This past year, I have been putting more effort into my hair care routine by using better products that reduce damage while maintaining my do’s. People have been noticing and I have had countless questions about the products I use.
I created this list of products I’ve enjoyed using this past year so that I can show it to anyone asking what I use!
But first, about my hair:
Before delving into the products that I use, I think I should first tell you about my hair, as these products might not be as effective more people with different hair types from mine.
- It’s naturally very dark brown, almost black, and wavy/curly.
- My hair is fine, but I have a lot of it.
- My hair tends to get oily after two to three days, so I wash my hair around 3x a week. I like products that help prevent oiliness, but I don’t like using dry shampoo.
- My hair was down to my waist (or even longer) for most of my life, but I had cut it just past shoulder length about two years ago.
- I have been bleaching and colouring my hair to golden highlights over the past year.
- I curl my hair almost daily. If it is not curled, it is in an up-do — usually a loose bun.
- I like big, voluminous hairstyles. I generally look for products that will help be achieve that look.
- I get my hair cut or trimmed 2-3 times a year to remove split ends or to change up my look.
Best Shampoos
I love sea salt shampoos! Sea salt helps cleanse the scalp, improving the hair follicles’ ability to allow hair to grow (it works the same way as exfoliating to prevent ingrown hairs). It really does an amazing job of removing any hair product residue from the hair, making me feel squeaky clean. Plus, it gives me tons of volume and texture, allowing me to style my hair more easily. Hair also dries quicker after using it.
I’ve been using Lush’s BIG Shampoo for years. Over half the base of this shampoo is sea salt. The rest contains seaweed infusion, extra virgin coconut oil, and citrus juices. Although it didn’t provide me with shine and softness as advertised, the scent (it smells like the sea!) and volumizing properties kept me coming back for more. This product won me over with it’s ultra foamy lather. It is also good value for your money — the pot lasts for a few months, even when used 3x a week. I dip my finger in it about halfway and that’s enough to wash my whole head.
I should warn you that this does dry out the hair a bit, especially for bleached hair (it also strips off colour on colour-treated hair), so I switched from using it a every wash to about once a week.
I recently discovered Christophe Robin’s Cleansing purifying scrub with sea salt in a Sephora Favorites gift set and I’ve been hooked since trying it. It is a bit of an investment, but a pea-sized amount is enough to wash my whole head. It lathers just as much as Lush’s BIG Shampoo, and it is just a volumizing. However, this product is not as drying and it provides shine to my hair. Since I’ve been using this, people have been asking if I got my hair coloured or cut. I have not.
It does have a strong perfume though, so I wouldn’t recommend this if you are sensitive to scents. It is also not as liquid as BIG shampoo… I recommend lathering lightly in between your hands before using in your hair.
One thing I love about both products is that they come in pots instead of tubes, so you can use every last drop of the products!
Best Set
While restocking the Christophe Robin sea salt shampoo above, I spotted this Volumizing Set on Sephora and decided to try it out. This set contains a selection of rose-scented, volumizing treatments: a cleansing volumizing paste, a lightweight conditioner, and a volume mist. All three are enriched with rose extracts, which are known for their soothing and protective properties. They also contain 85% natural ingredients like rassoul clay, baobab leaf extract, and rosewater to strengthen hair and add fullness.
The shampoo was a bit of a surprise to me. It is brown and has the same texture as a face mask… and it is actually similar to one as it instructs to leave in hair for 2 minutes. Just like the sea salt scrub, a little bit – about a pea-sized amount – goes a long way. It is volumizing without being drying, smells like a rose garden, and leaves my hair feeling so soft. It also brought back my curls, which sort of disappeared when I bleached my hair.
I rarely ever use conditioner. It usually weighs down my hair, leaving it flat and lifeless (even though I only apply it to the ends), and it makes my hair get oily quicker. However, I love this conditioner. It doesn’t weight down my hair at all, leaving it nice and bouncy. And it is effective at getting rid of any dryness and frizz. I received a trial size in this kit, but plan on investing on a full size product when I run out.
Admittedly, I’m not entirely sold on the volumizing mist. This leave-in spray is 96% rose water. It helps densify the hair and adds a little bit of texture for styling. It smells lovely and it makes my hair feel great, I don’t really have any complaints about it. But, while I like this product a lot, I’m not sure if I would replace my favourite texturizing spray with it — keep reading to find out more.
Best Hair Sprays
Hair spray is LIFE. Without it, I might as well shave my head tbh.
But it’s difficult to find hairspray that:
- Doesn’t weigh down hair
- Leave you with unmovable helmet hair
- Stand up to humidity
- Keep your hairstyle looking fine from morning til bedtime
I think after years of searching, I have found the top products.
If you’re like me and curl your hair often/daily, you not only need something that will hold your curls, but also protect them from heat damage. AG Hair Care has a seriously amazing Thermal Setting Spray Gel. When I wear it, it looks like I just got out of a salon and I won’t get any split ends for months and months. And it works in the summer when it is hot and humid and even at the gym, regardless of how hard I work out.
I find it works best if misted lightly all over hair, or on strands for stronger hold. I made the mistake of spraying on too much when I first got this, so it didn’t dry, and I had to clean my curling iron for almost half an hour lol.
It smells like clementines and leaves my hair shiny. I can go on and on about how much I love this stuff. My only complaint about it is that it gets very sticky if it gets on the vanity or floor. And the nozzle will clog if not cleaned regularly (but that’s typical of any hair spray).
AG’s Revamp Keratin Repair hairspray is hands down the BEST hair spray I have ever used… but it isn’t on their website anymore, it’s out of stock on their Amazon, and I didn’t see it in store either. It looks like it has been discontinued?! (As I was typing this, I did find it on sale at Chatters at 17% off + free shipping + an extra 20% off Boxing Day deal… I ordered 5 to be on the safe side!). It’s volumizing without being damaging. If I use this + the thermal spray above, my hair triples in volume. It’s insane!
I needed hairspray stat, so I am trying out AG’s High & Dry Matte Volume and Finish spray. It’s a great alternative to Revamp – it volumizes, it is texturizing, and it keeps your hairstyle all day. However, I haven’t tested it yet in humidity. And it doesn’t have keratin repair.
Best Texturizing Spray
There’s really no alternative to Ouai’s Texturizing Hair Spray. I am obsessed! “Like dry shampoo and hair spray had a baby” is the perfect description. This stuff makes it easier to style hair and it also prevents oiliness, without feeling chalky and gross like a normal dry shampoo.
While my shampoos do a good job of volumizing my hair, this spray helps keep the volume at my roots all day, and into the next day too. Or if I just want a sexily tousled just-got-out-of-bed look, this is the perfect product for it.
I always have a spare just in case I run out. And I always have at least one travel sized handy.
The only downsides: I recommend regular hair spray if you want to keep your hair as you styled it (this leaves your hair *very* movable). It also has a strong scent — reviewers online seem to love the smell, but it’s a little to sweet and strong for me, so I keep my bathroom fan on when I use it.
Best Tools
I am not including my blow dryer or my curling iron in this post. I don’t use fancy appliances. My curling iron is a 1″ ceramic Revlon curling iron that I’ve had for probably ten years (I think it’s like this one). I just got a bright orange Conair dryer recently when my old one kept blowing fuses after a trip abroad lol. They both get the job done and are pretty decent tools if you are in the market for them.
BUT, I do really love these things.
Earlier this year, I was looking everywhere for hair styling clips like what you would find at a salon. I wanted something to make it easier to section my hair while curling it. Cue Drybar’s Hold Me Hair Clips. A sunny yellow colour, they can hold large and small sections of hair, without slipping or leaving dents. The colour brightens up my morning routine and I sometimes use these to hold up my hair when I’m doing things around the house, like cooking or taking these photos. I have two packs.
It is surprisingly hard to find LARGE hair rollers (at least in stores). I found these High Tops Self-Grip Rollers at my local Nordstrom. In the signature Drybar yellow, these rollers add serious volume to my blowouts. I like to use these when I want a more professional look and don’t have time to curl my hair, as these add a nice wave. They have decent grip when rolled tightly.
Special Mentions
These are some products that I don’t use as regularly as I used to, but would still highly recommend.
If you’re not looking for a volumizing hairspray, but just want something with great hold and humidity resistance, I recommend Wella’s Stay Firm Finishing Spray. This is my go-to product for updos. My only complaint is that the nozzles on these get clogged easily, so run them under hot water in between uses.
If you’re on a budget but want a decent volumizing hairspray, try Pantene’s Hair-Lifting Hairspray. You can get massive cans of it for under $5. It doesn’t leave hair as movable as my favourite sprays and it isn’t as good in humidity, but the volume is real with this.
If you’re looking to repair hair, tame frizz, fight humidity, etc, you need to check out Alterna Haircare’s Caviar Anti-Aging Replenishing Moisture CC Cream. Yes, CC Cream for your hair. It’s a leave-in treatment that I like to use on days where I have my hair up. Sephora always has samples of this — get them and keep them in your purse to fix your hair on the go. A little bit goes a long way; I use about a dime size amount for my hair. That’s why my tube still has the old branding I guess.
If your suffer from dry hair (like my tips in the winter), or just like hair oils in general, I recommend Macadamia Professional’s Healing Oil Treatment. IT SMELLS SO GOOD and leaves hair so silky and shiny. Once a month or so, I completely cover my hair and scalp with it and leave it oiled up like that for about half an hour as a mask. I wash it out and my hair is nice for weeks.
I hope this answers some of your questions and you find some new products to try! Let me know about some of your favourite products.