My friend Jen had enough of my dried-out, frizzy locks in Japan. (For the record, there has been a lack of frizz-fighting products and hair dryers with diffusers over here. That, and I’ve been lazy about my hair care. Although I recently got into this super awesome, super easy work-week braid routine that I will share soon!)
This week she sent me a package of products and a very detailed e-mail of instructions like only someone getting their Ph.D. in clinical psychology can deliver. (Can you imagine her client notes?) Even though she has a head of silky blonde hair, nothing like my crazy copper strands, I trust this shampoo/conditioner routine will work wonders on my hair too. And it’s so awesome that I must share with the Internetverse. Good hair karma, right?
JEN’S LUSCIOUS LOCKS.
For the lovely ladies in my life.
Personal anecdote:
Before I knew what I was doing, my hair was flat, scraggly, fragile, a little frizzy and definitely dry. I probably wouldn’t have been the worst ‘before’ pic, true – but, it wasn’t as baby soft, silky, shiny and healthy as it is now 
Respectable celebrity anecdotes:
Jennie Garth and Connie Britton (who i LOVE in Nashville) supposedly both use Wen, too
Connie Britton was just named ‘best hair’ in People Magazine, and actually included a very funny excerpt written from the perspective of her Hair as a person, and obviously did not let the title go to her head, literally or figuratively.
Ok
Jen Hair Care:
General tips:
1) NEVER use regular shampoo on hair below your ears (unless under dire circumstances where you’ve rolled in the mud, been tarred and feathered, or are afraid you may have lice, otherwise – leave it. Nope sweat is ok – rinse it well, and use a hair tie when you run (please, for many reasons). To wash my scalp (sweaty/oily than the rest of my hair), I put my hair in a loose bun before getting in the shower. massage shampoo (Aveeno normal moisturizing, see below) on my scale around the bun. Then lift the bun, tilt your head back and rinse the shampoo away. Once rinsed well, let your hair down and condition from your ears to the ends. Let rest for a few min (shave your legs or buff your feet in the mean time).
2) Wash your hair with warm water, not scalding hot, not even regular hot, and do a final rinse of conditioner with cold water.
3) Sleep with your hair in a loose bun so that you don’t roll around on it and frizz it up at night.
4) Use a wide-toothed comb after the shower, not a brush.
5) Wrap your hair in a towel – do not rub with the towel – squeeze and blot. Twist and put up.
6) If you dry your hair, let it air dry first – until at least 1/2 dry, if possible. As it’s air drying, I’m occasionally fluffing it to increase surface exposure to the roots and expedite drying. For me – this doesn’t take long as I have really fine hair, so do this as you can. Skip drying all together, if you can (mine would be really really flat, so I usually dry it for at least 5 min on warm with my head upside down to aim at volumizing the roots, minimal drying of the ends)
7) Set the blow dryer to Warm, use Hot super sparingly – I’m talking, for quick styling at the end – a little curl, smoothing the ends.
8) Use ceramic hair tools – irons, even brushes if used with the dryer.
OK Products:
I only use 4 everyday, all of them.
1) Aveeno normal moisturizing shampoo. The true Wen hair care method is to only use the cleansing conditioner. But, I find it doesn’t clean well enough. That, and my hair is fine so extra oil on top (of my already oily scalp) makes for flat hair, slightly darker roots, that’s just not good. So I use this Aveeno shampoo – it seems to work efficiently (no need to let it rest for long before rinsing), and leaves my hair silkier than others. But, I don’t know if there’s anything else special about it, other than I like natural products.
2) Wen cleansing conditioner. I use this as a conditioner in the shower and also as a leave-in conditioner after. Apply liberally to hair from ears to ends. Let rest for several minutes. Rinse with cold water. Also, apply a few pumps worth (depending on your hair thickness and dryness) after towel-drying and spritzing with sun spray (below) before combing through.
3) Aveda sun care protective hair veil
- it has UVA/UVB spectrum protection. Use it even on cloudy days. I find that it does help my scalp from becoming sunburnt on sunny days when i’m out and about, but that on a daily basis, it really reduces frizz! It does for Ben, too (don’t tell him that I said he uses it). Spray it on liberally after towel drying then apply leave-in conditioner.
4) Aveda smoothing fluid
This is just a serum to add silky shine. Use a couple (+) pumps, rub hands together, and lightly scrunch your hair to apply evenly after drying or when wet, if not drying. Avoid patting as it can be oily if applied too heavily, also avoid roots.
So quick washing regimen review:
1) place hair in bun
2) shampoo scalp
3) let hair down, apply conditioner
4) wait a few min.
5) rinse with cold water
6) towel wrap
7) spritz with sun spray
8) apply leave-in conditioner
9) air dry/dry on warm/ or skip this step
10) apply smoothing fluid
Done! Luscious Locks
This really works for me so had to share!
If nothing else, the level of detail is something to smile at
xoxoxoxo
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