When Kim Kardashian debuted her “glass hair” bob last summer, the hair world and her social following totally wigged out. Her stylist was quick to share his professional technique (a combination of anti-humidity and gloss hair treatments), but her reflective look still begged the question: How do we maintain healthier and shinier hair every day?
Using products that protect our hair heat, color loss and dehydration—forces that threaten its natural luster—is incredibly important and can be simple once you find a routine. Incorporating a few of these practices is a good way to start.
Build Barriers to Heat
“People have come to see that heat really creates more damage in hair than excessive hair coloring, for instance,” says Krista Depeyrot, who co-owns Salon Bisoux in Del Ray with her husband. Along with investing in salon-quality styling tools with better heat diffusion, Depeyrot encourages her clients to try products from Kérastase and Shu Uemura—almost all of which have heat protection baked in. “If we’re using a lot of hot tools—curling irons, flat irons, blow drying—you want to put something on your hair to create a barrier.” Products from Kérastase’s Thermique line are very effective, and include traditional conditioners and leave-in treatments like blow dry primers.
Protect Your Color
If you color your hair, then using color-safe shampoo and conditioner can keep hair from looking dull. “Sulfates really wash out hair color—they’re the foaming agents that are in a lot of drugstore products,” says Depeyrot. “People like them because they make your hair feel squeaky clean, but it really pulls out color.”
To lock in color, Ahmet Sim, owner and stylist at Salon Simis and Spa, loves Kevin Murphy products because they’re sulfate free, cruelty free, paraben free and contain heat protecting elements. Colorists can also prevent damage and fading as they apply your color or bleach. Sim and Depeyrot agree that stylists must use a “bond rebuilder” like Olaplex and L’Oreal Smartbond to protect your hair from breakage during these processes.
More, More Moisture
Conditioning is crucial, but that’s not all you should do to hydrate your hair. Depeyrot is a big fan of dry oils like argan or camellia to keep hair silky. “They’re multi-use and give moisture. It can kind of tame down the hair or add softness to a blow dry. You can put it in before you go to bed at night or use it [to] smooth down a ponytail,” she says, though not all oils are created equal. “Look at how quality the product is. Is the oil the majority of the product?” Before getting your color retouched, it’s also important to check that your salon avoids using ammoniated hair colors that dry out your hair and scalp. Some salons also offer treatments to restore shine and moisture. At Salon Simis, Sim offers treatments that range from a $40 deep conditioning to “Hair Botox” keratin treatments that start at $350.
