Hair is a fiber, just like silk. Be gentle to it, be patient with it, hydrate and nourish it. Most of the time, if you just let it do its thing, it will thrive. But so often we don’t. There are what seems like millions of hair care products being marketed to us, that claim to fix one issue, but end up causing damage somewhere else, so you need another product to correct that, and the cycle continues. The over-use of products, dyes, and heat results in some seriously damaged hair, stripped of all its natural oils and needing products just to bring it back to some semblance of life.
My hair used to suffer like this too. When I was younger I had beautiful healthy hair, that could grow as long as I wanted it to. Sometime at the start of my 20’s, my hair couldn’t take it anymore. It started to break and the longest I could grow it was just barely passed my shoulders. I thought this had to do with my age, that I was just passed that point in my life where I could have long hair and this was my new reality. For years I couldn’t get my hair to grow, until about 3 years ago when I made some major changes. I can now grow my hair far down my back, my hairdresser even commented on how long it was during my last visit said I had “hair as long as highschool girls” haha, which I was thrilled to hear!
I’ve learned that healthy hair is more about what you don’t do, than what you do. So what did I not do? I stopped colouring my hair. I stopped using so much heat on it. I stopped aggressively towel drying and brushing it while it was still wet. I stopped using regular hair elastics. And lastly, I stopped using chemical laden shampoos and conditioners, that required numerous extra products to counteract the damage they were doing while cleaning my hair, and switched to a sulfate-free, detergent-free rinse, the Hair Story New Wash.
My Hair Care Routine
Before washing my hair, I will brush it with my boar bristle and nylon brush. I love this brush because the boar bristles work to distribute natural healthy oils throughout your strands, preventing them from becoming dry and brittle and protecting your scalp from damage. The longer nylon bristles gently stimulate your scalp to increase blood flow, keep your follicles healthy, and add volume at your crown. It’s the best kind of brush you can buy. I really like this one I just purchased, because the paddle is made of bamboo as opposed to plastic, and it comes with this neat little tool to clean it which I find very useful.
In the shower once my hair is totally wet, I’ll wash it with Hair Story New Wash. I’ve been using the Original New Wash, but they have a little quiz on their website to determine which one is best for you. I use a generous amount and really take time to massage it into my scalp and down through my ends. There is a whole section on their website that goes into more depth on how to properly wash with the New Wash, if you’re interested. Sometimes I find if I wet my hair a bit more during this step, it’s easier to work through. And then I do the same amount of work to rinse it out, really massaging my scalp and working it down and out.
When I’m out of the shower I gently squeeze out excess water with a towel and let my hair air dry. Ideally while sitting on my balcony in the sun! I don’t towel dry or brush it while it’s wet. I learned that your hair is more fragile when it’s wet, so roughing it up with a towel or running a brush through it will cause strands to break. If you do need to brush it while it’s wet for one reason or another, it is recommend you use a wide tooth comb and very gently brush it from bottom to top. I usually wait until my hair is completely dry before I brush it again with my boar bristle and nylon brush.
I only use silk hair ties, and this has made such a huge difference! They keep your hair smooth and don’t ever break or tug at your hair, no matter how hard you pull. I’ve experienced significantly less breakage since switching over to silk, and they do just as good a job at holding your hair in place, if not better. I can go for runs with a silk hair tie in and it doesn’t fall out or come loose. They are definitely more expensive than regular hair ties, but I’ve found that because of this, and because they are so beautiful, I take much better care of them and don’t lose them, which means I buy way less hair ties than before. They are worth the investment. Two brands I love for silk hair products are Silke London and Slip. (And as a side note, I’ve heard this silk hair wrap is great to sleep in if you have extensions or issues with frizz, something I will definitely be looking into when I get extensions for my first time before our wedding in February!).
And that is pretty much my routine! I do have the Hair Story Dry Shampoo that I use occasionally, and I love it because it’s a powder and adds nice volume, but that is my only other hair product. I am on the market for a hair oil to use every once in a while too (I love oils!) but I have yet to find a clean one that I am happy with.
Why I love Hair Story New Wash
Switching to Hair Story New Wash can take some getting used to, for some more than others, but I personally found it quite easy. Some reasons why I love it:
- Completely biodegradable.
- Exceeds environmental beauty standards.
- Allows your hair to return to its normal cycle of oil production (resulting in less grease and fewer washes).
- Both their packaging and refill system hugely reduces plastic consumption.
- I am able to go longer between each wash, which means over time the packet lasts longer and I buy less.
- I’ve been using it consistently for almost 3 months now and my hair looks healthier, has more volume, and best of all my natural hair texture is coming back. I am getting some subtle, natural waves in my normally pin straight hair which I absolutely love.
New Wash isn’t for everyone, but I think it’s worth trying if you’re not satisfied with your current hair care routine, are looking for a more sustainable, environmentally friendly option that supports the natural processes of your hair, or you’re just curious! But whether you use New Wash or not, I think it is important to be mindful of what we put in our hair. Because what we put in our hair, we put into our environment (I have heard Rahua is a great, clean shampoo and conditioner if you’re not quite ready to jump on board to “no-shampoo” train). I really do believe that more often than not, less is more when it comes to how we care for ourselves, and I like to try and do that in a way that supports and respects both our bodies natural processes and the environment. Do you have any hair care rituals or tips? Let me know in the comments below! x
