One of the silver linings of more time at home is the opportunity to indulge in more self-care and and we're noticing it's the little things that are making the biggest difference to how we feel. A luxe hair conditioning ritual and the glossy results it gives, can go a long way when it comes to the feel good factor.
We (virtually) sat down with our expert team and asked them how to use our quarantine routine to make a positive impact on the health of our hair. Read on for our expert-approved tips to emerge from isolation with your healthiest head of hair yet.
Get smart with your shampoo
No zoom, no shampoo required. Make the most of not having to wash your hair every day. 'Hot water makes the hair swell and the cuticles on the hair shaft stand up, if that happens repeatedly it can add to breakage and frizz,' says Atelier stylist Kat. However, don't go to the other end of the extreme and forgo washing entirely. Healthy hair starts with a clean scalp, so get smart with your shampoo. The best way to eek out a hair wash is to make sure you use a shampoo that deep cleanses so you can go longer between washing. For the in-between days invest in a tinted dry shampoo to keep you looking presentable on any video calls.
Heal your hair
We're all guilty of putting our hair through the wringer. Lockdown can provide over-processed hair with a much-needed break. "Use this time to focus on the health and condition of your hair," recommends Josh. Invest in a good conditioner and deep-conditioning hair mask and make them firm fixtures in your quarantine routine. Our Everything Mask only needs 5 minutes to work its magic, but if you have time to spare to leave on your hair, it will thank you for it. Our community tell us they're wearing their masks whilst sleeping, cooking, and working out. We've also been swapping out conditioner for our Everything Mask to give hair a treat on every single wash.
Remember there is a difference between hydration-based masks, such as our Everything Mask, and protein-based masks. Be careful not to overuse protein-based masks as if you add too much protein to the hair it can lead to it becoming brittle, stick to using once a week for these.
Condition while you colour
We love nothing more than a bit of hair multi-tasking. Our Glosses are semi-permanent treatment colours which condition as they refresh the tones. They are perfect for maintaining your colourist's work until the salons reopen. Applied like a mask they go on clean, damp hair for twenty minutes. Rinse away for high shine, reconditioned results. Taking this time to really condition your hair will provide a fresh canvas for colourists and stylists to work on when salons reopen, meaning your next salon colour may just be your best one yet.
Cut with caution
Split ends appear where the cuticle on the hair shaft has broken. The only real cure for split ends is a trim, so the best prevention is to keep your hair moisturised. If you're desperate to cut them off, do so with caution. 'Be sure to purchase professional hair scissors, which you can get inexpensively online, do not use kitchen or nail scissors,' recommends Atelier stylist Nicholas Hardwick. Kat recommends tying your hair into two bunches and trimming the ends very minimally. Make sure to keep your head straight, do not look up or down and use your fingers as a guide, keeping scissors parallel to the floor.
Master your lockdown wardrobe
Give your hair a break from the heat styling tools. Less heat equals less damage. If you don't feel like you, without your hair done, make your hairstyle work harder and go a three-day distance. Kat recommends working three looks on rotation. ‘If you give yourself a blow dry on Monday, add dry shampoo to it on Tuesday, and whip into a power pony or top knot on Wednesday. Cutting down on heat styling will help protect the health of your hair.'