Earlier in the year on the brink of summer, I decided to go light blonde. I had a deep tan, I loved how the bright bleached hair contrasted my dark skin and everyone I met thought I was Italian. Obviously, that thrilled me. But after weeks on end in Ibiza and innumerable beach and pool days here in Barcelona, by September by blonde hair looked sad. So I decided to go from Bardot to Birkin with the fringe and a return to a dark brown. And for the second time this year, I was thrilled with my hair makeover, I looked as moody as I am and now, strangers assumed I was French. As if. Sigh. What happened next? A week after my dark brown, the ends of my hair frizzled up in a way I’ve never experienced before. They were snapping off; no amount of coconut oil or expensive hair masks fixed the dryness. My hair had no shine and in direct sun, the ends had a slight green, grey tinge. I looked like I had experienced a minor electrocution. So I went back to the hairdresser and we agreed that I’d have to go for a chop for the sake of my hair’s health. I’ll be really honest here, I hated the short blunt cut. I looked into extensions. I embraced the ponytail. I wore many, many hats and stared with longing at my friends with long flowing locks. It sounds silly but as a woman and one whose income depends on photos of herself, it was a little difficult. I didn’t cry but I definitely felt a little ugly every now and again. So I did what I always do when faced with a problem: Research. I dug deep on how I could restore my hair. 2 months later and it’s grown 3 inches, there’s zero frizz, an abundance of shine ; I healed my hair and here’s how.
The Four Magic Products that Saved my Hair’s Life
1. infuse my colour shampoo
This product is incredible for those with chemically coloured hair. It’s 100% vegan, suplhate, silicone and paraben free. It’s a shampoo loaded with vegan biodegradable colour that with washing adds immediate colour refreshment and tone. Those of you with dyed hair will be familiar with that dissapointing dulling of colour a week or three after your hairdressers appointment. Infuse my Colour maintains that richness in shade. This has saved me from having to load more and more dye into my hair but also kept those grey green tones away as my hair slowly recovered. There are an array of shades suited for different hair colour, I prefer Copper, which bathes my dark brown in rich warm tones. However, if you prefer a more ashy brown or blonde, I’d recommend their Cobalt colour, which adds a coolness, essentially de-saturating the warmer shades. I’ll be honest, I was a litte hesistant – this product promises a lot, but it genuinely delivers and has none no damage whatsoever to my hair’s health. I couldn’t go without a bottle of their Copper now, and I’ll usually use this every 10 days or so to really keep my hair vibrant. Their website is incredibly informative, you can read about all their shampoo washes and which might be most appropriate for you, right here.
2. ouai hair oil
I’ve already mentioned this product here in a previous beauty post but couldn’t cover hair without including it again. I have always suffered from dry hair, meaning I’ve tried an abundance of hair oils. I prefer them to hair masks, which tend to make my hair limp and yet most hair oils too, are excessive: too heavy in consistency, too heavy in scent and not at all effective for me. I am an avid user of coconut oil, I use it to cook, on my hands, feet and eyes – and yet it didn’t work on my hair, simply spinning my dryness into a greasy, wet mess. So I gave that up and finally bought into Ouai. I’m so glad I did. This brand is amazing and there is good reason for the online hype. I apply a small amount to the ends of my hair every night and wash it off in my morning shower. It’s as light as water but incredible hydrating; it’s done wonders for the ends of my hair. They have bounce and shine now and that horrible frizz has entirely dissappeared. I bought mine via Net-a-Porter but you can also buy it via Cult Beauty.
3. solgar’s hair skin & nails Supplement
You already know, I’m a big believer in the supplement life: most of my physical ills are treated this way. I take high, HIGH dosages of Vitamin C everyday (more of that in another post, soon). Hair supplements have become trendy in recent years and all kinds of brands have popped up, utilizing the likes of social media and celebrities to ensure sales. Sugarbear Hair is a lie, believe me and I’m not just saying that because I find their sugary marketing to be annoying. Whenever you are investing in a supplement, I’d recommend a solid, science-backed, reputable brand, one without the frills and fancy packaginng. This is why I love Solgar, many of my supplements are by them. And women, listen up, if you want longer hair and nails – this one works, like magic and with such unbelieveable speed. But be warned, it induces hair growth everywhere so be prepared to spend more quality time with your razor – even my eyebrows have bulked up! One pill a day before bed and my hair has grown 3 inches in 2 months. My only problem with this supplement? I have acrylic nails and now, they grow out every 10 days rather than 3 weeks, which means more money and time to maintain my manicure. But I owe a lot of my hair’s health to Solgar so it’s a price I’m willing to pay. Amazon is the best place for Solgar, they offer the cheapest price.
4. ouai dry hair supplement
Oh Ouai, I adore you Jen Atkins, you sheer wonder of a hair genius. Ofcourse I bought this, I love the brand, I love supplements so it was an easy sale. This daily pill is packed with omega 3 fatty acids, silica, vitamin E and iron which feed hair follicles internally with intensely hydrating nutrients. AND WOW, I’ve seen such a drastic improvement, so much so, I bulk bought 90 days worth just this week. My hair has so much shine and my ends no longer scream ‘minor electrocution’. I am so happy I took a chance with this supplement, it isn’t cheap but it really, really works. Ouai also have supplements for other problems such as oily and thin hair,I don’t suffer from those but if you do, look into them! I bought mine via Net-a-Porter but you can also buy it via Cult Beauty.
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