Hair Products I Can’t Live Without

I chopped my hair back in July to give it some time to “heal” – the heat and constant color and extensions and really done a number on my ends. My hair has never felt better, and I am excited to share some of my holy grail hair products I can’t live without today! I have my extensions back in now, but these products are ones I used with and without them!

My wash routine

I wash my hair 2-3 times per week, depending on if we do the boat or the beach! I actually have 2 different wash routines, which may seem like a lot, but hear me out!! I have one wash to keep my blonde from getting brassy, and another for damage control.

For my best blonde

I love love love the new blonde line from Kerastase! I wash my hair with the shampoo and then let the conditioner sit on my hair for about 2 minutes, and rinse really well. If it’s been a few weeks since I have colored my hair, I will do the Amplitint Mask from Orlando Pita, and leave that on for 5-10 minutes, and then rinse that really, really well, to make sure I get all of the color out.

For damage control

With all the coloring and heat styling, my hair needs some TLC! Once a week, I do my “damage control” wash! I start by rinsing my hair (without shampoo) and towel drying. I use Olaplex 3 from root to tip, and massage it in, making sure it’s evenly coating all of my hair. I clip it up and let it sit about 10 minutes. Olaplex is the reason my hair went from super dark to blonde without all breaking off – I swear by it! I promise you, the first time you rinse it out of your hair, it’ll be SO soft, you won’t be able to tell the difference from your hair to the water. It’s THAT amazing.

I rinse the Olaplex 3 out of my hair (again, rinse REALLY well, to make sure you get all the product out of your hair – especially at the roots. Then I wash my hair with the Kerastase Resistance line. I shampoo and condition like normal.

When my hair was super damaged and dull (hello, post-partum hair!), I would towel dry my hair, and use a pipette of this serum on my scalp. Right down the center, and then I would work it in with my fingers. It’s pricy, but I had tried a handful of hair vitamins and nothing worked… then I tried this! I swear by it, guys!

Time to dry

When it comes to drying my hair, I had no idea how much impact the towel you use can have on your hair! The Aquis towel is definitely one of my top hair products I can’t live without! This towel cuts drying time in half thanks to a proprietary wicking fabric called Aquitex. The turban also prevents Hygral Fatigue, which is a fancy word for the stretching and swelling of wet hair that makes it vulnerable to frizz, split-ends and damage! The more you know! I also love how it cuts down on dry time, so it’s less heat damage from my hair dryer!

Speaking of hair dryers, I am in love with mine! T3 sent me the Cura Luxe earlier this spring! It’s super powerful, and dries my hair super fast, even with extensions! I love the pause sensor too! If I need to put my dryer down to grab a brush, or to remove a hair clip, I simply set it down and it turns off. Pick it up, and it turns back on! Super handy when your other hand can’t reach the turn off switch, because it’s holding a section of hair.

Before I dry my hair, I work a dime sized pump of this heat protectant spray through it, careful not to get it at the roots. I also do a few sprays of this anti-frizz/smoothing spray!

Styling

Ok, now to the fun part! At the very top of the list of hair products I cant live without (drumroll please!)… my curling iron! I use the T3 Twirl Trio. I got it last winter, and I don’t think I can ever use another curling iron! The set comes with the curler base, and 3 different sized barrels. I typically use the middle one, but for big, beachy waves, I use the bigger barrel.

Remember those interchangeable crimpers that didn’t work from the early 2000s? With the different plates that just never got evenly warm enough to do your hair? That is NOT the T3 Twirl Trio. I curl my hair on the lowest setting and the curls last all day, and just need a little touch up the next day! I am SO impressed by how quickly it warms up, and how little time I need to have my hair on the iron! Bonus for less heat contact again!

Sometimes I will section my hair into clips and go around my whole head and curl it, but for more lived in waves, I pull all my hair to one side, and curl 1-2″ sections (I always curl the hair away from my face, so the curls aren’t poking me in the face, but framing it softly). I curl as much of my hair on one side as I can, then switch to the other and get any little sections I might have missed. I spray my hair with my FAVORITE EVER hairspray from Bumble and Bumble. Seriously guys. This holds my style all day, and never gets crunchy or sticky. My only complaint would be that the little bottle just isn’t big enough. I have very long extensions in right now, so I blow through product like it’s my job! Haha – but thankfully, Bumble and Bumble offers a jumbo size of this spray!

Once my curls have set and cooled, I tousle them with my hands or I brush them out. Depending on how your hair holds a curl, you may want to skip brushing them out. I have a good friend with super fine hair, and she doesn’t even need to run her fingers through her hair to get a softer look, but mine would stay in tight ringlets if I didn’t!

Then, I run through the ends of my curls with a straightener. BUT!!!! Don’t do the “clamp and slide” method like if you are actually straightening your hair. I open, close, open, close (kind of like a tap, tap, tap) on my ends to flatten the curls, without actually straightening them — if that makes sense!

Maintaining my style between washes

Each night, I put my hair into a loose braid before bed. That helps keep it together, so it doesn’t get all tangled when I toss and turn. It also helps keep the shape of some of my curls, and add some natural texture! I also sleep on a silk pillowcase. My stylist told me that the natural properties of silk (like its smooth surface), can help reduce friction on your hair which often causes damage, like spilt ends! Talk about beauty sleep 😉

So I mentioned above that I do not wash my hair daily. On day 2, I use this dry shampoo, but only toward the pieces that frame my face. That’s where my hair tends to get greasy first! Typically the pieces near my face need to be touched up the most, as they don’t fit into the braid when I sleep. So, I go through with my curling iron a touch up any pieces that fell flat or aren’t curling quite right.

My salon

I also have to give a major shoutout to Cheeky Strut! If you’re local, you HAVE to stop in. I see Jordyn and KL, and together, they have given me my dream hair!

Whew! Thanks for sticking with me through all of my hair products I can’t live without! Do you have a favorite hair tool or product? Let me know in the comments below!