Perimenopause Beauty - Hair Care Favorites
Here is Part 2 of my Perimenopause Beauty Series: My favorite haircare products.
(Read Part 1: Skincare Favorites)
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My hair. I wish I could say that it is the result of a meticulous haircare regime. But honestly - I just got lucky in the genes department. I inherited my dads thick brunette curls. Any time I post a selfie with my hair done up, I usually get questions about my routine and the products I use. So, I’ve put together this list of my favorite hair products and how I use them in my daily hair care routine. Perimenopause has caused my hair to thin a bit and feel drier, so I have added in some extra products for volume and dryness. (FYI - I’m 47).
As I mentioned in my Perimenopause Skincare Favorites I’m don’t spend a lot on high-end products of any kind. Most of the items listed can be found in your local drugstore or at Wal-Mart.
Please note - I am not a professional hair stylist, skin-care expert or a medical provider. This is just what works for me.
My Hair Care
As I mentioned, I’m lucky when it comes to my hair. It’s naturally pretty thick (though it has thinned a bit in perimenopause). It’s also pretty resilient- meaning I don’t feel the need to use specialty products or expensive shampoo, conditioner, etc., in order for it to feel and look good. My hair is also really malleable. I can wear it super curly, wavy or strait. It looks best (IMO) with big curls and waves, which is also the easiest and quickest way to style it in the morning. I have quite a few greys, especially around my temples, with no plans to color them. I usually go to the hair stylist twice a year for a cut and highlights, which blend out the greys a bit. But honestly I like my greys and am enjoying watching my hair change color over time.
I typically wash my hair every other day. I usually wash it in the evening, add a leave-in conditioner, rough dry it, pin it up and sleep on it. In the morning I spray it with heat protectant/frizz serum (listed below) and run a big barrel curling iron through it. That’s pretty much it. I’ll use dry shampoo if my roots are looking a little oily and to give my hair more lift. I always finish with a light weight hairspray. I don’t really need the hairspray - but because I came of age in the late 80s/early 90s I am psychologically unable to leave the house without it.
The List
Drugstore Shampoo & Conditioner - You know how they say don’t judge a book by its cover? I pretty much only buy shampoo and conditioner by how nice the packaging looks. If it’s pink and has roses on the bottle, I’m in.
I’ve tried higher end shampoos and conditions in the past. And while I loved the smell and feel of the Paul Mitchell Clean Beauty Repair line, after two months of using it I did not notice any difference between it and my tried and true Herbal Essence. I know that this is not the case for everyone. But as I mentioned above, my hair is pretty resilient.
As I move through perimenopause I may need to invest in a pricier brand, but for now this works just fine.
Leave-In Conditioner - I’ve run through most of the available drug store leave-in conditioners and, much like shampoo, found that higher priced ones didn’t necessarily perform better. I find that Garnier Fructis Sleek & Shine Leave-In Conditioning Cream provides frizz control, without weighing my hair down. I apply this to my hair after I wash it.
A Good Hair Dryer - One area that I did up my hair game is my hairdryer. My 10 year old clearance hair dryer from Wal-Mart finally died last summer. I decided to try a more expensive dryer, to see if it would cut my drying time (and hence the amount of time I’m applying heat to my hair). I picked up this HOT TOOLS Pro Artist hair dryer at TJ Maxx for around $50.
Depending on your hair care budget, this may or may not seem expensive. For me it was super bougie. And it works wayyyy better and faster than the cheap hair dryers I’ve used in the past. Bonus: it makes styling my hair curly much easier, as well.
Big Barrel Curling Iron - Does anyone else remember back in the Nineties the Conair Anna Nicole Smith advertisement campaign for their new big barrel curling iron? I do because I was obsessed with it. And because it was circa 1993 and the internet hadn’t been invented yet - I spent most of my free time trying to recreate her look on my own hair. Ever since then a big barrel curling iron is my #1 styling tool. I most often use the 1.5 inch barrel. But I also have the 1 inch version for tighter waves.
Flat Iron - My #2 favorite tool is my flat iron. I rarely wear my hair strait-strait because it tends to look like straw, unless I apply loads of hair creams and serums. I use my flat iron to just do a preliminary smoothing of my hair, if it is looking extra aggressive in the morning. I always apply extra heat protectant spray to my ends whenever I use my flat iron.
Heat Protectant Spray - I am currently using this 10-1 spray from Garnier Fructis, which includes a heat protectant before I style my hair in the morning. I’ve tried a couple of different drug store brands and again, really didn’t notice a difference.
Dry Shampoo - What really gives my hair lift these days is dry shampoo. I apply it to my roots, focusing on my sides and back of the crown. I spray it, leave it for a couple of minutes, massage it into the hair and then style. Viola! FYI - I use the Great Value (Wal-Mart) Brunette dry shampoo. I think it works just as good as the Batiste version (below).
Heatless Curlers - Another nineties trend that is back are heatless curlers. Or maybe they never left? IDK. Either way, these work well on my hair after it has been dried and styled. I take a curl hot off the curling iron and wrap it around the biggest curlers, leave them in while I do my make up, putter around the house, etc… And then I take them out when I am ready to get dressed. I never use these on wet hair because my hair would literally never dry.
Hairspray - Last but not least, is hairspray. I use a lightweight formula and give my hair a quick once over before leaving the house. A can of hairspray will last me at least two years. I like Garnier Flexible Control (level 2) or Volume (level 3). Any higher up and the spray feels sticky on my hair.
And those are some of my favorites when it comes to my perimenopause haircare routine. Do you have any favorites that you’d recommend?
The Perimenopause Beauty Series
My hair care favorites for perimenopause