How To Choose The Right Haircare Products For You

Upslash Image

Dipping into the hair and beauty aisle in any supermarket will immediately leave you overwhelmed. Gone are the days when Head and Shoulders were the only few products on the shelves; you now have hundreds of different bottles in all sorts of designs and colours. Some look like they belong in the refrigerated section while others seem far too serious. Amidst all the possible options, it’s easy to take the quick way out and opt for either the cheapest thing you find or the product you recognise the most.

If only it were that simple!

You’ve likely looked in the mirror and wondered why your hair seems a bit lifeless at times - why has it lost its sheen or bounce?! A few things could contribute to this, but more often than not it’s a direct result of the haircare products you’re using.

Simply put, you’re not using the right things for your hair! Everyone’s different, so here’s how to choose the right hair care products from now on:

Know your hair type

Have you ever asked yourself, what’s my hair type? If you haven’t, go ahead and ask the question now. What’s your answer? You don’t know?! Well, there lies one of the biggest problems!

So many of us don’t even understand our hair type - and we’re talking about “type” in terms of the texture. Common options are:

• Straight
• Open Wave
• Wavy
• Coiled

You’ll have loads of subsections within these and your hair’s texture influences the products you need. Some haircare products for straight hair won’t work as well on wavy hair because they’re designed to keep your hair nice and sleek/shiny. Before you try to buy any products, find out what hair type you’re rocking. Oh, we’re talking about your natural hair here too - if you curl your hair every day, but it’s naturally straight, you’ll need products for straight hair! 

Consider your hair’s properties

As well as thinking about your hair’s texture, you need to look at its properties. Now, hair types and properties tend to go hand in hand. If you have curly hair, you’re more likely to suffer from certain hair health issues that someone with straight hair may not have.

What sort of properties are we talking about here? It’s all the things we know and love, such as:

• Dry hair
• Greasy hair
• Dry scalp

Things like these will impact the products you use. If anything, this is the biggest factor determining what to pick from the shelf. When you have excessively greasy and oily hair, you need to buy products that counter this. Look for shampoo and conditioner specifically for greasy hair as it’s designed to dry it out a bit and prevent the glands in your hair follicles from producing too much oil.

Imagine picking up a product like this if you have dry hair or an itchy scalp. You’re pouring something onto your hair designed to dry it out, meaning you exacerbate the problem. Dry hair becomes even drier, leading to brittle hair that breaks easily and can fall out. Instead, you’d be better off buying products for dry hair, which are designed to be oilier and can moisturize your scalp.

Don’t worry if you’re unsure what properties exist in your hair. Speak to your hairdresser hairdresser and they’ll be in the best position to look at your hair and determine which products might be the best for you. After all, they look at and feel hair all day, every day, so they’re the experts in this domain! 

Keep hair dye in mind

Be honest, is that your natural hair colour? You might tell everyone it is, but if you’ve been dyeing your greys or bleaching your hair blonde, this impacts the haircare products you buy. In this scenario, you need to buy products for dyed hair. 

They’re designed to keep dyed hair healthy and prevent the colour from washing out too quickly. Good quality products will also improve the colour and make it look natural for longer. This can stop you from needing constant touch-up appointments, saving a lot of money and keeping your hair much healthier in the long run.

So, next time you’re faced with a wall of haircare products in the supermarket, you know what to look for. Find something that matches your hair type and compliments your hair properties. If you dye your hair, avoid regular shampoo and conditioner, switching to ones that say they’re made for coloured hair. From now on, you’ll treat your hair right and keep it as healthy and luscious as possible.