My favorite hair products

 

Do you ever look back at a period in your life and think, “Man, if I knew then what I know now…” Call me crazy, but I wish I knew in high school what I know now about how to control curly hair. I could’ve told you that the secret wasn’t so much in the product, though the product does make a difference. The secret is in the hardware. My first week at college changed my life. My hair’s life, that is. My roommate introduced me to a tool called a diffuser: a cone-shaped hunk of plastic that attaches onto the end of the blow dryer and softens and redirects the air flow so your delicate curls don’t get blasted (and frizzed) by a jet stream of air. The only problem with diffusers is they aren’t exactly travel-friendly because they’re oddly shaped and rather large. But now I can’t do without! Blow-drying my hair straight in the morning can easily take 40 minutes while diffusing it takes only 10 minutes. More time for make-up. ;)

Curls still need some type of styling product though, and this is where the trial and error begins. Believe me, I’ve spent a bundle through my life trying to find the product that works for me. L’Oreal, Pantene, Dove, Herbal Essences, trust me, I’ve tried them all! My go-to curl products in college were a mousse and a curl setting spray by a brand called Got2Be. They reformulated their products though and removed them from stores for a while. I can find them online but I don’t care enough to pay for shipping, plus I’m nervous that the reformulation won’t be as good as I remember. If I could find the products in stores again then I might try them out again! The product I’ve been using for a couple years is actually by TRESemmé. I don’t know why I find that so surprising; maybe because it took me several years to try any product by TRESemmé so I was surprised when the first try hit it out of the park! I use TRESemmé’s Flawless Curls Mousse and love it – my hair isn’t weighed down and the curls are defined. I also love TRESemmé’s Ultra Fine Mist Hair Spray – it’s very light and doesn’t feel like it’s coating my hair or making it heavy.

And now for the secret weapon. This product is the SECRET to looking like you just got your hair cut when you actually haven’t been in four months. I don’t know how it works but Redken Smooth Down Butter Treat is a miracle worker. My hair gets pretty tangled after a shower, even after using a regular conditioner. But if I apply and leave on the Butter Treat for even just one minute, I can get a comb through with no problems. Plus it keeps the ends strong, smooth, and shiny. This WILL weigh down your hair if you use too much, so I avoid the roots and put it on the lower half of my hair and concentrate on the ends. You can either apply it in the shower and rinse it out, like a regular conditioner, or use it as a leave-in conditioner, which is how I choose to use it. Note: on a quick search for an image of this product, I found that Redken has DISCONTINUED THIS PRODUCT. I’ll believe it when I can’t find it in stores anymore but seriously, why this one?? The site says another line, Smooth Lock, has taken its place, so perhaps I’ll have to give the new product a go.

As for shampoos, I’m not particularly loyal to any one brand. I used to be a diehard for Dove but I think I used it for so long that one day my hair revolted and decided Dove didn’t work for me anymore. I’ve lately been sweet on Redken’s Full and Soft shampoo but I wouldn’t say it’s crazy awesome or anything. Ulta seems to always have sales where you can get the huge bottles for half off, and those bottles last me ages. I recently tried a new-to-me brand called Abba; they make sulfate-free and paraben-free products that are supposedly healthier for your hair. I really liked it but if you can't find it on sale then it's a little pricey for me.

Any recommendations out there for products or brands you like?