Mane changers!
Haircare is stealing the best innovations from skincare to deliver a new generation of hero products
Compared to our skincare routines, haircare has always been, well, a bit basic. Just think of all the recent ‘skinovations’ – powder cleansers, rubberising face masks, pressed serums – yet when it comes to hair, we’ll bet you still use a pretty bog-standard shampoo and conditioner. Well, it’s time to shake things up, because mane maintenance is about to get a whole lot more interesting. New brands and genius innovations are promising to revolutionise your hair regime. Meet the new ‘skin-spired’ hair heroes.
Cheat sheet
With sheet masks now a firm fixture in our skincare routine, it’s a wonder it took so long for haircare to catch up, but Redken is setting that straight with its All Soft Mega Recovery Sheet Mask, £10. While inspired by the skincare version, the format is actually a much better fit for hair. Whereas with facial sheet masks you invariably end up with the eye holes halfway down your cheeks, this hair version is truly one size fits all, with a foil ‘ bonnet’ that you fasten in place. Unlike gloopy hair treatments, it doesn’t drip down your neck and you only have to wear it for 10 minutes to make dry, puffy hair smoother and better behaved.
Paper trail
If your T-zone’s prone to 3pm shine, you’ll be familiar with blotting papers, which soak up excess oil without spoiling your make-up. But who knew that a similar breed of portable papers could nix greasy roots with
equal ease? Nunzio Saviano’s Dry Shampoo Blotting Sheets, £18, caused an Insta storm when they launched stateside (and are now over here). We also recommend Charcoal Dry Shampoo Hair Blotting Tissues, £16, from hot new hair brand IGK, which has just landed at Spacenk. Single-use sachets are coated in activated charcoal powder to absorb oil from your scalp and roots. They can’t handle a serious ‘day four’ oil slick but are great for freshening up your hairline or sorting your style post-spin class without choking the rest of the changing room.
PICK YOUR BOTTLES
From mascaras tailored to your lashes to face serums formulated for your unique genetic code, the bespoke beauty trend is big business. Now, with the imminent arrival of cult brand Function of Beauty, personalised haircare is stepping up its game. We’ve already seen booster concentrates that you add to products, but this New York-based line takes things to a new level, with an online quiz that allows you to build your dream shampoo and conditioner (there are 12 billion different possible formulations). Control freaks will love it as you get to choose everything from the colour (or dye-free for purists) to the type and strength of fragrance, and even the product’s name. You can select up to five ‘hair goals’, so if you’re after volume but are prone to frizz, or want to protect your highlights while sorting a flaky scalp and boosting growth… no problemo! You’ll be able to make your perfect pair from March at functionofbeauty.com, from £36 a set.
ACID HOUSE
Any self-respecting beauty junkie has an array of acids in her skincare arsenal to exfoliate, deep cleanse and bestow an enviable glow, but we’ve been missing a trick by not applying the same principles to our heads. R+co’s new Acid Wash, £28.75, uses apple cider vinegar – which contains acetic acid and malic acid – to strip away dry shampoo build-up (without harming your colour or natural oils), exfoliate your scalp and give hair an expensive-looking sheen. Leave it on for 1-3 minutes once a week for happy, shiny, hair.
TOTAL WIPE- OUT
What would we do without face wipes? We’d go to bed with our make-up on far more often, that’s what. Well, we’re thrilled to report that hair wipes are now a thing – and they sort irksome frizz at a swipe. While session stylists have long used tumble dryer sheets to banish static and smooth wisps, new IGK No-frizz Smoothing Hair
Wipes, £16, and OUAI Anti-frizz Hair Sheets, £20, are far more effective. Made of natural hemp paper infused with avocado and camellia oils (IGK), and coconut oil and shea butter (OUAI), they tame flyaways and give hair a subtle sheen, without adding weight or grease. Both come in handy single-use sachets – keep one in your bag.
THE NEW SKIN- GREDIENTS
Hyaluronic acid in your shampoo? You bet. Hair care is co-opting celebrated skincare actives like HA, stem cells, peptides and antioxidants. But is there any science to back up this borrowing, or is it just hype? After all, your skin is living tissue, whereas your hair is technically dead (the part you can see, at least). So are the same ingredients effective? They can be, says trichologist Anabel Kingsley. ‘ The secret to great hair is a healthy scalp, and the skin on your scalp is the same as on your face, just a bit thicker. So it makes sense that the scalp can benefit from traditional skincare actives.’ Here are the key skin-gredients to look out for… salicylic acid: Not just great for zapping breakouts, this beta-hydroxy acid exfoliates your scalp, removing the build-up of dead cells, which can lead to hair shedding. Find it in: Bumble and bumble’s Bb Scalp Detox, £25, a fizzy foam that clears dead cells with a blast of micro-bubbles ( launching 28 March). Or try Philip Kingsley’s Exfoliating Scalp Mask, £17. vitamin c: Known for its skin-brightening prowess, this will protect hair from free radicals, which cause structural damage to proteins, resulting in breakage and split ends. Find it in: Mr Smith The Foundation, £26. hyaluronic acid: This skin-quenching superhero is equally brilliant for hair, helping your scalp cells hold on to water and plumping up the hair fibre. Find it in: London Labs Skincare For Hair Hair Moisturiser, £32. stem cells: Plant stem cells can help increase the lifespan of your hair follicles so they stay in the anagen ( growth) phase for longer. Find it in: Reverie Cake Restorative Scalp Tonic, £64.95. peptides: These rev up collagen and elastin production in the scalp, which strengthens the hair follicle to support healthy growth. Find it in: Sisley’s new Hair Rituel range. The Revitalizing Fortifying Serum, £135, uses the brand’s skincare know-how to get your scalp in peak health. clay: A face mask favourite, this purges hair of dirt and soaks up excess sebum, while maintaing the scalp’s moisture levels. Book in for a Purity Circle Mask at Ralph + Rice, £25 for 20-minute treatment.