midlife haircare heroes
IMAGES: Ouai | Living Proof | Olaplex
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In recent years I’ve tried numerous haircare products… the colour, condition and length has changed many times and I’ve always gone with the approach of adapting my routine to whatever benefits my hair the most. The priority used to be colour care but right now it’s moisture, smoothing and a light touch when it comes to styling - I’m learning to live within my hair styling limits as I continue to grow it a bit longer. Here are a few favourites that I’ve tried recently and the lighter approaches that go some way to help protect my fragile midlife hair…
wash & condition
I don’t know about you but my hair has different needs at different times. With the last of the colour slowly heading towards the tips of my hair, I rarely need to use a silver shampoo and my actual greys are coming though nicely. I tend to either be in detox mode to get rid of product build-up and give my scalp a really good clean or on a mission to add in some much needed moisture. The Living Proof Intense Moisture Mask is the perfect leave-on-for-five-minutes conditioner whilst showering… and speaking of build-up, I’ve also introduced the Ouai Fine Hair shampoo on occasion too. Rotating cleanse and condition products in this way seems to work well for my hair and doesn’t give it too much time to get used to any one thing. In terms of washing I’ve learned that there’s no need to vigorously rub hair into a lather for a shampoo to be effective - it isn’t necessary and doing so means a lot more ends up going down the plughole! A gentle scalp massage and letting the shampoo rinse through the lengths and ends suffices. Conditioners and masks are carefully combed through mid-lengths and ends, starting at the bottom and gently working upwards. And definitely no rubbing with the towel once out!
style
When it comes to styling, the general rule is not too much… which I find easier in summer as I don’t mind letting my hair dry naturally. When it’s colder I don’t like going about with wet hair so I partially dry it and then put it into a plait - it’s only recently become long enough to do this and it seems to help keep frizz at bay as it finishes drying. Even if it’s just the hairdryer that’s involved, heat protection and some kind of leave in conditioner is a must before I get onto anything else. I was recently gifted the Drybar Prep Rally spray which does both in one product.The next layer is a combo I’ve been using for the past few years - a tiny blob of Olaplex Bond Smoother mixed with two drops of Olaplex Bondng Oil - this offers the right amount of hold and also helps keeps frizz to a minimum. Once I’ve blow dried my hair, I rub a couple of drops of the Ouai Hair Oil into the ends to helps seal in moisture. I could use the Olaplex oil for this but recently found an unopened bottle of it lurking in a drawer to use up… and Ouai products smell really good! I used to add a wave into my hair about once a week but my hair can no longer take the abuse of heated styling appliances. Every time I see a woman under the age of forty demonstrating how they get that cool girl wave with tongs or straighteners, I just gaze wistfully and think “Enjoy it whilst you can!” Very occasionally, I’ll use my Dyson Corrale cordless straighteners to add a few waves in here and there but only on the medium or lower setting and I try to keep it moving quickly through the hair so as to avoid the dreaded breakage risk.
If you head over to my Instagram page, you’ll find a Reel featuring these products and the post blow dry results…
Drybar Prep Rally Spray [PR Gift] | Olaplex Bond Smoother | Olaplex Bonding Oil | OUAI Hair Oil
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