Top 10 Favorite Hair Care Products

    Hi everyone, today were going to be talking about my top 10 favorite hair care products. This is going to be such a fun post loaded with tons of good info! Now, as we all know, it is imperative to take good care of your scalp and hair, regardless of whether it is virgin hair or color treated hair. The key to having healthy, shiny, amazing hair is keeping it strong, moisturized, and well groomed. I'm going to share with you, in no particular order, some of my favorite products to do just that.

This is my hair after styling using the products mentioned in this post.

1.)  Biolage R.A.W. Scalp Care Rebalance Scalp Oil

    Healthy hair begins with a healthy scalp. I sometimes suffer with a dry, itchy scalp, especially this time of year when the season is changing, and I love this oil. You apply it directly to the scalp(on dry hair)  before you shampoo, then gently massage it into the scalp for 5 minutes. If you suffer from extreme dryness, you can leave it on overnight, and in that case I would just wear a hair cap. Lastly you just shampoo it off(best if shampooed twice) and voila, a healthier more moisturized scalp.

    Massage is great with this because it increases circulation, stimulates blood flow and gently exfoliates the scalp, making it look and feel much healthier. Massage can also lower stress, which can cause hair to stop growing and, or fall out. Plus who doesn't love a good scalp massage?

    This product is paraben and silicon free, vegan and contains antioxidants. It also comes with a little dropper, making it super easy to apply. There is also a matching shampoo and conditioner to complete this set, which would make a great gift for yourself or a loved one. Overall a great product I would definitely recommend if you suffer from a dry, irritated scalp or you just want a really great oil to give yourself a good scalp massage. 

2.) Malibu C Hard Water Wellness Hair Remedy

    Firstly, what is hard water? Hard water is any water that has a high mineral content. This can spell disaster for our hair, because when minerals mix with shampoo they produce a film on the hair that blocks moisture and can be difficult to remove. This causes the hair to become dry, frizzy, brittle,  tangled, lackluster and unmanageable, which is where this treatment comes in.

    This remedy comes in a little sachet of crystals that when mixed with water turns to a gel. It is then applied to the hair, left for 5 minutes, and shampooed out. The beauty of this product is that it's not only inexpensive and easy to use, but quickly and effectively removes any build up from your hair without too much work on your part. Removing the mineral and product buildup from your hair is important to the overall look and health of your hair. If there is a layer of junk on your hair, none of the wonderful products you apply can actually work the way they are intended to.

    Buildup typically comes from the minerals in hard water as well as cheaply made products(products containing non-water-soluble silicones). Certain medications can also cause buildup on the scalp and hair. This acts a film, coating the strands of hair to make them look and feel soft, but allowing no moisture to get into the hair. The hair continues to dry out, making it more brittle until finally it begins to break. In using this product you can remove excess buildup to keep your hair healthy and beautiful.

3.) Malibu C Un-Do-Goo Shampoo

    This is a clarifying shampoo, which is another product use to combat buildup. This is perfect to use after the hard water treatment as well. It's important to eliminate excess buildup on the scalp and hair regularly, which will vary depending on the water where you live, the products you use on your hair, certain medications and other factors of your routine, such as whether you smoke or not. Doing so ensures your hair stays voluminous, shiny, and healthy. 

    If the water you use to shampoo your hair is hard water, you use product in your hair, you take certain medications that cause buildup, or you smoke, you may need to use a clarifying shampoo weekly. If none of these are true for you, you might only need to use it once a month. In any case, you don't want to ever overuse a clarifier. This can be very stripping of the hairs natural oil, causing dryness. They may also fade color, especially reds and fashion colors.

    Malibu C's products are eco friendly, cruelty free, vegan, and plant based. They're very gentle and they do what they say. This company has tons of amazing products and you really can't go wrong but I love this shampoo for occasional use to keep my hair in the best shape, especially if I know I'm getting it colored or doing a deep repair or moisture treatment on it so all the products can penetrate properly.

4.) Olaplex No.1 & No.2

    Olaplex number 1 and number 2 are an in salon treatment that literally everyone needs. The active ingredient, bis-amino diglycol dimaleate, works deep in the hair to restore broken bonds, resulting in stronger, shinier, healthier, more manageable hair. Bonds in our hair are broken from things like environmental factors(sun and cold), mechanical factors(brushing and pulling), heat(curling and straightening), and chemicals( highlight, color, perms, and relaxers). We have all experienced one or more of these factors, which is why olaplex is perfect for anyone and everyone. 

    This product is literal liquid gold and I don't know how I did hair for so many years without it. I have been using it for years and I truly can't say enough good things about it, it's definitely a holy grail hair product. Basically, you need this in your life. Call a salon and book an olaplex treatment ASAP if possible. The appointment might take about an hour. They'll start by saturating your hair with olaplex no1 and water, then let it sit for 5 or more minutes. Next they'll put on olaplex no2 and leave that for 10 or more minutes. Then they'll just shampoo and condition and your left with noticeably healthier hair! It doesn't get much easier than that. 

    It is important to remember that olaplex is a restorative treatment that works inside the hair. You will still need to add moisture or protein or both to maintain healthy hair, but olaplex makes your hair strong enough to get the most out of those treatments. Another thing to keep in mind is that there are a lot of treatments out there that claim to do something similar, but olaplex is one of a kind and nothing else has this ingredient or works the same way. 

5.) Olaplex No.3 

    This is a product you can buy to take home with you after you've had an olaplex treatment. It's basically a more diluted form of the no.2. It works very similarly to the treatment, continuing to reform those broken bonds for maximum hair health and shine. While this product isn't considered necessary, I highly recommend it. It will help the result of your treatment last and continue to work inside the hair, which is great when you're investing so much time and effort in keeping the hair healthy. It's used on clean damp hair once or twice a week for at least 10 minutes, but the nice thing about olaplex is you can't use too much like you can with  proteins. Just keep in mind that this is a restorative treatment, so you will still need to use conditioners or moisture treatments along with protein treatments where it is needed in your haircare routine.

6.) Olaplex No.4 & No.5 Shampoo & Conditioner

    This is olaplex's shampoo and conditioner. These can be used daily to continue to restore the bonds in your hair and make the results of a treatment last. They're super concentrated, they smell nice, and they work wonders. This is another brand that you really can't go wrong with. If you love the results of an olaplex treatment, you're going to want the shampoo and conditioner too. Anyone can use them, and they're color safe as well so if you've spent a pretty penny on your hair color, this shampoo and conditioner wont fade it.

7.) Olaplex No.6 Bond Smoother 

    Ok, so olaplex no.6. This is a smoothing styling product that can be used on any hair type and it is amazing. You only need a pea sized amount (trust me, it's very concentrated) on damp or dry hair and you will have the smoothest, softest, shiniest hair ever. I truly notice a difference in my hair when I use this. While it doesn't offer any hold, it does tame frizz, protect the hair, makes blow drying much faster, and strengthens and moisturizes the hair.

8.) Olaplex No.7 Bonding Oil

    I promise this is the last olaplex product on the list(last, but not least). This oil imparts softness and shine to your hair, tames frizz, and protect the hair from UV and heat of up to 450°F. Now, typically I would advise the use of oil as a finishing product on dry hair, but because this doubles as a heat protectant, it can be applied on damp hair before a blowout or on dry hair before straightening or curling. Any time you're going to be using heat(blow dryer, flat iron, curling iron) you need to use a heat protectant. Nothing will damage your hair or fade you color like not protecting your hair. I would also advise using the lowest heat setting you can on your tools to get your desired result. This will prevent heat damage, which will cause dryness, breakage, and splitting that can sometimes only be fixed with a haircut. This oil does wonders in preventing that, so it's about to become your best friend! 

9.) It's A 10 Miracle Leave-In Conditioner Spray 

    This is another product I've been using for years and absolutely love. I've tried so many leave-ins and honestly nothing compares. This is sprayed onto hand or into clean damp hair and combed through. As the name suggests, there are 10 benefits to the hair and it shows. Their website says, "It's formulated to repair damaged hair, add shine and promote silkiness, detangle, control frizz, protect color, prevent split end and breakage, enhance body, and even works as a thermal protector." I notice a huge difference in my hair when using this product and I can say with all honesty it does everything it says.

10.) The Wet Brush

    Another product I absolutely love and can't live without is the wet brush. This is genuinely the best brush ever created. Have a little kid who hates hair brushing? Wet brush. Want a stocking stuffer or birthday gift for someone with hair? Wet brush. I truthfully don't know how I lived without a wet brush and they have so many to choose from. I keep one in the bathroom, one in the shower, one in my car, and one in my purse. Every year every woman in my family asks for another one as a Christmas gift. Guys if you haven't tried it before you need to. They gently work the tangles out of any hair so magically. The bristles are extra soft so they don't pull and damage the hair and cause shedding. Please just do yourself and your hair a favor and invest in this unicorn brush.

    Something to always keep in mind, even though its called the wet brush, you should really try to avoid brushing wet hair whenever possible, as this is when hair is at its most fragile. If you are going to brush wet hair though, this is the best possible one you could use for sure. And any time you brush the hair(wet or dry), you always want to stat at the ends and slowly work your way up the hair to avoid ripping and tearing at knots and tangles(this will only cause pain, frustration, breakage, and hair fall).

    So, this is my list of my top 10 favorite hair care products, all of which I own and have used regularly for years. These have worked incredibly well for me as well as my clients. And, as you may have noticed, I didn't include any styling products in this post and that is because I really just wanted to focus on products that work on the health of the hair, which is the foundation of a beautiful style. No matter how skillfully you style hair, if it is damaged it will never look as good as it would if it were healthy.

    One last thing to keep in mind with all products, more isn't always more. Too much product can cause the hair to look greasy, dirty and weighed down. Also, you can always mix products, too, which is my favorite way to use them. With these in particular I will apply my It's A 10 on clean damp hair mixed with olaplex #6 and #7. Remember, if something isn't working for you, you could try clarifying the hair first, or you could try applying it differently(on damp or dry hair, less or more, before or after heat styling, mixed with something). If you have any questions about products like where to buy or how to apply, please leave me a comment. Let me know if you learned anything from this and thank you so much for reading!