Whether you're strolling down the beauty isle at your local grocery store or browsing products at a salon, the number of hair products on the shelves today can be absolutely overwhelming (for men and women alike).
You might start wondering: Are the more expensive brands really more effective? Should I only get basic shampoo and conditioner or is my hair in need of other products? What styling gels work the best?
The questions go on and on and on. So, who can you turn to in order to find the answers?
It's always good to get a beauty expert's advice, but he or she may also be a salesperson and in that case, his or her answers aren't entirely trustworthy. So it's very important that you are an informed consumer. Anything you buy routinely should be bought with care. After all, you don't want to waste your money – especially on products that might ultimately damage your hair, rather than improve it!
So here is some basic information, sometimes expected and sometimes surprising, about what the best and worst hair products are, and tips to picking out the products that are best suited for you and your unique hair.
Shampoo and Conditioner
The ingredients in most shampoo are pretty much the same; brands tend to be different based on the scents and volume of water the company puts into each shampoo concoction. So don't be enticed by misleading advertising campaigns that claim one shampoo is better than another.
Conditioner is the more important of the two, as it is meant to moisturize hair and cure dryness. Shampoo, which successfully cleans your hair, unfortunately takes away some of the natural moisture in your hair too. This is why conditioner is so necessary and is almost always sold alongside its shampoo counterpart.
Make sure you let the conditioner sit in your hair for at least two minutes before you wash it out in the shower; this way it can settle in and have time to nourish your hair! Basically, the conclusion you should reach here is that conditioner is an absolutely necessity and must precede any other products you apply to your hair (as many of them cause hair damage and thus, you need conditioner on your side). You want a conditioner that is creamy and has ingredients that are primarily organic or natural.
There are a different shampoos and conditioners on the market that are meant for different hair textures – you should be able to find a set that is perfect for your hair, whether it's thick and curly, or thin and straight.
Styling Gels, Mousses, and Hair Spray
This is where things start to get really confusing.
Gel is really the way to go if you want to style your hair. But mousses and hair spray can come in handy too, especially if combined with gel. You can work the gel into your hair with your fingertips and never use a blow dryer, or you can comb the gel into your hair and blow dry it. It depends on your hair's texture and how you want to style it, really. Typically, however, it's best to avoid blow dryers if possible, because as you might expect – it dries out your hair!
Again, gels, or styling lotions, can be softer on your hair than other styling products. Look for natural ingredients and “flax seed” as you read the labels of various hair gels. The more organic the hair product, the better it will be on your hair.
If your hair feels hard and lacks shine, you might want to consider buying a generic moisturizer.
(However, if you have some mayonnaise on hand, that can do the trick too and you can save a little money! Shampoo your hair and then work about one tablespoon of creamy mayonnaise into your hair. Afterward, put your creatively-moisturized hair up into a towel and let it sit for about an hour and a half. Now you can hop back in the shower and start shampooing again. Nifty, huh?)
Hair serums can be even better than basic moisturizers and typically they are applied to hair after a shower. Because it doesn't seep into the scalp, but merely remains as a thin, protective layer over your hair, serum doesn't have to be washed out. Serum is meant to counter the adverse effects of exposure to sun and the like, that conspire to damage the hair. (It's important to note that bad eating habits also are rough on your hair.)
Serums are ideal because they do not contain nasty chemicals. As a rule, you should keep the amount of chemicals you put in your hair at a minimum. Hair sprays, for example, are only used for styling and because of the chemicals in them, are anything but “healthy” for your hair.
Hair Dyes
If you can resist dyeing your hair – do! But, if you really want to try on a new color or hide your age, in other words your grays, then just try to track down a product that has as many natural ingredients as possible. Again, chemicals are your hair's enemy and dyes are notorious for having harmful chemicals in them. Their toxins can even cause you have to have allergies! So if you do dye your hair, make sure to give special care to your hair, too, and take advantage of opportunities and products that can reduce the damage that dyes cause.
Treating Colored Hair
If you've gotten your hair colored at the beauty salon, you've taken on some new responsibility. Colored hair is also hair that's been severely attacked by chemicals. Thus, you need to take certain steps and invest in certain products to help nourish your color-treated hair. In addition to buying a shampoo and conditioner pair that is made for color-treated hair, you will also have to buy serums that serve to nourish your hair, which might be damaged or dry because of the color.
Brushes
When you're shopping for a hairbrush, you need to be guided not by price or style, but by one goal: to match up your fragile hair with a brush that will suit it perfectly. Hairbrushes not only ensure that you can style your hair the way you like, but the wrong brush also can cause harm to your hair.
There are about a dozen specific type of hairbrushes out there. Let's go over a few of them. If you have thick, long hair, consider investing in a paddle brush – you'll recognize them instantly, as they have a bold, flat shape and are wider than they are long. Cushion-style brushes are often used, and they are best for those with a medium length of hair that also happens to not be very rough or curly. There are many other kinds of brushes as well, some that are used specifically to heat hair and help either straighten it or curl it! They really can come in handy and compliment curling or straightening irons.
For some people, a hairbrush should never be something they purchase, as their hair is styled more easily and thrives without the irritation of a brush. If you have naturally thick and curly hair, for example, a hairbrush might simply give you an afro that you didn't intend upon.
When it comes to hair products, the moral of the story is that when in doubt, don't choose chemicals and when you do, always buy a natural, nourishing product to go with it. And don't forget to pick up that conditioner on your next trip to the grocery store!
As well, always ask your hairstylist for tips and advice. The best hair product for you won't be the best hair product for everybody else, so it's important to get suggestions from someone who knows your hair well.