What Routine?
Seriously, I know that many readers are interested in the care and maintenance of long hair, and I'm often asked to detail what exactly I "do" with my hair. The answer is embarrassingly simple. I keep it clean and moisturized, and that's it. I usually wear my hair down in public, keep it in a bun or a half-up/half-down and held with a strong barrette the rest of the time, and once in a very blue moon I take the time to straighten it (because every little girl with curly-wavy hair dreams of a stick-straight hair).
I even own a curling iron, which sounds ridiculous but comes in handy if I need a certain part to curl the opposite way than it wants (some people know how to achieve a similar effect with a straightening iron, but I never managed to do it right). The problem I have with my hair is that countless generations of genetic material from all over Europe (and originally the Middle-East) have all accumulated on my head, giving me hair that not only ranges in shades of brown but also in texture and type, from a silky straight lightest brown to very coarse and super curly so dark it's almost black. And there's a lot of it.
So, why L'Occitane? My scalp is very sensitive, as is the skin around my hairline. These products which I've been using for years have never let me down. They don't make me itch, break out in rashes, pimples, or angry red patches, and my hair remains consistently soft and manageable. This blog has many reviews of other hair products, some truly excellent, but I always come back to L'Occitane because it works. Often after testing a product too many I need to reboot my hair and scalp. That's when I borrow the husband's Head & Shoulders. It solves all the issues in one shampooing.
After washing my hair I use oils. From the almost ubiquitous Nuxe to the truly luxurious Arome M Camelia Oil and Aftelier Elixirs. I let it air dry (or car-dry) unless there's a good reason to use the blow dryer. Color-wise there's still nothing to report. I have a handful of grays (somewhere between 15-20) which I pluck every so often.
I wish I had such problems. However, I do have straight, fine, Anglo-Saxon hair which does not hold a curl; and the only good thing is that it does have shine. That's it.
ReplyDeleteOh to have a nice head of thick, luxurious hair!
My sister and I have coveted hair like yours our whole life. Then six years ago my niece was born with gorgeous shiny (and almost blond!) fine, straight hair like her dad's. We keep marveling at the beauty of it.
DeleteL'Occitane had a defrizzer/smoothing leave-in treatment that I really liked. But the scent was so strong & lingering that it interfered with my enjoyment of perfumes, and I stopped using it.
ReplyDeleteIt's so curious that we always long for the opposite of the hair we have (or at least most of us do). Is it something L'Oreal puts in our drinking water? ;-) nozknoz
ReplyDeleteGaia, I love this post - from the picture of the beautiful lady (love that face!) to the idea of strolling around a varied genetic heritage on your head!
ReplyDeleteYou should post pictures of your beautiful mane.
Like you, I don't color my hair and accept the few whites that are beginning to pop up. Natural hair are so shiny!!!
I have been trying to find a compromise between the good-for-you and the good-for-how-your-hair-will-look products. I like Liz Earle and Aveda Shampure for the purpose! No nasty ingredients and good performance. I like the l'occitane shea butter too, but I cannot find it on the shelves of l'occitane boutiques anymore, at least where I live.
I had to comment because it looks like our hair routine is exactly the same. I do switch the L'Occitane sometimes but find myself going back to it once I stray. I love the Aftelier and aroma M oils.
ReplyDeleteMy hair texture is super thick and straight. Now if only I could get it to grow. I'm in an awkward grow out stage :(
wow...your hair is so long and shiny. your natural wavy hair is really so pretty
ReplyDelete