A haircare wardrobe is just as important as your skincare routine for the best hair of your life, here's how to curate yours
It’s not just a set of white T-shirts and skinny jeans that should be part of your wardrobe. When it comes to beauty, a haircare wardrobe should be taken just as seriously as your skincare routine.
The thing is, the condition of your hair can change day-to-day, and with that, what it requires can vary. This is where your haircare wardrobe comes in - a collection of personalised, essential products to keep your hair in tip-top condition.
If you need a little help to make your haircare routine just as sophisticated as your skincare regime (scalp scrub, a daily spritz of hair sunscreen, sheet masks), let us show you the best products to have in your dedicated hair closet.
The scalp exfoliator: Philip Kingsley Exfoliating Scalp Mask, £19
If you thought a good chemical peel was just for your face, think again. In the same way your face needs regular exfoliation, your scalp needs a good scrub too thanks to oil and dead skin cells building up on the roots. The good news is that there are specific scalp scrubs that can easily be massaged in during a hair wash session, ideally used once or twice a week. This Philip Kingsley scalp mask also contains alpha and beta hydroxy acids which help speed up cell turnover, managing flakes.
The sleeping conditioner: Sephora Coconut Hair Sleeping Mask, £10.25
Sometimes your conditioner needs more than a few minutes to work its magic which is why sheet makes have been adapted into haircare. Rich in moisturising oils like coconut, they offer a good ol’ intensive moisturising session. This sleeping mask comes with a bonnet so you won’t ruin your pillow.
The hair mask: Espa pink hair and mud mask, £34
In the same way you probably have a sheet mask or clay face mask in your under-the-sink cupboard, an anti-pollution, weekly hair mask is just as essential. If you live or work in a city, pollution particles are no doubt clinging to your hair, making it dull and brittle. Which is where a hair mask comes in, especially those with clay and charcoal that help draw out impurities, the same way they do in face masks, preventing these impurities weakening the hair.
The hair serum: Argan Oil Hair Treatment, £12.99
Just like you choose a face serum targeted to your key skincare concern (whether that’s dry skin or fine lines), ideally you’ll have go-to hair serum you can count on to tackle problem hair - whether that’s vitamin E to nourish or contains zinc to promote hair re-growth. The best ones won’t leave your hair greasy, rather they work with your natural hair oils to smooth frizz, add extra shine and keep hair moisturised all day.
The micellar shampoo: Pantene Pro -V Micellar Cleanse & Nourish Shampoo, £1.98
In the same way micellar water became a make-up removal and pre-cleanser essential for our faces, micelles are making their way into our hair products too. They’re gentle and don’t strip away natural oils so get your hair squeaky clean without any drying effects. "The benefits of micellar shampoos lies in the fact that the micelles are helping to get your hair as clean as possible, without being too aggressive,” says Lidia Zullo, Artistic Director at The Beauty & Blow Dry Studio.
The sunscreen: Ultrasun Daily UV Hair Protector, £24
So you’re used to slathering suncream all over your face and body but you sometimes skimp on your hair? In fact, your head needs the same broad protection and UV damage to your hair and scalp can cause breakage, fading colour or even worse, skin cancer of the scalp. When choosing your hair protection, make sure your look out any of these UV filters on the labels - methoxydibenzoylmethane, quaternium-95 or polysilicone-15.
