As a mom, it’s easy to let your haircare routine disappear when things get busy. After all, taking care of your family takes up so much time and energy, it’s no wonder why those precious “spare” moments might be spent doing other things. For example, why give yourself a blowout when you can get an extra 15 minutes of sleep? Priorities, people. On the other hand, it’s also important to give yourself some TLC to keep yourself looking and feeling your very best. The good news is, perfect hair days are easier to get than you think, and it doesn’t require a ton of time or effort. We’re giving you the skinny on 10 foolproof methods for beautiful, healthy, shiny hair, everyday!
1. Condition the ends and not the roots
Avoid conditioning your roots, as it will weigh down your hair. Conditioner adds nourishment to strands in need of moisture and TLC, but it also causes your hair to lose volume. By focusing the product at the ends of the hair, the part that really needs it, you’ll have the repair from the conditioner in addition to the volume where you want it.
2. Choose a haircare routine specific to your hair type
Straight Hair
If you have straight hair, you probably wash your hair daily, and use products to give yourself volume (i.e. dry shampoo or texturizer). Baby-fine straight hair can be hard to style, get oily quickly, and doesn’t hold a curl. It’s especially important to avoid thick conditioners that can weigh the hair down. If your straight hair is on the thicker side, you may have a few waves hiding underneath. This type of straight hair can hold curls much better, but can sometimes be prone to frizz. You can use a smoothing serum and a blast of cold air from your hair dryer to tame flyaways.
Wavy Hair
If your hair is wavy, most would consider you “lucky” to have the happy medium between curls and straight. Wavy hair can often be air-dried and finger-styled to achieve that piecey, natural beach wave look. Thinner strands of wavy hair can be styled with mousse and a diffuser or salt spray, while thicker strands will benefit from moisture, like deep conditioning treatments.
Curly Hair
There are tons of products for natural ringlets and spirals. A word of advice? Avoid the blow dryer! (But you probably already knew that.) For wide curls, you can apply product to wet hair and scrunch with a microfiber towel for maximum curl definition. Be sure to use a heat protectant as it can be susceptible to heat damage. For spirals that are stretched out, cascading down as opposed to growing away from the roots, you can use a light gel on wet hair with leave in conditioner for smooth, bouncy curls. For thicker, kinky curls, consider washing strands with a cleansing conditioner to cut down on flyaways while maintaining shine. For coarse and dry hair, be sure to add moisture using styling butters and creams.
Knowing your hair type and what your hair needs can help you formulate a haircare routine that is right for you.
3. Hair vitamins are your best friend
During pregnancy, most people boast of thick, shiny, luscious locks. After pregnancy, however, our hair can sometimes take a turn for the worst. It can tend to shed, making it look thin and feel lackluster. There is an easy solution to this using vitamins specially designed to give your hair the boost it needs. Hair vitamins such as HairBurst contain ingredients that have been proven to give you longer, stronger, and healthier hair.
-
Biotin – helps reduce shedding — something new moms often suffer with. It also helps make the hair thicker, shinier, and grow longer.
-
Zinc – helps to regulate hormone levels, which is a contributing factor to hair loss
-
Vitamin C – helps build collagen, which gives hair strength
-
Vitamin E – helps blood circulation in the body, which increases oxygen to cells; this helps the body in producing new hair growth.
-
Vitamin B6 – keeps the hair AND skin healthy, as it increases collagen production. Vitamin B6 has also been known to reduce nausea during pregnancy!
-
Vitamin B12 – stimulates hair growth. When the level of Vitamin B12 is corrected, the hair follicles will begin to receive proper nutrients, which will then lead to hair regrowth of previously lost hair.
-
Pantothenic Acid (Vitamin B5) – helps strengthen hair follicles as well as their cells, allowing them proper function. Additionally, it helps clear your scalp of dead skin so new growth can occur.
-
Iron – helps improve hair texture, reduces dullness, and increases the flow of nutrients and oxygen to the scalp and roots.
The best part about HairBurst Hair Vitamins is it’s everything you need in one simple step. These vitamins and minerals work together to give the maximum results in strengthening and thickening the hair, as well as increasing shine, improving texture, and improving the overall health of your hair. You can take them in a capsule or in a gummy vitamin, depending on your preference. Be sure to hop on over to their shop to check out everything HairBurst has to offer — from vitamins and argan oil to shampoo and conditioner, HairBurst has you covered!
4. Give your hair some TLC
If you are regularly heat-styling your hair, coloring it, and loading it with products, hair masks are your best friend. It’s a good idea to give it a break every now and again with a hair mask. There are tons of DIY options, so you can create a custom concoction based on your needs. Is your hair looking dull? Try a DIY Pumpkin Hair mask to bring it back to life. Is your hair damaged? Try mixing honey, almond oil, and apple cider vinegar to nourish it. Not into DIY beauty options? Try the Moroccanoil Intense Hydrating Mask to hydrate and condition the hair for improvements in elasticity, shine, and manageability. Nourishing and replenishing moisture in the hair will help keep it looking its best. Depending on how hard you are on your hair (coloring, heat styling, etc.) try giving yourself a hair mask weekly or biweekly, to keep it healthy and beautiful.
5. Extend the time between washings
If you can get away with not washing your hair daily, go for it! Some people (with straight hair, in particular) may not be able to go long between washings, and that’s ok — do what’s best for your hair type. But let’s talk about what washing does to your hair so you can get a better idea of why we are suggesting this. Shampoo is designed to trap oil, dirt, and residue to clean out the hair. If you shampoo too often, it may dry your hair out and leave it prone to breakage. Shampooing less frequently means the hair will hold onto its natural oils, which provides moisture and a protection barrier against the elements. To extend the life of your hair, try using a dry shampoo to soak up excess oils in your hair. You can also get creative with your styling routine:
-
Day 1 – Blow dry and straighten. Use some heat protectant and maybe some root lifter.
-
Day 2 – Dry shampoo and curl. Hair will be “dirty,” so it will hold a curl better.
-
Day 3 – Braid or slick pony/bun. Depending on how oily your hair is, you can hide it in a slicked back pony or braid.
People who may need to shampoo daily include those with fine and naturally oily hair, people who workout daily, and people living in humid climates.
6. Rinse with cold water
No one likes taking a cold shower, or even a lukewarm shower (hello, showering with your toddler!) but there’s something to be said about rinsing your just washed hair with cold water. As warm water opens a hair’s cuticle, allowing shampoo and conditioner to clean your strands, cold water closes the cuticle. Closing the cuticle before you get out of the shower will help seal in the moisture from the conditioner, which will make your hair look more shiny and healthy. The same is true when you add a blast of cold air after blow drying.
7. Avoid towel drying
Towel drying your hair (especially when you rub it vigorously) can cause frizz and damage your hair. It can make split ends worse and cause craters along the shaft of the hair, thus, weakening the strand. Instead of using a rough towel, try using microfiber or a t-shirt to gently blot and squeeze — never rub — your hair dry. If you shower before bed, you can also wrap your hair in a t-shirt and let it dry overnight; this will help keep moisture within the hair shaft and will be an easy, gentle way to let your hair dry on its own.
8. Heat protectors are a must
When you’re constantly heat styling your hair or overexposing it to UV rays, it can be prone to damage and breakage. Blow dryers, curling irons, and flat irons weaken and destroy important proteins in your hair. In addition, they reduce your hair’s natural oils which help protect the strands. Combat this by using a heat protectant; they come in sprays, serums, and cream formulas, so choose one that works best for your hair type. Before styling, add some product to your hair to ensure it’s protected. These products also add shine, reduce frizz, and help keep your hair healthy and smooth. You can heat style with confidence knowing your hair will maintain its strength and health.
9. Eat your hair healthy
You don’t have to load up on expensive haircare products to have healthy, beautiful hair. If you’re eating the right foods, your hair will be properly nourished on its own. Some foods that help growth include iron rich foods like lean red meat, soybeans, or lentils. You can also up your Vitamin C intake with a bell pepper or orange to boost your iron absorption. Protein rich foods will improve your hair’s strength and promote cell growth and repair. Omega-3 Fatty acids (like that found in salmon) will help hydrate your hair and make it silky smooth. Biotin, like we talked about with the HairBurst Vitamins, is essential for growth. You can find biotin in eggs, which are also a great source of protein and Vitamin D, so it’s excellent for your hair!
10. Massage your scalp regularly
We probably don’t have to tell you this twice — massaging your scalp regularly will stimulate hair growth and increase blood circulation to the hair follicles. In addition to being relaxing and de-stressing, which is already reason enough, it will also condition the scalp and boost the strength of the hair roots. If you apply a kneading pressure, the skin will be warmed and the blood vessels will be opened up to increase blood flow. This assists in hair growth and thickness.
Out of these 10 tips, which ones are your favorites? You’ll be well on your way to beautiful, luscious locks when you implement these steps into your haircare routine. Whether it’s with a DIY hair mask, the one step vitamin by HairBurst, or even just a scalp massage, these secrets will improve the look and feel of your hair, and you’ll have perfect hair days, every day. And who doesn’t deserve those?
For more tips on haircare, check out our post on Organic Summer Haircare.
