Daily Hair Care Routine in Six Easy Steps

Trying to look after your hair and get all that everyday stuff done you need to do, as well as look after your friends and family, can be a tricky balancing act. We all want to have great hair; but unfortunately, shiny, healthy hair doesn't just happen without a little bit of effort.

That effort, however, doesn't have to take up all of your time or break the bank. In fact, the only thing you need to do is put in the short amount of time necessary to follow this simple daily hair care routine. It's that easy!

Step #1: Brush Your Hair It may seem like the obvious thing to do, but maybe what you didn't know is that brushing keeps your hair tangle-free and distributes its natural oils throughout the hair. This promotes healthy growth and shine.

Step #2: Wash Your Hair

How often you wash your hair depends on your hair type and texture. Work out what's best for you by seeing how your hair reacts to washing and hair care products, and develop a schedule from there. For instance:

 Your hair is coarse/dry if it often feels brittle- this means you only need to wash it every second or third day.  Your hair is fine/oily if it feels greasy the day after you wash it- this means you need to wash it daily.  Your hair is normal if you wash it one day and it's not too greasy the next- this means you can get away with washing it every other day.

Shampoo Tips

 Remember to shampoo in small, circular movements; don't forget to target dirt collecting areas such as the nape of your neck.

 Massaging your scalp will increase blood flow which encourages growth and will stimulate your hair's natural oils (producing shiny locks).

 Coarse/dry hair will benefit from hydrating shampoos.  Fine/oily hair should be washed with a clear shampoo (one that doesn't look creamy).

 Normal hair can use just about any type of shampoo- just remember to always use good quality products for the best results.

Conditioner Tips

 Similar to body lotion for your skin, conditioner is moisturizer for your hair and will keep your strands hydrated and manageable.

 For an even application use your hands and a wide-toothed comb.

 If you've got coarse/dry hair try a hydrating conditioner and apply it right from your roots to your ends.

 For fine/oily hair use a lightweight conditioner and avoid putting it on your roots (evenly distribute it from the mid-lengths to the ends).

 For normal hair you can use just about any kind of conditioner, applied from your roots to your ends also.

Step #3: Apply Hair Styling Products

If you have a hairstyle that needs to use hair styling products- hairspray for hold, wax for hold and shine, or serum for shine and to maintain fly-away pieces- then don't use too much! You might end up weighing your hair down and reducing its volume, or just making it greasy and dirty. Often less is more. Also, don't forget to protect your hair. If you style your hair with a hair straightener or blow-dryer, it's very important to protect your hair with a heat protecting products and to give your hair a break every few days from the stress of using hair accessories and hairstyling tools. Step #4: Style Your Hair

Everyone styles their hair, whether they're elaborate updos, professional-looking hairdos for work, or casual wash-and-wear looks. Styling is required daily and should be done as gently as possible.

Step #5: Brush Your Hair Again at Night

Brushing your hair again at night will help you to untangle any knots that made their way into your locks during the day. Step #6: Secure Your Hair at Night

Securing your hair at night with a simple ponytail or plait will make sure your locks don't get snagged or tangled as you sleep. There you have it, a simple daily routine (and some great hair care tips). It's not hard to follow, it won't have you spending all of your hard-earned cash, and most importantly, it will get your hair in the best condition possible.

Daily Hair Care Routine For All Hair Types

Hair Care Routine For Different Hair Types

1. For Straight Hair You may think straight hair does not require much in the way of a hair care routine, but you would be drastically wrong. Just because your straight hair is easy to manage does not mean that you can skimp on taking proper care of it. Now, the thing with straight hair is that the natural oils from your scalp travel down the complete length of your hair quite evenly. So, the main issue to address when designing a daily hair care routine for straight hair is its tendency to fall flat and look greasy.

How To Wash

 Wash your hair with a sulfate-free shampoo to keep any greasiness or oiliness at bay.  Just because your hair feels oily does not mean that you wash it daily. In fact, that could be quite counterproductive as your scalp would produce more oil to compensate for the oil stripped away by daily shampooing. So, limit washing your hair to once in 2-3 days.

How To Care

 Conditioning your straight hair is uber important if you want it to look its soft and smooth best.

 Pick a conditioner that is infused with an essential oil – like coconut oil, jojoba oil, or argan oil – that will hydrate your hair and nourish it from within.

 Do not apply conditioner on your scalp and roots of your hair to prevent it from building up and making your hair look greasy and flat. Instead, apply it from the nape of your neck and pull it down till the ends of your hair.

How To Style

 How many times have you whined about your straight hair falling flat and looking limp and boring? Probably too many times to count. Well, there’s just one product that you need to combat this problem – volumizing mousse. Apply a dollop of volumizing mousse throughout your damp hair before air drying/blow drying it. This will add volume to your hair and infuse new life into it.  Another common complaint ladies have is that their hair can get too smooth and slippery to style it properly. Braids unravel and ponytails droop down throughout the day. In this case, spritz on some texturizing spray to add some texture and hold to your hair.

2. For Wavy Hair

Wavy hair can be immensely easy or painfully difficult to style, depending on how you take care of it. This neither-curly-nor-straight hair type needs its own special kind of tender loving care as it can get greasy at the scalp and dry at the ends.

How To Wash

 While going too many days between washing your wavy hair can cause increased hair fall, washing it too often can dry it out. So, it’s best to wash it every 3-4 days to keep it clean and healthy.

 Dry your hair with a microfiber towel to keep that pesky frizz at bay. How To Care

 Condition your hair every time you wash it to give your waves more definition.

 Give your hair an oil massage with coconut oil, olive oil, or pumpkin seed oil an hour before you wash your hair or leave it in overnight. This will nourish and condition your hair from within, leaving it softer and shinier

 Harsh sun and wind can unleash untold damage and cause split ends in your wavy hair. A great way to prevent that from happening is to apply jojoba oil on the ends of your hair and leave it on overnight. This will lock in moisture and make your hair look super healthy.

How To Style

 The best way to get well-defined waves is to tie your hair up in braids before going to bed. The more braids that you have in your hair, the tighter and more well-defined your waves will be.

 Every wavy haired girl knows that hair scrunching has got to be an essential part of her hair styling routine. And if you didn’t, I’ll let you in on the secret. Right after you step out of the shower, apply a bit of leave-in conditioner to your hair. Then, bend down and flip your hair forward. Ball up your fists with handfuls of hair and scrunch them up towards your scalp. Don’t brush/hair after this. This way, when your hair dries, your waves will have more definition.

3. For Curly Hair

Yes, curly hair can be fun, playful, and full of character. But there’s a dark side to it that you need to be aware of. Curly hair is notoriously difficult to take proper care of because it tends to get dry, frizzy, and lose curl definition. So, here’s what you need to do to take care of it. How To Wash

 Curly hair tends to get dry because curls act as an obstruction for the natural oils from the scalp to travel down the length of your hair. Which is why using harsh shampoos on it can be an even worse idea because they can further strip the oils from your hair. So your best course of action is to use a mild sulfate-free shampoo to preserve the oils in your hair.

 Now this may come as a bit of a shocker to some but hear me out – wash your curly hair just twice a week. This may sound gross to you but is actually the best thing you can do to prevent your curls from becoming dry and damaged.

 You could simply co-wash (i.e. wash your hair with just conditioner) every alternate day to cleanse your hair without drying it out too much. How To Care

 Curly hair needs all the moisture that it can get. Therefore, conditioning it needs to become an integral part of your routine. You can condition your hair every time you wash it and also on the days when you are not shampooing it (i.e. co-washing).

 Deep conditioner can be a real lifesaver when it comes to hydrating your curls as it penetrates the hair shaft completely and nourishes it from within. So, make sure you deep condition your hair at least once every two weeks.

 Curly hair can be quite fragile and can break quite easily, which makes it quite tricky to detangle. The best way to do is when you’re in the shower and have conditioner in your hair. Simply run a wide toothed comb through your at this time to remove all the knots and tangles. Not only does this reduce breakage, it also preserves your curl definition. How To Style

 When it comes to styling curly hair, a diffuser attachment on your blow dryer is your best friend. The spokes of a diffuser ensure that your curls dry in a defined pattern and prevent it from frizzing up.

 Add oodles of definition to your curls by applying a curl defining cream right after you step out of the shower.

 As I mentioned earlier, detangle your hair in the shower while it still has conditioner in it. Then, completely abstain from brushing or combing it as it will only ruin your curls and cause your hair to frizz up.

A Few Other Tips To Follow:

 Split ends can make your hair look dull, dry, and damaged. So, trim your hair every couple of months to keep your tresses look healthy.

 Avoid washing your hair every day as it will strip your hair of its natural oils and dry it out. Instead, limit washing your hair to once or twice a week.

 Avoid tying your hair up in very tight ponytails, buns, or braids as it can cause breakage and could even lead to bald spots in the long run.

 Wear a hat or tie a scarf around your head when you step out to protect your hair from the harmful effects of the sun.

 Wash your hair with cool or lukewarm water as hot water can dry it out and damage it. And that’s that, ladies! An everyday hair routine for every hair type. Pick out one that suits your hair the best and comment below to let us know if (actually, when) you see a massive improvement in your hair!