My Top Hair Care Products & Tips For Healthy Hair

You know how some people say a smile is your best accessory? Well, I believe that you can completely transform yourself with a good head ...


You know how some people say a smile is your best accessory? Well, I believe that you can completely transform yourself with a good head of hair. A good hair day just pulls together any look to keep you polished and looking beautiful and fresh.

 This blog post is for anyone with bleached, dyed or heat damaged hair that's in desperate need of some TLC.

 I want to share with you my top hair care products to help keep a healthy chic look:
(Click each product title for link)

 1. Loma Pearatin Fortifying Repairative Serum with Keratin

Two words. HOLY. GRAIL. 

My hairdresser gave me the rest of her bottle of this serum when I (keyword) attempted a balayage last year, and it completely transformed the health of my hair. About a week after the balayage, I ended up dye-ing over with a level 3 cool dark brown permanent color. The color wouldn't hold, so I would re-dye every 3 weeks or so, which severely damaged what was just starting to recover from a platinum bleaching a couple years back. On top of all that, I rediscovered the magic of a curling iron around this same time, and would use heat on my hair daily!

Even with regular deep conditioning, my hair was dry, stiff and breaking off throughout the day. This serum was essential to repairing and maintaining the integrity of my hair with those constant dye jobs. 

Either while my hair is still damp or before using any heat tools, I run this through my hair from root to tip, making sure to separate my hair into layers so that I can apply it as thoroughly as possible. Unlike normal heat protectant serums or shine serums that tend to just sit on top of your hair strands and weigh it down, this product actually works to reconstruct the hair shaft so that it looks and feels a lot healthier and more manageable. With this serum, my hair felt stronger, started to actually fall more naturally when I wore it down, and the texture was smoother and shinier than what I achieved with deep conditioner alone.

Unfortunately, this product was discontinued by Loma, but you can still find bottles on sites like Ebay at a decent price if you do a good search! (In the meantime, I'm rationing the last of my bottle like it's liquid gold.)


With my Pearatin Serum running low, I've been desperately searching for a replacement or dupe, and I've finally found it.

I was starting to run out of hope after a few bad dry hair days, and when I found this product, I was so surprised, my hair finally felt like hair again! 

After using toning shampoo and a deep conditioner in the shower, I will towel dry my hair to get as much excess water out as possible. I run this product from root to tip, making sure to saturate and massage it into the more coarse and damaged pieces. 

This cream product, used along with a good toning shampoo and deep conditioner, really helps smooth my hair texture out without weighing it down. Regular toning shampoo cancels out brassy yellow tones, but it's pretty easy to overdo it and be left with dull hair. Adding this product really gives the hair that extra boost it needs to brighten lightened hair just touch more and keep it looking toned and vibrant.

This shine serum is just a little something I use to add extra shine when I heat style my hair. I wouldn't say that it helps the actual integrity of the hair, but it definitely helps my hair move and flow a little more naturally when used as a finishing touch before heading out the door, or to bring life back to second-day hair.

The product is on the thinner side, so a little goes a long way. I also find it easier to separate my hair into at least 2 layers in order to make sure I apply it evenly throughout, so that all of the hair is smoothed and not just the outer layers.


Not-so-fun fact: our scalp and hair can actually burn and dry out when you're under the elements like harsh sun, which can also lead to your hair color fading. 

I found that using this SPF on my damp hair after washing really helped the dry texture of my damaged hair when paired with the other fortifying products I use. This leave-in has a similar consistency to a thin sunscreen lotion, so it works into the hair easily. (Fair warning - this stuff has a pretty strong smell when you use heat tools after applying)

If you're on a budget and Olaplex is out of the question, this treatment can be a great addition to your hair care repair regimen. 

 It's a 2-step treatment, so you saturate your clean hair in Step 1, let it sit in your hair until it dries hard to the touch - be careful handling it when it dries hard so that you don't cause more breakage. Rinse and follow up with the conditioning Step 2. It's an intense protein reconstructing treatment, so it's great for using at the first sign of damage, and after every chemical treatment (like root touchups) to maintain your hair's integrity.

 I first used this years ago when I first went platinum at home and chemical cut the fuck out of my hair, and it saved me again after experimenting with a new bleach brand. When wet, my hair was cotton candy and falling out in clumps, and when dry it was brittle and breaking off with the slightest touch. ApHogee's products are a god-send and COMPLETELY turned around the health of my hair.


This is actually Step 2 of the protein treatment. I like to use this as a refresher every now and then when I feel like my everyday conditioner starts to dull out and my hair stops feeling as soft as usual.

Surprise, surprise, another reconstructor on my list of favs! It's similar to Step 1 of the protein treatment, but a quicker process and not as intense. I like using this periodically to keep breakage under control in between deep conditioning treatments. 

I use this leave-in after every wash, making sure to fully saturate the coarse damaged pieces. It's a lighter reconstructor I like to use in between deep treatments, light enough for daily use. 

I've been using this product for years now. It was there for me when I first went platinum a few years back. It was there for me when I gave myself a chemical haircut from the last root job I did before being forced to go dark again. It was there for me when my dark hair was fried and color falling out from the empty blonde it was masking. And now it's here for me again!

It contains argan oil, which is super moisturizing, and it comes in a tub so it's easy to grab a handful (yes, I use a literal handful) of it to work through my hair quickly. I use it in the shower on wash days, and also as a deep conditioning mask on dry hair for 30-45 minutes every other week.

10. Ion Repair Solutions Reconstructor Treatment

This treatment is a new favorite of mine. I've used Ion bleach, toner and demi-permanent products in the past, so it's a brand I know and trust. This product has the consistency of a thin shampoo but works like a deep conditioner, and not only pulls moisture back into your hair, but also gives your hair what it needs to rebuild the damaged hair structure. 

I was a little doubtful of the bottle's promise "after one use," but it really did make my hair feel better after one use. After toning shampoo, I towel-dry my hair until damp, work this generously through and leave for 30-45 minutes (directions recommend 8-10 minutes but I find the longer the better). 

Although reconstructing products improve your hair's structure, they tend to be really drying, so it's important to follow up with a good deep conditioner. After rinsing out the treatment, I'll towel dry my hair and blow dry with cool air before following up with a deep conditioner for 30-45 more minutes. (similar to the ApHogee 2-Step process).
(L,R) I'd been dyeing my hair every 3 weeks and using heat daily. Still looked healthy and pretty close to virgin hair with the help of these tips and products! (C) freshly bleached, still able to hold a curl and fall fairly naturally.

 As much as choosing the right products can help you keep your hair looking good, a bulletproof hair routine isn't complete without proper tips and taking care of yourself from the inside. 

I've found that doing the following has made a world of a difference in the way my hair looks, feels and grows:

Condition on Dry Hair
When your hair is wet in the shower, the hair shaft is already so full of water. If you are doing a normal conditioning, squeeze as much excess water out of your hair as you can before you apply conditioner, so that it won't be as diluted and it can be absorbed better. For weekly deep conditionings, I like to apply on completely dry clean hair and leave on for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Wide Tooth Comb
Your hair is at its most vulnerable when it is wet. Normally, I don't comb my hair at all when it is wet, and I wrap it up in a towel first in order to dry it out as much as possible before beginning to detangle. Make sure to use a wide tooth comb so it doesn't tug on your hair as much. 

Towel Drying Your Hair: Gently PAT Dry!
A lot of the times on TV you'll see people grab a towel and rub their hair roughly in the towel like they're trying to start a damn fire. First of all, no.

Before you leave the shower, squeeze as much water out of your hair as possible. Then, when you get out, take your towel and gently squeeze your hair with it, starting closest to the root and working your way down to the ends. Section your hair with your fingers if it's easier, but make sure you aren't tugging at it. Drying it this way ensures you aren't rough-handling your already damaged hair that's also much more prone to breakage straight out of the shower. You'll also have less frizz this way.

Finish Blow Dry With Cool Air
I try to avoid blow drying my hair as much as possible, but busy schedules can make it difficult to let it air dry. When your hair is finished drying with heat, blasting with cool air at the very end helps seal your hair cuticles to help make it smoother and shinier, and thus more manageable once you style it. 

Biotin Supplements
Generally, our bodies should be able to get all the biotin we need from the nutrients we consume in food, but some people are just naturally deficient in certain vitamins. This is why some people notice more of a difference than others when adding certain vitamin supplements to their regimen.

If your hair is slow to grow, try biotin out. If it's not breakage or external factors that's the problem with why your hair is not growing, then it might be internal. 

My favorite brand that I've tried is Olly Undeniable Beauty gummy vitamins. This supplement also contains keratin, the protein that makes up your hair. I've tried a few brands, but this is the one that I've noticed the biggest difference in the rate my hair grows.

Multivitamin and Probiotic Supplements
When your body is functioning at its best, it can better handle stressors, and your body's different systems will work together better to make sure everything is running as optimally as possible. Stress is a big influence on your hair and scalp health, and you'd be surprised at how little stress it takes for your hair to start falling out.

Olly Balanced Belly prebiotic/probiotic blend gummy vitamin is my favorite probiotic supplement. You might be wondering why I included probiotics in my list of weapons against hair loss. Well, your gut is sensitive to your brain's health and bad gut health will throw off your body's ability to handle stress. More stress = more hair loss. This particular blend helped me feel more regular, and didn't make me as bloated as other probiotics.

Olly Perfect Women's Multi actually includes biotin which can help cut down how many different supplements you need to take. I like the Olly brand because it's made from all natural ingredients and the flavors aren't too sweet or chalky like other gummy supplements, but any brand will do.

Drink Water 
This is the piece of advice everyone loves to give and hates to hear, but I SWEAR by it! Especially with taking the biotin and multivitamin supplements, it's important to give your body enough water to work with. When your body is dehydrated, your blood gets thicker and doesn't bring around nutrients as best as it can.

In addition to helping your body's systems function optimally, it will help reduce the chances of breaking out from the biotin, a problem that I've noticed a lot of women run into when trying out biotin supplements. Not only that, I notice a huge difference in the moisture of my skin, and when I do have breakouts, I've noticed a decrease in the length of my breakouts when I'm more hydrated. 

HYDRATE PEOPLE! If not for your skin and hair, at least do it for your HEALTH. It will only help you!

//

As you can probably already tell, I'm a big advocate of having more and more (and more) lines of defense when it comes to conditioning and reconstructing the hair. 

Your hair's cells are already dead the minute they grow out of your head, so even "healthy" hair can only get worse. Your hair can't actually repair itself like normal body cells, so it's all about helping your hair not get any worse than it already is.

All of these products and tips might make a subtle difference on their own, but when used all together, it makes a huge difference in the look, feel and health of your damaged hair. When your hair is heavily processed and damaged and you need to bring it back from the dead, every little bit helps!

 xx,

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