5 Tips for Smooth Lustrous Hair on the Go
We’re all about happy, healthy, beautiful hair, and giving you the tools to keep your mane in tip-top shape no matter where life takes you. With these tips for smooth hair on the go, you’ll be prepared to stay styled and suave in any situation.
1. Rethink Your Shampoo Schedule
Great hair starts at the scalp, and over-shampooing can strip your hair of the natural oils it produces to help keep it shiny, smooth, and healthy. How often you can shampoo depends on your hair texture and lifestyle, but as many days as you can get between washes, the better. If you’re used to shampooing daily, try switching it up to every other day. It may seem difficult at first, especially if your scalp is particularly oily, but using products like dry shampoo can help give you the crutch you need to get used to using your natural oils for the betterment of your hair. Using a good hairbrush can help distribute those oils from your scalp down to your dry ends, giving you the least expensive dry hair fix you can imagine. If your hair is thick and full, you can go 4-5 days between shampoos, depending on the activity level of your lifestyle. Fine, thin hair typically gets weighed down faster, so someone with a finer texture can usually get 2-3 days at the most. It takes trial and error to get your perfect shampoo schedule, but once you do, you’ll unlock the ultimate, natural secret to lustrous hair.
2. Keep it Brushed and Tidy
There’s some truth to the old wives’ tale of brushing your hair 100 times a day. Keeping your hair free of tangles prevents damage caused by knots, and helps distribute natural oils throughout the hair shaft making it shiny and smooth with very little effort. Full-sized traditional hair brushes are often too big to tote around a busy lifestyle. A travel detangling brush is easy to keep on you on the go and will help keep the frizz and tangles at bay no matter where life takes you. Brushing also polishes the surface of the hair, leaving it smoother and shinier than before you've brushed it. Keeping a travel-sized hairbrush in your bag is the best way to stay prepared for any hair emergency.
3. Serums and Oils
Adding serums and oils into your style routine is a great way to integrate some extra moisture and nourishment. Serums are compounds of different oils, minerals, and vitamins that can also have heat-protecting qualities. Serums can add shine, moisture, and weight to overly dry or frizzy locks. Oils work the same way but are typically more simple when it comes to ingredients. Jojoba, Avocado, and Flax Seed oils are all great examples of naturally-derived oils that have great benefits for hair. If your hair is fine in texture, it can be easy to go overboard on the oil and leave your hair looking weighed down and flat, so it's best to start with a very small amount and add more if needed.
4. Be Gentle
It’s easy to get yourself stuck in a cycle of hitting your hair with a flat iron every day to smooth down the ends, but over time with no protection, you are actually creating more damage and frizz than you are fixing. Using a heat protectant any time you are using heat on your hair (even the blow dryer) will keep your ends healthy and smooth, and healthy hair holds a style much better than fried hair. Planning a break day for your hair where you wear it natural, under a hat or in a braid will help break the heat damage cycle as well. Ponytails are a great option as well, but be mindful of wearing them too many days in a row! Placing a tight pony in the same place for many days will break and damage hair around the base of the pony. The moral of the story, be gentle!
5. Scrunchies!
They’re cute, soft, and come in every fabric and pattern you can imagine. Scrunchies are easy to keep on your wrist or in your bag, so you can go from waves to a messy bun in a snap. Scrunchies are much more gentle on the hair than traditional elastic hair ties, so you can tie your locks up worry-free. Scrunchies are the ultimate hair hack for the busy life on the go, especially since they can be matched perfectly to any outfit.