From knowing the difference between a hair moisturizer and a leave-in conditioner to eating superfoods and taking a multivitamin, or relying on their own products for the best hair ever, here’s what ladies at the top of their game want you to know about their mane routines.
Switch Up Your Part
"Change your part. I actually do this a lot, especially while I'm traveling. If I am running around and my hair starts to lose its mojo, I will actually just move my part slightly to the right or left. It adds volume and gives your hair a fresher look."
- Kailey Bradt, CEO/Founder, OWA Haircarevia OWA Haircare
Apply Your Hair Mask on Dry Hair
“An easy way to work your hair mask into your routine is to simply apply it on your dry hair before you shampoo, hit the beach or wear your hair up. Masking all day will help prevent breakage and damage. Rahua Omega 9 Hair Mask is rich in Rahua Oil and excellent for restoring hair’s natural vibrancy. The power of Rahua Oil nourishes and regenerates scalp and hair follicles, restoring natural moisture.”
- Anna Ayers, Rahua Co-Founder & CEOvia Rahua
Take a Multivitamin
“Because hair follicles need many vitamins and minerals, I suggest everyone starts with a multivitamin. I prefer DL.MD 13.5.1 Multivitamin, as it meant to be taken once in the morning and once in the evening, making sure your hair cells always have “access” to the needed vitamins. Also, with 98% absorption rates (compared to 3-20% for pills and gummies), you know that what you are taking is actually getting absorbed and utilized by your body. Many of my clients have seen a noticeable reduction in hair loss in 4 weeks of use.
- Dr. Lamees Hamdan, CEO and Founder of DL.MDvia DL.MD
Don’t Expect a Leave-in Conditioner to Moisturize
“Many people are using the right product (a leave-in conditioner) for the wrong purpose (attempting to moisturize the hair) and can't understand why their hair stays dry all the time. A huge amount of hair frustration would be alleviated by just switching this one thing in their routine. That's not to say you should stop using leave-ins and replace them for moisturizers. Rather, the key is to use both of these products for their correct purposes.
- Gwen Jimmere, Founder of Naturaliciousvia Naturalicious
Wash Hair with Cooler Water
Good hair days start with a healthy scalp! No matter what hair type you have, I recommend using lukewarm water when washing your hair. The cooler temperature will maintain essential oils and won’t dry out your scalp. If you’re feeling brave, rinse with cold water after conditioning to close the hair cuticles and pores, which will create extra luster and shine! Try our new Care Taker Scalp Soothing Tonic is packed with soothing bisabolol and anti-inflammatory properties to soothe irritation and create a healthy, balanced scalp!
- Rachel Parsonage, Co-Founder of Noughty Haircarevia Noughty Haircare
Pre-poo to Protect Curls
“A good pre-poo treatment is a curly girl's best friend because it helps prevent breakage throughout the detangling process and restore hair's moisture balance and natural sheen by protecting it against any ingredients that could possibly leave it too stripped.”
- Lulu Cordero, CEO and Founder of Bomba Curlsvia Bomba Curls
Don’t Overwash, Condition, and Take a Nutraceutical
After losing my hair to chemotherapy in Feb of 2018, I was lucky to have it grow back better than before. I follow these tips to keep my mane ready for anything! I use Shea butter By Buttah on my dry ends and for smoothing the hair out in small sections. I wash my hair every 3 days to keep my natural oils and use a hair mask once every 2 weeks. I also take Nutrafol every day and it has grown my hair at least an inch each month.
- Samantha Magill, Founder of Tournesol Beautyvia Tournesol Beauty
Invest in a Scrunchy
“It is okay to use a scrunchy and honestly I am beyond thrilled they are back. If you have long hair and like me spend hours to wash, dry and style it, the worst thing you can do is put it up in a ponytail using a standard ponytail holder. The ponytail holder will cause “creases” in the hair, which limits your ability to wear your hair down again without rewashing it, drying and then styling all over. A scrunchy will effectively hold your hair back while working out, running errands or on days when you just want it out of your face. So here is my big tip — invest in a silk scrunchy to keep you style gorgeous for longer.”
- Kerry E Yates, Founder of Color Collectivevia Color Collective
Opt for an Anti-Aging Hair Serum
“Over half of us, women, will be affected by hair loss by the time we reach our forties; this may be from pregnancy, or other hormonal causes, illness, environmental factors or stress. By the time we notice, we normally lose up to 40% of our hair. It is very difficult to recover from there. Don’t wait around until it is too late! If you think you might be affected, use an anti-aging hair and scalp serum to nourish your scalp, optimise your hair growth and prevent any future hair loss. I recommend the evolis® PREVENT Activator. With its FGF5 inhibitor botanical actives, evolis® PREVENT is an easy addition to your daily hair routine. You can use it with your favourite shampoo and conditioner, or try the evolis® range of shampoos, conditioners and hair treatment masks. It changed my life.”
- Maria Halasz, Founder of evolis Professionalvia evolis Professional
Don’t Overstyle
“My best hair tip is to avoid washing, blow-drying and heat styling your hair too frequently. It’s drying, damaging and takes way too much time out of your life. I can go at least 3 days and sometimes 4 days between shampoos. I do rely on a good dry shampoo (my own Very Airy brand) and my VOLOOM Volumizing Iron to give me some much needed lift at the roots so that my hair doesn’t just lay flat against my head after a day or two. I think most women end up washing their hair because it gets flat, not necessarily because it's dirty. So a little lift can go a long way toward giving you more time in your life — especially if you’re traveling or on vacation.”
- Patricia Lund, Founder of VOLOOMvia VOLOOM
Give Yourself a Salon-Quality Blowout
“When I have a lot on my plate, I reach for the IGK Good Behavior Heat Protectant/Protein spray. Paired with my Hot Tools One Step Blowout Brush, I get the look of a salon blowout in about 10 minutes – its been a MAJOR game-changer.”
- Courtney Dailey Croll, Founder of Wondergloss Beautyvia Wondergloss Beauty
Clarify with Baking Soda
“Make sure to use a clarifying shampoo periodically to remove product build-up. I like to mix equal parts baking soda and water. After shampooing, apply the mixture to the hair and use a wide-tooth comb to distribute. Leave on 3 to 5 minutes then follow with a second shampoo, and then condition the hair.”
- Gina Rivera, Founder of Phenix Salon Suitesvia Phenix Salon Suites
Less Is More
“I’m of the belief that the less you do to your hair the better and always use only the best ingredients possible. I live by Mermaid Dry Shampoo and only wash my hair one to two times per week with plant-based shampoo and conditioner, followed by hair oil. My hair has never looked healthier or more lustrous.”
- Jana Blankenship, Founder of Captain Blankenshipvia Captain Blankenship
Take Vitamin D and Omega 3s
“I’m going through quite the transition right now, having lost a lot of hair around my hairline 3 months post-partum of having my son. It’s just starting to fill in now that he is 10 months old. I have bangs that I didn’t ask for. I naturally have very curly hair, which I air dry most days. I like taking Omega 3’s and Vitamin D as supplements because I think internal health is important for your skin and hair health.”
- Sara Dudley, Co-Founder of The Sunscreen Companyvia The Sunscreen Company
Avoid Products with Sulfates
Silver hair is naturally dry because when your hair follicles cease to product melanin (what gives our hair color), the hair becomes drier, and possibly coarse and wiry. Silveristas should avoid products with moisture-robbing sulfates, phosphates and parabens. To maintain well hydrated and conditioned hair, use clean products formulated with nutrient-rich, botanical moisturizers like coconut, jojoba and sweet almond oils and vitamin E.
- Angel Cornelius, Founder of Maison276via Maison276
Shampoo from the Scalp Down
“Do not massage and shampoo the tips of your hair - only the scalp down. Oil does not go that far down on the hair, and you want to keep your tips as healthy and non-processed as possible to avoid split ends. “
- Kat Burki, Founder of Kat Burkivia Kat Burki
Sleep with a Top-Knot
“My hair is prone to frizz! With a new brand launching, I’m busy traveling for business and need to make sure the time I spend styling my hair holds up. I always wash and blow-dry at night and then either loosely plait it or put it up into a top-knot before I go to bed. While I’m sleeping, the frizz has some time to settle and I wake up with smoother hair. In the morning, I use a mascara wand and spray it with a little alcohol-free hairspray to knock out the few unruly hairs or fly-always that might be there.”
- Terri Silverberg, Founder of GUIDE BEAUTYvia GUIDE BEAUTY
Get a Short Cut
“With short hair, I save so many hours every week on styling time. No blow outs, ever. Also, I can be bold with style or color choices—it’s not forever.”
- Amanda McIntosh, Founder of Take My Face Offvia Take My Face Off
Eat Superfoods
“Take control of your hair health by eating vitamin and mineral-rich beauty foods every day, particularly those high in amino acids, vitamin C and copper. They support hair strength and color by boosting the production of collagen, which supports keratin formation, and melanin, which provides pigment. Lysine is particularly helpful and can be found in sunflower and pumpkin seeds, avocado and spirulina. Vitamin C can be found in all fruits and most vegetables, and copper can be enjoyed in such foods as dates, pineapple, chia seeds, and potatoes.”
- Claudia Christie, Co-Founder of Claudiana Beautanicavia Claudiana Beautanica
Use an Avocado Mask
“I mask my hair with avocado oil every week for 30 minutes. This strengthens my hair leaving it shiny and soft. Avocado Oil is also an ingredient in our lipsticks, bringing all it's benefits to your lips!”
- Gabriela Navejas, Founder of Madame Gabrielavia Madam Gabriela
Take Time for Hair Care
As a founder and a mom, mornings can be busy, but I find that I feel good when my hair looks good. So I wash it every other day (mostly!) and keep a round brush and dry shampoo in my gym bag for quick touch ups! Sometimes just 5 minutes spent on my hair gives me confidence for meetings that day.
- Nisha Dearborn, Founder of Fresh Chemistryvia Fresh Chemistry
Rejuvenate Your Locks
"I absolutely could not live without GrandeHAIR Rejuvenation Serum by Grande Cosmetics. Its nourishing formula is the perfect foundation for every hair care routine. It contains vitamins, peptides and amino acids that help to reinvigorate lifeless strands and create the appearance of added thickness, volume and softness over time."
- Alicia Grande, CEO and Founder of Grande Cosmeticsvia Grande Cosmetics
Create an Oil Blend
“I use a proprietary blend of oils that includes, Abyssinian seed oil, Squalane and Rosemary Leaf, which leaves my hair soft and shiny.”
- Krisana Vigus, Founder of Krisana Vigusvia Krisana Vigus
Add Oil to Your Hair Mask
“When my hair is extremely dry, I use a hair mask with a few drops of an oil such as the Saffron Hair Elixir. Adding a few drops of oil to a hair mask gives you an even greater level of hydration and super silky, soft hair.”
- Shiva Tavakoli, Founder of Joon Haircarevia Joon Haircare