How to Upgrade Your At-Home Hair Care Routine in 7 Easy Steps

If there’s one thing everyone needs to know about hair care, it’s this: Great hair begins with the right at-home hair care routine. The “skinification” of hair care has shown us that your locks deserve the same time and attention as your skin. That means regularly supplying your hair with nourishing and hydrating ingredients that help protect, hydrate, and promote healthy-looking tresses. But for most people, nailing down a good hair care routine can take some trial and error—and when life gets busy, it’s easy to cut corners or go into full autopilot mode. 

If you’re worried that your hair care routine could use a bit of a glow-up (or you’re guilty of putting your hair on the back burner lately), you’ve landed on the right page. Below, we’re laying out seven easy steps to help revamp your at-home hair care routine.

Why Is Having a Hair Care Routine Important?

Maintaining an at-home hair care regimen is one of the best ways to reach your hair goals. Following simple, routine hair care steps (shampooing, conditioning, deep conditioning, heat protection, and regular haircuts), can help:

• Deliver much-needed hydration to your strands
• Support a healthy, balanced scalp
• Promote a healthy balance of natural oils
• Prevent unwanted buildup that can leave your locks looking dull
• Neutralize brassiness and help maintain color results at-home
• Boost strength and help to prevent breakage

Upgrade Your Routine With These 7 Simple Steps

Maintaining healthy hair requires a bit of effort if you want to keep it looking lush, shiny, and full. And while there are no magical shortcuts, properly caring for your hair with an at-home hair care routine is worth the commitment. Whether you have curly hair, straight hair, or coarse hair, it’s possible to achieve gorgeous locks with the right regimen. Here are seven easy steps for an upgraded hair care routine.

Step 1: Use salon-quality products at home

Salon-quality hair care doesn’t end when you leave the salon. The products you incorporate into your at-home regimen should be of the same caliber, with efficacious ingredients and formulations made for your specific hair type.

L'Oréal Professionnel’s range of at-home hair care products is designed to deliver salon-worthy results from the comfort of your home—with a variety of lines for all hair types and textures. For example, if you’re looking to revamp your curly hair care routine or wavy hair care routine, there’s L'Oréal Professionnel Curl Expression. This collection features a portfolio of eight products designed to meet every curly hair need. Infused with glycerin, urea, and hibiscus seed, the curl-loving range produces immediate results for 2x more conditioning,*** 11x more definition,*** and 48-hour frizz-free protection.

To upgrade your at-home curly hair routine, lather up using the Curl Expression Moisturizing Shampoo to gently cleanse and remove buildup—followed by the Intensive Moisturizer Mask to deeply hydrate. After rinsing thoroughly and towel-drying your hair, style using the Curl Expression Cream-In-Mousse for deep care and hydration. Lastly, apply the Curl Reviver Spray for added definition and bounce.

Step 2: Detoxify your hair from hard water and metals

Hard water and metal buildup can affect the look and feel of your hair pretty drastically—leaving it dry, limp, brittle, and brassy. About 80% of the U.S. has water that’s considered “hard” (high in dissolved minerals and metals).1 So, if your at-home hair care routine doesn’t include a detoxifying step yet, this may be the perfect way to upgrade your regimen. To help combat breakage and unreliable color results from hard water, we recommend L'Oréal Professionnel Metal Detox. This range features Glicoamine as its star ingredient, which is the only active agent small enough to trap and neutralize metals inside the hair fiber. This helps prevent metals from interacting with oxidants, resulting in 87% less breakage**** and 100% reliable color results.*****

Creating an at-home detox routine is simple and only requires two steps. First, wash your hair using the Metal Detox sulfate-free shampoo. This anti-metal cleansing cream gently detoxifies metals from your hair and can be used both in the salon and at home. Apply this shampoo evenly onto wet hair, lather into a rich foam, and rinse. Next, apply the Metal Detox Mask to towel-dried hair and leave it on for approximately 1-15 minutes before rinsing. This mask is perfect for anyone looking to elevate their at-home routine by moisturizing their strands and combating the effects of hard water and metals on hair.

Step 3: Invest in a good quality hair towel

If your hair care routine needs a refresh, it may be helpful to reassess your daily shower habits—some of which can damage your tresses. This is especially true of the type of towel you use to dry your hair post-shower. The rough texture and dryness of some cotton towels, for instance, can result in hair-damaging friction. Since wet hair is already more prone to breakage, it’s best to dry your hair post-shower using gentle fabrics whenever possible.

Instead, treat your hair to some TLC by always towel drying your hair gently and investing in a soft microfiber or bamboo hair towel. If you tend to go to bed with wet hair, a microfiber towel pillow cover can be another great option for upping your hair care routine. These changes may help promote smoother, healthier-looking hair and protect against unwanted damage and frizziness.

Step 4: Wash only when necessary

When it comes to the dilemma of how often you should wash your hair, there are a few key considerations to keep in mind. First off, it’s important to remember that there’s no magic number that will work for everyone. In reality, the ideal number of washes per week varies from person to person.

"This process will vary depending on your hair density, texture, and daily styling habits,” says Victoria Usher, L'Oréal Professionnel Assistant Vice President of Training. “However, I do not recommend washing every day. The average should be three to four times per week."

In general, the goal is to wash your hair only when it’s dirty—and not simply out of habit—to avoid over-washing. This is because over-washing can strip away natural oils (sebum) and essential moisture, potentially resulting in dryness, a tight-feeling scalp, frizz, and brittle hair. To refresh between washes, add a salon-quality dry shampoo to your hair care routine.

Step 5: Turn down the temperature on your hot tools

The next crucial step in a good hair care routine is adjusting the way you use hot tools. Using hair dryers and hot tools incorrectly can wreak havoc on your tresses, from breakage to dryness, split ends, and more. If hot tools are a part of your normal routine, try turning down the heat settings or allowing your hair to air dry a few times per week. A heat-protector is also an important product to have handy before applying heat to your strands.

If you frequently use hot tools, you also may want to consider investing in newer technology that helps reduce the chances of heat damage. For example, the L'Oréal Professionnel’s SteamPod styles hair 2x smoother,* 2x faster,* and with up to 91% less breakage.** 

Step 6: Get a trim

When life gets busy, it’s easy to slack on getting regular trims. However, keeping up with trims every six weeks to three months can create a noticeable difference in your locks—especially if you’re prone to split ends. So, as part of your hair routine upgrade, make it a point to schedule those haircut appointments consistently.

Step 7: Banish your old brush

It’s time to finally throw away that old brush you’ve been meaning to replace—for good. The brushes you choose can make a big difference in the quality of your hair, for better or for worse. For example, brushing your hair with a high-quality brush can help keep your hair free of tangles and prevent hair breakage or damage. It can also boost shininess by distributing your hair’s natural oils through your strands. And, as a bonus, brushing with a gentle brush can be like a mini massage for your scalp.

There are many types of brushes to choose from, including paddle brushes, round brushes, and brushes designed for wet hair. If you’re unsure of the best type of brush for your hair, consult with your stylist.

Learn more about how to use L'Oréal Professionnel’s Metal Detox Range with our at-home routine for combatting hard water and metals in hair.

References:

1. “Hard Water Facts.” City of Scottsdale, Scottsdale Water, 2022.