My Hair Care Routine for Healthy & Shiny Hair

I get so many questions on Instagram about my hair- the products I use, the color and the cut I get. So, it was about time for me to do my hair care routine.

Before we get to the products I use, let’s get my hairstyle, hair type, and color out of the way.

Hair Type: 

My natural hair type is straight and I am talking about VERY straight. 

Hair Color: 

My natural hair color is black, but I like to get Balayage once in a while. I always ask for caramel chocolate highlights. I do not like ashy blonde highlights on my skin tone, nor the orangy brass-tone highlights, so I find it is always better to show a picture to my hairstylist.

Hair Cut:

I get layered hair cut with shorter face-framing layers on the top to give my hair more volume and depth.

Alright alright alright.. now to the products and how I keep my hair shiny and healthy:

If you do not already do this, one thing that makes a huge difference for my hair is combing it before washing it. This will prevent it from tangling and breaking after the wash.

Shampoo/Conditioner:

I use a very simple shampoo, nothing fancy but something that cleans and hydrates my hair. I use this Patanjali Kesh Kanti Milk protein shampoo. This is a really hydrating shampoo that does not have the harsh ingredients. It is super affordable and you can find it on amazon. I have been using it for years now and I love it. 

I love how this simple yet effective shampoo, does not fade my color and keeps it vibrant. 

The conditioner I use is Kerastase Vital conditioner. I love this one because it does not weigh down my fine hair even after providing a lot of hydration. 

Dry with a Cotton T-Shirt

Immediately out of the shower I use a cotton t-shirt to squeeze excess water out of my hair. Flip hair over & use a scrunching motion for best results. I hate the microfiber towels to dry my hair because it breaks my hair. Our hair is so prone to breakage when it’s wet, so it is important to be gentle while drying it when it’s wet. 

Add a Leave-in Conditioner:

I usually, start with the Quai leave-in conditioner immediately before styling it. I run the product through my ends, roots, and a small amount all over my hair.

Air dry till its almost dry:

We are all aware of the damage that heat can cause to our hair, so I find that letting my hair air dry for almost 15 minutes (or till its almost dry from the top) before I blow dry it, can help to prevent that damage. 

Style:

Usually, I like to blow dry my hair. After about 15 minutes of air drying, I blow dry my hair. I make sure to use this heat protectant from Tresemme before I do any heat styling. 

I cannot even stress the importance of using a heat protectant. If you do not use it, you definitely should because the heat will damage your hair follicles.

On days when I want to curl my hair, I use the T3 one and half-inch curling iron. I like my curls to be more effortless and bouncy instead of being too defined.

 If you want to see a tutorial on “how I curl my hair” , I did an IGTV video on Instagram walking you through the process. 

After I curl my hair, I like to use the Quai Texturing spray to give my hair the grit and texture that it needs. 

Tip: if your hair is fine like mine and does not hold the curls for a long time, try spraying hair spray before you curl your hair. Spray each strand with a little hair spray and then curl it. This will help the curls to last longer. I love the Loreal Elnett hair spray for this. 

And that’s about it, as far as washing and styling my hair goes.

Now, I wanted to go over some of the products I use weekly to keep my hair healthy and nourished. 

Hair Care Routine – Products I use Weekly:

• My absolute favorite product to treat my hair with the nourishment it needs is the Olapex No 3 hair treatment. It’s expensive, but it truly makes a huge difference in the quality of my hair. It gives my hair the shine and prevents it from daily damage. I use it once a week for 15 minutes while in the shower. 
• One more mask that I love and swear by is the Briogeo- Don’t Despair Repair hair mask. I use this mask in rotation with the Olapex once a week, to restore the essential hydration. 
• Before I wash my hair, I ALWAYS massage my hair with warm hair oil. I use the Kesh Kanti oil and the Leemz hair oil. I have been doing this for years now. If I have time I let it sit in my hair for 2 hours. Otherwise, I will wash it off in 15-30 minutes. 

Tips:

• Use a Wet brush to comb your hair right out of the shower. This will prevent damage and breakage. 
• If you love coloring your hair or love to get highlights, one way to do it is, not to go too light. For example, if your hair is naturally black, I would suggest not going for Blonde, because that will cause extreme damage. Going lighter means the hairstylist will need to bleach your hair. Going blonde compared to black will cause over bleaching your hair with the chemicals, it does not need. As mentioned before, I go for a chocolate caramel color, because that is still in the same color family as black and does not damage my hair a lot. 
• Wash your hair once to twice a week at the max. I know, it is really tempting to wash it every day but more washing means not letting your natural hair oils penetrate through. To go between washes, I use the Batiste dry shampoo in the shade dark, this does not give my hair the white cast and makes it voluminous.
• If you are like me and go to the gym every day, I understand it can be hard to not wash your hair after working out. One trick I do before I go to the Gym is spraying my hair with some dry shampoo on the roots so that, the sweat from my hair will be absorbed quickly. This will prevent it from getting oily quickly. 

Any other girls out there with tips & tricks of their own? I’m always looking for suggestions.

Thanks for reading, friends! Check out my skincare routine here. Follow me on Instagram for more tips and tricks.

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