fighting glycerin goodness! Follow this up with stylist-approved Crème Oléo-Curl from Kérastase’s Discipline line, the definitive styling cream to get those wonderfully defined, relaxed, and frizz-free waves that make you look like you just stepped out of the hair salon – except you didn’t. Honestly, we could go on about how good this cream is, but the online reviews say it all.
Thinning: Whether it’s stress-induced, dietary-related, or environmentally caused, dealing with brittleness and thinning can quickly feel like a losing fight. It seems like the more we get stressed about thinning locks, the more strands we find clinging onto the shower drain.
Breathe. The best way to deal with thinning hair issues is a holistic approach, and fortunately, we got your back.
Stock up on vitamins! Especially amid this COVID-19 epidemic, supplementing your diet with essential vitamins and nutrients won’t hurt. Vitamins A through E are necessary for hair health, with studies showing the vital role Vitamin E plays in preventing oxidative stress and supporting hair growth.[2] Out of the vast array of trendy hair vitamin supplements out there, Nutrapol’s Core for Women has been consistently recommended by U.S. dermatologists for its results.
Pack on the protein. With hair follicles made mostly of protein, it only makes sense that a healthier consumption of the stuff should support our hair growth goals. Protein-packed fatty fish have been flagged as great for promoting hair growth, also because of their generous omega-3 fatty acid, selenium, and vitamin B content, all of which are linked to healthier hair.[3]
Give your hair the good stuff. Lend your hair the support it needs by supplementing it with salon-quality treatment right at home. We hear good things about Kérastase’s Initialiste Scalp & Hair Serum, an advanced hair and scalp formula that improves the elasticity of damaged hair, stimulates hair growth, and reduces breakage in as little as a week. Continuous use helps keep your hair hydrated, smooth, and uniform, fighting off the cycle of thinning once and for all!
SLOW AND STEADY WINS THE RACE
As with all routines – both old and new – the best way to succeed in maintaining one is to take it slow and steady. We love giving you tips to help build your ideal stay-at-home self-care regimen but remember to take it one step at a time. Listen to your body (and your hair)! If you’re trying out new products, phase them in slowly to your usual routine. Don’t pressure yourself into a complete regimen overhaul if that’s not what you’re ready for.
Didn’t see your hair type? Stay tuned for Part 2 of our Stay-At-Home Salon series, which features pro tips for Type 3 (Curly) and Type 4 (Coily) hair!