BEAUTY MUST-HAVES

AFFORDABLE HAIRCARE

It’s been a while since I’ve done a post focused on haircare- partly because I’ve been so uninspired by my hair products lately! Here’s why – my hair has changed dramatically over the last year. It used to be off-the-charts curly and very voluminous. In fact, I could get away with washing it once a week (no joke). Now that I’m solidly in my 30s, the natural curl has turned into an unpredictable semi-wave, it gets greasy after one day, and it is thinner. Then one day it’ll curl out of the blue after a shampoo, and then back to flat the next day. Any of you other ladies out there dealing with this weirdness?? All of my expensive uber-curl products are now mostly useless to me, and I certainly can’t afford to spend tons of money on all-new expensive products.  Fortunately, I’ve found a couple solutions that you can buy for cheap that I’m recommending today. 

FROM THE BEAUTY AISLE:

I am LOVING the Ogx and Proganix line, and no I am not being asked to say that. No one has given me these products to try for free. In fact, Evan was the first to grab the Coconut Milk Conditioner off the shelf at the grocery store because he liked the packaging. I happened to grab the Curls shampoo from the shelf at TJ Maxx because it was on super-sale around the same time, et voila! I was intrigued. Most of their products cost under $7, are sulfate-free, and provide solutions to different types of hair issues – of which I seem to have many these days! I recently bought the Thick & Full biotin & collagen line to deal with my lack of volume and thickness, and I plan to give the Argan Oil a try next to quench my hair on heat-styling days. Also, there is a Niacin & Caffeine line that promotes a healthy scalp environment for those of you with thinning hair. The fact that I can buy a few different things to attend to the various styles I’m facing, all for less than one expensive product makes me want to buy more. Seriously!

FROM THE GROCERY AISLE:

There are also a couple food-based solutions that I use periodically. This way of caring for your hair isn’t everyone’s bag but I have found great results, and I like the idea of keeping it natural and fortifying my locks with real nutrients that don’t cost a lot. Once a week, create a clarifying rinse for your hair by diluting Apple Cider Vinegar with water (1:4 parts) and pouring it over your hair after shampooing and conditioning. Then rinse it. You’ll notice shine and a clearer scalp. Once a month, make your own mask by slathering a little coconut oil from ends to about three inches from your scalp. Tie a plastic bag or shower cap around your hairline, take a shower so it gets a little humid under the bag and soaks into the hair, then shampoo and condition the oil out. If you have thin or flat hair, I don’t recommend this – too heavy. But you can definitely do the vinegar rinse!

What are your affordable haircare secrets? Are there any products you are loving lately that I should know about? Let me know in the comments below!

P.S. Have you seen my post about faking a bob hairstyle? Or my other recent drugstore beauty finds? And don’t forget all my best beauty tutorials in one place!