How to Pick the Righ Hair Care Products? Copy My Method!
Hi!
How to pick the right hair care products? There are lots of products in the market with colorful labels and unrealistic promises. For years I was buying products that were not suitable for curly hair because I blindly believed that if the label says “perfect for curls”, it is the truth.
Well, it wasn’t. So how to choose what to buy if everything we see around is a marketing strategy?
We all dream about beautiful hair and we are ready to spend a lot of money to have it. We are buying shampoos, conditioners, masks, and oils without even thinking about it. I was not an exception.
As you probably remember, I promised to share my method on how I pick my hair products.
This is a short intro:
What are hair products?
Generally speaking, a hair product is anything you are adding to your hair to wash it, moisturize it, change its texture or shape.
This includes:
-shampoo,
-conditioner
-hair mask
-deep conditioner
-treatments
-hair mousse
-hair gel
-hair wax
-pomade
-hair spray.
What hair products should I use?
If you want to stop spending your money on products that are not right for you (and your bank account), you have to answer a few questions:
#1 Is your hair bleached or not?
If you are bleaching your hair, that’s fine but keep in mind that you would need to add LOTS of protein to your hair care routine. When hair lacks protein, it becomes unruly, frizzy, and can break very easily.
If your hair is all-natural and you never had a moment where you decided to become blond in the comfort of your own home, that’s impressive but you have to concentrate on moisturizing your hair.
Doesn’t matter if you are buying shampoo or a hair mask: don’t forget to always check the ingredients list.
If your hair lacks protein, look for these ingredients:
- Hydrolyzed protein
- Hydrolyzed keratin
- Hydrolyzed collagen
- Amino acids (for example, silk or wheat)
At least one of these should be in the first 5 ingredients of the list. It means that the product is protein-rich. If the mask has 20 different ingredients and the protein is one of the last, it will not do anything to your hair.
If your hair needs to be moisturized, look for these ingredients:
- Water (of course)
- Glycerin
- Aloe Vera
- Hyaluronic Acid
Be aware that glycerin might not be suitable for very humid weather as it can attract humidity from the air. Ever experienced what it means to become a lion when it’s raining? Yeah, me too.
#2 How your hair reacts to coconut oil (or oil in general)?
Many people swear that coconut oil is for hair is their holy grail but everyone is unique. Some people say that coconut oil dries their hair out.
If your hair is brittle, stiff, and dry coconut oil is not for you as it can make things worse. It can cause protein buildup and even block your hair from getting moisture.
“If your hair is all-natural and you never had a moment where you decided to become blond in the comfort of your own home, that’s impressive”
@subjectcurls
#3 What’s the type of your curls?
Shea butter is a lifesaver for types 3C and 4 hair but if you have light waves this butter can weigh your hair down. It can even become greasy, not pleasant to touch, and dull.
Most of the brands nowadays even have a hair chart with their product lines to help find the right products for your hair type and texture.
#4 Do you know what ingredients to avoid?
It’s almost as important as knowing what’s good for your hair. Silicones cause a buildup, harsh alcohols dry our hair, waxes blocks any moisture, sulfates make our hair squeaky clean but are bad for the environment as well as for our hair… Avoid fragrance, synthetic colors, phthalates, and microplastics.
You don’t need this stuff.
Instead of that, choose the products with a short and clean ingredients list.
You can see my hair care products recommendations here. I’m using them constantly for more than two years now.
But that’s not it. I prepared a reminder for you.
What to avoid when picking hair products
- Silicones
- Sulfates
- Harsh alcohols
- Waxes & Oils (such as mineral oil; coconut/jojoba or other natural oils are good)
- Micoplastics
- Phthalates
Take a screenshot, send it to your friends, share it everywhere… Well, you know the rules. I made it for you.
What kind of hair products should I use?
It mostly depends on your preferences: do you want all-natural products with clean labels or maybe you are OK with avoiding silicones, sulfates, and alcohols but are not ready to avoid everything that is not plant-derived.
If you have bleached and straight hair you probably want to use products with silicones as they visually make your hair look shiny and healthy.
Every way of taking care of your hair is a good way and don’t let TikTok/Youtube/Instagram trends get into your head. If you are washing your hair with simple shampoo and it fits all your needs – that’s fine and I’m not here to judge you.
How to pick the right hair care products if you have curly, wavy, coily, or straight hair?
If you have wavy or curly hair you need to use cleansing conditioner and/or shampoo; conditioner; deep conditioner; leave-in conditioner, and a hair mousse or hair gel for holding a hairstyle in place.
If you have coily hair you need to moisturize your hair all the time. Use cleansing conditioner; hair mask, deep conditioner (on every wash day); leave-in conditioner (Camille Rose Curl Love is a perfect choice), and hair gel.
If you have straight hair you also need moisture! Use shampoo, lightweight conditioner, and don’t forget to deep condition your hair at least once a week. You can use a lightweight leave-in conditioner as well.
However, in the long run, it’s better to use products without any harsh stuff inside. We are doing this for your hair health.
How to pick the right hair care products? The Bottom Line
You know everything now. The student has become the master.
It takes time at first but after analyzing a few ingredients lists it becomes easy. Sulfates? No. Silicones? No, madam. Harsh alcohols? Thanks but no.
If you are still not feeling confident, try CurlsBot. It’s an amazing tool for curly boys and girls. Give it a chance!
