There was a time, actually not very long ago, that I grew my hair out and tried some new things with it. And that’s when I received the MOST comments. I’m always suggesting that you try to step outside of your comfort zone from time to time and try new things. And, as most of you know, the entire reason this channel exists is to prove that it’s never too late and you’re never too old to make a change in your life or try something new. Since I practice what I preach, I’m always trying things. Sometimes they work, and sometimes they don’t. And I’m okay with that. But since I put myself out there with these videos, when they fail, I hear about it. But at least I can say that I tried.
Aveda Shampoo & Conditioner
Okay, so let’s start with the shampoo and conditioner that I use. I LOVE Aveda products and I use their men’s Pure Performance line. I got introduced to Aveda products back in 2015 when I was asked to be a special guest for a Men’s Night out promotion hosted by Seattle Magazine. I was so impressed that I actually bought some shampoo and conditioner that night and I haven’t looked back. Now, I have tried other shampoos and conditioners, but I ALWAYS come back to Aveda.
Just a warning, it’s not inexpensive stuff. We’re talking almost $60 with sales tax for both of these bottles combined. But since I don’t use conditioner every day, I probably use the shampoo 2-1 over the conditioner. So it’s not like I’m spending $60 every time. With that said, I’m completely on board with it, and at this point, I really don’t care. They use natural ingredients that aren’t damaging to your hair or skin, and they don’t use crazy harsh lathering or sudzing chemicals. So, if you get some to try, don’t be too surprised if it doesn’t lather up like you went through a car wash. And, speaking of trying some, I’ll try to put direct links to everything down below in the description. I’m telling you, if this stuff ever goes away, I’m not sure what I’ll do.
Argan Oil
Next, after lightly towel drying my hair after the shower, I use an Argan Oil to help maintain hair strength, shine and softness. Argan Oil is basically a really good moisturizer, not only for your hair, but for your scalp as well. It can also be used to fight dandruff and dry scalp because it’s very high in vitamin E and antioxidants. Also, since I use a blow dryer every day, (I’ll get to that in a minute), it also helps add a layer of heat protection to my hair. I was using a slightly different one from Redkin, but that one got pretty hard to find, so I picked up this one from a local store a few weeks ago.
Purple Toning Shampoo
Okay, back to shampoo for a minute. I made a video about a year ago talking about purple shampoo and if it really worked. The short answer is yes, but if you wanna see that video and see me in the shower using it, I’ll leave a link right up here, and also down in the description. I was using a more expensive purple shampoo from Pravana, but as you’re probably aware, Amazon was only shipping essential items for a while, so I couldn’t even get it. I ended up getting this one from Loreal at a store locally and I’m pretty happy with it. It seems to be working and I use it about 2-3 times a week. The benefit is, if you have gray or white hair, this cancels out that brassy tan tint that can appear in your hair and makes it look more silver.
Layrite Clay
Okay, moving on to styling products. This is the sexy stuff that everybody wants to know about. Everyone wants to know what you use in your hair. I’ve tried a ton of different products from clay, to pomade, to paste, and hair spray, texture spray, pre-styling sea salt and wax… I’ve used a lot. Some I like, and some I don’t. But, for me… right now… I’m using the Layrite cement clay and I keep coming back to it. It just works for me. With wet hair, after applying the Argan Oil, I’ll use a little bit of the clay and work it in all over. Then I use a blow drier with either a curved brush or a round brush (depending on how long my hair is). I’ll use the brush to add volume and the heat helps lock in the volume and the direction I want my hair to go. I’ll finish with cold air for 30 seconds or so to also help lock things in place. Once my hair is dry, I’ll use a little more clay to put a finishing hold on everything.
Water Soluble
The thing I do pay attention to is that whatever I put in my hair needs to be water soluble. I’ve used wax-based products before and I hate that it’s so hard to shampoo that stuff out. Also, one more thing, if you have gray hair, the color of the product you use can, and will influence a color tint in your hair. I used to use this pomade from Boardwalk that was brown. I loved the product, but over time, It made my hair have a weird brassy tan tint. Now, this was even before I used purple shampoo. I stopped using it and went with this other stuff from Craft that was kind of light blue, and the tan tint went away. So, if you have gray or white hair, just keep that in mind. Or use purple shampoo. The Layrite stuff is white, so it’s a non-issue.