As any one of my friends can tell you, I have an unhealthy preoccupation with how my hair looks. The world could be burning down around me, and if my hair looks its best, everything will be fine. So it’s no wonder that I’m always on the hunt for the latest and best hair products.
I’ve used Pantene mousses since I was a teenager. Sometimes, I’ll switch to an expensive mousse for a while, but eventually, I end up right back in my true loves arms. Recently, Pantene reformulated their Body Boosting Mousse ($14), and it is now even more awesome.
I have had a string of good hair days since switching to this mousse. It really lifts the root and volumizes the hair. It also provides a little bit of hold an shape. I am a huge fan.
Leaving the salon a few weeks ago, I spotted Davines The Spotlight Circle ($10) on a countertop display. “It’s amazing for shine,” my hairdresser told me. Okay, why not give this conditioner a go? Total impulse buy. But, whoa, the results.
As a one-time use conditioner, this product really boosts the shine thanks to being loaded with Moringa Oil. But the packet contains enough product for 8-12 smaller applications, so I’ve been using it every third day. My hair is so glossy as a result, but the conditioner is light enough that it’s not weighed down.
Davines also makes this awesome Wake Up Circle mask for stressed out hair. I used it after a recent lake and sun excursion, but you can use it after hair treatments. It’s a clay mask, so it’s a little messy, and the smell is off-putting. But it works like a dream.
If you encounter a lot of pollution (hello, D.C. commuters!), Davines also makes a mask for purifying the hair and scalp. It really clarifies the hair without completely stripping it down to the roots. This packet also contains enough product for several uses.
Remember a few years ago when Argan Oil was everywhere? You couldn’t escape it. But now, we hardly talk about it, yet alone use it.
I re-discovered this Moroccan Oil Light ($14) a few weeks ago. The ends of my hair were very dry, especially on the left side (why is one side always worse?). And as the day wore on, they would look a mess of flyaways and split ends. I just needed to tame them.
So I mixed just the tiniest bit of oil in my palms and lightly applied it to my ends. No more frizz, no more flyaways, all split ends hidden from view. Praise be.
What are your current favorite hair products for your individual hair concerns? Help your fellow readers out and share your best recommendations in the comments.
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I have been tempted by the Pantene mousse a few times, but I don’t wash my hair every day and I am worried about it looking greasy at the roots on day two or three. I also try to avoid dry shampoo as I find it pretty itchy. Have you tried any cost effective root boosting sprays? I find they don’t make my roots look like they are full of old product on day two or three.
I have a pixie with a long front, and use a product called Puff.Me by Design.ME; it’s a root boosting powder that you spray in. It’s odorless and colorless, and definitely gives me a lot of volume. I imagine that it would have helped on my hair when it was longer too!
I haven’t noticed any additional grease. It’s pretty light.
This is a silly question, but honestly I’ve never known. Do you put mouse on when your hair is wet or dry? Thank you!
Wet.
My hair was a dried out frizzy mess that no ulta-approved or Sephora approved product could fix. My hairstylist got me started on oribe gold lust shampoo and conditioner—not cheap btw—but it changed my hair forever. Game changer. Now I get people stopping me on the street about the condition of my hair/blowout. Totally worth every penny!
ugh I got a sample of the Oribe Gold Lust shampoo and conditioner and I wish I’d never tried it because it’s so expensive but no other shampoo/conditioner can compare and I can’t go back!
I use a Bumble & Bumble gentle shampoo and conditioner and then treat with rosehip seed oil on damp hair. I have wavy / curly hair depending on the weather and this really helps make my curls look their best. I used to use Argan Oil but the surge of popularity made it expensive, even in a non-branded form. So I switched to rosehip seed for both my hair and my face and I love it. Since i use the same thing on my hair, I know it’s not breaking me out when it inevitably gets on my pillow.
Tell me more about the rose hip oil! What do you use? How? I have the same type of hair and have been struggling lately!
I use rosehip oil on my face instead of moisturizer and it was a complete game changer (it’s also a super popular ingredient in a lot of high end skin care). I use Acure brand rosehip oil – it’s like $10 for a medium sized container where a little goes a long way. I probably replace about twice a year when I use it on my face and smooth extra oil through the ends of my hair. I can often find Acure on sale at Whole Foods, and for a while they were carrying it at Target but I haven’t seen it in my local one lately.
I buy it from Mountain Rose Herbs, but any legitimate source (Whole Foods, Sprouts, Health Food Stores etc) should be the real deal.
Twice a week I wash and condition my hair and then wrap it in an absorbent waffle weave towel while I do my skincare routine to get most of the moisture out. Then I put a dropper full of oil in to my hands and starting at the ends gently massage it through my hair, trying not to break up the curl. Then I might put a half dropper in my hands and run my fingers through my roots and my hairline for fly-away control. I wrap my hair up in a turban (Turbie Twist etc) and then go to sleep, and wake up in the morning to a nice curly mop.
I struggled with my hair for a LONG time, this is definitely the best routine I’ve found for it. It can still get crazy in certain weather but mostly it’s reliable. Good luck!
I’m still a HUGE devotee of Moroccan Oil for my thick strands if only for that delicious scent!
Nobody likes to admit they have a dry scalp, but I do, and the flakes in the winter are real (not to mention very embarrassing when you wear a lot of black). My hair is also very short–shaved in the back short–so I have to stay on top of the flakes. Head & Shoulders clinical strength (blue bottle, orange liquid) is the best–even just one use a week helps. We take care of our dry skin, why not our dry scalps?!
I have dandruff problems, so Head and Shoulders products work wonders for me. I also use the Christophe Robin salt scrub once a week to purify my hair and scalp, especially after I’ve used a lot of dry shampoo; it dries hair out like crazy, though, so a good hair mask is needed after. I use the Verb one from Sephora right now, but I’ve also had good luck with most other brands. If you can afford it, definitely splurge for Living Proof’s.
Heading to Morocco in just over a week, and I plan to bring back a bunch of argan oil!
I love Davines SU After Sun Hair & Body Wash. For short snowboarding or beach trips (3 or less days) I don’t even need to bring conditioner, the shampoo keeps my hair so soft even when dealing with ocean water or wind whipped/sun drenched helmet hair. I wish it was cheaper so I could make it my daily product.
Interesting observation about one side of one’s hair being drier than the other. Maybe we favor one side when blow drying. I wore down tooth enamel on my left side through inadvertently favoring that side when brushing my teeth.
I think it’s because I sleep on that side, but who knows.
I have very fine hair but a lot of it, and its gotten drier in my late 20s. I used to use nothing on it because almost everything weighed it down but recently started using IGK mistress and its amazing! Its not cheap but its lasting a really long time. I just somewhere between a dime and pea sized amount, just on the last few inches of my hair when its wet, and then comb it through.
LOVE your blog !! My daughter was in DC years ago for an internship and we both have followed you for years!! Has been so easy to buy her gifts from your suggestions – thank you !!
Just a thought on left side hair being drier – just was at my doc and he noticed a pre cancer skin spot on my left forehead – said they see left side face issues ALOT and said he believes it comes from the extra exposure to sub thru the car window if you do alit of driving – maybe same for hair??
I love Moroccan Oil Light too. I use it on the ends before heat styling and on the ends for second/third day hair after applying dry shampoo to my roots. It’s got such a lovely scent and I’ve had my bottle forever. A little bit goes such a long way.