I was naïve to the level of devotion to hair care that it takes to have what I wanted until recently. It wasn’t until I got to college that I realized how much effort it took to maintain health and shine to long hair.
Mostly I’d just spray down with some oil sheen if it looked dull and hope for the best. I’ve grown up since then, and so has my routine.
I wait until my hair’s roots are oily to wash. In the winter that takes about a week and a half. Any other time, I don’t go longer than a week between washes.
I use a product called Back2Basics Bamboo Straightening to start off with in the shower. It’s discontinued now, so I am looking for a good alternative. This product is stellar, and I will mourn its loss. I shampoo only the roots and let the suds to the rest of the work as I rinse the hair.
If I’ve been for a swim or it’s been about a month or so, I use Paul Mitchell Clarifying Shampoo. I combine it with the Back2Basics. It removes product buildup and helps restore the lightness and swing I have leaving the salon.
After rinsing the shampoo thoroughly, I put in Biolage Detangling Conditioner and work it through roots to ends. A detangling conditioner is essential for me because my texture has a mind of its own. I also put in Luna Rebuild at the same time. This product is incredibly hard to find (Here is the website–nothing’s in English), but if you can locate it, you will see the biggest improvement in your hair you’ve probably ever seen. I believe magic little elves in Italy must make it because it is crazy good. I could write a whole post about it and probably will at some point.
I finish showering while those two products are in my hair. Then without rinsing, I get out of the shower, put a plastic grocery bag over my hair as it’s loosely gathered on top of my head with a hair tie. I put my blow dryer on it for 10 minutes, rinse it out in the kitchen sink with lukewarm water, and then I let it air dry as long as possible.
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I then use a dab of Fantasia Hair Polisher Heat Protecting Serum , which you can buy from Target, on my wet hair before blow drying straight with a ceramic hair dryer and a round ceramic boar bristle brush. Sectioning the hair, I apply a little more serum and crank that flat iron up high pulling the hair straight. The only product I use after rinsing the conditioners is the straightening serum.
I sleep in pin curls at night with a silk scarf, and I comb my hair every 2 days with a wide tooth detangling comb.
Aside from some slight seasonal variations, this is it. I know it seems like a lot to a minimalist, but once you get the routine and products down, it takes under an hour and lasts a week.