Choose your shampoos and conditioners as a “prescription” for your hair type

By Alisa Hrustic

Running out of shampoo and conditioner is definitely at the top of our list of shower-time mood killers. But running out of just one? The WORST. Don’t act like you’ve never slightly panicked after realizing you went through all of your conditioner and only used up half your bottle of ‘poo.

But it turns out your fears are totally unwarranted, because matching your shampoo and conditioner brand is not only unnecessary—it might stop your precious locks from reaching their peak #onfleek potential.

Say wha??? Nothing will ever be the same again.

Think about it this way: You should choose your shampoos and conditioners as a “prescription” for your hair type. Shampoos and conditioners come from all sorts of families (volumizing, cleansing, smoothing, and moisturizing, to name a few—all with different top-level ingredients), and rarely does a matching set suit your hair prescription, says Jet Rhys, owner of Jet Rhys Salon in San Diego. Choosing a solo product from different families is totally fine as long as you’re paying attention to your personal needs.

So, if your hair is feeling coarse, look for a smoothing agent. If your strands are finer, look for a volumizing formula. Pay attention to what kind of style you’re going for day-to-day, and adjust the formulas as you change up the texture. Want to give your fine curls a sleek blow-out? Switch from volumizing conditioners to silicone-based ones instead for smoother results.

“It’s almost like you’re treating two different hair textures,” says Nunzio Saviano, New York hairstylist and salon owner. “One is from the scalp to the mid-shaft, and [the other is from] the mid-shaft to the ends.” Saviano explains that if you have an oily scalp and dry ends, for example, you should use a ‘poo that works best for your roots and a conditioner that’ll help hydrate your ends. “It never has to be the same brand,” he says. Makes sense, right?

The only time you should be all matchy-matchy: if you’re dealing with dandruff or an itchy scalp, says Rolanda J. Wilkerson, Ph.D., a principal scientist for Procter and Gamble. That’s because using a more cosmetic conditioner with your anti-dandruff cleanser could reduce the scalp care benefits. (Wilkerson says that 60 percent of the active ingredient in Head & Shoulders—pyrithione zinc—is decreased on the scalp when you don’t follow up with the brand’s anti-dandruff conditioner.)

So there you have it. You are NOT committing hair-care sacrilege by mixing instead of matching. Take that, Ma!

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The 10 Tricks For Perfect Hair That Celebrity Hairstylists Swear By

Prepare to cause major hair envy.

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by Alexis Farah

With award season in full swing, gorgeous hair is taking center stage in a big way. But anyone taking a peek at all the behind-the-scenes mayhem (thank you, Snapchat!) can see that celebrity stylists often have to get creative when trying to achieve flawless hair in a pinch. Here, those mane gurus took a quick break to share their most surprising advice for recreating red carpet looks—as well as simple solutions to keep hair healthy.

1. Fake a fuller ponytail by doubling up.

“Fake thicker hair by stacking two ponytails close together, on top of each other in the back of your head.” – Jet Rhys, owner of Jet Rhys Salon in San Diego who has styled Faith Hill and Julia Roberts

2. Use a hair mask before you work out.

“Did you know the salt from your sweat can actually dry out your hair? If you apply the OUAI Treatment Masque before your workout, the ingredients push moisture into your strands and seal it in before the salt has a chance to dry your hair out. The heat from your workout will allow the mask the work deeper, then all you have to do is rinse and go!” – Jen Atkin, founder of OUAI and celebrity hairstylist whose clients include Khloe Kardashian and Jessica Alba

3. Moisturize your hair color twice a day.

“My golden rule for all my balayage and hair color clients: Every time you moisturize your face, also apply a few drops of light hair oil like Number 4 Fluoro5 Elixer Restore & Repair Oil from the middle of your hair to ends to keep it hydrated and silky.” – Chad Kenyon, celebrity colorist at The Benjamin Salon in Los Angeles who applies hair hue to Abigail Spencer and Elisabeth Moss

4. Remove excess product buildup with this handy trick.

“Simply run an alcohol-free hand wipe through your hair a couple of times. Not only will it remove excess product, but it will also freshen up the hair, removing odors without having to shampoo.” – Johnny Lavoy, PRO Beauty Tools celebrity hairstylist whose client roster includes Ariana Grande and Chrissy Teigen

5. Create beachy waves while you sleep.

“Lightly spritz dry hair with a salt spray like Rockaway from R+Co or a moisture mist like Oribe Foundation Mist. Twist hair into four flat Princess Leia buns (one above each ear, one at each side of the nape) and go to sleep. The style is super comfortable to sleep on and you can wake up and shake loose effortless beachy waves!” – Michael Angelo, founder and creative director of Wonderland Beauty Parlor who has worked with Brooklyn Decker and Susan Sarandon

6. Chill your leave-in conditioner for extra shine.

“One really cool (pun intended) tip for healthy hair is to keep your leave-in conditioner in the fridge. We have all heard of using the cool rinse to seal the hair cuticle and make hair shiny, well this takes it a step further for frizzy and unruly strands that never seem to have a lasting shine.” – Tippi Shorter, Aveda global artistic director for texture who works with Alicia Keys and Ciara

7. Short on styling products? Use conditioner instead.

“If you don’t have any styling cream, gel, or hairspray and are trying get a sleek pony or braids, use conditioner where you want to tame your baby hairs. I recently used this strategy on Shanina Shaik. We didn’t have any styling products or a comb so we used an eyeliner pencil to make a part and conditioner to tame the baby hairs.” – Jennifer Yepez, celebrity hairstylist whose work can be spotted on Gigi and Bella Hadid

8. Massage your scalp for extra volume.

“Massage your scalp! Blood flow to your scalp and roots positively affects hair growth and integrity. If your partner loves your hair, make them massage your scalp. I do this with every client on set. It’s great for body, volume, heart, and soul!” – Charles Baker Strahan, Herbal Essences celebrity stylist who has worked with Christina Applegate and Aubrey Plaza

9. Add some sweetener to your hair dye to protect the scalp.

“Believe it or not, Sweet ‘N Low isn’t just for your coffee! Although Matrix color is super gentle, some of my clients still get an itchy or irritated scalp. For that, I usually add a few packets of Sweet ‘N Low sugar to the hair dye while the color develops. This secret ingredient helps to neutralize the scalp from itching and irritation!” – George Papanikolas, Matrix SoColor stylist whose client list includes Naya Rivera and Kelly Rowland

10. Think outside the bottle to tame frizz.

“One of my favorite ways to get rid of flyaways is to spray a flexible hairspray, like Aussie’s Sprunch, and then roll the bottle over the hair to lock down the frizz! This trick works great on a smooth blowout or a sleek ponytail.” – Sarah Potempa, Aussie celebrity stylist who coifs Emily Blunt and Ashley Benson’s mane

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Hairshow | 4 Most Common Long Hair Mistakes

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Hair that falls to great lengths can be gorgeous, but when not properly cared for, it can become limp and straggly. To prevent seriously messed-up strands, avoid these 4 bad habits, warns Jet Rhys of her namesake salon in Solana Beach, CA:

NOT HAVING IT CUT EVERY 4-6 WEEKS.

When you skip trims, split ends will travel up the hair shaft, making locks look limp and straggly. You’ll eventually need to cut them off – goodbye length!

AGGRESSIVE BRUSHING.

“Long hair typically has a few knots and trying to remove them with too vigorous brushing will lead to breakage,” says Jet. A better way: Add leave-in conditioner while in the shower and let your hair air-dry, then gently work out tangles with a wide tooth comb, going from the ends to the roots.

PUTTING HAIR INTO A PONYTAIL WHILE IT’S WET.

That’s when it’s most fragile and it could break right off.

OVER-COLORING THE ENDS.

“The ends of your hair have been on your head for a long time and too much color will make them weak and cause potential damage.”

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