My Haircare Routine

Hey y'all! I was thinking about my haircare routine the other night and I was really dwelling on how much it has changed in recent years and how much I could have used a blog post or someone to tell me how to take better care of my hair! So I thought I'd share my haircare routine and a few tips for keeping your hair incredibly soft! Let's jump in!

Let me preface this post by saying when I was younger my haircare routine was pretty much non-existent. I didn't think anything of using heat on my hair and washing it a ton. So when I started paying attention to the quality of my hair, I really had some damage to repair.

My first tip/step in my haircare routine is to not wash my hair everyday. I know you've probably heard this 3,000+ times but it's for good reason. Washing your hair everyday can make it brittle and dried out just because you're washing away all the important oils that nourish your hair! So I only wash my hair about 2-3 times per week. This might even seem like a lot to some people but I like to have fresh hair too. So it's really a balance.

The second step/tip is to not style my hair with heat too much. I love styling my hair but I try to only style it 2-3 times per week. I usually wear it naturally or I wash it and then braid it so I have waves and then style it without heat for a few days afterwards. When I was in middle/high school and even into college, I straightened my hair almost everyday and it fried my hair sooo badly. I even used heat protectant! So that goes to show that even if you use that, your hair can still get damaged. I have seen so much of a difference in my hair ever since I stopped heat styling it everyday!

This third step is something I did a whole post on and that's to only wash your hair with products that are sulfate and paraben free. Check out that blog post if you wanna know why this is so important. I'll just say my hair is much more hydrated now that I don't use products with those chemicals in them.

After washing my hair I always pat it dry rather than rubbing or using a hair dryer. I have a hair dryer but I NEVER use it unless I need my hair dried in a pinch if I showered in the morning. Blow drying your hair can damage it just as much as using other hot tools. When I get out of the shower, I have started to wrap my hair in a t-shirt instead of a towel 1) because it prevents breakage that a heavy towel might cause and 2) it prevents frizz! How about that?! I actually learned this from my roommate, Morgan, in college. She would always do that and it totally works!

I use a clarifying shampoo once a week to really get any product build up out of my hair that might weigh it down. I really like this Kenra clarifying shampoo. It smells like grapefruit it works wonders to get all that gunk off your strands and leaves your hair so light! This is a product I use that does have sulfates in it but I haven't found a clarifying shampoo that is sulfate and paraben free that actually does a good job. I only use it once a week so I don't sweat it too much.

I usually use a deep conditioning mask on my hair once a week. I normally do it on the night that I use my clarifying shampoo because that tends to strip your hair a little bit since it's getting all the build up off and needs a little more conditioning than normal. I will quick wash my hair with my clarifying shampoo and then put my deep conditioner on so that the heat and steam of the shower can help it to really soak in while I wash my body and shave. I really like this deep conditioner from L'Oreal! It's part of their line of sulfate free products and I love how soft it makes my hair!

In addition to deep conditioning, I also use a hair oil on my hair a few times a week. I'll use it in place of my leave-in conditioner on some nights when I think my hair needs a little more nourishment. I looooove this nourishing oil from Living Proof! It smells amazing and doesn't make my hair greasy AT ALL! I focus it on the tips of my hair and sometimes I'll use it if my hair is looking a little dry (especially in the winter) and it really restores the shine in my hair!

A major tip I have for y'all is to ALWAYS use a leave-in conditioner after washing your hair. It's just going to further soften and condition your hair and this is especially important in the winter when the cold air dries out everything! I like to use this leave in conditioner and sometimes I use this one from Redken when I know I'm going to be leaving my hair natural because it really fights frizz!

My last tip is to braid your hair when you go to sleep. I do this religiously! I never leave my hair down when I sleep because it's more prone to breakage because it rubs against your pillow case. Braiding it in a side braid or french braiding it will save it so much! My hair has definitely thanked me for this ;)

I hope my tips and tricks can help you on your way to beautiful healthy hair!

XO

Gabby