Gaga

Gaga is a blogger and founder of the Softer Hair website. She often says that insomnia is to blame for her first blogging attempts. Being the night owl, she hated the morning alarm. She left her office job and returned to what she loved most - writing.

 

Six At-home Hair Glaze Products

Hair glaze refers to a hair treatment that uses lightweight, water-soluble silicones to smoothen and coat the hair cuticle, thus enhancing its shine. The treatment softens and nourishes the hair leaving your strands healthy and shiny.

There are two types of Hair glaze: Clear and Tinted versions. Clear glazes soften your strands, enhance hair’s natural tone, and restore shine to dull hair. On the other hand, color-reviving glazes contain color pigments added to restore and maintain hair color, while adding a translucent coating to the hair shaft.

The effect of the glazing treatment will fade out gradually after washing several times with shampoos.

The Benefits of Using a Hair Glaze

a beautiful woman with shiny hair

Glosses and glazes are less intrusive than permanent dyes as these shine-enhancing products do not use ammonia and other harmful chemicals.

Hair glaze is a great add-on service that helps to seal freshly applied hair color into each strand, making it bright and glossy, and more long-lasting.

Applying a glaze can refresh faded colors or highlights, postpone further fading, and stretch the time between dye-job appointments.

The glaze puts a protective coating on the hair that shields the hair from external environmental factors that can fade hair color.

Hair glaze will infuse your dull and lackluster tresses with a burst of shine, giving your hair a gorgeous glow.

Hair glazes provide a gentle conditioning treatment for damaged hair; they also fill and smooth the porous cuticles and help the hair look and feel more beautiful.

Hair glaze treatments help minimize frizz and tame puffiness, making your hair soft to the touch and smooth.

At-Home Hair Glaze Treatments

Hair glazing used to be a salon-only treatment, but now you can purchase hair glaze products at your local beauty store and treat your hair at home. This is a great alternative to expensive salon glazing services; you will save your time and money while creating an effect similar to professional glazing services.

These products can be used on all hair types and textures, including color-treated, highlighted, and virgin hair. Hair glazes contain no ammonia or peroxide and they generally won’t harm your hair as long as you stick to the package instruction. They are rather inexpensive, easy to apply and maintain, and just as effective as the ones found at salons.

How to Apply Hair Glaze

In most cases, hair glaze is applied to clean, wet hair and left in for up to 20 minutes before it is rinsed out. Some hair glazes are heat-activated while others contain penetration enhancers that will give you desired results without the use of heat. Generally, hair glazes should be applied using a color brush to ensure that every strand is covered with the product. The product needs to be applied slightly below the roots, paying attention to the ends.

For tinted glazes, it is important to use gloves and thoroughly wash any area of skin that comes in contact with a glaze to avoid staining the skin. Make sure that the product is fully rinsed out from the hair.

Below are several popular home glaze products that will extend the life of permanent hair color and keep your strands silky and shiny for weeks. Keep in mind that the terms “glaze” and “gloss”, as used in these shine-enhancing products, are often interchangeable.

Best At-Home Hair Glaze Products

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1. John Frieda Liquid Shine Clear Hair Glaze

This ammonia/peroxide-free formula enhances hair shine without affecting hair color. It improves texture for silky smoothness by filling in damaged areas inside the hair. This light silicone-based product gives hair a silky and smooth feeling without weighing hair down or leaving a greasy residue. It provides immediate shine, helps tame frizz, and improves the appearance of your hair.

This clear glazing treatment can be used to boost hair shine for every shade of color-treated, highlighted, or natural hair. It is easy to use and makes no mess in the shower. It can be left in the hair for several minutes after your shampoo and conditioner or can be used once a week as a 20-minute shine enhancement treatment.

2. John Frieda Brilliant Glaze for Brunettes 

This ammonia-free formula contains a blend of mild semi-permanent dyes and shine boosters, to add a hint of glossy brown color and extend the life and tonal richness of brunette hair.

Benefits:

  • Gives a youthful look and shine to dull brown hair
  • Enhances hair color, keeping the highlights bright and shiny
  • Extends the life of hair color and prolongs the time between salon appointments
  • Turns gray hair into a natural-looking blonde color
  • Leaves hair soft and manageable
  • Results intensify with each application

3. Sebastian Cellophane Clear Shine (Walmart)

The hair cellophane uses silicon-based polymers to seal cuticles and add a beautiful shine to your hair. It won’t deposit any color in your hair. However, this treatment will likely make your color last longer and appear more radiant. Your hair will feel smoother and silkier, especially if your strands are chemically processed and look dull. The treatment also helps tame frizz and flyaways.

It can be used with good results on relaxed or Japanese straightened hair.

The treatment lasts for about 12 washings and fades away with each shampooing. Once needed, you can reapply it.

How to use: Clear cellophane is easy to use at home, while the colored version should be applied by a professional for best results.

If you use a clear treatment, you can apply it either with your hands or with a dye brush. Apply to partially dried hair (about 75%), using enough product to cover every strand.  Put on a shower cap and apply heat for 20 -30 minutes. By applying heat you will activate the product to give you the best results.

Let your hair cool after removing the shower cap, then rinse with lukewarm water.

Update: Read the ingredient list carefully to make sure that the formula doesn’t include parabens.

a woman with hair glaze treatment in her hair

4. Clairol Professional Radiance Color Gloss (discontinued)

This semi-permanent hair color comes in 21 glamorous glosses. It is used to revive color and add shine to color-treated hair or to enhance and brighten natural hair color. It helps to eliminate yellow tints from lightened hair.

The formula is free of ammonia and gentle on your hair. It has to be mixed with a developer before application. It takes 15-20 minutes to process depending on if you use heat or not.

This shine booster is suitable for colored, permed, or relaxed hair. It works great for hair that looks dull and lifeless, making it look healthy and shiny for up to six weeks. The product will gradually wash out of your hair during that time.

5. Mark Hill Only Takes a Minute 60-Second Detox Gloss Treatment 

This creamy, sweet-smelling formula contains Argan Oil, Sea Silk, and vitamins to moisturize and protect your hair while adding shine. You can use it in place of a conditioner, so it saves you time. The product is advertised to take just one minute, but you may want to leave it for a few extra minutes to ensure a deeper condition. The treatment leaves hair moisturized, shiny, soft, and easy to style. If your hair is in good condition, you only need to use it once in a while.

a beautiful woman with glaze treatment in her hair

6. Shu Uemura Color Lustre Cool Blondeir?t=softerhair 20&l=am2&o=1&a=B00B7F09JY 

This post-shampoo toning treatment restores the vibrancy of blonde hair, refreshes platinum tones, and takes off unwanted yellows and warm tones from blonde hair. It subtly deposits color pigments to prolong the intensity of your color and prevent fading between salon visits.

It is free of ammonia and silicone and is enriched with Linseed Oil and Musk Rose Oil to nourish and hydrate your locks and keep hair soft, shiny, and manageable.

It is an expensive product, but it will last for an extended time as you only need a little drop of it per time. The tube lasts for approximately 12 applications, depending on the length and thickness of your hair. To keep your hair in a perfect blonde shade, you need to use it after every 2-3 shampoos.

Apply the treatment to towel-dried hair and leave it on for 5-10 minutes.

a happy woman with shiny long hair after glaze treatment

The Differences between Hair Gloss and Hair Glaze and which Option to Choose

Shiny hair is a sign that your locks are healthy, which is what the majority of people hope to achieve. When your hair is healthy, the cuticles tightly cover the hair shaft, making the surface of your hair smooth. A smooth, healthy strand of hair reflects light like a mirror, giving it a shiny appearance.

Chemical treatments, excessive heat, chlorinated water, and extreme environmental conditions can cause hair damage, disturbing the naturally smooth cuticle layer and leaving your strands looking frizzy, dull, and lifeless. Your hair color may also lose its vibrancy and fade faster. Such over-processed and damaged hair has a rough and porous surface meaning it can’t reflect light.

Fortunately, there are hair treatments that can restore shine and make your locks look fabulous again! Hair glosses and hair glazes are the best solutions for overly porous lackluster hair.

These shine-enhancing treatments are gaining popularity because of their ability to smooth the hair surface, giving your hair the desired luster. Both treatments are pretty easy to apply, and can be used on any hair type, including virgin, color-treated, and highlighted hair.

a sensual woman after hair gloss treatment

Hair Gloss vs. Hair Glaze Treatment

These two treatments differ from one another in the way they work. Hair glosses work by penetrating the hair shaft and sealing the cuticles. Hair glaze products simply coat your strands and just sit on the surface. Another difference is how long the treatment will stay in your hair before being washed out. But let’s look at it a little closer.

Hair gloss usually contains peroxide in its formula. The peroxide can lift the cuticle and penetrate the hair shaft, allowing for the depositing of color pigments inside the hair shaft. Hair glossing treatment can change hair color by a full shade with effects lasting about 4-6 weeks.

Hair glaze is a temporary shine treatment, which doesn’t contain ammonia or peroxide and cannot, therefore, open the cuticle. This treatment gently coats your strands with shine or/and semi-permanent color. Consequently, the effects are considerably more short-lived compared to hair gloss and last only a week or two.

Both treatments give a similar result – glowing and healthy-looking hair. Although hair color experts consider them to be two separate types of products, manufacturing companies often use the terms “hair gloss” and “hair glaze” interchangeably. What’s even more confusing is that many hair dye manufacturers add the word “gloss” to their products for marketing purposes.

Let’s Try to Simplify It

At this point, trying to make a clear distinction between hair gloss and hair glaze treatment is useless and can even add to the confusion. So, in this article, we are going to talk about two formulas regardless of the name on the packaging.

  1. The first is a mild, short-lived formula that just coats the hair shaft.
  2. The second formula penetrates the hair shaft and lasts up to six weeks.

Both formulas are available in two options: clear and tinted.

Before you decide between these options, you should talk to your stylist about desired results. Also, ask questions about the product they are going to use.

If you decide to do a glossing treatment at home, make sure to carefully read the directions for use. Take time to learn about the product and the results you can expect.

Clear vs. Tinted Hair Gloss/Glaze

As we already mention, hair shine treatments are available in two versions – clear and tinted. Both versions will provide you with glamorous shiny hair and help extend the life of your current hair color.

Colored glossing/glazing treatments work to enhance and maintain the underlying color and add shine.

Clear glossing/glazing products do not contain color, which makes them suitable for every shade of natural or color-treated hair. Clear glosses/glazes seal the cuticle layer and coat the hair shaft with a transparent shine.

The Longevity of Hair Gloss and Hair Glaze Treatments

The stronger formulas of hair shine treatment penetrate the hair shaft and produce more lasting results. The effects last for three to six weeks. The longevity may vary among brands and whether you have received the treatment in a salon or have done it yourself.

The milder formulas are a short-term solution, lasting one to two weeks since they only coat hair strands. Both formulas fade away with normal hair washing.

a beautiful woman with hair glossing treatment

Benefits of Hair Shine Treatments

  1. Shine-enhancing treatments are relatively mild and less damaging to your hair and scalp compared to regular dyes. A shine treatment provides intense conditioning for stressed, dull, and lifeless hair. It helps to temporarily fix the damage, prevents flyaway hair, and minimizes the appearance of frizz. To maintain the results, use sulfate-free products that are designed for colored hair.
  2. Both treatments protect the color from washing out fast and stretch out the time between color appointments. Shine treatment helps seal freshly applied hair color, creating a protective film that helps reduce fading. It also helps revive your color once it starts to fade.
  3. Hair gloss/glaze treatment can fix a bad dye job. If your color has turned out a little brighter than desired, the glossing treatment can help adjust the tone.
  4. Gloss/glaze treatments can tone down brassy highlights and orange hues in blonde and brunette hair while eliminating yellow from grays.
  5. The milder formulas cover the hair shaft, leaving hair shiny, smooth to the touch, and easy to style. They cannot change the existing color, but do bring back the natural shine to hair that feels dry and dull.
  6. You can change your color whenever you want as shine treatments will not interfere with any type of chemical treatments you may decide to do.
a sensual brunette with shiny hair

Which Hair Gloss/Glaze Treatment to Choose?

The decision depends on your preferences and the specific needs of your hair.

If your hair color has started to fade, but you are not ready for the next color service, look for a gloss/glaze with color pigments to get your rich shade back. Tinted shiny treatments can provide decent color refreshment between permanent color services.

For those who are not happy with their current color, a tinted shine treatment can make subtle corrections to a previously applied color. If the color turned out a little brighter than desired, the tinted hair gloss/glaze can help adjust the tone.

If you are a brunette and want to balance out brassy highlights, look for a colored hair gloss or glaze.

If you are blonde and your hair is getting dull and brassy, go for a clear product.

Individuals with virgin hair can use the treatment to make their hair healthier-looking and shinier. Clear treatments make the natural color more beautiful due to increased light reflection.

Tinted shine treatments can be the perfect way for hair color newbies to experiment with colors without commitment.

If you want to cover your gray roots, opt for a stronger and tinted glossing product. The stronger hair glossing formula, especially the tinted one, will efficiently mask growing roots until your next salon appointment. Mild and clear formulas will not provide the full coverage of gray hair. However, they can smooth the cuticle layer and add a hint of tone to blend in a few pesky strays.

If you like your hair color (natural or dyed) and only want to add shine and softness, look for a clear gloss or glaze. A clear shine treatment will revitalize hair’s natural brilliance, soften the strands, and refresh faded lengths and ends.

If you prefer not to use chemicals on your hair, a milder formula that just coats the hair shaft is less likely to contain any harsh ingredients.

If you prefer doing hair shiny treatment at home, the mild and clear formulas are quicker and easier to apply.

a gorgeous woman with glossy hair

Should You Go Fragrance-Free with your Shampoo?

The fragrance is a blend of different ingredients that gives a pleasant scent to cosmetic products. Fragrance ingredients can be naturally sourced such as essential oils or created with synthetic chemicals in a lab.

A large percentage of shampoos (96%), conditioners (98%), and hair styling products (97%), contain fragrances.

The main reason for adding fragrances to hair shampoos is to give the product a clean and nice scent that will attract buyers. Fragrances can also be listed as “perfume” on your shampoo label. However, chemical compounds in a fragrance blend are not specified on the label.

Fragrances can also be added to hair care products to mask the bad odors of certain ingredients.

Beautiful woman holding fragrance-free shampoo

Difference Between “Unscented” and “Fragrance-Free” Shampoo

It is important to note that there is a difference between cosmetic products that are labeled “unscented” and those that are labeled “fragrance-free”. The term “unscented” means that only the aromatic fragrances intended to give nice smells are excluded from the formula. “Unscented” products still may contain functional fragrances used to mask the unpleasant odors of some ingredients. The term “fragrance-free” means that the product doesn’t contain any form of fragrance. Such a product is also free of artificial and natural scents, including essential oils.

Is Fragrance Bad for You?

The majority of people are unaware of the potential dangers hidden in their heavenly-smelling hair products. Prolonged exposure to certain fragrances can worsen some health problems. Some synthetic chemicals in fragrances have been linked to respiratory issues such as sinus attacks and asthma, while some may provoke allergic reactions. Some fragrances could even mess with our body’s hormones’ function. 

How Do Fragrances Enter Your Body?

There are two main ways how fragrances enter your body:

Skin: Your skin is considered the primary way of exposure to fragrances. When problematic ingredients get absorbed into the skin, they may result in eczema, allergies, inflammation, or rashes. In addition to being harmful to the skin, some compounds can enter the bloodstream and the fatty tissues, which then can affect the vital organs. It is important to note that residues of fragrances may remain on the hair and skin even after repeated washings.

Inhalation: Another way you can be exposed to fragrances is through inhalation. Fragrances are made of small molecular-weight substances that quickly dissipate in the air. When inhaled, these compounds go into the lungs and can affect the brain and nervous system. This affects hormone control and is a potential source of health hazards for people who have migraines, allergies, sinus problems, asthma, and lung diseases. Regardless of the route of entry, these chemicals can build up in the body.

Environmental Concerns

Fragrances are rather aggressive substances that affect the quality of the indoor and outdoor air. The chemicals may get dispersed into the environment as a result of being washed into groundwater, and the waterways. They can be ingested by fishes and other aquatic life, contributing to the contamination of the ecosystem.

How to Protect Yourself and Others?

The ideal approach is to opt for fragrance-free cosmetic products whenever possible. Hair shampoo is used frequently and in combination with other chemical-laden personal care products can pose a health risk. Therefore, it is advisable to use hair shampoos that are labeled “scent-free”, “fragrance-free” or “unscented”.

Fragrance-free personal care products can be purchased at any pharmacy, some supermarkets, and most online stores. Make sure to always look at the ingredients on the label, and when possible, also check the product for smells with your nose. This is a good way to ensure that there is no scent regardless of what is written on the package.

By opting for cosmetic products that are fragrance-free, you are doing good for your body. In addition, you will be contributing your quota towards creating an environment that is safe and healthy. 

a woman shopping for fragrance-free shampoo

Fragrance-Free Shampoos

The following is a short list of hair shampoos made without synthetic fragrances and other harmful chemicals:

  1. JASON Fragrance-Free Daily Shampoo is particularly suitable for people with sensitive scalps. Since 1959 the JĀSÖN company has been creating natural and eco-friendly cosmetics. Their products have become a healthy and environmentally friendly alternative to chemical-laden cosmetic products.
  2. Fragrance-Free Shampoo Conditioner Bundle by Desert Essenceir?t=softerhair 20&l=am2&o=1&a=B00W33MQPE is a gentle yet effective unscented duo for washing your hair. Desert Essence beauty products don’t contain artificial fragrances, colors, parabens, phthalates, sodium lauryl/laureth sulfates, silicones, EDTA, phosphates, glycol, or petroleum-based ingredients.
  3. Pharmaceutical Specialties Free & Clear Hair Shampoo for Sensitive Skinir?t=softerhair 20&l=am2&o=1&a=B0006FMK98 is a mild shampoo suitable for sensitive scalps. It is free from fragrances and other harsh chemicals that can be found in commercial hair shampoos. 
  4. No Nothing Very Sensitive Shampoo is fragrance-free, vegan, and formulated without harmful chemicals. The No Nothing is a Finland beauty company committed to making hypoallergenic hair products.

What Is Hidden Under the Label?

The manufacturers don’t have to individually list the ingredients used to give their products the “signature smell”, because this is considered a “trade secret”. You just can read “fragrance” on the ingredients list. Over 3,000 chemicals used to create fragrances are hidden on the label as “fragrance” or “perfume”. Some fragrances could include phthalates to make the smell last longer. Phthalates are a group of harmful chemicals known for their endocrine-disrupting effects, but consumers have no idea that these compounds are hidden inside their shampoo bottles. Due to undisclosed fragrance ingredient information, phthalates in fragrance formulations are not required to be listed either.

Although fragrances can make your hair smell amazing, they can do more harm than good in the long run. If you do opt for scented shampoos, choose products that use natural fragrances like essential oils.

attractive young girl with flowers

How to Buy A Shampoo without Harmful Chemicals

Though most of us understand that the beauty industry uses synthetic chemicals, many people don’t know that certain commonly-found ingredients in hair products are doing you more harm than good. 

Although it sounds logical that the goods we use daily are safe, some hair products may contain ingredients that are linked to health problems. Synthetic chemicals in hair products may cause allergies, skin irritation, and hormonal problems. Some substances may be harmful even at low concentrations when getting in contact with your skin frequently. Plus, once rinsed out, chemicals from hair products will end up in the groundwater and soil.

Chemicals from hair products can get into your body through the skin or you may inhale them when using hair sprays. To avoid harmful side effects, you need to choose your daily products carefully.

a smiling woman in the bathroom holding a shampoo bottle

One of the best ways you can reduce your exposure to chemicals is by purchasing products that are labeled as organic or natural.

Read Your Shampoo’s Label

Most people don’t care about the ingredient list when purchasing hair shampoo. Reading product labels can be confusing because the ingredients are usually listed as chemical compounds. In addition to that, the average user is not informed about the possible side effects of chemicals in hair shampoos. However, this should not deter you from reading the labels before making a purchase.

Here is an easy way to get information about harmful ingredients in hair shampoo before purchasing it.

The Environmental Working Group Skin Deep Database is an organization that analyses personal care products to inform you about the ingredients. They also rate the overall safety of these products. 

How to Make Sure that Your Shampoo is Safe?

First, you need to visit the EWG Skin Deep environmental group’s website and type in the search bar the name of the product you have in mind. When you type the name of your shampoo, you will get a hazard score based on the ingredients. Each ingredient is classified as having a low, medium, or highly harmful health and environmental impact.

There can be possible outcomes, ranging from one to ten (with 10 being the worst score possible). Here is how to interpret the results:

  • The most toxic products appear in red (7-10). You should stay away from them because they contain the most harmful ingredients.
  • Orange-colored products (3-6) include ingredients with a moderate toxicity level.
  • Green products (1-2) contain only non-toxic ingredients.
a young woman looking for a hair shampoo online

In some cases, searching using the product name may not return any results because the EWG database doesn’t have data about each product on the market. Also, certain products may be sold under different brand names. To bypass the problem try using the company name, brand, or anything related to the product. This way you can get a list of products associated with a company. Take a look at the ratings of their products to get a general impression of how a particular company cares about its customers’ well-being. If your current shampoo manufacturer has a lot of “reds”, consider switching to a different brand.

If you do not get any results by searching for the product, brand name, or company, you can analyze the ingredients on the label. It may seem like a time-consuming task, but you do not have to go through the entire ingredient list. When you see the first two “red” or “orange” scores, you will know that the product doesn’t meet your criteria.

A helpful tip is that many of the ingredients can be classified into recognizable groups:

  • The PEG-s are orange and you should avoid them at all costs
  • The parabens are orange or red and you can easily spot them due to the paraben suffix in their name.

After analyzing several products, you will become familiar with the toxicity level of commonly used ingredients in hair shampoos, so you don’t need to check them again.

You can also get information on the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics and Cosmetics Info websites.

Bad Ingredients in Hair Shampoo

“Fragrance” is the term that companies use to hide synthetic chemicals that can cause respiratory problems or migraines. To stay on the safe side you can buy a fragrance-free shampoo or one with essential oils.

The most common “red” chemicals in conventional hair shampoos are Benzyl Salicylate, Butylparaben, Cocamide DEA, DMDM Hydantoin, Fragrance, Geraniol, Isobutylparaben, Isopropylparaben, Lilial, Methylisothiazolinone, Propylparaben, and Retinyl Palmitate.

a brunette girl shopping for hair shampoo

Shampoo Ingredients You Should Avoid

The most common “orange” compounds in commercial hair shampoos are Cocoamidopropyl Betaine, Diazolidinyl Urea, Ethylparaben, Hexyl Cinnamal, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, Lecithin, Limonene, Linalool, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylparaben, Octinoxate/Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, PEGs, Phenoxyethanol, Polyquaternium-7, Propylene Glycol, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Sulisobenzone/Benzophenone, and Tocopheryl Acetate (vitamin E).

Many dandruff shampoos contain harmful ingredients like Coal Tar, Selenium Sulfide, Zinc Pyrithione, and Ketoconazole.

Takeaway

Once you start reading shampoo labels, the way you shop for beauty products will change. The benefit of this new approach is that you can limit your exposure to harmful chemicals. Using natural and organic hair products is good for your overall health in the long term. The time spent on checking product labels is worth it!

Woman with healthy hair looking down

What are the Best Natural-Based Hair Volumizers and Root Lifters

If you have fine hair, you know how frustrating it is when you are trying to make your hair look voluminous. You may have already tried several different cuts and numerous styling techniques to create the appearance of fuller hair.

Finding the right products to give your hair body and movement can also be a challenge. Volumizing products are supposed to add body and lift fine hair from the roots to make hair look thicker and denser.

Today’s market offers a wide selection of products made specifically for individuals with fine hair. Your biggest challenge is to figure out what works for your fine locks and what type of products you should avoid.

When it comes to styling products, look for lightweight products formulated for fine-textured hair. Lightweight styling products will lift your hair from the scalp for more pronounced volume.

cute young woman with fine hair

Avoid products that are not designed for your hair texture. Products that are formulated to smooth coarse hair may not be appropriate for fine hair. Stay away from oil-rich products, as they can add weight to fine hair and make it look flatter.

Importance of Using Natural Volumizing Products

Opt for all-natural and organic hair products to avoid scalp irritation and damage to delicate fine hair. Chemicals from personal care products can be absorbed into your body through the skin, causing harmful effects. Haircare products such as hairsprays may affect the quality of indoor air and expose you and your family to harmful air pollutants. These pollutants may linger in the air for a long time, which increases the chances that you will inhale them.

Where to Start?

Start by selecting a volumizing shampoo specifically designed for fine or limp hair.  The range of volumizing hair products also includes body-building mousses, dry shampoos, root amplifiers, and volumizing hair sprays.  

blonde woman with hair washed with volumizing shampoo

Volumizing Shampoos

Volumizing shampoos contain special ingredients that can make fine and flat hair look fuller. Many of these shampoos are formulated with wheat, rice, and silk proteins that coat your strands for a thicker look.

Prefer using a shampoo that is formulated with mild cleansers and natural hair-thickening ingredients. The such shampoo will invigorate fine and limp hair with volume and bounce without an irritating effect on your scalp.

Look for shampoos that are translucent (or clear) and stay away from creamy shampoos. Creamy shampoos are too heavy and may weigh hair down, whereas clear shampoos work better for people with fine hair.

Apply conditioner only on the bottom half of your hair and avoid the roots. If you apply conditioner to the roots, it can weigh down the hair and make it look oily.

a blonde with voluminous hairstyle

Suggested brands:

1. L’ANZA Healing Volume Thickening Shampoo is formulated with keratin amino acids and natural bamboo extract to boost volume and thickness and provide lift to fine, flat, or thinning hair.

This shampoo comes with a matching conditioner which is formulated with natural bamboo extract and keratin amino acids to increase the fiber diameter and boost volume to fine, thin, and flat hair.

L’ANZA Healing Volume Thickening Conditioner promises to increase hair thickness by up to 55%, without leaving it feeling greasy or weighed down. Don’t use this conditioner if you have keratin-treated hair because it contains sodium chloride in its formula.

2. Davines VOLU Shampoo has mild clarifying properties and is ideal for people who use a lot of styling products. It contains turnip extract, which is responsible for giving body and volume to hair.

Dry Shampoos

Fine hair tends to become flat if not shampooed daily to maintain freshness and bounce.  Unfortunately, too-frequent shampooing can lead to dry, flyaway, and unmanageable hair. Try to minimize the problem by using dry shampoo.  Dry shampoo absorbs excess oil, impurities, and product build-up while leaving hair with an extra boost of natural-looking volume. Dry shampoo is an ideal product for people with a busy schedule.

Dry Shampoo Volume Powder by Beauty by Earth is a cruelty-free and organic product and is a green alternative to aerosol dry shampoos. It takes away the grease and adds instant volume to your style.

Volumizing Mousses

Hair mousse is a foamy styling product formulated to create more body and keep your style fresh for longer. Hair mousse can provide a long-lasting body that fine hair desperately needs. When purchasing hair mousse, opt for a lighter formula that will give volume and texture to your hair without feeling stiff.  

Hair mousse works best when applied to damp hair. You can either allow your hair to dry naturally for voluminous waves or blow dry it to get it an added lift and volume.

a woman with fine hair after using volumizing mousse

Aveda Phomollient Refill Styling Foam is formulated with flower and plant extract to provide flexible hold and add volume to fine hair. It conditions hair, eliminates frizz, and adds a beautiful shine. Apply to damp hair to help with detangling and prepare your hair for a full-body blow-out.

Volumizing Hair Sprays

This popular hair product is designed to infuse your style with blow-dried hairstyles. When shopping for hairspray, it is advisable to look for a product with natural ingredients because you will inhale it during and after application.

If you have fine hair, consider a lightweight spray that offers enough holding power and volume, but allows your hair to move naturally. Use as little as possible to hold your style in shape while still keeping a natural look.

Verb Volume Spray is a gentle and lightweight spray that promises immediate lift, more volume, and touchable hold. The formula uses hydrolyzed proteins and sunflower seed extract to add fullness and bounce to your hair.

Volume Hair Gels

PHILIP B Styling Gel is a multi-purpose soft-hold gel that enhances shine and texture and adds fullness and manageability to your hair. This gel also increases hair strength and gives you long-lasting hold and style.

a blonde woman after using volumizing hair products

Root Lifters

Root lifters work great for hair that needs an extra lift at the roots to achieve a voluminous look.  Root-lifting products get more lift at the roots, making fine and flat hair look fuller and thicker.

Goldwell Style Sign Double Boost 4 Root Lift Spray is a highly effective root lifter. It contains bamboo proteins and a blend of vitamins and antioxidants to make fine and flat hair feel thicker and stronger.

Extensions for Fine Hair

Wire hair extensions are a good choice that will provide you with fuller-looking hair without sacrificing hair health. Clip-in bangs can also give the illusion of fullness and they are easy to attach and take off. Finally, clip-in extensions can add volume and help you achieve the desired look for special occasions.

a woman with nicely styled fine hair

How to Add Volume to Fine Hair

Attractive smiling woman with fine hair wearing an autumn coat

The hair texture can be classified as fine, medium, or thick. Fine hair means that your hair strands have a small diameter, while hair fibers with a larger diameter are considered thick. Medium hair texture falls somewhere in between the two. Fine strands are more fragile and prone to breakage than thick hairs.

It is not uncommon for one individual to have a mixture of hair types. You may have fine hair at the ends and thicker towards the roots or you may have hair that is thinner on one side of the head compared to the rest of the hair.

You can identify your hair texture by feeling the thickness of a single strand between your fingers. If you can’t feel the hair strand, it has a fine texture. If you can feel the hair lightly, it is medium. Professional hair stylists may use a calibrator to examine hair texture to provide you with more exact results.

young blonde woman with fine hair in white t-shirt

Thin Hair Vs. Fine Hair

People often confuse hair texture with hair density. Fine hair and thin hair sound similar but they are completely different. Fine hair is determined by the thickness of an individual hair strand, while thin hair means that someone has a low number of strands on the head. A person with fine-textured hair often has a lot of strands, while a person with coarse hair texture may have low-density (thin) hair.

Fine Hair Problems

  1. Individuals with fine hair often complain that their hair is hard to manage and it may appear lifeless end frizzy. People with fine hair texture often experience difficulty in holding hairstyles, because their hair tends to fall flat.
  2. Fine hair typically lacks the body due to the very small diameter of the individual strand. Finer hair textures require some effort to achieve a voluminous look.
  3. Fine hair is prone to become oily and may fall flat and feel greasy soon after washing.
  4. Individuals with fine hair may also find it difficult to grow their hair long.

What Causes Fine Hair?

The diameter of human hair can vary from person to person and it is determined by several factors:

  1. Genetics: Your fine hair is likely a hereditary trait. If you have a family history of fine hair genes likely contribute to your fine hair texture. Genetics may be an explanation for why East Asians have about 30% thicker hair fibers than Africans and 50% thicker than Europeans.
  2. Aging: The diameter of human hair is the smallest when a person is an infant. As the child ages, hair becomes coarser. A study on the hair of approximately 18,000 Japanese females has shown that hair diameter increases to a maximum near the age of 40 and then it starts to decrease. 
  3. Diet: Insufficient protein intake can negatively affect the diameter of hair fibers. To avoid that, include the proper amounts of proteins in your diet and make sure you are not suffering from vitamin and mineral deficiencies.  A lot of foods that contain essential omega-3s and minerals such as iron and zinc can lead to an increase in the thickness of your hair.
  4. Chemicals Treatments: Chemical treatments such as dyes, perms, and bleaching can leave the cuticle open or damaged. This leads to more porous hair and gives an illusion of a fuller appearance. Overuse of styling products can flatten the hair, making it appear limp and lifeless.
adorable blonde woman with crossed hands

How to Wash Fine Hair?

Fine hair requires more frequent shampooing to maintain a healthy glow and bounce. Too frequent shampooing, especially when using drugstore shampoos, can dry hair out and over-stimulate sebaceous glands. Opt for a mild, sulfate-free shampoo that has volumizing properties.

Volume-boosting shampoos are designed to add body to fine, lifeless hair. Make sure to avoid shampoos and conditioners which contain silicone, as this ingredient coats the hair shaft, weighing your hair down.

When shampooing the hair, make sure to use lukewarm water and rinse the shampoo and conditioner thoroughly. Residual hair products may weigh your hair down, taking the volume out of it.

Use a clarifying shampoo once a week to remove product residues and other deposits that can weigh the hair down. For color-treated hair, it is important to use a color-safe clarifying shampoo that will not cause hair color to fade quickly.

It is advisable to use dry shampoo occasionally for cleaning fine hair. A good powder shampoo will soak up the oil and lift the roots, temporarily improving the texture of fine strands.

Conditioning

Conditioners add moisture and help you with detangling and snags. However, the overuse of conditioners can weigh down fine hair and make it appear flat. Try to give your hair a break from the conditioner to see how it responds.

If you do use a conditioner, choose a lightweight one and make sure that you are using it in the right way. Avoid conditioners with oils and silicones, which can cause build-up or make fine hair look oily. When applying conditioner, focus on the mid-lengths and ends, while avoiding the roots. Make sure to thoroughly rinse both shampoo and conditioner to avoid product build-up.

young blonde woman after blow-drying her hair

How to Blow-Dry Fine Hair

Cover your freshly washed hair with a towel and wait until it’s about 90% dry. Keep the dryer on the lowest heat setting to avoid static caused by heat styling.

Try to turn your head upside down with the dryer focused on the root. This allows gravity to lift the hair from the scalp, resulting in more volume.

Wrapping the roots with a round brush while blow-drying hair will keep the roots lifted.

How to Style Fine Hair

Hair tools made of natural materials are kinder to fine hair because some synthetic materials can encourage static. Natural bristle brushes help disperse natural oils evenly so your fine hair won’t get sticky or weighed down.

You need to clean your styling tools from time to time to remove residual products because the entrapped residues can dull your hair.

Use quality styling tools and set them at lower temperatures, as high heat encourages frizz and can damage delicate fine hair. Always use a heat-protectant spray on your hair before heat styling.

Use styling products in small amounts, as overdoing them can weigh hair down, causing the volume to vanish quickly. It is not advisable to use hair waxes, gels, or heavy styling creams on fine hair because these styling products will weigh hair down, especially if you have long hair. Use a volumizing mousse or lightweight styling spray to add more body and obtain a full-looking style.

Tricks for Getting More Volume

1. The Appropriate Haircut

young blonde woman in red shirt

Keeping your fine hair mid-length or shorter is the perfect way to manage it. Long, one-length hair will drag your hair down, making it look even finer and flatter. To give movement and volume to fine hair, your hairdresser may add layers. Layered hairstyles create the appearance of fullness, while straight styles emphasize fine hair texture.

Getting regular trims helps remove any damaged ends and keeps fine hair looking healthier and bouncier.

2. Perm for Fine Hair

Women who have fine-textured or flat hair may benefit from getting a perm. Permanent waving helps enhance the body and makes the strands look thicker. The spiral perm is perfect for adding volume to fine, straight hair. A root perm will lift the roots and make short, flat hair look fuller.

blonde girl with permed hair looking at camera

3. Coloring

Permanent hair color expands the hair shaft slightly, which makes fine, lifeless strands appear thicker and more voluminous. An experienced stylist can place color strategically to create a visual of thicker hair.

Semi-permanent and temporary hair dyes coat the hair shaft, providing your strands with added volume and body.

Bleaching makes the hair strands more porous and rougher, which gives the illusion of thicker and fuller hair. Additionally, expertly applied highlights can create the illusion of greater depth and volume.

A professional colorist can create a more voluminous and fuller look by coloring your roots darker than the rest of your hair.

Young woman with pink hair smiling

4. Hair Extensions for More Volume

Hair extensions may be an instant solution for individuals with fine hair. Hair extensions are specific hairpieces designed to increase the length or inject volume into the hair.

Clip-in extensions are temporary hair extensions that add volume fast and allow quick style changes. They are easy to apply and remove. Hair extensions come in a wide variety of colors and types to fit everyone’s hair.

Helo-style hair extensions are especially suitable for fine hair as they don’t pull your real hair when attached.

Pretty woman wearing hair extensions and sitting indoors

Aftercare Recommendations and Best Products for Permed Hair

Have you recently opted for a perm to give you a head full of long-lasting, beautiful curls that you’ve longed for to add texture and volume to your flat and lifeless hair? Well, perms deliver the promise that you can wash and wear your curls effortlessly, without the need to use multiple styling tools on a daily basis.

However, such intense chemical processing leaves your hair fragile and more porous than normal. That’s why perms require gentle care and specific post-perm hair care products to maintain a healthy look. Make sure to follow aftercare instructions given by your stylist and use hair care products that are made specifically for hair that has undergone the permanent waving procedure.

Guidelines for Fresh Perms

smiling girl with permed hair wearing a glasses

Make sure to treat your perm with extra care during the first few days after the perming session, because perming chemicals continue to form new bonds for two or three days.

Here are some general rules and simple care techniques to prolong the life of your treatment and keep your hair in good condition.

  • Refrain from washing and wetting your freshly-treated curls for at least two days. Washing your hair too early may cause the perm to drop before the curls lock in their shape.
  • Don’t use a flat iron or other heat styling tools before the first shampoo following the perming service, as this may affect the bond re-forming process. Just chillax as you adjust to your new curls!
  • Wait for at least a week after the perming session before swimming in chlorinated water. Keep in mind that chemicals in swimming pools can be very harsh to your perm. Take a swim raincheck!
  • Refrain from combing your hair in the first 24 hours. Use your fingers to gently style the hair and twirl the curls around your face.
  • Avoid putting your hair in a ponytail or a bun and avoid using hair elastics and tight clips. Leave your hair loose for the first two days after the perm service to help maintain the proper shape of your curls.
Pretty girl with permed hair

Washing Your Hair after Permanent Waving

Once the 48 hours waiting period is over it is safe to wash your hair. Make sure to use a shampoo formulated for chemically treated hair and gently massage your scalp while shampooing.

Always make sure to follow with a good conditioner. A conditioner will make combing easier and infuse your thirsty hair with moisture. Use lukewarm water to rinse the hair and gently blot with a towel to dry.

If your hair suffers from excessive dryness and breakage, incorporate a pre-shampoo treatment into your hair care regimen. This way you’ll prevent tangles and dryness and restore hair elasticity.

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Shampoo and Conditioner for Permed Hair

Related products:

Ouidad Curl Quencher Moisturizing Shampoo replenishes essential moisture to rehydrate dry curly hair. It works great for hair that has undergone a perm or coloring service.

Ouidad’s Curl Quencher Moisturizing Conditioner hydrates dry curls, leaving them softer, and more manageable.

beatiful brunette with permed hair

Combing

Use your fingers or a smooth-ended, wide-tooth comb to gently detangle your wet hair while it’s covered with the conditioner. Use gentle strokes to avoid breakage because your hair is very fragile after a perming service.

Deep Conditioners for Permed Locks

The perming process can strip your hair of moisture and its natural oils that need to be replenished constantly. A deep conditioning treatment at least twice a month, keeps permed hair from getting excessively dry, strengthens weakened strands, and helps maintain luster.

Argan Oil Hair Mask Treatment by Nature’s Potent (also available at Walmart) uses argan oil, hydrolyzed silk, almond oil, and pro-vitamin B-5 to strengthen and hydrate weak and over-processed hair. This conditioning treatment is highly effective for improving the manageability of permed and naturally curly hair.

Quidad’s Ultra-Nourishing Intense Hydrating Mask is formulated to replenish moisture and nourish hair that needs a little TLC. This treatment uses a blend of natural oils to restore softness, elasticity, and shine to fragile permed locks. It will make your curls bouncy and less prone to frizz.

Leave-in Treatments after Permanent Waving

Alter Ego Nourishing Spa Quench Care Intensive Nutritive Leave-in Conditioner is made to hydrate and protect thirsty chemically stressed hair. It softens your curls and leaves them shiny, frizz-free, and easy to comb.

ORIBE Curl Control Silkening Crème is designed to give definition and softness to your curls while fighting frizz and adding shine. It is formulated with ORIBE Signature Complex, which protects hair from dryness and environmental stress and prevents color fading. This creme has a clean, pleasant smell that lingers in your hair.

Protection from Harsh Weather

Overexposure to sunlight, wind, and chlorine in the swimming pool can dry out permed hair. Rain and snow can flatten the curls and cause your perm to go away faster. Apply gel or styling mousse and pull your hair back in windy weather to prevent your locks from knotting. Don’t forget to take your umbrella when braving the elements of rain, sleet, wind, or snow. Wear a hat when you go out in the sun and use sun protection for hair when sunbathing or swimming.

Night Care

Porous hair is more prone to frizz and tangles. Before going to bed, wrap your hair up in a satin cloth to protect it from friction when tossing and turning in bed. Consider purchasing a silk or satin pillow to reduce friction and keep your curls intact.

Perms and Coloring

Don’t plan to color your hair before permanent waving. The neutralizing step of the perming procedure can degrade hair color. Also, make sure not to have both treatments all in the same sitting. Two rounds of chemical treatment can be too stressful for your hair and scalp when the treatments are performed in a short period.

Temporary dyes, semi-permanent hair dyes, and color glazes can be applied immediately after the perming service. The cuticle layers of your hair are raised after the perming process, so those coloring and shine-boosting products can penetrate the hair shaft easily.

Many stylists recommend waiting at least two weeks before permanent coloring service to ensure that the perm has fully set in. Also, wait at least 2 weeks after the coloring service to apply the perm solution to your hair. Freshly colored hair needs a few weeks to recover to be able to withstand the permanent waving treatment.

How to Style Permed Hair

It is not advisable to tease permed hair with a brush. Brushing can break up the curls and make them look frizzy and messy. Make sure to style your hair gently to keep your curls attractive for longer.

Let your hair dry naturally whenever possible. If you need to use a hairdryer only blow-dry your hair 85 to 90 percent dry and use a diffuser on low heat. Blow drying can mess up hair and cause split ends.

Avoid straightening your hair with a flat iron. Permanent waves can become frizzy and lose their shape gradually when exposed to heat.

Perm-Friendly Styling Products

Use styling products designed for curly hair to help repel humidity and keep the curls in place. Check the ingredient list to ensure that alcohol is not listed. Alcohol can cause hair to become excessively dry. Also, avoid styling products with silicone as they can weigh your curls down.

Mousses for curly hair will moisturize and protect fragile permed hair, keeping the curls in good shape. These products also help control static and frizz and make curls soft and bouncy.

Hair gels contain moisturizing ingredients that help smooth and define curls. They should be applied to clean towel-dried hair.

Anti-frizz serums help tame frizz and make permed hair appear shinier. Most serums can be applied either on towel-dried or dry hair.

Products known as curl enhancers are used to moisturize hair, tame frizz, and keep your curls in good shape. 

long hair woman with permed hair

Damage Repair Treatments

If your hair suffers from severe damage after the perming service, look for a salon that performs Keraplast Hair Rescue Treatment or carries products that contain Replicine Functional Keratin. This intensive protein treatment is highly effective in repairing perm-damaged hair.

Trimming

A haircut is recommended after the hair “settles in” to add bounce and to get more defined curls. Don’t wait more than a month after the perm service to get a haircut. Regular trimming (every 4-6 weeks) will prevent split ends and keep your hair more manageable and healthier looking.

Touch-ups

Perms give you beautiful, wavy hair for up to 6 months, depending on the product and your aftercare regimen. The tighter curls will generally last longer than bigger ones. When your perm grows out you may want to get it touched up.

Your stylist will suggest the best time to get a touch-up, leaving your hair time to rest between chemical services. If you re-apply perm too soon, you run a risk of damaging your hair.

a beautiful model after getting a permanent waving service

Extending the Life of Your Brazilian Blowout

There are quite a number of straightening hair treatments that may have a negative effect on your comfort. For instance, most keratin straightening treatments require users to take a 3-day break away from washing their hair to ensure the success of the treatment. For some people waiting as long as three days to wash their hair could be a nightmare.

Unlike traditional keratin straightening, completing the Brazilian Blowout procedure doesn’t extend beyond the salon. It doesn’t require any waiting time before you can wash your hair. You can return to your normal activities without worrying about messing the treatment up. You can exercise and put your hair in a ponytail or style it the way you want. Your hair will remain smooth, frizz-free, and radiant.

Brazilian Blowout Aftercare

a beautiful woman with smooth hair after Brazilian Blowout service

Once the Brazilian blowout process has been completed, you need to follow a few specific rules. This, of course, refers to things you should and should not do to lengthen the lifespan of your treatment. The right aftercare and maintenance are needed to ensure that your hair continues to look good for as long as possible. Since the Brazilian Blowout is an expensive treatment, extending its longevity will help you reduce the bill at the salon since you can stretch out the time between salon visits.

Washing Your Hair after Brazilian Blowout

Brazilian Blowouts generally last longer when there is minimal hair washing involved. Try to wash your hair no more than three times a week. This helps to prolong the effects of the treatment.

Hair professionals warn against using hair shampoos that contain harsh sulfate cleansers in their formula. Another ingredient that should be avoided in hair care products after straightening service is sodium chloride. Salt is often used as a thickening agent in hair shampoos, but it can negatively affect the beauty and longevity of your blowout treatment.

Although most drugstore shampoos are formulated with sulfates to boost the leathering effect, there are also many sulfate-free and salt-free formulas available in beauty stores. Make sure to purchase sulfate- and salt-free shampoo and conditioner, preferably those formulated with natural and organic ingredients.

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Brazilian Blowout Shampoo and Conditioner

With proper aftercare, your hair will stay soft and frizz-free for about 10 to 12 weeks. The Brazilian Blowout procedure requires the use of their associated take-home product line to maintain smooth, frizz-free, and manageable hair for up to 12 weeks. The Brazilian Blowout aftercare line features anti-frizz shampoo, conditioner, smoothing serum, and a deep conditioning masque.

Brazilian Blowout Shampoo and Conditioner contain the same complex of amino acids that can be found in the Brazilian Blowout Professional Solution. This way amino acids are deposited back into the hair with every hair wash, providing longer-lasting smoothing results.

Pure Brazilian Anti-Frizz Shampoo & Conditioner are sulfate and sodium chloride-free formulas that smoothen thick coarse hair and take away frizz, making hair much more manageable. Both products are safe for chemically straightened hair.

Brazilian Blowout and Hair Coloring

It is advisable to color the hair before receiving the Brazilian Blowout treatment. Hair coloring can be done the same day you have received the straightening treatment. The Brazilian blowout will seal in the color and enhance the results of the coloring service. If you plan to color after receiving the Blowout treatment, it would be best to wait at least two weeks. If you apply color earlier, the results will not be consistent. The protective protein layer from the Blowout treatment makes hair more color-resistant.

When applying color prior to Brazilian Blowout, consider coloring your hair a shade darker than your desired color. This is important as the color will fade a bit during the Brazilian Blowout treatment. Choosing a darker shade will give you results closer to the color you want after the Brazilian Blowout treatment is completed.

It is advised that the color should only be applied to the root area after the smoothing treatment for maximum preservation of achieved straightening results.

Protection Before/After Swimming

Before you hit the beach on a hot, sunny day, or take a swim in the chlorinated water, you should know that chlorinated and saltwater could affect your Brazilian Blowout treatment if your hair is not properly protected. Applying the Brazilian Blowout Smoothing Serum on the hair prior to swimming acts as a protective barrier. The serum also provides protection from UVA rays and helps preserve your hair color. After exposure to saltwater or chemicals in the swimming pool, rinse your hair with clean water and then reapply the Brazilian Blowout Acai Daily Smoothing Serum.

Deep Conditioning

Using a deep conditioner twice a month will keep your hair healthy-looking and silky. Apply a deep conditioning masque to freshly washed hair to infuse your strands with essential proteins that seal in the Brazilian Blowout treatment. By doing this, you will keep your hair shiny and smooth for longer.

Brazilian Blowout Acai Deep Conditioning Masque is designed to replenish your strands with vital moisture and deposit amino acids into your hair. It makes your Brazilian blowout smooth and fresh and keeps the frizz away.

a blonde with smooth hair after a Brazilian blowout treatment

Styling Products

Choosing a hair styling product must be done with a lot of scrutiny. You are required to be very selective during this search. Your hair may get heavy and oily much faster if you over-use styling products.

Each time you wash your hair, allow the strands to dry by air. Avoid blow-drying. If you must blow-dry, make sure to use a heat protectant.

Brazilian Blowout Ionic Bonding Spray is designed to strengthen weakened fibers, seal the cuticle, and prolong the results of your Brazilian Blowout. It cuts blow-drying time, prevents frizz, and protects your hair from heat and environmental damage. This bonding spray also leaves your hair soft, shiny, and easy to brush.

Apply a few sprays to damp, freshly washed hair before blow-drying. Use a small amount, otherwise, your hair may feel greasy.

Brazilian Blowout Thermal Straightening Balm is supposed to be used before blow-drying and flat ironing. It makes your hair look like you have just done the Brazilian blowout. It also will keep your hair smooth and shiny once your Brazilian blowout starts to wash out.

Brazilian Blowout Thermal Straightening Balm can be used as a hair heat protectant regardless of whether you’ve received the Brazilian blowout service or not. It protects the hair against hot tools and makes curly hair easier to straighten with a flat iron. The straightening effect is temporary and lasts until the next wash.

This straightening balm works best for wavy or curly hair that tends to get frizzy in the humidity.

Be careful to apply a small amount, as too much of the product can weigh down the hair and make it look greasy.

Brazilian Blowout Daily Smoothing Serum is designed to smooth, condition, and detangle your hair before blow-drying. It offers heat protection and leaves your hair manageable and flowing with a gorgeous shine. It mends split ends, keeps the curls defined, and tames frizz. Apply to damp hair, concentrating on the ends.

This formula also protects your hair from the sun and the damage associated with chlorine and salt water.

Beautiful blonde woman after receiving Brazilian blowout treatment

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What Are 4 Key Differences between Keratin Treatment and Brazilian Blowout Smoothing Treatment

What is a Brazilian Blowout?

Trying to distinguish between the two treatments can be tricky. This is not helped by the fact that the names are often confused even by professional stylists. As a customer, this can make choosing the most appropriate treatment for your personal needs, particularly difficult. It is essential that you receive the right information before you commit to any kind of smoothing or straightening treatment. A consultation at a salon with a good reputation and experienced stylists is the first and most important step to achieving the desired results.

The “Brazilian Blowout™” is, in fact, a brand name carrying a registered trademark. The name is also used by a company that provides professional hair smoothing products. Many salons use the name Brazilian Blowout to describe their own smoothing service, regardless of the formula they use. They often use some other products instead of the original Brazilian Blowout smoothing solution to achieve similar effects.

A beautiful girl after receiving keratin treatment service

In this post, we are discussing the Brazilian Blowout smoothing treatment given in a salon by using original Brazilian Blowout products.

What Do both Treatments Have in Common?

While both treatments make the hair appear straighter, neither of these treatments is permanent as Japanese straightening treatments or hair relaxers are known to permanently alter the structure of the hair.

Both treatments create a protein layer around the hair shaft which smoothes the cuticle and makes the hair look more beautiful.

Both smoothing treatments help fight humidity, create a reflective shine, and improve hair manageability. They also cut down the time needed for everyday styling.

With both treatments, you will be exposed to some level of hazardous chemicals (formaldehyde or other aldehydes) during heat application.

With either treatment, you need to wash hair less frequently to prevent washing out the treatments from hair. You also need to use sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner to maintain the results longer.

Keratin treatments and Brazilian Blowout treatments both achieve similar effects. However, there are distinct variations that are worth mentioning to anyone considering trying them.

Young brunette with brazilian blowout

Related Article

How Do the Two Treatments Differ?

A professional stylist will be able to recommend the most suitable treatment for your hair based on your hair type and needs. Is your hair thick, curly, frizzy, or simply difficult to control? Is excess volume an issue you wish to address?

1. Who are the Best Candidates

A keratin treatment will calm unruly hair, creating a much straighter and sleeker appearance. This is the right option for hair that is overly curly and overly voluminous. The treatment will reduce the volume and make hair far easier to manage. A keratin treatment would not be recommended for use on hair that is already straight or particularly fine or thin as it tends to further reduce the volume.

If your aim is to keep volume and movement whilst making the hair frizz-free and more manageable, then a Brazilian Blowout may be a more suitable choice. This treatment performs well with fine to medium texture, and some slight waves or curls. Brazilian Blowout can also be suitable for transitioning hair textures if a keratin treatment, relaxers, or Japanese straightening treatment has been applied previously.

2. Procedure

One of the notable differences between Brazilian Blowout and Keratin treatment is the time they take to complete.

The Brazilian Blowout process only takes 1 to 2 hours in a salon. A Keratin treatment may take up to three hours to perform.

Both treatments start with preparing the hair by shampooing with a clarifying shampoo followed by a towel dry.

Keratin treatment: The hair is shampooed using a clarifying shampoo, towel-dried, and then blow-dried thoroughly until completely dry. The product is applied section by section and evenly distributed throughout the hair. For best results, a cap is placed over the head for 20-30 minutes to allow the product to soak deep into the hair shaft. The hair is then blow-dried again, and flat ironed, at a 450 F setting. The client needs to refrain from washing their hair for three days.

Brazilian Blowout: The hair is washed with a clarifying shampoo and lightly towel-dried to allow some moisture to remain. The product is then carefully applied to sections of hair. The hair is blow-dried and straightened using a straightening iron set at 450 degrees. Your hair is then rinsed thoroughly to remove the product and apply a deep conditioning masque. Finally, your hair will be blow-dried again to get the final result.

a gorgeous woman with Brazilian blowout

3. Results

After a keratin treatment hair will have a much straighter appearance and reduced volume. The frizz is eliminated from your hair for up to 3 months.

After a Brazilian Blowout treatment hair will be frizz-free, but as this is a “lighter” option compared to keratin treatment it will be less straight and sleek. The wavy hair will be straighter with much of a natural wave and body. The curly hair will retain its natural curls, but the curls are softer, frizz-free, and easier to control. Styling the hair with straightening irons or blow drying it straight is easier and produces better results than before.

Both treatments are customizable depending on the desired results, although the Brazilian Blowout is more flexible. By adjusting the amount of product applied to the hair as well as the level of heat, the results can be tailored to suit the individual’s requirements.

4. Convenience

The Brazilian Blowout is a more convenient option because the results are almost instant.

After a keratin treatment, there are certain precautions that must be adhered to, including the 72-hour waiting period to ensure the treatment works successfully. You are requested to leave the salon by keeping the product in your hair and rinsing it after three days. You also should avoid sweating, tying hair back, tucking the hair behind the ears, or any style that may cause a kink in the hair.

A Brazilian Blowout treatment is complete when you leave the salon and your results are visible right after the service. Your hair can be washed that same day, and you can also freely style your hair. The restrictions associated with the keratin treatments do not apply to a Brazilian Blowout treatment.

charming woman with brazilian blowout in her hair

Sulfate Free Shampoos for Oily Scalp and Hair

Proper care for oily scalp and hair starts with the right shampoo. If you have very oily hair, look for a shampoo that meets the following requirements:

Lasting Solution: The product you pick should offer a lasting solution, not just cover up the problem. Be sure to use a shampoo formulated especially for oily hair. Look for the terms “sebum control”, “oil control”, “for oily hair“, “clarifying”, or “volumizing”.

Stay away from shampoos that are advertised as moisturizing, conditioning, or smoothing. Your hair is already oily and doesn’t need additional moisture.

Don’t choose the cheapest shampoo you can find, but you don’t have to select the most expensive one either. There are plenty of quality products that are reasonably priced. To find a lower price go online and try to find money-saving offers and discounts.

a woman with oily hair reading a shampoo label

Sulfate-Free: Shampoo for greasy hair should be effective in balancing sebum levels without causing any harm to your scalp and hair. A mild, sulfate-free shampoo enriched with essential oils of tea tree, rosemary, lavender, peppermint, or lemongrass will help control sebum production and increase the time between hair washes.

Natural Ingredients: A quality shampoo for oily scalp and hair needs to be formulated with natural ingredients. Chemical-free hair shampoos are a better option for your hair and scalp and your overall health. Chemicals you should avoid include Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, formaldehyde, parabens, Diethanolamine (DEA), Triethanolamine (TEA), Monoethanolamine (MEA), Propylene Glycol, and synthetic fragrances.

PH Balanced: Check if the label indicates that your shampoo is “pH balanced“, as an improperly balanced shampoo can strip away the natural oils from your scalp. This will force your scalp to produce even more oils. A pH-balanced shampoo respects the balance created by nature which makes it suitable for frequent use. The pH level of human hair is between 4.5 and 5.5.

Transparency: Opt for a clear or translucent shampoo and avoid creamy and rich shampoo formulas. Opaque shampoos contain conditioning ingredients and additives that can cause product build-up thus contributing to greasy-looking hair. Also make sure to select a silicone-free shampoo, because the silicone coating around the hair shaft can make hair look flat and heavy.

woman with oily hair posing

Natural Shampoos for Oily Hair

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1. Maple Holistics Degrease Shampoo for Oily Hair uses natural ingredients to offer relief to oily/itchy scalp. The product comes in a handy bottle and has a clean, refreshing scent of rosemary. It creates a rich foam while causing a mild tingling sensation on your scalp. It usually takes about 10 days to fix the imbalance in sebum production that causes greasy hair.

The formula contains 100% botanical ingredients certified by QAI & the United States Department of Agriculture for Organics Processing. These botanical ingredients include rosemary, French cypress, lemon, basil, jojoba oil, argan oil, and botanical keratin.

Make sure to follow directions and let the shampoo sit on your scalp for a few minutes before rinsing to maximize the absorption of active ingredients. To gain the maximum effects, massage the shampoo into your scalp.

2. Natural Oily Hair Shampoo for Men and Women by Honeydew is a 100% natural shampoo formulated with a blend of essential oils to balance sebum production, so you can go longer between washes. Yarrow oil helps get rid of excess oil that clings to your hair, causing it to feel greasy.

The formula is free of harsh sulfate cleansers, parabens, and sodium chloride. It is safe to use on colored and keratin-treated hair.

3. Leonor Greyl Paris Bain TS Balancing Shampoo promises to purify and cleanse the oily scalp, providing immediate results. It is suitable for individuals with oily scalps and dry ends.

Lime Tree Oil and Sage Leaf Extract help get rid of excess sebum and other follicle-clogging impurities, while conditioning ingredients prevent stripping moisture from the hair and work to repair dry ends.

4. Desert Essence Organics Hair Care Shampoo for Oily Hair is a gentle, all-natural shampoo formulated with sustainable, organic ingredients that help get the oil out of your hair.

Organic oils and Lemon Peel Extract help to remove excess sebum and buildup without stripping the natural moisture. 100 % Pure Australian Tea Tree Oil is known for its antiseptic properties and the capability to control excessive sebum production.

Dry Shampoos for Oily Hair

a woman using dry shampoo to degrease her oily hair

Klorane Dry Shampoo with Nettle for Oily Hair and Scalp is formulated to soak up excess sebum and refresh oily hair and scalp between washes. The extract from the Nettle is known for its ability to reduce excess oil and regulate sebum production over time. It also gives some extra volume to fine and thinning hair. This shampoo is great for mornings when you have no time to wash and blow dry your hair. 

Shampoo Bars for Oily Hair

Ethique Eco-Friendly Solid Shampoo Bar for Oily Hair uses Lime, Lemon, and Orange extracts and oils to balance natural sebum production and clean your hair. It also soothes an itchy scalp, leaving it nourished and flake-free.

This bar lathers well and leaves your hair feeling clean, soft, and weightless. If you are environmentally conscious, you’ll like this shampoo bar. It is natural, vegan, and helps reduce the use of plastic bottles.

a woman using a towel to dry the hair after washing

6 Ingredients in Hair Shampoos that Help Prevent Oily Hair

How Do We Get Greasy Hair?

Greasy hair looks unattractive and can be extremely difficult to style. The condition is hard to hide and could be frustrating for people who are affected. You may ask where that unwanted oil comes from.

Sebaceous glands, which are located surrounding the hair follicles, produce an oily, waxy substance called sebum. Sebum keeps your scalp properly moisturized and protects hair shafts from excessive dryness. If sebum production is poor, hair strands can become inelastic and prone to damage.

If sebaceous glands are overactive, they produce more sebum than is needed. When the warmth of the scalp melts sebum, the excess oil passes from the scalp onto the hair shaft, making the hair look dirty despite regular washing.

a beautiful sleeping woman with oily hair

Oily hair can become a persistent condition that is hard to get rid of. Sebum buildup can clog the follicles and cause more serious scalp conditions, including greasy dandruff, and excessive hair loss.

To get rid of oily hair, you need to de-grease your scalp, because an oily scalp inevitably leads to oily hair. However, it is important to properly reduce oil secretion without over-drying the scalp.

Importance of Choosing the Right Shampoo

Most ordinary shampoos use sulfate-based cleansing agents. Sulfates are inexpensive, yet powerful synthetic cleansers. They effectively remove oil and dirt from hair and create a rich lather. However, those grease-cutting detergents are quite harsh on the hair and scalp. Sulfate-based shampoos can strip the scalp of its necessary natural oils, making the problem even worse. When used frequently, harsh shampoos can actually encourage the oil glands to produce more sebum to compensate for the loss.

Oily hair requires frequent washing but must be gently treated. If you suffer from oily hair, make sure to choose a sulfate-free shampoo with mild, naturally derived cleansers. These shampoos will remove excess sebum and impurities without unwanted adverse effects.

Sulfate-free shampoos also help balance the pH level of your scalp and hair. A proper pH balance of the scalp is essential for managing oily hair. Synthetic cleansing agents used in commercial shampoos can disrupt the natural pH balance of the scalp and hair.

How to Wash Oily Hair?

If your hair is on the oily side, excessive shampooing may worsen rather than improve your condition. This happens because frequent washing encourages sebaceous glands to increase oil production to make up for the loss. To stay on the safe side, it’s advisable to wash your hair no more than three or four times a week.

Using the appropriate shampoo and applying it the right way can help maintain a healthy scalp and hair. Use a mild, natural shampoo that is designed specifically for oily hair. Select a shampoo that is translucent when held to the light and avoid creamy formulas.

Apply shampoo directly onto the scalp and leave it on for an extra minute or two before rinsing. Gently massage the scalp while shampooing. Rinse your hair thoroughly with lukewarm water to make sure there is no shampoo residue left behind. These residues tend to collect dirt and oil and add weight to your hair.

Use a clarifying shampoo once a month to give your hair a fresh start.

Ingredients that Help Control Sebum Production

Before buying shampoo for oily hair, you should read the ingredient list on the bottle carefully. There are several essential oils known for their effectiveness in controlling the glandular production of oil. These essential oils include tea tree, lavender, rosemary, lemongrass, peppermint, basil, and ylang-ylang.

1. Rosemary Oil is effective for cleansing excess oils from the scalp and hair and may also provide relief to people with dandruff and scalp itchiness.

2. Lavender Oil helps balance natural scalp oils.  Shampoo containing lavender oil helps your hair stay clean longer. Lavender oil also calms the scalp, supports hair growth, helps control dandruff, and keeps hair shiny.

3. Tea Tree Oil gently works to remove excess oil, balances sebum production, and helps reduce dandruff.

4. Peppermint Oil normalizes sebum production, balances pH levels, and stimulates blood flow to the scalp, which helps promote hair growth.

5. Lemongrass Oil supports the function of the sebaceous glands and helps soothe scalp inflammation.

6. Ylang Ylang Oil slows down sebum production, detoxifies the scalp, helps control dandruff, and promotes healthy hair growth.

Use Conditioners Properly

a young woman nourishing her oily hair

If your hair is very oily, you might not need a conditioner. If you do use a conditioner, keep it away from your roots, as it can weigh down your hair. Most conditioners contain oils and silicones that will weigh oily hair down and make it look flatter. A conditioner is meant to nourish your ends, which can still be dry and brittle. Make sure to rinse the product out of your hair thoroughly. Look for a lightweight, oil-free, and silicone-free conditioner, and make sure that you use it properly.

Avoid using too many styling products because most of those products tend to attract dirt and can make your hair look greasier.

Dry Shampoos for Oily Hair

a woman applying dry shampoo powder to the hair

Dry shampoos are very useful for concealing your greasy roots between hair washes. Those products contain a substance that soaks up oils from your scalp and hair, making your style look fresh. These products also add volume to flat hair and lift your strands away from the scalp. Dry shampoos are great time savers because they can make your hair look clean and bouncy without a full shower.

Dry shampoos come in aerosol formulas or the form of a powder. These products continue to grow in popularity since they are inexpensive and easy to use. Although being a great tool to keep hair clean between wet shampoos they are not meant to completely replace regular shampoos.

If you suffer from greasy hair and scalp, talk to your dermatologist. Your dermatologist can give you a proper diagnosis and discuss all the available treatment options.

a beautiful brunette with clean smooth hair

10 Common Ingredients in Hair Growth Shampoos

Hair Growth Cycle

People normally lose 50 to 100 hairs per day as part of the normal hair growth cycle. There are three phases of the hair growth cycle: the anagen or growth phase, which lasts from 4 to 6 years, the “regression” period (catagen phase), which lasts about three weeks, and the resting (telogen) phase, lasting for another three months. Approximately 85% of your hair is in the growing stage. The catagen phase is a transitional stage from growing to resting. In the telogen stage, the hair falls out, and new hair begins to grow from the same follicle, entering a new growth cycle.

hair loss scheme

What is Normal Hair Loss?

There are 100,000 to 150,000 hair follicles on the scalp. Losing up to 100 hairs a day doesn’t cause a noticeable reduction in hair thickness. Unfortunately, many people suffer from excessive hair loss which can affect both men and women.

Experts recommend starting with a protective treatment in the early stages of hair loss, to give yourself the best chance to prevent the condition from progressing. The progression of hair loss can be stopped or at least slowed down if the condition has been treated early enough.

What Causes Hair Loss?

Hair loss can have many causes, but it is usually related to one or more of the following factors:

  1. Hereditary Hair Loss: The typical male pattern of baldness known as androgenetic alopecia is the most common cause of hair loss that affects both men and women. This condition is caused by increased levels of an androgen hormone called dihydrotestosterone (DHT). The male hormone testosterone converts into DHT inside the hair follicle with the aid of the enzyme called 5-a reductase. The high presence of DHT in the scalp can shorten the hair growth cycle and cause the follicles to shrink, making it impossible for them to produce new hair.
  2. Scalp Problems: Scalp conditions and inflammatory disorders can contribute to hair loss. The inflammation makes hair follicles lose their ability to generate new hair. These conditions include folliculitis, seborrheic dermatitis, and fungal infections such as ringworm.
  3. Excess Sebum Production: The accumulation of sebum in the scalp pores may cause a high level of 5-alpha-reductase and clog hair follicles. Removing sebum buildup from the scalp is one of the important things you can do to reduce shedding.
  4. Poor Circulation in the Scalp: Diminished circulation in the scalp can deprive hair follicles of blood and nutrients and may, therefore contribute to their degeneration. By increasing circulation to your scalp, you can increase the supply of nutrients to the hair follicles which can benefit hair growth.
  5. Extreme Stress: Hair follicles are sensitive to sudden changes in the body or environment. Sometimes the signs of hair loss may take weeks or months after the episode of stress to become noticeable. The increase in shedding caused by stress is temporary and the hair will grow back.
  6. Nutritional Deficiencies: According to the American Academy of Dermatology, a protein-rich diet is essential for healthy hair. Your hair needs proteins to grow properly. Iron deficiency can cause hair loss because there aren’t enough red blood cells needed to carry oxygen to the scalp. The deficiency of B vitamins, essential fatty acids, and zinc can also result in hair loss.
  7. Other Common Causes of Hair Loss: Other causes of hair loss and hair thinning include hormonal imbalance, medical conditions, certain medications, excessive styling, and frequent use of hair coloring chemicals.
a beautiful young woman with long healthy hair

What Are the Active Ingredients in a Hair Loss Shampoo?

1) Caffeine – Applied topically caffeine energizes the scalp and stimulates the hair follicles, causing new hair strands to grow more rapidly. A recent study revealed that the hair follicles retain caffeine traces for 24 hours after washing hair with a caffeine-containing shampoo. The study found that the caffeine treatments were able to slow the progression of hair loss when started early, but were not fully effective if a person had total baldness.

2) Ketoconazole is a powerful anti-inflammatory and anti-fungal ingredient in hair shampoos that controls microflora of the scalp, nourishes hair follicles, and therefore provides a suitable environment for hair growth.

3) Saw palmetto is a fruit extract used in hair loss products to prevent the effects of dihydrotestosterone, which is responsible for both male and female-patterned alopecia. 

Suggested Brand: Laritelle Organic Unscented Hypoallergenic Shampoo is formulated with pure therapeutic grade certified organic hydrosols of Saw Palmetto, Rosemary, Horsetail, Nettle, Burdock, Basil, and Aloe Vera to help increase blood circulation, stimulate hair follicles, and enhance hair growth.

4) Biotin is a member of the B complex group of vitamins and is a common ingredient in hair loss shampoos and conditioners. Biotin strengthens the follicle and increases hair elasticity which helps hair to achieve maximum growth rate.

5) Red Clover is a natural anti-inflammatory agent that can prevent scalp irritations and help prevent DHT build-up. It improves the hair’s strength, helps slow down hair loss, and adds volume and luster to hair.

6) Aloe Vera contains enzymes that open the hair follicles and stimulate hair growth. It has anti-inflammatory properties and treats various scalp conditions. Its alkalizing qualities help optimize the pH level on the scalp. A normal hair pH level is important if you want to control hair loss.

7) Rosemary helps boost circulation to the scalp, treats dandruff, strengthens the roots of our hair, reverses hair loss, and accelerates hair growth.

8) Green tea extract prevents hair from falling and soothes scalp irritations through its stress-inhibitory and anti-inflammatory properties.

9) Tea tree oil has antiseptic, and anti-fungal properties and superior penetrating abilities. It controls sebum production and helps remove sebum build-up and other blockages in your scalp’s pores that can prevent hair from growing out.

10) Lemongrass oil can strengthen hair follicles and has soothing and anti-bacterial properties.

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A young beautiful woman with long hair wearing red dress

Shampoos that Stimulate Hair Growth

Hair-growing shampoo contains active ingredients that usually work in synergy to improve the scalp’s condition and to create a healthy environment for hair to grow. These are the ways how hair shampoos can improve the ability of your hair to grow:

1. DHT blockers: Hair shampoo that is intended to encourage hair growth is formulated with special ingredients that help remove DHT from the scalp and stimulate inactive hair follicles that are still alive to generate new hair. DHT Blockers can penetrate into the hair follicles during hair washing to stop DHT production and prevent DHT build-up in the follicle.

Suggested Brand: Sulfate-Free Anti Hair Loss Shampoo by Pure Body Naturals contains 14 DHT blockers and a number of natural ingredients that stimulate hair growth. These natural hair-thickening ingredients include Biotin, Argan Oil, B Vitamin Complex, Saw Palmetto, Nettles Extract, He Shou Wu, Niacin, and Black Seed Oil. This anti-hair loss formula nourishes hair from the follicle and provides essential nutrients needed to boost hair growth and improve thickness.

2. Energizing shampoos: Shampoos can stimulate the growth of hair by increasing blood flow to the surface of the scalp. A rich blood supply helps provide the hair follicles with oxygen and nutrients necessary for healthy hair growth. Invigorating hair shampoos are specially formulated with botanicals and essential oils, like peppermint oil and tea tree oil, to promote local blood circulation and help you keep the scalp and hair healthy. 

Suggested Brand: Anti-Hair Loss Shampoo For Men and Women by Honeydew is formulated with Rosemary Essential Oil, Green Tea, and Sandalwood to help improve scalp circulation and revitalize hair.

3. PH balancers: Hair shampoos can help you maintain the proper pH balance of the scalp and hair, which ensures healthy hair growth. A gentle, PH-balanced shampoo will keep your hair and scalp healthy, maintain optimal pH balance, and decrease hair shedding. Hair growth shampoos should be free of harsh chemicals that can irritate the scalp and upset your natural scalp pH balance.

4. Scalp cleansing shampoos: If you suffer from hair loss as a result of the over-production of sebum, there are hair shampoos based on tea tree oil formulated to regulate sebum production and remove follicle-clogging residues from the scalp, enabling hair strands to grow.
If you are losing hair because of a scalp condition that causes inflammation of the hair follicle, there are herbal ingredients in hair shampoos that can help rid the scalp of fungi and bacteria, and stimulate healthy hair growth.

A girl holding her long hair