The ultimate guide to using hair serums

​Hair serums have become an important ingredient in our arsenal of hair products and for very credible reasons. While we know that hair serums are extremely effective in tackling dry and fizzy hair, did you know that there are specific hair serums suited for different kind of hair, you can use them to prevent hair breakage and you can also make hair serums at home that can be highly beneficial for your hair.

Read on as we tell you how to pick the best serums for your hair and how you can make it the best multi-purpose product for your hair.

How to pick the right hair serum for your hair?

There are tonnes of hair serums available in the market. Hair serums add shine, reduces frizz and dryness and works best for long and medium hair length. Hair serums are basically silicone-based product that coats the surface of your hair and gives your hair softness and shine and prevents it from getting tangled.

Read the composition of the serum carefully
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While it is true that silicon is the main ingredient in most hair serums, you need to pay attention to what are the other ingredients in your frizz fighter too. For instance if you have very dry and frizzy hair, you should opt for a hair serum that is infused with oils like castor, rosewood and marula that will provide intense hydration to your locks while adding that lustre and sheen.

Serums for different hair types
There are serums suited for specific hair types and purposes. Here’s your guideline to picking the right hair serum for your strands.

Serums suited for split-end rid hair                                              
Split ends make our manes prone to breakage and frayed. If you have too many split ends, hair serum is a must to improve the appearance of your hair. But, make sure you pick hair serums that contain keratin as keratin is known to repair annoying split ends and prevent strands from splitting.
 
Serums suited to protect against heat and pollution
We live in hot and humid climates, and If you need to go out in the sun on regular basis, you need to take extra care of your strands. Pick hair serums that contain lavender and jojoba oils as these oils prime and nourish your hair along with adding the sheen. Lavender oil smoothens and detangles your hair and also protects against heat. Such serums are also extremely lightweight and absorbs into the hair quickly.

Serums for chronically dry hair
Excessively dry hair needs extra care and nutrition. Good news is that now there are serums available that can be applied overnight and kept that can revitalize your hair while you get your beauty sleep. Make sure thought that these serums are cream based and not oil based so that that they don’t weigh down your hair instead of moisturizing it. You can apply overnight serums to both damp and dry hair and wake up with nourished and shiny hair.
 
Serums for thick and textured hair
If you have thick and textured tresses you are going to need a hard working serum that will give your hair that extra hydration. Pick up serums infused with argan and Moroccan oils to tame your tresses and give it a healthy shine.

Serums for curly hair
Curls automatically tend to get more frizzy and difficult to manage. The best serums for wavy and curly hair are those that have intense moisturizing properties. You must have heard a hundred times that serums can work wonders on dull and lifeless tresses. Curly hair however needs a tad bit more attention. So to keep those curls bouncy and glossy and bring them back to life, pick serums laden with hydrating oils like jojoba, argan, sweet almond  and marula.

Serums for coloured hair
For those of you who have coloured or chemically treated hair, there are lightweight cream based hair serums available in the market which besides silicone contain ingredients  like jojoba, argan and coconut oil along with green tea extracts . These work perfectly for coloured and chemically processed hair.
 
Use and Purpose of Serum
The primary purpose of hair serum is to make your locks look shinier, less knotted and healthier. This happens as the serum absorbs and reflects light, it makes you hair look glossier, while also making a protective coat on the hair thus protecting your hair from dust, pollutants and ultra violet rays.

Most people use hair serum to revive damaged and brittle hair. Serum restores shine in dull and dry hair and prevents hair from getting tangled up.

While a lot of us see serums as that instant magical product that works as a pick-me-up for our tresses, it needs to be understood that serums serve multiple purposes and come in two distinct varieties. While our regular daily serum is best applied on damp or towel-dried hair, if you are using it specifically for styling purposes serum needs to be applied on  dry hair.

We give you a low-down on the different kinds of hair serums and the steps to use them perfectly.

Always wash your hair prior to applying serum
The rule of thumb is to apply serum only on shampooed hair. Applying serum on unwashed hair will only weigh down the strands, make them appear thinner and oilier and attract more dust and grime znd even cause dandruff. Understand that serum is not just a styling product, it is a vitalizer and provides nourishment to your hair. But that can only happen when the serum is able to reach the roots and strands. Unwashed hair prevents that from happening.
 
Do not use excessive amounts of serum
Serums are primarily a concoction of water, essential oils and revitalizing chemicals. Applying too much of hit can make your hair greasy and unnecessarily heavily which basically cuts down the volume of your hair. For medium length hair, use 1-2 drops  of serum and for longer hair, use 3-4 drops of serum.

How to use serum on wet hair
Squirt out a teardrop amount of serum on your palm. Now, gently blot the hair serum between your palms and massage it onto the partings and ends of the hair. Experts say serums work best on damp hair, remember damp not dripping wet. Flip your hair forwards and start applying hair serum in the vertical direction going from tips to roots. Make sure to massage the tips well to prevent occurrence of split ends. Now flip the hair back. Squirt two to three more drops of hair serum on your palms and now massage it onto your scalp.  Let the serum settle down for a minute and then go on to dry or style your hair. The serum will act as a heat protectant, prevent the tangles that often crop up in wet hair and allow you to style your hair more efficiently. Also remember that blow drying your hair is absolutely essential  when you apply as wet, serum treated scalp can cause dust and grime to stick to the scalp and that cannot mean good news.

How to use serum on dry hair
A lot of hair expert also use hair serum to help a hairstyle hold better as hair serums are a healthy alternative to hair mousse which tend to dry out the hair and weaken them. Take 3-4 drops of serum on the palm of your hand. Now start applying serum to the back of your hair first and then come to the front and midsection of the hair so that too much serum does not ruin your hairstyle. If after application you feel that your tresses are still looking dull and lifeless, take a drop or two more of serum and apply it to the sides and front of your hair. Your hair will radiate shine and have a healthy appearance to them. Be very very careful not to go overboard with serum too, as that can lead to your tresses look limp rather than lustrous.

In hair serums the right product and quality matters
When it comes to picking up the right serum, you may need to do a little trial and error before you figure out a serum that works perfectly on your hair.  Keep the above mentioned composition guidelines in mind when choosing the right serum for your hair type. Always opt for a good brand when it comes to serums even if they are a little expensive to get the desired results for your hair.

Once you have figured out which hair serum works best for you, consider investing in complementary hair products  like shampoo and conditioner too to derive a hair care routine that works best for your hair.

Home-made serums
If you are having problems identifying and finding the best hair serum for your hair type, you will be happy to know that you can make some very effective hair serums at home too.

Lemon and coconut oil serum for oily hair
Oils like lemon oil, coconut oil, peppermint oil and jojoba oil are lighter and are a perfect hair serum base for those with oily hair. These oils help to curb the production of the sebaceous gland which produces sebum which in turn cause the excessive oiliness and greasiness in the hair.

1. To make the serum, mix few drops of any jojoba or peppermint oil with 100 ml of lemon or coconut oil.
2. Now shake the mixture well and store it in a bottle where it won’t be exposed to too much of sunlight. You can also choose to store the mixture in an opaque bottle.
3. Use this  home made serum during the day to tame those stubborn  fly-aways or use it at night before going to bed to nourish your hair and scalp and help retain its moisture.

​Castor oil hair serum for dry hair
Castor oil is one of the richest hair oils, which also makes it one of the finest moisturizing agents for your scalp and hair. Dry hair often leads to split ends which eventually result in breaking of strands and hair loss. This home made serum will help you  tackle dry hair and restore moisture and sheen back to your hair.

1. Take 100 ml of castor oil and mix it with rosewood or lavender oil which complement the properties of castor oil.
2. Shake well and store it an airtight bottle.
3. In case you feel the consistency of the serum to be too dense and heavy add a few drops of coconut oil to lighten the consistency.
4. Massage it onto your scalp and leave it overnight to get beautiful and lustrous locks without split ends and dryness. You can also apply it twice or thrice in a week post a shower on damp hair before blow-drying or using a straightening rod or curling iron as this serum will also provide heat protection to your mane.

Aloe vera gel and lavender oil serum for brittle hair
Lavender oil is a miracle remedy for brittle hair. The concoction of lavender oil and aloe vera gel not only helps to restore health back in damaged hair but also promotes hair growth.

1. Pour a cup of water in a pan and bring it pot boil.
2.  Add a tablespoon each of  dried fenugreek and fresh basil leaves to the boiling water. Both these herbs are extremely easy to source.
3. Let the mixture simmer on low heat for another 15 minutes.
4. Strain out the concoction and then let it cool down.
5. Once cooled, add it to the aloe vera gel and mix.
6. Now mix this with 100 ml of lavender oil.
7. Shake well and store in an airtight bottle.
8. Apply this serum every alternate day on damp hair or just before hitting the bed to make brittle hair stronger, well-nourished and curb hairfall.

Avocado oil hair serum for shiny hair
Like your mane shiny and silky? We give you the perfect formulae.

1.  Take 4 tablespoons of avocado oil and 2 tablespoons of almond oil, argan oil , grapeseed oil and jojoba oil. Jojoba oil is added to a lot of serums as it helps to get the perfect consistency.
2. Mix all of these oils in a vessel, pour into a dark glass or opaque bottle which will prevent the concentration from directly being exposed to the sunlight.
3. Shake well and store

 
The concentration will work like magic on your tresses and is lightweight enough to be used during daytime as well.
 

This first appeared on Femina