34 South ParadE, Summertown, Oxford, OX2 7JN
Pic credit: Salma Hayek, Instagram.
Hollywood actress Julia Roberts. Pic credit Julia Roberts, Instagram.
Colder months can dry hair out and a good hair serum is the fastest way to restore order. The best hair serums will work to smooth frizz while also adding shine, making your hair look as healthy as can be. What’s more, today’s best options come with a whole host of added benefits, from colour-protecting ingredients to nourishing actives and deep-hydrating extracts.
Just like hydrating yourself with a glass of water, a hair mask puts moisture back into the hair giving it a new lease of life. It also helps weakened hair follicles to regain strength and elasticity, helping to avoid further damage.
Just like the skin on your face, your scalp can become dry and sensitive when it is exposed to the cold and central heating. Like your skin, you should treat your scalp to some extra TLC in the winter, using products that specifically address your issues.
For instance, applying a weekly soothing scalp mask is a great way to calm and moisturise your scalp. Daily hydrating scalp toners can also be very beneficial – a healthy scalp is key to hair growth.
Here are our top tips for looking after your colour and curls.
Over-washing curly hair can strip it of the natural oils you need to keep it healthy, shiny and hydrated. Opt for colour enhancing purple shampoos. Click here to read about our pick of the best.
Coloured hair, as well as curl, need extra moisture, so invest in some quality deep conditioner and try and do a hair mask once a week.
Heated styling tools like hairdryers, straighteners and curlers really play havoc with hair, so try to minimise how often you do this, and keep the heat setting low.
Photo by DESIGNECOLOGIST on Unsplash
Photo by Erick Larregui on Unsplash
As hair gets greasier it can be tempting to wash it more. But if you wash your hair every day, your scalp feels like it needs to over-compensate by producing more sebum. You'll just end up in a vicious cycle of feeling you need to wash it every day. Try reducing how often you wash your hair and opt for sulphate-free products to help clarify the hair.
To combat greasy hair between washes and keep strands looking fresh and full of volume, try dry shampoo. Add it to your root area to absorb excess oils, sweat and impurities. It can also create volume and texture in yesterday’s hair do. Click here to read our recommendations for five of the best dry shampoos.
Photo by Park Street on Unsplash
With conditioner, avoid applying it at the root as this will only make the greasiness worse. The same goes for styling products which can create build up.
Just like you cleanse your skin, your hair needs the same care. You don’t have to do this daily - how often you wash your hair depends on its dryness and if you have product build up. Washing your hair will leave it and your scalp feeling clean, removing any products, grease, dirt and dead skin cells which might have built up.
Conditioning your hair helps to detangle, seal the cuticles and provide moisture. It replenishes the moisture that your shampoo may have removed, and it will help remove any knots or tangles that were caused by massaging your shampoo onto your hair and scalp.
Never use heated styling tools like curlers or straightener on wet or damp hair. After applying a heat protectant, let your hair air dry for a couple of minutes before applying heat.
After styling your hair or letting it air dry, add back in a little moisture. Also on days where you’re not washing your hair, your hair may benefit from a moisture boost. This is where hair oil comes in, our favorite multitasker! Hair oils are also great for controlling frizz and preventing dryness.
Try a weekly mask, oil or a scalp treatment. This can help tackle damage, dryness and an oily, flaky or dry scalp, and improve the overall appearance and health of your hair.
We all know that the cold, dry air and harsh winds can strip our hair of moisture and leaving it looking dull and lifeless. Static can be a big problem in winter too particularly after wearing a woolly hat, or if you spend a lot of time in rooms with the central heating on.
This is basically because the hair starts to pick up a static charge whenever it dries out - under normal circumstances this static charge would be absorbed by water molecules in the air, but dry winter air means there is nowhere for this moisture to go. And that means FRIZZ!
So if you want to know how do I look after my hair in winter, here are our top three tips to try today:
Give your hair a lovely hydrating shampoo, use a hair oil treatment or deep conditioning mask to lock in that moisture and stop hair becoming brittle.
As well as the hair follicles the scalp is covered in a ton of microscopic sebaceous glands (responsible for producing the healthy hair sebum oils that keep the hair nourished).
When the scalp gets dry or irritated, these glands stop working properly and your body’s supply of sebum dries up - so the hair is stripped of its natural protective coating, and exposed to the cold winter air - this is what makes it brittle or dry in the colder months.
To counteract this, look out for specialist shampoos and treatments designed to nourish the scalp. Most of these products have a combo of peptides, proteins and plant extracts to maintain the balance of natural oil needed for a healthy scalp.
Regular trims mean that the split ends, and any damaged dry or old hairs are left on the salon floor. We recommend getting a trim every 4-6 weeks, more if you have a shorter style you want to keep in check. Click here or the button below to book your next haircut.
As you’re probably already aware, healthy hair produces a certain amount of sebum, or oil, as a way to hydrate your scalp and protect your hair. And the amount of oil you produce varies depending on your hair type, how often you shower and other lifestyle factors like that.
Sometimes this natural oil can collect on your hair, especially at the root - and this can look greasy or oily. If this sounds familiar, then we’re here to tell you the causes of oily hair, products that can control oil production, and some home remedies for when your hair looks too greasy.
So what’s the cause of greasy hair? The oil in your hair is part of your body’s defense system for the sensitive hair of your scalp. This oil mixes with sweat and dirt, coating your scalp and sometimes the top of your head, too. This is actually normal, so don’t panic.
Practicing good hygiene by washing your scalp often with a shampoo cleanses the oil and gives your hair a fresh start. But saying that, some hair types (straight hair for one, sorry guys) are prone to oil build-up and certain lifestyle habits, like exercise, over-use of styling products, and being out in the heat or humidity can add to your bad hair day.
If your hair is oily or greasy one of the causes could be over-washing. Every time you wash your hair with shampoo, it sends the scalp the signal to produce more sebum. If you’re washing your hair too often, your scalp gets the message that it needs to be in oil production overdrive. This can result in oily build-up on your scalp - and the greasy look you’re trying to avoid.
Straight hair is especially prone to collecting oil because the hair shaft doesn’t have any texture or wave to it, so oil slides straight down the hair shaft and collects all over your head. It also makes oil in your hair more visible when hair hangs straight down.
Another cause of oily hair is the type of styling products you use. Sebum is a type of oil, which means that simply washing it with water doesn’t break it up. Rinsing your hair with just water or skipping the shampoo step and using only conditioner can allow oil to build up. While it might not be easy to spot the oil when your hair is drying, it quickly appears oily again only a few hours or so later. That’s because only certain ingredients, found in most shampoos, can break down the oil that builds up on your hair.
Getting a fresh haircut feels great, doesn’t it. And while you may think it is just about aesthetics, there are many benefits of getting a regular haircut - and it could boost your mental, physical, and even financial health….
Maintaining good grooming is essential for our mental wellbeing. And when you get a haircut it boosts your mood and confidence. Taking care of yourself can also reduce stress and anxiety levels. When we look good, we feel good.
A regular trim can help reduce scalp itchiness and irritation, as hair hygiene helps keep the scalp clean and healthy. Plus, a regular haircut promotes better scalp circulation, helping to stimulate healthier hair growth and shinier locks.
Getting regular haircuts not only keeps hair looking healthy, it could even save you money as you don’t need to keep spending on products to counteract damage or dryness.
Are you a fan of messy buns? What’s your favourite easy go-to hairstyle?
How to do a fast messy bun with Alexsis Mae.