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The big guide to hair care: Your FAQs answered

Get the lowdown on your frequently asked hair questions from Garnier, including how often you should wash your hair, the best home hair dyes and right hair treatments for you. Find out everything you need to know about home hair care with our comprehensive guide. 

How can I dye my hair at home? 

Home hair dyes aren’t rocket science – but sometimes it can definitely feel like it! If you want to know how to dye hair at home, it’s very simple. First off, get the pre-dye care part right. That means ensuring that your hair is in good condition, while you may also wish to consider getting a hot oil hair treatment around three days before you get started with your home hair dye. Be sure to follow the instructions on the box. For a little more information on how to colour hair at home, check out our helpful Hair Care 101 guide.

 

What’s the best way to get rid of grey hair? 

Interested to know how to get rid of grey hair? Going grey is a natural process, but if you like your hair to have colour, there are plenty of different home remedies that you can try. Learn how to dye hair at home with Nutrisse that covers up to 100% of grey hairs.

 

How to manage a dry scalp?

There are lots of hair care products that are designed specifically for treating dry, flaky scalps. For anyone who wants to relieve their dry scalp at home, consider using a shampoo and conditioner system that’s been formulated to help with dry, sensitive scalps, and also minimise your stress levels as much as possible. Why not also try our new Garnier Ultimate Blends Delicate Oat Softening Shampoo Bar for Sensitive Scalp & Fragile Hair!
 

How do I prevent split ends?

Learning how to get rid of split ends is relatively simple. Basically, you need to focus your shampoo on the roots and the conditioner on the ends. Plus, when you’re brushing your hair, make sure you’re not too rough – just slide the comb through your hair. For anyone who wants to know how to prevent split ends, one of the benefits of lockdown is the limited access to heated hair styling tools, which are one of the main causes of split ends.

 

What are the best home remedies for dry hair? 

Whether your scalp isn’t producing enough natural oils or you’re overdoing it with heat, perms and relaxers, it’s relatively easy to damage your hair cuticles and end up with dull or dry hair. Thankfully, there are plenty of home remedies for dry hair. Hair oils can be the perfect solution. Garnier has a wide selection of hair oils for dry hair that you may want to explore. 
Garnier’s Ultimate Blends range includes products that can help you deal with all of the above hair treatment concerns. Check out the Ultimate Blends range right here. 

 

The Perfect Haircare Routine

Wouldn't it be great if you never had to wash your hair again? Apologies if you're bald because you know this already, but imagine if you could just walk in the shower, apply a bit of body wash and walk out. Done. No messing around; no precarious balancing of shampoos and conditioners; no having to get out of the shower because you've left the conditioner on the side of the bath or your other half has taken it to the gym; no confusion over which product is which; no lingering thought that you might not have completely rinsed out all the conditioner.

But life's not like that. Have hair, must wash. Yes, you hear talk of pioneering friends or celebrities who have given up shampooing altogether and entered a Zen-like existence of perfectly balanced hair that always looks great, but, honestly, are you the sort of person who would do that? For a start, would you risk it? What if you were the one person for whom the ‘no-shampoo routine’ goes horribly wrong and everywhere you went people started sidling away from you or staring at you like some eccentric fool?

Even if it were possible to reach a state of self-cleaning hair nirvana, could you survive the transitional period – the weeks, possibly months of uncertainty, the grease and the general sense of "Eww!"
No? No, I thought not. Because you care about your hair. It matters that you look groomed, clean, maybe even a little glamorous. And that means a life of serious hair care, as opposed to casual indifference or wilful negligence.

But how often should you wash your hair? Every day? Twice a day? Once a fortnight? Only on date nights? And what constitutes the best routine? Is it possible that the way we wash our hair, or the way we apply products, is having a detrimental effect on our tresses?

 

First things first: How often should you wash your hair?

What's the optimum hair-washing frequency? Annoyingly, there is no one-size-fits-all answer. It all comes down to hair type, the kind of life you lead and personal preference.

Lifestyle is significant. If you're a gym bunny, training for a triathlon or live in an urban area with high levels of pollution, you're going to need to wash your hair more frequently than if you live like a nun on a remote Scottish isle. All hair attracts dust, particulates emitted by traffic, chlorine from pools and the general detritus of modern life that is pretty much invisible to the naked eye. Leave it in your hair and it will build up, smell and detract from that ideal glossy shine. It might even cause damage.

But then you knew that. What may surprise you is that most experts – and we say most because opinions vary – advise us to avoid washing our hair every day if we want to avoid dry hair, for two reasons: 1) the cleaning agents (the shampoos) tend to strip the hair of its natural oils, and 2) washed hair is usually dried with heat, another cause of dehydration.

 

What about hair type?

If your hair is naturally dry, washing a maximum of twice a week is the general recommendation. Naturally oily hair can be washed more frequently, possibly as often as every day. If your hair is 'normal' (i.e. not particularly dry, not particularly greasy) or you're simply not sure what kind of hair you have, then stick to washing it every two to three days.
If your hair is curly, you might benefit from washing it less than someone with very straight hair. If your hair is short, you can probably wash every day as you'll be less likely to damage or dehydrate your hair with styling tools and hairbrushes.
Hair colour – natural hair colour – should be considered too. Research suggests brunettes should wash their hair less frequently because dehydration caused by over-washing can cause precious pigment to leach out.
 

Does method matter?

It most certainly does. Don't be too rough. Massage shampoo into your roots to gently cleanse and stimulate your scalp without irritating it. You don't need to wash the ends; it's better to let the shampoo cleanse them as you rinse.

 

How long before I rinse?

Again, there’s no hard and fast rule, but leaving the shampoo to do its work for a minute or two – thirty seconds at the very least – should help. It's not a process to rush.

 

Do I need conditioner?

With the best will in the world and the gentlest shampoo (something packed with natural, hair enhancing goodies like one of Garnier's Hair Food), the process of washing will have a dehydrating effect, so a good conditioner suited to your hair type will help to restore, protect and encourage natural, healthy-looking shine. Some product ranges, and Ultimate Blends is one, offer ultra-hydrating leave-in conditioners or 'masks' that deliver a more intensive level of conditioning. Perfect if you have particularly dry or unruly hair. And remember, conditioners only need to be applied to hair tips, which are always the driest and most unruly.

 

When would I use a hair oil or serum?

When your hair needs more TLC than normal, you can use a hair oil – Ultimate Blends have some brilliant, inexpensive ones – that will help prevent damage, such as split ends, while boosting shine. Hair serums are powerful styling tools that can add shine, calm frizz or even protect against humidity when applied to wet hair in very small quantities.
The key is to find the products that suit your hair and be disciplined. Work out your best hair regime and stick to it. Your hair will thank you.
Sometimes, common hair problems can be a complete nightmare. From split ends to a flaky scalp, most can be solved by using coconut oil. There are many factors that can cause static, flyaway hair, i.e. that nightmare of hair that looks dry, split, and, quite simply, won't do what it's told. You may be surprised, however, to learn that it's not just a case of bad hair lottery; there are actually some simple things you can do to stop it from happening.

 

What causes static hair?

Those of us plagued with static hair problems know that it happens most often in winter. This is because your hair is dried out by the low temperatures and dry air, stimulating static electricity build up that expresses itself as mad professor hair like something out of an 80s film.

So, the most obvious solution is to keep your hair nourished and hydrated. This can be achieved in a number of ways. Firstly, by using a top-quality conditioner or a solid coconut oil hair treatment. This means concentrating on your tips and lengths (not the scalp), and leaving it to work for a good couple of minutes before rinsing.

Of course, an even better idea is leave-in hair oil, like these from the Garnier Ultimate Blends Hair Oil range. This will not only ensure you have glossy hair but will act as a barrier to the cold and dirt, keeping your hair healthy looking too!

 

Be Gentle

Another major cause of static hair is too much brushing, rubbing, tugging...you get the idea. All that fiddling causes static build up, so opt for a wide-toothed comb instead, stop brushing your hair 100 times a day like you're in a '50s ad campaign, and be gentle when you dry it. A lot of hair damage can be avoided simply by patting, rather than towelling your hair dry when it's wet.

Finally, there are some great home remedies for shiny hair out there that can guarantee to get a handle on static, flyaway hair. As we’ve mentioned before, try a good coconut oil hair treatment (or almond oil) when you notice your hair is dry. By rubbing just a small amount onto your hands then running your fingers through the tips and length, you can achieve great.

Tired of dry and uncontrollable hair? We recommend using coconut oil to condition your hair when it's frizzy or damaged. There is no doubt that frizzy hair can be challenging. However, thanks to a set of simple techniques, effective hair products and natural remedies, a treatment for frizzy hair has never been easier.

The first essential ‘hair-care’ tip for frizzy hair is to keep an eye on the ingredients in your products. Opt for products that contain nourishing ingredients, such as coconut oil and cocoa butter. You need to ensure that your conditioner is well adapted to frizz.

 

Which frizzy hair products do I need?

Coupled with a nourishing shampoo, a high-performance hair conditioner with coconut oil will keep your hair resistant to humidity and heat for long periods of time, for super sleek smoothness and frizz under control. Also, make use of a hair diffuser and keep your frizzy hair protected when using a hairdryer. The diffuser will help prevent damage to your hair, but make sure that you don't use the hairdryer's hottest setting.

When your hair is dry, a sleek mousse or anti-frizz hair oil will help to keep your hair frizz-free throughout the day. Leave-in serums are also highly effective in keeping your hair smooth and soft when you're out and about.

A key trick for frizzy hair treatment is to avoid leaving your hair to dry in a towel. You'll find that a diffuser is much more effective. Wash your hair at night for a worry-free tomorrow. This may sound like a hassle, but caring for your hair in a hurry before work won't give it the time it needs to dry and be styled effectively.

Go easy on the hairdryer during the summer, as using a high heat setting will create too much volume when combined with the heat and humidity. A wet-look hairspray or gel will help to keep your frizzy hair tame when you're out and about in hot weather too.


Explore Garnier’s full range of hair care products and treatments for your best at-home tresses!