10 Steps to Healthier, Shinier, Salon-Worthy Hair

01 · Cleanse

Shampoo sets the tone for everything that follows. A formula that strips too aggressively leaves the lengths porous and dull, which is why hair can feel rough by day two no matter what you apply afterwards. Match the cleanser to your texture rather than your scalp anxiety: thicker, drier hair wants nutrition; fine hair wants clarity.

Kérastase Nutritive Hydrating Shampoo is the one we'd reach for if hair feels dry from mid-length down — it cleanses without that squeaking, tightened sensation.

02 · Condition

Conditioner is where softness, slip and manageability are decided. It reseals the cuticle after cleansing, which is what makes hair reflect light rather than absorb it. Apply from the ears down, leave it for the length of a shower rather than a rinse, and comb it through before rinsing.

For hair that feels dry from mid-length down, Kérastase Nutritive Magistral Fondant Conditioner is the one we'd reach for: it smooths the cuticle without coating it, so hair stays light and responsive rather than weighed down.

03 · Deep Treat

One weekly mask does more visible work than any daily product. Ten minutes is usually enough — longer mostly makes you feel virtuous. The trick is choosing for your actual problem rather than buying the most famous jar.

04 · Repair

Worth knowing: hydration and repair are not the same thing. A mask softens the hair you have; a repair treatment works on the internal bonds that heat, bleach and colour have broken. If your ends look fine when wet and frayed when dry, this is the step that makes the difference.

K18's Leave-In Molecular Repair Hair Mask is particularly interesting for hair that has been repeatedly exposed to heat or chemical treatments — four minutes on damp hair, no rinsing, and the change in elasticity is obvious after two or three uses. Olaplex No.3 remains the gentler, slower alternative for maintenance between colour appointments.

05 · Leave-In

A leave-in is the quiet workhorse: it detangles wet hair so you break less of it, softens the surface, keeps frizz in proportion and adds a first layer of protection before anything hot comes near.

If your hair tends to knot at the nape, OUAI Detangling & Frizz Control Leave-In Conditioner is the easiest one to live with. For dry hair, Kérastase Nutritive 8H Magic Night Serum does the same work overnight.

06 · Heat Protection

Nothing undoes a repair treatment faster than a 200°C straightener on unprotected hair. A heat protectant is not an optional extra step — it is the reason your ends still look the same in six months. It also makes blow-drying faster, which means less heat overall.

Kérastase L'Incroyable Blow-Dry is our pick because it protects and shapes at once — hair holds the style it was dried into rather than collapsing by evening.

07 · Volume & Movement

Body should come from the root, not from product piled through the lengths — that is what makes hair feel stiff and look styled in the wrong way. Lift at the root and leave the ends soft, and hair moves the way it does when someone else has dried it.

Color Wow Raise the Root is the one we'd reach for: sprayed at the roots on damp hair, it builds lift where it matters and brushes out without residue.

08 · The Blowout

This is the purchase that changes the routine rather than adding to it. A styler that dries and shapes in one pass means less time under heat and a finish that genuinely resembles a salon blow-dry — soft bend, glossy surface, root lift that survives the day.

The Dyson Airwrap Multi-Styler Complete Long earns its place because it does the work of three tools and does it at a lower temperature. If you blow-dry more than twice a week, it pays for itself in ends you don't have to cut off.

09 · Smooth, Gloss & Control

The finishing stage is what separates hair that looks washed from hair that looks done. Choose according to the effect you want rather than layering all three — a glossing spray, a frizz-proofing treatment and an oil do different jobs, and one is usually enough.

• For glassy shine · Color Wow Dream Coat Supernatural Spray — sprayed on damp hair and activated with heat, it keeps hair smooth even in humidity.
• For frizz control · Moroccanoil Treatment — the original, still the most reliable on thick or coarse textures.
• For a polished finish · Sebastian Professional Dark Oil — weightless, quietly glossy, good on fine hair.

10 · The Final Drop

One or two drops of oil, warmed between the palms and pressed through the mid-lengths and ends — never the roots. It is the smallest step in the ritual and the one people notice, because light behaves differently on a sealed cuticle.

Kérastase Elixir Ultime is the one we'd keep on the shelf: refined enough to use on dry hair mid-afternoon without it looking greasy.