Everyone washes their hair, but taking care of it doesn’t stop when you get out of the shower. Or it shouldn’t. Once you are done with the suds and water, it’s time to finish your hair as well. You need more than luck to have the best hair days. Whether you blowdry, straighten, curl, towel, or air dry, you need the right products. Most importantly, these are different depending on your hair type and routine. Natural hair, thin hair, dyed, bleached, and pre-styled hair, among others, all have their own unique needs. Curly ladies don’t want frizz, and thinning hair especially needs a bit of TLC. How do you know what to put in your mane after the final rinse? I’ll walk you through the best products for most hair types and offer a few helpful hints and tricks along the way. Once you find the right after shower routine, your hair will look and feel better all the time.
After Shower Products for (Almost) Any Hair
Some post-shower care products work for virtually any hair type. An excellent high-quality hair serum or leave-in conditioner is outstanding for getting the knots out when you comb or brush. Moreover, I recommend wet brushing with a hairbrush made for damp hair.
All hair gets dry and damaged over time. Thus, using a restorative product after your shower is one way to manage the issue. However, most hair could use a UV protector. When you have severely damaged hair, use a pre-shower treatment instead like a hair mask or oil made for washing out after a few minutes.
I recommend Living Proof Restore Repair Leave-In Conditioner for daily use. Not only does this fantastic conditioner help with tangles and split ends, but it also provides vital UV protection. Furthermore, you can use Living Proof on color-treated hair. Plus, it’s outstanding at reducing styling damage. Find out more on Amazon when you click here.
Pro-Tip #1- If you have short or very fine hair, use half or less than recommended. Likewise, those with thick, coarse, or very long hair need more than the bottle probably suggests. Play around with the amount of after-shower hair product you put into your hair. Find what works best for you.
Pre-Heat Styling After Shower Hair Care
Predictably, women who crimp, curl, straighten, and blowdry tend to see a lot more split ends and damage than those who do not. Heat may make your hair look great right now, but in the long run, it is not your friend. Does that mean you should ditch all forms of heat styling? Luckily, the answer is no.
By choosing the right protection for frequently heat-styled hair, you can reduce the damage, or negate its effect on your lovely locks. Additionally, you can add a biotin supplement to your self-care routine. While it won’t fix the heat damage, biotin may help you grow longer, stronger hair and nails.
Pro-Tip #2- Don’t overdo it. It’s essential not to subject your hair to product buildup when it’s not strictly necessary. There are plenty of great products for your hair that can help avoid leaving excess residue.
Every hair type has unique needs, but almost all hair gets heat styled at some point. Adding heat damage preventative to your routine will help you look spectacular and keep your hair in good shape.
After Shower Products for Curly Hair
Curly hair is gorgeous, especially right out of the shower, but once it dries and you brush it, things look a whole lot different. You need an excellent product made for your curls. No one wants to deal with a frizzy disaster area.
Great news, curly girls, there are tons of hair care solutions for you. However, it all starts when you stop rinsing. You can keep your curls, waves, or spirals looking amazing by treating that hair just right.
Doubtless, you’ve discovered plenty of anti-frizz products for after dry brushing. However, your hair type should get its brush treatment before you dry for a naturally curly look. Additionally, skip the blowdryer, and towel it off. Then let the rest air dry.
Try Mizani 25 Miracle Milk Leave-In Conditioner for those texture trouble. Clean damp curls will stay hydrated even after styling with a little Mizani on your side. The sustainably-sourced coconut oil, xylose, and fennel seed extract are fantastic for all natural curls. See the Amazon reviews for yourself right here.
Pro-Tip #3- Ditch your blow dryer. Instead, try patting (not rubbing) your hair dry with a towel. Skipping the heat is good for all hair types, but curly hair shows the effect in extra ways, namely by turning into a fluffy mess. Unless you want the extra frizz, just don’t use a dryer at all.
Natural Hair Products
Women with dry or brittle natural waves and curls need hydration with staying power. Brittle and coarser hair doesn’t benefit from daily washing, so you need to retain that moisture longer. Post shower hair care is exceptionally important for these hair types. It can mean the difference between rocking a messy style and stunning natural haired beauty.
A high-quality dry shampoo works wonders in between washings. If you’re new to this concept, dry shampoo absorbs oil and refreshes your hair and scalp. However, you still need a superb leave-in for after showers.
Design Essentials Rosemary & Mint Stimulating Super Moisturizing Conditioner is terrific for dry hair. You’ll be pleased by how amazing DE smells. More importantly, it is cruelty-free and can save you as much as a half-hour of detangling time. All-natural ingredients like avocado oil moisturize 2B-4C curl patterns, as well as locs and color-treated hair. To try it for yourself order from Amazon, click here.
Fine Hair After Shower Products
Women with fine hair often need lightweight products with a little lift after showering. Getting volume into a silky thin-haired mane is challenging. Be careful not to over-style this hair type.
Avoid heavy products with lots of oil. It’s helpful to oil treat damaged hair, but please do so before washing fine hair. Once finished, apply a booster designed with your hair type in mind. Product buildup will show more on your hair.
If you have fine hair that’s color-treated, then Pureology Clean Volume Instant Levitation Mist is a fantastic after shower product. This vegan volumizer goes directly on the roots of your hair to give it lift. Additionally, UVA and UBB sunscreens help keep your scalp and hair at their best. To get a bottle from Amazon, click here.
Thinning Hair Needs TLC
Just like men, some women have issues with hair loss. Typically this happens as a result of age and genetics, but it can also occur from damage to the scalp or postpartum. Luckily, you don’t have to settle for thinning hair.
Many essential oils help with women’s hair thinning. Rosemary and peppermint are two fantastic smelling options, but the list is extensive. Saw Palmetto has also been tested and proven effective. However, you should not apply undiluted oils to your scalp.
A carrier oil like avocado or jojoba helps to prevent the natural chemicals in these oils from damaging your skin or hair. You can get too much, after all. Unless you’re skilled with essential oils, opt for a pre-made formula.
I suggest starting with a trusted product such as Propidren Hair Growth Serum by Hairgenics. The Saw palmetto, biotin, green tea extract, horsetail, nettle extract, Fo-TI, and pygeum bark come together in a potent hair-restoring combination. Plus, it’s made in the USA, so you’re supporting local jobs. Learn all about it and see reviews on Amazon by clicking here.
After Shower Care For Chemically Treated Hair
Women who relax, perm, bleach, or dye their hair have different product needs both during and after showers. For example, colored hair should only ever see shampoos and conditioners that are sulfate-free, and which work well in cold water. Naturally, that extends to your post-wash routine as well.
Bleached hair and perms require gentile products. Skip anything with parabens, sulfates, and sulfides. Unless your stylist specifically recommends them, don’t use products made for other hair types on your chemically treated hair.
It’s best to consult a professional stylist bout what to use on damaged hair. If you ‘fried’ your mane with a DIY, or went to a lousy stylist, make sure to use a pro-quality product. Sadly, when the damage is especially bad, you may need to cut and regrow some of your hair.
Grey Hair
While grey is not a chemical treatment issue, it is unique. Avoiding the brassy tones you can get from many products is essential. Choose a product made, especially for your silver mane.
Many product lines offer shampoos, conditioners, and after shower lines for naturally grey hair. However, this does not mean you can’t use another product. Look out for yellow dye in on the label. Unfortunately, your hair is especially susceptible to yellowing, and that can make it look dirty even when it’s not.
Final Thoughts
Whatever your hair type, and however you style it, there’s a ‘right’ product for after your shower. For most of us, that means using several products. The good news is that proper hair care will get you the best possible results.
Bad hair days happen, but you can cut down on them significantly by upping your post-rinse game. Make sure you read those labels before you put anything on your head. Moreover, sensitive skin needs a patch test for everything. Yes, that means shampoos, aftercare, and even hair spray, not just dye or bleach.
When you look your best, you feel better too. Fortunately, all it takes to tame that flyaway look is a little know-how and the right after shower products.
