Hair Routine

 

Today is one of my favorite kinds of days, because it includes a hair-freshening! Is there anything better than settling into the chair for a little pampering and a lot of great conversation while it happens?

                I’ve been slowly transferring over to a new (consistent) line of hair products over the last year and have just one more to add to complete the process. (I used up everything I had until it was gone, and the conditioner I’ve been using is the lone product remaining from before.)

                Hair products, like everything else in the world, leave me feeling a bit like a squirrel in the middle of the road. Can I afford it? Does it work well for my hair? Is it filled with all the horrible things I should never use? (The questions can go on for days…truly!)

                Bottom line? None of it is perfect, but my hair still needs washed and styled.

                I’ve found a line that works well on my hair…isn’t the cheapest, but also isn’t the most expensive…isn’t the cleanest, but also isn’t the worst. I’ll share it with you, and if it isn’t for you, that’s okay!

                The line is called Kristin Ess, and what caught my attention initially was that the line was developed to be a bit of a luxury line, but you can buy it at Walmart. I appreciate the accessibility of it, because I don’t want to have to go to a salon to purchase my hair products. I also appreciated the lack of sulfates, parabens, phthalates, and silicones. (It’s also cruelty-free.)

                The most recent addition to my lineup was shampoo, and I chose the Purple Shampoo. I’ve heard about purple shampoo for preserving blonde hair, but I’ve never tried it. To be fair, it’s so new to my routine that I don’t feel like I can give an honest review yet, but my experience so far has been positive. (A 10 ounce bottle is about $12 at Walmart.) I plan to add the Purple Conditioner when my current conditioner runs out.)

                One of the first things I used was the Dry Shampoo, and I really like it. I’d tried a couple of cheaper dry shampoos a while ago, and they left white powder in my hair, which I didn’t love. This has not done that at all. I only wash my hair about once a week, so I will use this in the last day or two before I wash it again, to help cut down on the oily feel near the scalp. (This 4 ounce bottle is about $12 at Walmart.) Note: this is a very loud aerosol, and Lexi HATES the sound of it, so I have to be really sneaky about using it.)

                I think my favorite product is the Leave-In Conditioner. After I wash my hair, I take it out of the towel while it’s still very wet, brush out the tangles, and then spray this (non-aerosol) conditioner liberally on my hair. I let it air-dry as long as possible, and it really does help make it feel softer. (An 8 ounce bottle is about $8 at Walmart.)

                I’ve also been using this Blow Dry Mist, though I apply it before using the flat iron/curling iron, rather than using it before blow drying. I have never seen anything leave such a shine on my hair as this mist! It’s a non-aerosol spray, and though it’s the most expensive product I use from this line, I think it’s worth it. (4 ounces runs about $15 at Walmart.)

                I’ll probably use this more in the summer than I have so far, but I also bought the Beach Wave Spray. I have a little natural wave in my hair, so with the assistance of a little bit of product, it can give me a pretty decent beach wave. I like it that this spray doesn’t leave a crunchy/brittle feel in my hair – and I can usually get 2-3 days out of it before I have to wash it out. (A 6 ounce bottle is about $10 at Walmart.)

                And finally, I use this Workable Hairspray. I will say that if you need your hair to stay put, this hairspray probably wouldn’t work for you. It’s not cemented enough. But I like to have a little movement in my hair, so this works for me.

                So that’s my current hair lineup! They have other products, and maybe I’ll add one or two more as I go. But I love what I have – and I also love that the bottles are on the smaller side. They do have travel versions, but I like carrying my full-size bottles when I travel. They really aren’t all that big and bulky!