Spring hair SOS: How to look after your hair

Now the weather is warming up our hair is more prone to damage from sun and humidity. If you want to promote healthy hair growth, there are a few things you can do to protect your hair:

Wear a hat or scarf to shield your hair from the sun

Use a leave-in conditioner or hair oil with SPF

Avoid too much chlorine and salt water

Massage your scalp to stimulate blood flow and oxygen to hair follicles

Use detoxifying treatments to remove buildup and rejuvenate your scalp

Wash your scalp weekly to prevent dandruff and itching

Choose a lightweight, pH-balanced shampoo to calm frizz

Avoid shampooing every day, which can dry out your hair

How to protect your hair from sun damage

INVEST IN SOME LEAVE-IN CONDITIONER

Comb a restorative leave-in conditioner L'Oréal Paris Ever Strong Break Proof lotion in wet hair, then throw it up into a bun to create a barrier from UV rays and keep hair hydrated. Buy it here.

PROTECT WITH A HYDRATING HAIR MASK

The sun’s rays are harsher in the summer, so even if you aren’t outside every day, your hair can still get damaged when you are. Use a hair mask like Lóreal Elvive Extraordinary Oil Very Dry Hair Masque once a week to maintain moisture. Buy it here.

CUT BACK ON WASHING YOUR HAIR

The oil your hair naturally produces protects it from the sun, so you don’t want to over-wash during the warmer months. Instead of lathering up daily, use a dry shampoo like Batiste a couple times a week to give your hair a break. Buy it here.

SPRAY ON THE MOISTURE

Some styling products can give you those effortless beach hair waves. L'Oréal Paris Stylista The Beach Wave Mist Salt Spray creates texture while adding moisture back into the cuticle so your hair is less susceptible to the sun’s heat damage. Buy it here.

Our favourite hair products for shiny hair

We’ve come up with some of the best products out there to give your hair a healthy shine boost. Let us know which ones are your favourites!

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

Why soap shampoos could be your new best friend

As well as replacing single use plastic bottles, shampoo bars tend to be free from drying preservatives and harsh sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS), making them kinder to your hair.

Lather and rinse like normal and your bar should last weeks longer than your usual bottle. With better products out there to choose from, it’s a great way to help save the planet - and look after your hair!

In place of chemicals, shampoo soap bars focus on nourishing oils and butters, like Funky Soap’s Babassu Oil Shampoo, £5.50, which pairs hydrating babassu oil with cocoa and shea butters to restore shine and improve lost elasticity. 

If scent is your thing, Bain & Savon’s Zesty Orange Shampoo Bar, £5.50, is made with orange, grapefruit and lemongrass oil, while the lemon juice and green olives in Lush’s Montalbano Shampoo Bar, £7.50, will transport you to Sicily.

This is an extract of an article featured on Stylist.co.uk. To read the full article click here.

Eva Longoria's make up masterclass [video]

She doesn’t seem to age, and has that enviable dewy skin we all aspire to. Here actress Eva Longoria reveals her make up secrets.

The best hair taming products you need to buy today

Think hair mousse should stay in the 90s? Think again. The latest formulas will leave curly hair sexy, not sticky. Here’s our pick of the best to try out yourself…

Hairdressers say these are the three things you can do to get ‘salon style’ hair at home

Never know how to style your hair from home? Here are three easy tricks our hairstylists recommend…

Make your own sea salt spray

If you love the tousled beach look, and are already a fan of sea salt spray, did you know you can make it at home?

Simply mix together 500ml of sparkling water and a teaspoon of sea salt in a spray bottle. While your hair is damp, spritz the mixture onto the ends of your hair, and use your fingers to scrunch them up.

Use your straighteners as a curler

Learning how to curl your hair with your straighteners is great especially when you’re going away and don’t want to take loads of different styling tools with you.

First, grab a small section of hair. Then, hold your straighteners vertically with the open end pointed upward. As you clamp the hair, begin rotating it away from your face. Don’t slow down or stop - the key to getting consistent curls is to keep the movement fluid.

As you keep rotating the straighteners away from your face, allow your hair to slowly slide through the clamp until you reach the end. For looser waves, lower the heat on your straighteners and brush them out after you’ve finished curling.

Level up your ponytail

This ponytail trick is the fastest way to make your updo look professional. After you’ve secured your ponytail, grab a small bit of hair from the pony and wrap it around the base of your ponytail to cover the hairband. Coat the very end of the section with hairspray, and smooth it against the base to seamlessly secure it.

Six ways to protect winter skin (the fourth one is our favourite)

Winter can play havoc with your skin, but there are a few tricks you can do to look after it.

1. Use a sheet mask for extra moisture.

   Central heating and cold weather can play havoc with our skin. Using a weekly face or sheet mask can add moisture and hydrating leaving you with a fresh and dewy complexion.

2. Moisturise day and night

   As well as a weekly face mask it’s important to moisturise the skin day and night, using a lighter cream for daytime and a thicker one overnight.

3. Don't forget sun cream

   It might be winter and less sunny, but your skin is still exposed to harmful rays in the winter so slap on the sun cream daily to prevent damage.

4. Apply an antioxidant serum

   Antioxidant serums can help protect you skin from environmental damage and signs of ageing.

5. Hydrate the scalp with a hair mask

   Just like skin, our hair can get dry and brittle during the winter so be sure to hydrate it with a weekly nourishing hair mask.

6. Always carry a lip balm

   Lips get dry in winter, so like your face and hair, hydrate with some moisturising lip balm.

How to look after long hair

Trying to grow your hair or simply maintain your already long locks? Read on... 

Maintain a regular haircare routine

The longer your hair, the more it gets damaged by the heat, styling and sun damage. Invest in a weekly hair mask. Treat yourself out to get a hair spa treatment with us once a month, too. 

Don’t blowdry wet hair

Towel dry hair thoroughly and let it semi air dry before you apply heat. Also, invest in a microfibre towel, which is gentler on the hair. Then add moisture with hair serum and heat protectant. 

Buy paraben-free products

Alcohol-laden hair sprays and products with parabens damage the hair. Remember, the longer your hair the more nourishment your ends need!

Have regular trims

Regular trims are vital when you have long hair to keep it healthy and strong.

Avoid plastic hair brushes

Instead opt for a ceramic or wooden bristle brush. It’s less harsh on your scalp and also makes sure the natural oils get evenly distributed through the hair.