I’m always looking for products that will give me hair that I certainly wasn’t born with, and for products that will protect my hair from – frankly – the awful things I do to it.
It has taken at least a decade, but I’ve got to know my own hair well enough, through trial and error, to find the right methods of shepherding the woollen pelt that it can be into a metaphorical sheep pen.
Here are some of the season’s safe bet products to help you master your own hirsute demons.
Klorane Sebo-Regulating Dry Shampoo with Nettle (€11.49)
My hair is fine, and there’s a lot of it. If you have one or both of those issues, you’ll probably have oiliness, calling for a more intense dry shampoo. No piffling little liquidy mists will suffice. This dry shampoo is excellent. Once massaged in, you can’t see it, and it actually does give you an extra day or two between washes.
L’Oréal Paris Fibrology Air Volumising Thickening Shampoo (€5.84)
The original Fibrology is the best affordable haircare I have ever tried. The new version is lighter, better for oily hair, but still gives bounce and fullness. A bargain.
Aveda Damage Remedy Split End Repair (€34)
You can’t repair split ends – you can only cut them off. But you can seal them off between washes and feed distressed hair. This is a quick-fix product that works.
Color Wow Kale Cocktail Bionic Tonic (€28)
I normally associate Color Wow with their excellent root masking products, but this hair cocktail is rich and nourishing. Anything that restores shine and softness to the hair is an asset.
Alfaparf Milano Precious Nature Cleansing Conditioner (€12.50)
This is recommended for “hair with bad habits”. In other words, if your hair is verily fecked as a result of colouring, styling, and general tomfoolery, this is for you. Soap-free and with a low lather, it washes hair kindly and gently, leaving it soft, not stripped. Excellent for wayward curls.
Kérastase Specifique Bain Divalent Balancing Shampoo (€19.90)
Most shampoos for oily hair strip the ends to cleanse the roots. Not this one. It refreshes the scalp, but lengths and ends don’t feel tangled or dry.
Shu Uemura Art of Hair Urban Moisture Hydro-Nourishing Treatment for Dry Hair (€52)
The moringa and red algae in this mask turn a scruffy mess of tangles in the shower into hair you can comb your fingers through with ease. This is super rich, and hence best for very dry hair.
Lush Daddy O Shampoo (from €7.95)
This sensationally violet-scented shampoo is particularly excellent for keeping brassy yellow tones out of blonde and grey hair. It isn’t strong enough to tone blonde hair back to white or grey, but will minimise yellowness perfectly.
POTW: ghd Platinum Styler Premium Gift Set (€225)
It’s a lot of money, but my previous one lasted more than a decade. This new version is a vast improvement on what was already a great product. I use mine for straightening, curling, waving and general defuzzing. It’s an investment.
