Everything from wash day to the finishing spray, in the order I actually use it. Each of these does one job for my hair and does it well.
My hair is fine and falls flat if I let it, so most of this page exists to give it a little extra oomph. Volume from the shower, volume revived on day two, volume locked in with a spray that holds. I wash once or twice a week, and that works really well for my hair, so anything that keeps it looking fresh between washes earns its spot fast.
The rest of these picks stretch the time between salon visits. Root cover-up when the grays start to show, at-home color when I know it will be a while, a blowout I can do in my own bathroom. Salon results at home, on a mom schedule.
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I love Amika Perk Up. It's pretty much invisible if used correctly: spray it in, wait for the magic to happen, then massage your scalp like you're actually shampooing, and you get that freshly washed look with no white residue, ever. The best part is it's free from sulfates, parabens and phthalates. Shop Amika Perk Up →
Once a week I use the Wella Professionals Ultimate Repair mask. It targets damaged hair and delivers visibly smoother, healthier-looking hair. My second favorite way to revive my hair is my Karseell Maca Essence Oil: it nourishes and repairs brittle, damaged hair, and when you're done rubbing it in, put the excess on your hands and skin, because your skin absorbs it easily and looks beautiful. Bonus: it smells so good. Shop the Wella repair mask →
You have to hit it from multiple angles. First, I use Paul Mitchell Extra-Body volume shampoo. If your hair is like mine and could use a little extra oomph, this one is my favorite: it gives hair extra volume and body without making it feel heavy, your hair feels so soft and silky afterwards, and it has this fresh crisp apple scent that smells so good. Shop Paul Mitchell → Then I have two favorite volume sprays. The best one is Sexy Hair BIG Fun Raiser: a texture spray that leaves your hair fuller and thicker without all the extra styling, with volume that can last up to 48 hours. I use it on my already-dry hair to revive it and give it volume like I just washed it. Shop BIG Fun Raiser → The other spray I use when my hair is damp after a shower is Amika Brooklyn Bombshell blowout spray. It gives you that big bouncy fresh-from-the-salon blowout, but at home. Shop the blowout spray → And my last favorite locks in all the volume: after you put all that work into your hair, you want it to stay. SexyHair BIG Spray and Stay has a serious hold, humidity resistance up to 72 hours, and gives you extra volume and lift. Shop Spray and Stay →
Personally, I wash mine once or twice a week, and that works really well for my hair. But here's the thing: there really isn't one magic number that's good for everybody. If you have really fine or oily hair, you might need to wash every day or every other day. If your hair is thicker, dry, or curlier, you can usually go longer between washes. And there can actually be benefits to not washing every single day: shampoo removes oil from your scalp, so if you're washing more often than your hair needs, you can end up drying out your hair and making it more prone to breakage. The trick is listening to your scalp. If you're getting really oily, itchy, flaky, or you have a ton of product buildup, it's probably time for a wash. And here's another little tip: shampoo your scalp, because that's where you actually need the cleaning, then concentrate your conditioner through the lengths and ends. Don't worry about training your hair to hit some magical number of days. Find the schedule that keeps your scalp clean and comfortable and your hair hydrated and healthy.
I have two solutions: one that stays until you wash it out, and one that's more permanent. My first magic cover-up is the Protege premium root touch-up color powder. You know the point when your grays start to show but you're not ready to color your hair yet again? This stuff is such a good secret. You just brush it onto your roots wherever you need coverage, and it comes with an applicator brush so you can get really precise around the hairline. It looks natural: mineral-based ingredients reflect light so your roots don't end up looking flat, and it's water resistant, so it stays put until you wash your hair. Brush it on, dust off any extra, and you're done. Shop the root powder → My second favorite, if I know it's going to be a long time before I get back to the salon, is the Menela Hair Tinting Kit. Salon results at home in 15 minutes, formulated without PPD, ammonia, or resorcinol, with jojoba oil to nourish and condition while it colors. And it can last six weeks. Shop Menela →
I have two favorites. The first is the all-in-one protector from Fenty Hair, Rihanna's line, called The Protective Type. It has a thermal guard, leaves your hair smooth and manageable, enhances your hair's natural shine, helps detangle, controls frizz, and it's universal, so it suits all hair types. My second is OGX ProGrowth and Peptide Serum Mist. It instantly plumps strands from root to tip while protecting against breakage, leaves your hair thicker and fuller, and protects up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Shielding hair from styling damage helps lessen breakage and hair fall. Shop OGX →
The Kitsch spray bottle. It delivers a smooth, clog-free, ultra-fine mist for even coverage without soaking hair. It refreshes curls, waves, and second-day styles with ease. Perfect for daily hair routines, especially for braiding and getting hair smooth. Shop the Kitsch bottle →
Dry your hair in half the time
"My salon dryer at home. Fast and quiet."
Why I like it:
This is the dryer I reach for after every wash. It's slim, it's quiet and it's strong, so my hair dries fast. L'ANGE says it's four times faster than a regular dryer. It cuts down on frizz too. It has three heat settings, three speeds and a cool button to set the style at the end.
Salon blowout, no salon
"My touch-up tool: a salon blowout on a school morning."
Why I like it:
This is my quick refresh between washes. It dries and styles at the same time, so I'm not juggling a dryer in one hand and a round brush in the other. It smooths my hair as it dries, and I get a real blowout on a school morning.
Curls without the wrist ache
"My curling iron: defined curls that last all day."
Why I like it:
The barrel turns on its own, so you're not twisting your wrist around the back of your head. It heats up fast and stays the same heat the whole time. Tight curls or loose waves, and they last me all day.
Wake up with curls
"My damage-free curls: sleep in it, wake up styled."
Why I like it:
This is how I get curls with zero heat. You wrap your hair around the satin rod before bed and unwrap it in the morning. Satin is gentle on hair, so you wake up with smooth curls and your hot tools stay in the drawer. It works on every hair type.
More curls, zero heat
"My heatless pick for more curls, all the way around."
Why I like it:
When I want more curls than the satin rod gives me, this is the one I use. It's for medium to thin hair, and it curls all the way around your head with no heat. You choose where the curls land. It comes in short, medium and long, so pick the length that matches your hair.
More body for flat hair
"My favorite volume shampoo. Extra body without feeling heavy."
Why I like it:
If your hair is like mine and could use a little extra oomph, this one is my favorite. It gives hair extra volume and body without making it feel heavy, leaves hair looking fuller while helping with damage, and your hair feels so soft and silky afterwards. And it has a fresh, crisp apple scent that smells so good.
Soft, healthy-looking hair
"My best shampoo for dry or stressed hair."
Why I like it:
This is my shampoo for when my hair feels dry or stressed. Wella packs it with a blend of extracts and vitamins, and my hair comes out looking moisturized and healthy. It's the first half of my wash-day pair.
Moisture for dry hair
"My best conditioner, with goji berry."
Why I like it:
The other half of my wash-day pair. It's a deep conditioner for dry, damaged hair, and my hair comes out looking moisturized.
Soft hair, big bottles
"The duo I keep stocked: both liters, one order."
Why I like it:
This is how I buy the shampoo and conditioner above: the big liter bottles, together in one order. Liters last, and we go through a lot of shampoo in a house of eight.
Rescue fried hair
"My repair mask for hot-tool and color damage."
Why I like it:
Once a week this goes on after I shampoo. It's for badly damaged hair, the kind you get from hot tools, color, sun and tight elastics. My hair comes out smoother and a lot easier to style.
Squeaky clean and still soft
"My detox shampoo: extra clean without the stripped feeling."
Why I like it:
This is my clarifying shampoo for when my hair feels coated. It clears out oil and product buildup and leaves it feeling extra clean, and it still hydrates, so my hair never feels stripped. DAE says it tames frizz and adds shine too.
Reset your hair in one wash
"My once-a-week deep clean."
Why I like it:
Once a week I use this to reset my hair. It pulls out product buildup, chlorine and hard-water minerals, and it's gentle enough to keep your color. It's sulfate-free and works on every hair type. It smells like oakmoss, ylang ylang and cucumber.
Bring damaged hair back
"My pick to revive damaged hair."
Why I like it:
This oil is my fix for brittle, damaged hair, and it gives your skin and nails a fresh glow too. It isn't oily and it soaks right in. Tip: when you put it in your hair, rub the extra into your hands and arms, and your skin will be so soft. Bonus: it smells so good.
Help your hair stay strong
"My pick to protect and strengthen."
Why I like it:
A leave-in mist I spray on before any heat. It protects up to 450 degrees and helps with breakage. OGX says it plumps each strand from root to tip for fuller-looking hair. It's lightweight, so it won't weigh fine hair down.
Help for shedding and breakage
"My pick to stop breakage and shedding."
Why I like it:
This is my serum for shedding and breakage. VEGAMOUR built it for daily use, so consistency is the whole game. It isn't oily, it soaks in fast and it layers into the rest of my routine without weighing my hair down.
Fix an itchy, flaky scalp
"My best scalp scrub."
Why I like it:
I use this before I shampoo. It gently scrubs away buildup, flakes and extra oil, and my scalp feels clean and fresh afterward. It has tea tree oil, shea butter and witch hazel in it. A clean scalp is where healthy-looking hair starts.
Skip a wash day
"My best dry shampoo: no white residue, ever."
Why I like it:
It's pretty much invisible if you use it right. Spray it in, wait for the magic to happen, then massage your scalp like you're actually shampooing. You get that freshly washed look with no white residue. It's vegan, cruelty free and safe for colored hair.
Thin hair, instant volume
"My best volume and texture spray."
Why I like it:
This is how I get volume and texture into my fine hair. Sexy Hair says it doubles the body and fullness, and the lift lasts up to 48 hours, even with a little humidity.
Your style stays put
"My finishing spray: intense hold up to 72 hours."
Why I like it:
This is the last thing on my hair before I walk out the door. It's SexyHair's strongest hold, it stands up to humidity for up to 72 hours and it dries clear and shiny with some extra lift.
Big, bouncy blowouts
"My blowout spray: heat protection plus massive volume."
Why I like it:
I spray this in before I blow dry. It protects from the heat and gives me big volume that lasts. The hold stays soft and touchable, the texture is great and it puts moisture back into your hair.
Styling made easier
"My best tool for braiding and styling."
Why I like it:
This is my secret for braiding and styling, mine and the kids'. Squeeze the trigger and it keeps misting, a fine even spray that dampens hair without soaking it. I use it to refresh curls, waves and second-day hair too.
Fresh roots in 15 minutes
"My best root touch-up dye between salon visits."
Why I like it:
When the roots show and my salon visit is a while off, this is what I use. It takes 15 minutes at home. It skips the harsh chemicals a lot of box dyes use, and it has jojoba oil to keep your hair soft. The color lasts up to six weeks.
Hide grays in seconds
"My gray cover-up in between visits. I use light brown."
Why I like it:
Quick and easy. Brush it into your roots, dust off the extra and you're set until your next wash. The dual-tip brush puts the powder right where you want it with no blotches, and the minerals in it give a natural shine.
