In the realm of hair care and styling, the quest for the perfect regimen that promises both health and glamour is unending. Honestly? I feel like my adult life has been trying one product after another and slowly adding them to the lineup when I find one that does what it promises to do.

Sound familiar?

The biggest change I’ve made for my hair in terms of health is going red. No longer bleaching my hair and going through that super harsh process has done wonders and it’s also allowed my hair a break. It seems that since I’ve gone red, my hair has grown faster, stronger, and longer. Products and tools have also helped a ton so I’ve listed them all below and how I use them.

Before I do any type of cleansing, I always start with a pre-wash oil treatment. This helps to strengthen my bonds and give my hair an added layer of protection before it’s washed. Transitioning to the cleansing phase, the Senegence Deep Cleansing Scalp Scrub is AMAZING. Think Japanese scalp spa. It’s designed to exfoliate and rejuvenate the scalp, while also getting rid of product buildup.

Next, I wash my hair with the Senegence HairCovery Thickening & Volumizing Shampoo, which lives up to its name and adds great body to my hair. Senegence also has a line specifically formulated for dry, brittle hair if you need some moisturizing TLC!

I follow this up with Senegence’s HairPlenish Conditioner.

Once rinsed, I wrap my hair up in a towel turban and let it dry a bit before doing anything else.

To cut down on the heat I put on my hair, I usually let it air dry 50-60% of the way. Once I get it to that point, I apply K18 which is a leave-in treatment mask for all hair types that clinically reverses damage in four minutes. The patented peptide technology works to repair damage from bleach, color, chemical services, and heat, restoring strength, softness, smoothness, and bounce to hair.

I take my hair and scalp health a step further by applying Senegence HairCovery Scalp Serum, a bi-weekly serum that nourishes the scalp.

Achieving the perfect blowout

Most days I wear my hair down in a relaxed curl. These easily last me the longest between washes and don’t require a ton of maintenance. I’ve covered this before but I slowly trained my hair to go longer in between washes. I use a few products that not only help me protect my hair from heat but also help maintain any styling I do!

• Raise the Root: this is the first thing I put on before I style my hair. It’s applied to the roots and can be applied to wet or dry hair (perfect for when you need a mid-week boost) and helps with volume and also acts as a heat protectant.

• Xtra Large Bombshell Volumizer: this styling mousse is super lightweight and instantly thickens hair. I find that my hair always lasts longer when I have this in.

• Speed Dry Spray: the less time you can have heat on your hair the better and this spray cuts down drying time by 30%. I have a ton of hair so I love this but it’s also super amazing for extensions as well - I always feel like it takes forever for those to dry when I have them in.

• Dream Coat Supernatural Spray: I use this every 3rd or 4th wash. It helps weather-proof my hair!

Salon Blowout Maintenance:

In between washes, I try to use as little product as possible but if I need to, these are the 3 I swear by:

• HairCovery Holding Spray: I use this to set my curls once done and then throughout the week as needed. It holds the curls without giving me helmet head and my hair still moves as if it doesn’t have anything in it.

• Dry Shampoo: I try to use dry shampoo as little as possible. If I can avoid it, I do. But when I do need to use it, I use this one. It’s clean and absorbs any oil build-up.

• Style on Steroids Texturizing Spray: this spray is great to help retain your style and also add back some texture if you’ve gone a few days.

my favorite hair tools/accessories

Styling products aren’t the only thing that help me style and maintain my hair in between washes. These hair accessories and tools are my favorite for everyday maintenance:

• The Glow Beauty Hair Brush: this brush detangles and helps prevent breakage, static, and frizz. The metal bristles also gently exfoliate the scalp and help replenish moisture by moving your natural oils from root to tip.

• Gimme Beauty Hair Ties: every girl should have a hair tie handy! These seamless microfiber bands won’t crease or damage your hair. Plus they don’t lose shape and are colored to closely match your hair color.

• BioIonic Curling Iron: if there’s one hot tool you should own, it’s this curling iron. Long-haired ladies have a deep love for this curling iron because it’s an additional 2 inches longer than the average curling iron and comes in 1”, 1.25”, and 1.5”.

• Shark FlexStyle: I love my Dyson Supersonic hair dryer but for price, versatility, and efficacy, this beats them all. It comes with multiple attachments and has a pretty low profile if you’ve got to pack it.

Styling my curly hair

For those days when the curls demand to be celebrated, my routine transitions to a curated selection of curl-enhancing prodigies, including:

• Bumble & Bumble Invisible Oil: This spray instantly hydrates and cuts frizz by 50% - ideal for styling my hair curly.

• Kinky Curly Custard: I’m convinced that the person who invented this has tried every single curly hair product on the market. It’s amazing. It doesn't leave your hair crunchy, or heavy, and doesn’t shed from your hair. Use a bit more than you think you’ll need and scrunch away.

• dae Prickly Pear Hair Oil: I love this oil to top off my curly hair. It’s also great for:

  • As a super-smooth finish on dry hair.

  • As a breakage remedy on damp hair.

  • As an overnight hydration treatment.

I use my Shark FlexStyle to get my hair to 90% dry and then let the rest air dry and Senegence hair spray to hold everything in place.

I hope this guide is helpful. I’m always on the lookout for winners so if you have products you love, let me know in the comments below!