How Beauty Editors With Diverse Hair Types Care For Their Hair
Beauty editors share their personal hair rituals. (Photo: Trunk Archive)
Not sure what best practice is for your hair type? Yahoo Beauty editors represent a diverse range of hair textures and we’re sharing our hair care routines from start to finish. Here’s how to optimize your routine for your hair type.
Joanna Douglas, Senior Editor
Scale from 1 – 5:
Dry – Oily: 2
Straight – Curly: 2
Processed/Damage – Natural: 5
Thin – Thick: 3
Fine – Coarse: 2
I am a wash-and-go person and I only wash every 4-5 days. I don’t blowdry (just the occasional use of a flat iron), and I’ve never colored my hair before (unless you count Manic Panic in high school), so my hair is really healthy. In the winter, I only wash my hair at night or on the weekend when I can be lazy, because I have a lot of hair and it takes forever to dry.
Since I’m such a minimalist, it all comes down to a great shampoo and conditioner. I have three sets in my shower currently: R+Co Moon Shine Shampoo ($24) and Conditioner ($25), Redken All Soft Shampoo and Conditioner ($25 duo), and Kerastase Reflection Bain Chroma Rich Color Shampoo ($21) and Masque Chroma Rich ($21) (I don’t have color-treated hair, but I find that this makes my hair really healthy and ultra shiny). I love thick conditioners and masks, and always comb them in with a wide-tooth comb and leave them on for 5-10 minutes while I shave. I always rinse with cool water. (Again, I want my hair shiny.)
Post-shower, I gently pay my hair dry with a towel and leave it in a turban while I get dressed so it’s not soaking wet. Then I brush with a Tangle Teezer ($16) or Harry Josh Detangling Brush ($20) (I know everyone says not to, but I get knots and these brushes are gentle). Lastly, I rub about a dime’s worth of Sedu Anti-Frizz Polishing treatment ($12) everywhere but my roots. That’s it! In between shampoos, I keep my hair fresh with Amika Dry Shampoo ($22).
Devon Kelley, Writer
Scale from 1 – 5:
Dry – Oily: 1
Straight – Curly: 3
Processed/Damage – Natural: 3
Thin – Thick: 4
Fine – Coarse: 4
For hair that’s not damaged, I have the driest hair of anybody I know. It’s big, unruly, curly, and coarse, so it took me a long time and plenty of trial and error to learn to tame it without damaging and fighting it or wearing it in a bun every day. After years of hair mishaps ranging from singed side bangs to black hair with mismatched eyebrows that gave away my naturally strawberry blonde hair, I’ve finally figured it out — for the most part.
I’ve always been able to go a long time without washing my hair, and tended to get the most compliments on it when it was a little dirty. This theory was put to the test when I went on a month-long roadtrip up the east coast of Australia. A few friends and I lived in a van and our bathing was limited to daily ocean dips. By the end, my hair was sandy and a little waxy, but all in all it looked okay.
Now, I only shampoo my hair when I’m having it cut and highlighted, and they do it at the salon. My everyday washing is limited to scrubbing my scalp with the help of some conditioner to get my fingers through my hair. I only shower at the gym (Equinox is just so much nicer than the shower at my apartment!), so my ritual only happens about 4 times weekly. I use the thin Kiehl’s Conditioner And Grooming Aid ($18) at the gym both in the shower and as a leave-in. Out of the shower I comb through my damp hair with my fingers and blowdry the top of my hair to tame my curly roots. About once every two weeks, I do an olive oil and castor oil hair mask, which I also put on my sparse eyebrows to encourage growth – no more mismatched brows for me.
Alexandra Perron, Editor
Scale from 1 – 5:
Dry – Oily: 4
Straight – Curly: 2
Processed/Damage – Natural: 3 (dyed)
Thin – Thick: 4
Fine – Coarse: 2
No matter how many people say it’s bad for you, I wash my hair every single morning. (Sometimes I’ll skip a wash on the weekends, but that is still pretty rare.) I use R+Co Sunset BLVD Blonde Shampoo ($29) to keep my Tracey Cunningham blonde highlights in check. I don’t condition often (my hair is on the oily side and I find that conditioner, even just on my ends, makes it a lot worse) but when I do, I like Redken Blonde Idol Custom-Tone Conditioner ($32) to control any brassiness in my color. Once a week I use Christophe Robin Cleansing Purifying Scrub with Sea Salt, which makes your hair feel squeaky clean and is a great for your scalp. I use a wide-tooth comb to detangle my hair post shower. When my hair is still damp, I apply a significant amount of Bumble and Bumble Surf Spray ($27) as part of my never-ending quest to have Emmanuelle Alt’s hair (aka hair with cool, French girl vibes). I always let my hair air dry, even in the middle of the winter because, you know, French girls don’t use blow dryers.
Tara Tersigni, Contributing Editor
Scale from 1 – 5:
Dry – Oily: 3
Straight – Curly: 4
Processed/Damage – Natural: 5
Thin – Thick: 2
Fine – Coarse: 2
I almost never shampoo my hair. Usually, after a few workouts, I will use some of the Kiehl’s Coconut Oil shampoo ($30) in the locker room of Equinox to moisture and clean my hair. Very little manipulation is used when shampooing as well, because if I do too much then it tangles up easily. I condition every time I shower in order to keep my hair feeling silky and not dry and brittle like curly hair tends to feel. Once a month, I leave in a mask or conditioner overnight for added moisture. I never blow dry my hair, but do use a curling iron on second day dry hair to smooth out and define my curls, or try to lengthen them. Otherwise, it’s usually lazy girl hair for me, pulled back into a small bun at the nape of my neck.
Noel Duan, Writer
Scale from 1 – 5:
Dry – Oily: 1 (but my scalp gets oily)
Straight – Curly: 1
Processed/Damage – Natural: 1
Thin – Thick: 5
Fine – Coarse: 5
Before I became a beauty editor and dyed my hair, I was really horrible to my hair and I used $1 shampoo and conditioner from my local Bushwick bodega every day. My colorist said my hair was in the worst condition ever when she met me.
Because my hair is double-processed, now my colorist only allows me to wash it once a week. I use shampoo ($25) and conditioner ($29) from Davines (it’s chemical-free and good for processed hair — I can’t give you a specific product I use regularly, because it changes depending on my hair color!). I also add a few drops of Fig + Yarrow Hair and Scalp Tonic ($34). I rinse with cold water, which took a while to get used to. My hair is naturally dry and already even drier now that it’s been bleached, so I try not to rub my hair at all. I do have to brush my hair while I’m showering, though, so that it doesn’t tangle since it’s so long!
After I get out of the shower, I wrap my hair up into a turban with an Aquis microfiber hair towel ($30), which dries my hair faster without any rubbing. I try to air dry most days, even though I actually love blowouts! Once my hair is not sopping wet, I use two products: Essence Camellia Oil-in-Cream ($46) on my ends to prevent split ends (camellia oil is very nourishing according to my colorist) and Christophe Robin Regenerating Hair Finish Lotion with Hibiscus Vinegar ($48) all over! The vinegar enhances shine without actually drying your hair.
Amelia Blackwell, Intern
Scale from 1 – 5:
Dry – Oily: 2
Straight – Curly: 1
Processed/Damage – Natural: 3
Thin – Thick: 3
Fine – Coarse: 1
Right now, my go-to product is Catwalk Fashionista Violet Shampoo by TIGI ($19). Anytime I get fresh highlights, I to need to tone my hair or else my color turns orange and brassy. Toners only seem to last a week, that was until I started using TIGI. This purple shampoo and conditioner duo is life changing for ashy blondes. I only wash my hair two times a week and leave this shampoo and conditioner in for 10 minutes while I finish the rest of my shower. This shampoo alone has turned my honey streaks into white ash.
After showering, I use Privé’s Thermal Protection Detangling Spray ($20) because my fine hair is prone to tumble weed status if I don’t calm it down. A wide-tooth comb is my ultimate grooming tool. Since I was little, I have found that the easiest way to detangle my hair with less breakage has been a wide-tooth comb. Because of my naturally pin-straight mane, I normally choose to air dry. I feel like highlighting my hair is damaging enough, so I try to avoid heat tools when possible.
I’m a fairly low-maintenance girl so having a great dry shampoo is my secret weapon. Privé sells a Volumizing Dry Shampoo ($32) that is fantastic. It doesn’t leave white powder residue in your hair and is made with natural ingredients like ginseng and ginko biloba. Batiste ($9) is another great alternative for some serious volume in seconds. Plus, the travel sizes are perfect for a mid-day refresh.
Sara Bliss, Senior Writer
Scale from 1 – 5:
Dry – Oily: 4
Straight – Curly: 3
Processed/Damage – Natural: 5
Thin – Thick: 4
Fine – Coarse: 4
With two kids and a busy job, I need to be very low-maintenance about my hair. I shampoo every two days, and I am still in search of a natural shampoo that is consistently amazing. So far my favorite is John Masters Lavender Shampoo ($16). I deep condition every week (if I can remember) with Klorane deep conditioner ($24). To tame frizz with a gorgeous scent, the Shu Uemura hair oil ($70) is my favorite. It can also double as a scalp oil in the winter.
Related:
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