My haircare routine

So this post is going to be to do with haircare and in particular my personal haircare routine that I feel works best for me. I have recently had my hair cut but for a long time a had long hair (past my shoulders) that was often coloured around 4-5 times a year. I am a natural blonde, however as I got older my hair got darker and when I reached about 13/14 I decided that I wanted to start getting highlights or ‘streaks’ as they where known back then ( oh that makes me feel really old haha). It was around this time that I also discovered Ghds and so my hair started to go through the process of drying out, snapping and just generally looking a mess. Once I started getting blonde highlights I became addicted and would always ask for more and more each time I went to the hairdressers. One day my hairdresser told me that my hair was going too weak and that I should stop being bleaching it as it would snap and I wouldn’t get the long hair I always wanted. This absolutely scared me so I decided to go all out and completely dye my hair dark brown (picture below). After about a year though I missed my blonde too much and started the long process of going lighter again. Today I am happy with the colour I am and I stick to just getting the same colour highlights and lowlights every 2-3 months and following the routine below. 

I used to swear by the old herbal essence shampoo and conditioner but a few years back they changed the look and the formula and I just didn’t really seem to get on with the new version. Since then I have tried and tested many different brands and types of shampoo and conditioner and I have to say that my favourite to date has to be the Loreal Elvive in the pink bottles. I think it is called 'Nutri-Gloss shine’ range. It aimed at mid to long dull hair and promises to provide mirror shine and cashmere touch. After using this shampoo and conditioner I can definitely feel a difference to my hair. It is much more manageable, less knotty and a lot softer than it is when I use any other brand/range. My hair feels a lot lighter and as I like some volume to my hair I think this suits me perfectly as it doesn’t feel like my hair is weighed down. I like to change my shampoo and conditioner from time to time as I have heard that your hair can get used to one range and so it stops reeping the benefits. I personally have found this to be true in my case and so I like to mix it up however I seem to follow a pattern of switching from no more than 3 brands. I have tried the more expensive brands such as Aussie and Charles Worthington , however I personally don’t think these live up to their reputation and they don’t do anything for my hair. Another great thing about the Elvive range is that they are normally always on some kind of offer at boots such as ‘3 for 2’.

Aside from shampoo and conditioner I like to use the ‘Unite 7 seconds’ leave in detangled after I have washed my hair. Now i know this is quite expensive at around £16.90 (before delivery) for a 236ml bottle from Urban Retreat, but I have to say this is the one most AMAZING hair product i have EVER discovered in all my life and I could not live without it!! Seriously, I could sit here and sing its praises all day long but until you try it, you just can’t know how amazing it is. I only need a few sprays all over my damp towel dried hair and then I brush it through and it is like a dream. Do you know that feeling when you finally get all your tats out and your brush just glides through your hair? well that is how it feel when I use this. It has definitely saved me much pain and time in my routine and had saved me ragging a load of knots out with a comb.

Finally, before I blow dry and style my hair I always use a heat protector. I have tried so many over the years from the GHD ones to the ones from the pound shop. Most recently I have been using the Schwarzkopf ‘got 2 b guardian angel’ spray and have to say this is my favourite. This is the only heat protector that I have ever re-purchased and will continue to do so. My hair just feels so much more protected with this spray compared to others I have used and I have noticed less split ends which is a positive sign. 

So as i mentioned before, I recently got my hair cut and a lot more layers put in and I am so happy with the result. My hair feels so much more healthy and easier to manage, I think continuing with this routine will help me to prolong this and avoid it from looking dull and boring.  I will put a picture of my new hair below, let me know what you think and let me know of any tips or products you go by or use :))