How to give your hair a ‘facial’
Just like your skin, treating your hair to a weekly treatment will leave it looking and feeling its absolute best, says VICTORIA CRAWFORD
Treating your skin to a DIY facial on a Sunday evening might be second nature, but how much time have you spent on your hair recently? The combination of cold weather, your home’s indoor heating system and heat hairstyling, not to mention fewer trips to the salon, could mean it’s in desperate need of some TLC. Here is our five-step guide to the ultimate ‘facial’ that will leave you with softer, shinier, healthier hair.
Prep your mid-lengths
If you have shoulder-length hair, the ends could be more than two years old. With this in mind, the mid-lengths and ends tend to need some extra love. Using a hydrating pre-shampoo treatment, such as R+Co’s Palm Springs Pre-Shampoo Treatment Mask, can make a huge difference to the overall smoothness – and this particular formula can be applied directly onto dry hair, so requires minimal effort. Smooth the treatment through the mid-lengths, clip your hair up into a topknot, then just potter around for at least 10 minutes before shampooing out in the shower. You can also use a hair oil as a pre-shampoo treatment, if you have one to hand.
Cleanse and exfoliate
Most of us wouldn’t think twice about double-cleansing our skin every day and exfoliating at least once a week. Your scalp, which is an extension of your skin, needs similar treatment. Regardless of your hair type, and whether you wash it every day or not, it’s worth using a clarifying shampoo once a week to rinse away pollution, product build-up and excess oil. We love Larry King’s City Life Shampoo, as it has been formulated with hard water in mind and doesn’t strip your hair of natural oils.
“It is advantageous to gently exfoliate the scalp on a regular basis, too,” says Marc Reiner from the research and development team at Virtue. “As with facial skincare and body care, it is best to gently remove the top layer of dry, dead skin to maintain a smooth, hydrated, and ‘fresh’ surface area and barrier to the elements.” Virtue’s Exfoliating Scalp Treatment is particularly good. Take some time to gently massage the rice beads into your roots to help buff away dead skin and boost circulation – just as you would with your skin.
Maximize your mask
Choose your hair mask depending on the results you want to achieve. Briogeo’s Be Gentle, Be Kind Avocado + Kiwi Mega Moisture Superfood Mask hydrates and nourishes even the thickest of hair, while David Mallett’s Mask No.3: La Couleur revives color. The trick is to comb the formula through, so that you achieve an even spread. If you have finer hair, use a mask from mid-lengths to tips. Leave it on while you soap and exfoliate your body, to give the formula plenty of time to work its magic.
Rehydrate and replenish
Once you’ve stepped out of the shower and towel-dried your hair, it’s time for your serum. That’s right – serums aren’t just for your skin, and several brands have created lightweight formulas packed full of nourishing ingredients to boost your hair and scalp. Dr. Barbara Sturm’s Scalp Serum replenishes and hydrates your scalp, while Balmain Paris Hair Couture’s Argan Moisturizing Elixir takes care of the mid-lengths and ends. The beauty of both formulas is that they work on all hair types and don’t leave your scalp feeling greasy. In fact, if it weren’t for the smoother, softer results, you might even forget you’d used them.
Perfect and protect
The final steps to your hair ‘facial’ depend on your hair type. While curls need something richer, such as Vernon François’s Styling Cream, you can banish frizz and flyaways in seconds with Rita Hazan’s Smoothing Crème. And anyone who hasn’t been to the salon as recently as they would like should invest in Oribe’s Split End Seal to tidy up their ends before their next cut.
Finish with a mist of Balmain Paris Hair Couture’s Sun Protection Spray to ward off UV rays and pollution. And if you’ve followed these five steps, your hair should feel light, bouncy and salon-fresh.
The model featured in this story is not associated with NET-A-PORTER and does not endorse it or the products shown