closet therapy blog

I took a lesson out of my own blog, literally. My hair was in a funk. I was cursing my colorist. I was longing, noncommittally, to meet a wonderful new stylist that would give new life to my bangs. I started wearing my hair in a low bun to work. Everyday.

Then a week ago I came across this post. Could it be true? Did I go through the exact same hair woes 2 years ago? And more importantly, would the solution be as simple as replacing my shampoo and conditioner? I guess it’s not a stretch that I’d find myself in the same cyclical product cycle: I ignore my tried-and-true products to experiment with shiny new brands and scents. This year in particular I’ve gone through Umberto (hey, it was the only “premium” shampoo available at Target at the time), Wen cleansing conditioners, Bliss Supershine shampoo and most recently the putrid-smelling Davines set from Costco.

I ordered the Kerastase Chroma Riche discovery set and hoped for the best.

So that’s it? That’s all it took? For me to suck it up, stop being cheap, and buy my old shampoo and conditioner? Apparently so.

After one wash (and a 15-minute deep conditioning session) my hair no longer feels like frizzed out horse hair. The threats of brassy orange that appeared last week have disappeared and my color is back to a nutty brown. (I still have to touch-up the roots though, don’t you wish they made a shampoo for that?) When I made the switch two years ago, I chose Oleo Relax because I was trying to control a fading perm. This time the Chroma Riche had just what I needed to undo the color and texture damage the past few shampoos did to my hair.

So what about product fatigue? It’s what prompts me to try a new bottle/brand every time. For now, I am staying away from salon-sized liter bottles. Sure you save a couple of bucks but then you get so bored with the product (and so does your hair) that you are more apt to switching. So then regular-sized bottles have me finishing them faster, giving me the freedom to switch shampoos, within the same Kerastase product line. Next on the list will be Bain Satin 2 or maybe the Oleo Relax again.

So now, what about the wallet issue? Kerastase is not cheap, but if you splurge on the basics then you really will need less extras. Less styling creme, less straightening balms. No leave-in conditioners. Less time styling your hair. If using Kerastase shampoo & conditioner everyday doesn’t fit your budget, my suggestion is to get a Masque Intense (or whichever for your hair type) and use it 2-3 times a week, using your regular shampoo & conditioner for maintenance. Your hair will thank you for it!