Some of the most frequently asked questions I receive on IG are about my hair. As a beauty school drop out, with some very high maintenance hair, I decided to create this blog and share a few tips and my favorite products. This isn’t just for women, I know plenty of men with some luscious locks who could benefit from this too!
Hair by Lauren Navi @stylist_lcnavi
COLOR:
The first thing I’d like to talk about is caring for color treated hair, and making that color LAST. Salon trips can get expensive (as they should be- those stylists work hard). The longer you can preserve that color, your hair will be healthier, and your bank account will thank you.
When you’re washing your hair, you should be using the coldest water you can stand. After many miserable showers, I found the best way to accomplish this is to wash your hair under the spout first. After shampooing I throw some conditioner in my hair, tie it up on my head, and hop into a scalding hot (because I have no feelings, inside and out) shower. At the end of your shower you can rinse out the conditioner.
I honestly use deep conditioner, or a super moisturizing one as my regular conditioner. You can also do treatments with a deep conditioner by saturating your hair with it, throwing on a shower cap, and applying some heat with a blow dryer.
*****A good stylist should be taking care of your hair when coloring it. You shouldn't be getting bleached out every time, and you should not go from a very dark shade to platinum in one go. Your hair will feel like hay and fall out. It’s a process.
San Diego friends- I HIGHLY recommend my talented stylist, Lauren Navi at Tribe Studio in Leucadia. Most of the reason my hair is in such good shape is because of her. LaurenNavi.com or @stylist_lcnavi on IG.
CURLY HAIR:
A Deva Curl diffuser will change your life. I have tried pretty much every one out there, and they were all terrible. Wait til your hair isn’t soaking wet, scrunch in some curl cream, and make sure to dry your hair on a lower setting. Flip your head upside down and dry it for a bit to add volume. Check Groupon or eBay for the Deva Curl diffuser. I recommend buying the whole "kit" because the attachments don't really fit on most dryers. It comes with a hair dryer, diffuser, and another attachment for blowing your hair out straight. It is a little pricey, but worth it.
Stop towel drying your hair with a regular towel. They cause a lot of frizz and breakage. Look into getting a microfiber towel.
Satin pillow cases are much better for your hair (and skin!) as well.
PRODUCTS:
Shampoo/Conditioner:
BRÖÖ has been incredible. I have noticed way less color loss when I wash my hair using their color crazed series. Their products are vegan/cruelty free and made without harmful (to your hair) things like sulfates and parabens. Your shampoo shouldn't have that crap whether you color your hair or not. These products are also super affordable- you can find them at CVS! I have recently switched from expensive salon shampoo/conditioner to BRÖÖ.
*If you have dandruff or a dry scalp, shampoos with tea tree oil can be great. Just know that they will also wash color out faster. I use a fancy “color safe” tea tree shampoo every so often between my regular shampoos.
Heat Protection:
I won’t go into my preference on tools, because it really depends on what look/texture you’re going for. But if you are using heat tools on your hair you should absolutely be using a heat protectant. I’m not stoked on the one I use currently. But several years ago (during my salon days) I used one by Cibu called Sashini that was great and it gives your hair a really nice shine.
General Products:
✻ My favorite pomade/wax is also by Cibu. It‘s called Sticky Rice and it smells incredible. You only need the smallest bit and it will last you forever. Pomade is great for short hair, choppy/textured layers, and “fly aways”.
✻ To reduce frizz with my natural curls, I scrunch in one pump of Mizani Perfect Curl after my shower.
✻ If you have damaged hair, Kevin Murphy’s Smooth Again is wonderful and smells great. (TIP: it’s a little pricey so check eBay.. you’re welcome)
✻ When your hair is dry and you’re done styling it, run some Moroccan Oil through your hair for a softer touch and a healthy shine. I mostly use this on my ends because my roots tend to get greasy quickly. A little goes a long way with this product.
✻ I don’t use hairspray. I don’t need it. My hair will hold curls for daysss. I would also recommend the Moroccan Oil line for this. (Again, pricey, check eBay!) **Hairspray, dry shampoo, and anything else in an aerosol can should always be spray 10 inches from your hair.
✻ Dry Shampoo is technically not good for your hair, and will cause build up if you use it too often between washes. But dang, I can go like 4-5 days without washing my hair (before you say ”ew”- natural oils are good for your hair and shampooing frequently is not recommended. Shampoo strips your hair of dirt and other things like those natural oils.) I've used almost every inexpensive dry shampoo out there and the best I’ve found so far is Dove.
Will add more later! Feel free to ask questions in the mean time.