Hair is like fingerprints, everyone’s is unique. There is not one uniform hair care routine that works for everyone and many beauty industries tend to forget that. But there are some common tips many people can use.

   There are chemicals in hair care products that everyone should avoid no matter the hair type. The most commonly talked about one is sulfates. Companies tend to use that chemical because it makes shampoos foam and it works with water to break down dirt and grease. Sulfates tend to cause irritation and can lead to a higher risk of cancer. Basically it’s just not healthy for your hair to use over periods of time. Parabens are a more safe rather than sorry route. It is a controversial topic of if it leads to cancers or not. Most of the time it is just used to preserve products but there haven’t been any clear studies on the use of it in hair care products.

   Another tip is to only use shampoo on your scalp and not on the ends of your hair. Because oil comes from the scalp the roots do not need any more moisture. Stick with conditioner on the ends of your hair and put it in before the shampoo. When the shampoo rinses out it takes the conditioner with it.  Your hair is trained to produce an amount of oil depending on how often it is washed. So if you wash your hair everyday your hair will get only everyday. If you wash it every 3-4 days then the amount of oil produced by the person who washes it everyday is spread out between 3-4 days. It also isn’t healthy to wash it everyday so it will be greasy until you train your hair. For ethnic hair it should only be washed around once a week but conditioned everyday. Thin hair does not need to be conditioned so often, around once a week. People with medium to thick hair can condition around 2-3 times a week as long as the product is not a deep conditioner.

   Some good hair care companies from the drugstore are Maui, Yes to, Burt’s Bees, Dove and any all natural products. I do not recommend Pantene for hair, there are a lot of controversies over it but it is better to be safe rather than sorry. For more high end options I do not recommend Lush shampoo bars because they contain sulfates even if they are all natural. But, Ouai, Bumble and Bumble, and Alterna have amazing hair care products besides shampoo and conditioner for most hair types. For ethnic hair there are not near enough drugstore brands for. The main brand is Shea Moisture but there products tend to be pretty pricey for the drugstore. Amazon has amazing options that tend to be on the cheaper side like Virgin Hair Fertilizer and Ethnic Hair Shampoo. For a higher quality option there is Pureology Hydrate Shampoo.

   Because everyone’s hair is different it is important to keep in mind that products that work for someone else with a similar hair type may not work for you. So some of the products and techniques recommended above may affect you differently than others. Hair can be complicated because of all the different types and companies trying to make products that work for a majority of people. Make sure to take care of your hair overall by not using too much heat and treating it correctly if it is color treated.