There’s no trend more indicative of the 2020s than the self-care revolution. “What’s your skincare routine?” “What do you use on your hair?” are conversation signs where I know I’ve found my people. I notice that when engaging in self-care conversations, skincare is the MVP, and haircare maybe a visit to the salon every once in a while. My skincare routine is solid, and I’m sure yours is, too. However, for my self-care routine, skincare and haircare are equally important.
Our skin and hair share many of the same properties and foundations; they need repair, moisture, and benefit from treatments, masks, and serums. Why wouldn’t you treat them the same? My curly hair takes up about 90% of my selfie; I can go out without makeup, no problem, but a bad hair day is non negotiable.
This is what a week in the life of my haircare routine looks like, and spoiler alert, it’s OLAPLEX, OLAPLEX, OLAPLEX.
Once weekly: Treatment & Mask (my hair’s time for a facial!)
Once a week (sometimes more if I’m feeling extra), I treat my hair with The Bond Treatment System. This system includes two essential components of my hair care routine, a bond-building treatment and a moisture mask. I apply the two treatments back to back, beginning with the OLAPLEX Nº.0 Intensive Bond Building Treatment + OLAPLEX Nº.3 Hair Perfector. Think of Nº.0 as a primer that enhances the benefits of Nº.3 for even more bond-building (which means healthier hair). I apply Nº.0 first to dampen my hair, then follow with Nº.3 directly on top after ten minutes have passed. After the two treatments are sitting on the head, the minimum time to remove it is ten minutes, but I typically leave it on for an hour and notice even better results.
Nº.8 is my moisture mask. My skin is naturally super dry, as is my hair, making moisture an integral part of both my skincare and haircare routines. After I’ve shampooed out my OLAPLEX treatment with OLAPLEX Nº.4 Bond Maintenance Shampoo, I apply the OLAPLEX Nº.8 Bond Intense Moisture Mask on my damp hair. This is another mask where the minimum is ten minutes, but I leave it longer. An hour seems to be my sweet spot where the treatments feel luxurious, and the products are working overtime for my hair!
3x Weekly
I cleanse my hair once weekly and co-wash about 3x weekly. This is my maintenance and protection routine where I use OLAPLEX Nº.4 and Nº.5 Bond Maintenance Shampoo and Conditioner in the shower, then apply my protective OLAPLEX styling products. Whenever I wet my hair in the shower, whether it’s cleansing or co-washing, I finish by using OLAPLEX Nº.6 Bond Smoother Leave-In Styling Treatment and Nº.7 Bonding Oil. Think of Nº.6 and Nº.7 as your daily facial products. The Nº.6 smoothes and tames any flyaways or frizz for up to 72 hours, moisturizes, and increases the manageability of the hair, which is excellent for a curly-haired gal like me but also fantastic for straight textures whose hair tangles easily.
Daily
Morning and night, I apply OLAPLEX Nº.7 Bonding Oil to the mids and ends of my hair. My hair soaks up any moisturizing product I apply to it, so I use a generous amount morning and night for shine, moisture, UV protection, bond-building, and protection from heat up to 450º f. For finer textures, use a couple of drops on your mids and ends; your hair will thank you!
