SKIN DEEP
Healthy Hair
BY CAITLIN BROWN
I’m a bit of a skincare/beauty product fanatic, and have been since my late teens, early 20s, yet I don’t recall ever reading a product label and checking out the big, “active” ingredients back then. But who’s thinking about these things in their youth!
The increasing transparency of what ingredients we end up putting on our biggest organ, our skin, is all about companies recognizing that customers are more informed, know what to look for, want to know the active ingredients (hyaluronic acid is a big one, vitamin E, salycic acid, peptides, antioxidants — the ingredients that get results when it comes to skincare), and want to know what’s not in it (toxic chemicals: parabens, etc.), or they won’t buy it.
And it’s not just about our face anymore.
The beauty wellness trend — from the inside out — has gone to our heads. The scalp requires regular nourishment to stay healthy, and its health determines healthy hair growth. The major hair-care beauty brands are introducing an endless array of scalp fixers with familiar skincare power ingredients: serums, masks, conditioning oils, scrubs —adding another few steps to the traditional lather-rinse regimen. It’s been dubbed “the Skinification of Hair.”
An explosion of products now sit at the intersection of skincare and haircare, tackling issues right from the root:
Brands like Briogeo, a big hair brand now at Sephora, offer products like Scalp Revival, an exfoliating shampoo, chock full of skin buzzword ingredients: coconut oil, charcoal, peppermint, tea tree oil, and “super-vitamin panthenol, providing essential nutrients to strengthen the hair roots and shaft.” And, of course, there are NO toxic culprits: sulfates, silicones, phthalates, parabens, DEA, or artificial dyes.
A healthy scalp is the root of healthy locks, so the ingredients we put in our bodies and on our bodies matter, from head to toe.
Some standout goodies on the market, all available at Sephora, include:
Briogeo
Scalp Revival: (Allure Best of Beauty Winner, 2018)
Charcoal- and coconut oil-infused shampoo that detoxifies, exfoliates, soothes, and balances the scalp for optimal scalp health.
Olaplex
Hair Perfector No.3 (my favorite)
A concentrated treatment that strengthens the hair from within, reducing breakage and improving its look and feel.
Christophe Robin
Cleansing Purifying Scrub with Sea Salt
A scalp exfoliator and shampoo that cleanses, removes buildup, and soothes sensitive, flaky, and oily scalps.
Kerastase
Resistance Length Strengthening Scalp Serum
A serum that creates visibly stronger hair from the roots.
