With the thousands of hair products out there, we believe a new guide is in order to better help you gals and guys get creative this season. Just in time for colder, windier weather, these tips could help you protect the ends of your hair to ensure healthier and shinier-looking hair all season long. The difference could be as simple as adding or changing one product in your routine! And no one likes a quick, tamed hair-do like us.
The best thing about these great hair tools is that, the more you put into your routine, the better your hair will look longer. So yes, I use a number of different products depending on what I am styling my hair for, but I only have to go through the routine 2 times a week, at most, allowing me the most time possible to be productive while looking crisp and polished.

Blow Dry Creams

These are amazing styling products that ensure a long life of “good hair day” for 3-4 days instead of just that first day. Most also boast that they are great for damaged hair or for those simply looking to protect strands from future damage. If you haven’t tried a great blow dry cream, ask for samples, or try a small size, and find one to fall in love with! Instyle assistant editor Marianne Mychakiw lists some of her favorites, which happen to coalesce with some of mine too! Tried and true brands include Bumble and Bumble, Fekkai (I’ve used their shamp. & cond. for years now!), Oribe, and Blow Pro just to name a few.

Scalp Treatments

Scalp treatments are definitely not new to the hair world, but the mainstream population is becoming more aware of the importance of treating not just the strands of hair but the “root” of the issue. Depending on your hair type and hair concern when it comes to scalp maintenance, there are definitely some options for you. For those who are more concerned and need to improve the appearance of fuller-looking hair, I would try the RapidHair™ Hair Volumizing formula, RapidLash’s sister product that is applied directly on the scalp. Containing a peptide, biotin, panthenol, and amino acid-filled formula, this light, treatment foam is sure to deliver positive results.

Serums

Ah, serums, where do I begin? These have been my favorite hair product for as long as I can remember. Usually liquid and silky in texture, these are a must-have pre-heat product. Ask your hair stylist which one he or she recommends, and try starting with your favorite brands first! One I go back to time and time again is the CHI serum, which just happens to smell like a delicious and subtle men’s cologne. Yes please! Always apply to the ends of the strands in moderation.

Thermal Sprays

If your hair is not fond of blow dry creams or serums, a thermal spray may be your hair’s saving grace. These hair styling products are also great for pre-heat protection but tend to feel much lighter in weight and application. To ensure full protection benefits, lightly spritz on the strands before blow-drying and again on each strand before using your styling tool. CHI just happens to make an amazing keratin-infused mist which I cannot seem to find a good enough comparison against. The L’Oreal thermal heat spray also tends to get high reviews among beauty experts and is on my list of things to try.

Leave-in-conditioners

Leave-in-conditions are God’s gift to those who don’t just “wake up like this.” These tend to assist with eliminating frizziness and leave hair looking and feeling like that faux-rabbit-fur vest you’ve been eyeing in that boutique window. If you have never tried one, I would highly recommend if frizziness is a daily struggle. It’s a 10 leave-in conditioner is a brand for the ages. Once tried, you will. Not. Go. Back.

Deep Conditioners

Once upon a time, I ran out of my deep conditioning hair mask and failed to go out and buy a new one. Now I am doing MAJOR damage-control to make up for the lost benefits of doing the expert-prescribed weekly deep condition. Usually made up of greater percentages of conditioning emulsifying agents, these products are specifically created to rehab hair strands back to their healthiest and shiniest appearance. I recommend applying generously all over the scalp and strand area, leaving on the scalp for about 5 minutes. Do not forget this weekly regimen, at all costs, and in the fall/winter months, you may even consider increasing the frequency of a deep condition.

Mousse

Can hair volume exist without the drying side effects? Many beauty aficionados tend to be conscious that products like mousse, shine spray, and hair spray often contain forms of alcohol or other ingredients that are inherently drying to the hair strands. Luckily for us, science and cosmetics have come together more efficiently as of late, which means more and more formulas have strayed away from drying components. Ask your stylist which one he or she would use, and make sure to tell him or her biggest concerns with trying one.

Pomades and Styling Creams Galore

I came upon one of my favorite styling creams ever by accident. As I mentioned, I am quite fond of serums or any product that is effective at protecting the hair strands from splitting. I bought an almond-oil-infused hair styling cream on sale one day, and I still use it on the ends of my hair when I want to switch it up from using my usual, high-end hair serum. If you’re on a budget but you still want to protect the ends of your hair, a hair pomade or cream (even a man’s product) may become your best healthy-hair secret yet.

Hairspray vs. finishing spray

I used to be a huge fan daily hairspray use. How else was my hair supposed to look that perfect for those 12-hour-days? Well, years of hairspray habits, as well as coloring my hair, wasn’t really the best thing for keeping the ends looking their best. That was then though; Many hairspray formula’s conditioning abilities have improved over the past decade!

Your decision to use either and hairspray vs. finishing spray will probably rely on your hair type and thickness. More hair? You will probably need more of a glossing, softening formula with the allowance for maneuverability. Less hair? I bet you will prefer products that deliver more hold and more texture. Typically hairsprays provide more hold while finishing sprays often provide more of a shine. The real unicorn of these products will provide a combination of hold, shine, and softness.

The Power of a Hair Style

Even after the meticulous researching and trial & error that we go through with the latest and greatest hair products, how you actually style your hair also has a lot to do with how well your strands are protected. For wearable styles that will assist your products to help your locks stay beautiful and healthy-looking, read up on: “Hair Styles That STOP Breakage”

Happy hair days!
Catherine C., Lashing Out