Who knew something as simple as taking a shower could be so challenging?
Most of us have been showering regularly since we were kids. We’ve got the whole thing down. Or so we thought. After talking to a hairstylist and dermatologist, we’ve found out a few things that we’re actually doing wrong. Click through and check out if you’re making these showering mistakes.

The water’s too hot.
There’s nothing like starting the day off with a nice hot shower. But if the water temperature is too high, it can actually do more damage than good. “Hot water can strip the natural oils from your skin, leaving it dry and vulnerable to cracking,” explains dermatologist Dendy Engelman. “Losing these oils compromises our skin’s barrier, thus protection from irritants.” This is most dangerous in the winter (when you’re most tempted to use extra hot water) because skin is already prone to dryness.

And apparently hot water isn’t great for hair health either. Butterfly Studio Salon’s expert stylist Jason J Dougherty explains that it’s best to use warm water to open up the hair cuticle to remove dirt and oils. Then, rinse with cold water to close it up. “It will prevent hair loss in the shower, reduce frizz, and add a lot more shine,” he says.

Your water’s unfiltered.
There are certain places that have hard water, which can have a negative effect on your hair and skin. What this means is that the unfiltered water may contain many harmful additives such as minerals, oxidizers, calcium, magnesium, silica, and iron.  “These can leave residue on the skin and hair causing build-up, dryness, and irritations,” explains Dr. Engelman. With the residue leaving a coat over the skin and hair, products are unable to fully penetrate to properly clean the area. This can create dull looking finish to both the hair and skin. Dougherty also explains that these chemicals can strip hair color, dulling out the look. So if you do happen to live in an area with hard water, install a filtering system.

You’re using the wrong cleanser.
Just because you like the smell of the body wash you’ve been using for years, doesn’t mean it’s the best option. A lot of available cleansers contain harmful chemicals, fragrances, parabens, and sulfates, which all can increase flare-ups. Dr. Engelman recommends oil-based cleansers to maintain hydrated, healthy skin. “Oil-based cleansers eliminate impurities without drying out the skin,” she explains. “Essentially the oil binds to the oils on your face and the cleanser rinses them away, without striping your skin of its good natural oils.” 

You’re shampooing too much.
Unless you have ultra-fine, thin hair, you really don’t need to wash it every day. If you’re over-shampooing, the results are similar to using harsh chemicals on your skin. “It strips the hair of its natural oils and will lead to your hair becoming quite dry and brittle over time,” explains Dougherty. So if you notice your hair seems drier than usual, cut back to shampooing every other shower. It’s all about finding the right balance. 

You’re over exfoliating.
Exfoliating can be seriously beneficial to the skin. It rids the skin of any dead skin cells and promotes cell turnover. However, over-exfoliating can do a lot of damage. “It will expose the skin, weaken skin-barrier function and in some cases trigger inflammation,” explains Dr. Engelman. This can create a sort-of vulnerability to the skin and create sensitivity, infection or irritation. Ideally, you only need to be exfoliating two or three times a week. And if you are experiencing any sensitivity or inflammation, you should cut back.

You don’t moisturizer post-shower.
Dr. Engelman notes that the few minutes post-shower can be just as important as those spent in the shower. And post-shower, moisturizing is key. “Applying oil and lotion on wet skin will allow the product to lock moisture in by trapping some of the water on the skin,” she explains. “Keeping it from evaporating, the glycerin in the lotion helps to bind to water molecules, which not only gives a soft, supple feeling but strengthens the skin barrier.” This little shift in habit can make all the difference to the skin’s health and overall feel.

This article first appeared on Domino.com

Find a hair or grooming product, look at the packaging and count how many symbols you know the meaning of. Pretty tricky, isn’t it! 

In this post, I shine a light on some of the most common symbols that you’ll find on your hair and grooming products; what they mean; and why you should care.

Click here for the rest of the post.

Should I regularly change my shampoo and conditioner?

There’s a common belief that you should frequently change your shampoo and conditioner to feel the benefits to your hair. But is this really the case?
 
There’s no proof to the myth that your hair builds up ‘resistance’ to certain products over time. However, if you were to use one shampoo and conditioner over the space of a year, there would be months when your hair would feel nourished and healthy, interchanged with times when it may feel dry and dull. So if it’s not the shampoo and conditioner themselves causing a change in your hair, what is the culprit?  
 
What is true is that like any other beauty regimen, your hair products should change based on several factors.  There are absolutely loads of factors that can affect your hair and its condition.  I’ve gathered together some of the most common ones:
 
Environmental
It’s easy to blame the seasons for the change in your hair, but it’s actually a lot more complicated.  Weather can play a huge part in determining how your hair reacts to products. For instance, in the summer you may find hair becomes dry and brittle from exposure to the sun.   Summer heat can also leave scalps oilier than normal, so you may need to reach for a less-hydrating option with a volumizing formula to help.  But equally your hair can suffer the same dryness from central heating in the winter so opt for products with super moisturizing ingredients to rehydrate strands that have been scorched by over-heated, under-humidified indoor environments.  Environmental factors also include things like pollution, sand and chlorine.  If you swim regularly, regardless of the time of year, you may find your color is prone to fading, and hair can be dry and hard to detangle.  Pollution can cause hair to become lank and greasy quicker.  By pin-pointing the specific environmental factors that affect your hair, and how these change throughout the year, you can then start to build a product regime to keep your hair in its best condition.
 
Chemical
This covers any coloring or texturizing service you may use on your hair. Hair color, especially bleach, can completely change the feel and condition of your hair. Whereas some colors can nourish hair leaving it soft and silky, other colors can cause the hair shaft to swell, leaving hair feeling thicker but drier than before. Ask your hairdresser what effect the color being used will have on your hair, then choose products accordingly that can target this.
 
Dietary Changes
Eating fat (good or bad!) can give your hair that much-desired shine and gloss. “If you’re getting essential fatty acids from red meat or an avocado, you may feel like you need less moisturizing products,” Doug Bielanski, the national director of education at Frederic Fekkai says. But for those lean-eaters who forego fat, know that locks can end up looking dry or parched. “You need a hair mask for five minutes, once or twice a week, to push humectants back in the hair.”
 
Age
“Hair naturally changes with age”
As you grow older it isn’t just your hair color that can change, but also your hair texture. Some people may find their hair becomes coarse, dull and unmanageable, whereas others may suffer from hair thinning and softening. Look for age specific products that contain ingredients designed to target these problems and help restore its intrinsic strength.
 
The key to a successful haircare regime is to always stay attuned to your hair’s condition, and be prepared to mix up your products depending on your it’s current needs. For example if your hair is colored and dry but limp, there is nothing wrong with using a color-protect shampoo followed by a nourishing shampoo and a thickening spray to build more volume at the roots. Once hair is back in better condition you could then look to start using more volume products – let your hair tell you what it needs!
 
So in answer to the question ‘should I regularly change my shampoo and conditioner?’ the answer is:
 
Change your shampoo and conditioner when your hair tells you to. Don’t just reassess the products you’re using at the end of each bottle. Consider investing in maybe 2 or 3 different shampoos and conditioners, then pick and choose which one you use based on how your hair feels.

Styling Options For Your Hair Type | Every Shine And Hold Option
by Antonio Centeno

I often wonder, what is the purpose of hair?  
Yes, apart from the evolutionary reasons…

What else does hair do outside of adding aesthetic value to a man’s appearance?
To complicate things – without any outside help – hair would suffer a limp and dreary existence.

That’s why a huge hair-care market exists, to spice things up by creating art through defined styles. But how are we expected to choose from the myriad options of hair styling products?

Pomades, waxes, gels, clays, fibers, creams…. it’s enough to make us want to adopt a monkish attitude and shave it all off.

To make it easier for you – I’m going to break down the ABC’s of hair products for you.

There are two common terms you need to understand about hair products.

• Any product labeled shine will reflect light and make your head look glossy. Anything labeled matte will make your hair absorb light and therefore – not shine.
• Pay attention to the holding power of the products because that’s the main distinction between hair products. They are categorized as low, medium, or maximum-hold.
  

Want a full guide to Men’s hair? 

Read More >>>

Bangs are a great way to change up your hairstyle. If you have bangs, you should learn how to properly blow dry them. The secret to avoiding the dreaded "bubble bangs" is to not use a round brush on them (or use it but don't wind the bangs around them) and instead brush hair back and forth across your forehead as you direct the air on them from your dryer.

So many women do not know how to handle their bangs. They use a big, round brush to dry them, and end up with very round, big bangs. Sometimes called "mall bangs" or "bubble bangs," the look is very dated and unflattering. Bangs look best when they are flatter at the base and blown straight.

Put Down That Round Brush

Instead, you want to dry your bangs with a flat or paddle brush. The modern way to wear bangs is two-fold:

1. Dry bangs with a flat brush or a paddle brush. Use your round brush on the rest of your hair if you're dying to create body, but use a flat or paddle brush to create the straight, smooth look that's so popular today.
2. Ensure your blunt or side-swept bangs are not cut too short. Blunt bangs and side-swept bangs should sweep the top of your eyebrows. Anything shorter will date you, unless you can pull off a pixie. The sides of blunt bangs should be slightly longer than the middle. They take a lot of maintenance, but blunt bangs can modernize your whole look.

How to Properly Blow Dry Your Bangs

When your hair is wet, dry your bangs first, then work on the rest of your hair. Always hold the blow dryer nozzle above the hair, blasting the air downward. If you use product like a volumizing spray or styling spray, don't use too much. It will weigh hair down. Spray on hair first, then comb through.

Use a paddle brush or flat brush, ideally one with boar bristles to smooth the hair.

With air blowing on your bangs, sweep them with the brush over to one side first then over the other. Keep doing this until bangs are dried. This keeps them straight and works on both blunt and side-swept bangs.

If You Only Own a Round Brush

If you only have a round brush, that's fine.  Simply use the round brush on your bangs as one would a flat brush and do not wrap the bangs around the barrel.

Hairstylist Nick Arroyo explains in his book “Great Hair: Secrets to Looking Fabulous and Feeling Beautiful Every Day” how to properly use a round brush to dry bangs:

"Instead of wrapping the hair around the brush, place the brush in at the roots and brush from underneath up, from roots to ends, with the heat of the dryer following the same path," he writes.

This will give your bangs volume, while keeping them straight.

Help! I Have Wavy Bangs!

You can have bangs even if you have curly or wavy hair, but your bangs are going to be high-maintenance if you hope to wear them straight.

If you do want straight bangs, blow-dry as mentioned above, but follow-up with a small flat-iron run through your bangs. Pull the iron downward from roots to your nose.

How to Keep Bangs From Getting Gross & Oily

If you have an oily scalp, your bangs can look slicked and sticky within minutes. To prevent this, after drying, apply dry shampoo at the base.

The best remedy for Oily Bangs Syndrome is to apply dry shampoo on your bangs after you dry them,

You can also wash just your bangs and dry them if you want to go a day or 2 between washings. Separate your bangs from the rest of your hair by pulling all hair but the bangs in a ponytail. Wet your bangs and massage in a small amount of shampoo. Rinse very, very well. Blow dry using my rules above.
 
You can train erratic growth patterns and cowlicks in the fringe area with a simple wrap drying technique using the fine teeth of a comb and your blow dryer.


How To Blow Dry Bangs When You Have a Cowlick