AD FEATURE: Is This Method The Healthiest Way to Wash Your Hair?
Main image – Courtesy of writer
I’ll be honest. I’ve been stuck in a miserable hair rut recently. My naturally frizzy texture needs moisture but as soon as anything remotely hydrating touches it, gravity strikes and my bouncy volume disappears in a flash.
You name it, I’ve tried it. From ‘lightweight’, hydrating shampoos to ‘barely noticeable’ smoothing oils, nothing gives my high maintenance hair the balance it needs, and all this toing and froing between different products has left my poor dry scalp begging me to stop.
So imagine my excitement when I stumbled across Hairstory’s Healthiest Hair Method. Three hydrating products (from £27/$27) that promise to prep, wash and protect your hair without stripping, weighing it down or irritation.
“Hallelujah,” I thought. And it wasn’t like I’d heard it all before either. This was a method of washing hair that I’d never tried in the past.
So did this three-step system live up to its promises? And have I finally found my way out of that pesky hair rut? Keep scrolling to find out.
The product details
The three products included in Hairstory’s Healthiest Hair Method are Pre-Wash (£27/$27), New Wash (£46/$46) and Primer (£39/$39). New Wash is an existing product, while Pre-Wash and Primer are new to the brand and aim to work beautifully in sync with New Wash.
Image – Courtesy of writer
So what do they each do? Well, step 1 (Pre-Wash) is like a little insurance policy for your hair as it helps to prep it when it’s dry, before it is cleansed.
Its aim is to remove excess product build-up as well as oil, dirt and any other nasties our hair collects between washes (hey, we’re only human). It contains prebiotics to balance moisture and support a healthy microbiome too – just what the doctor would order for my overworked scalp. Plus, it is the only detergent-free micellar complex with prebiotics available.
You also have the option with Pre-Wash to either rinse it out when you cleanse, or blow dry it in on the days between washes to freshen it up a little. Genius.
Image – Courtesy of writer
Step 2 is New Wash, a cream cleanser for the hair – otherwise known as a shampoo alternative. It washes, conditions, nourishes and detangles and comes in three variants for different hair types – rich for dry hair, original for all hair types and deep for oily hair. What’s more, apparently your brush glides through your hair after using it, without the need for a conditioner. Watch this space.
It is detergent-free and biodegradable and contains things like essential oils and naturally derived saturated cleansers which do the job of a shampoo only without stripping the hair. As a result, it doesn’t foam or lather when being applied and promises to leave hair shinier and smoother and your scalp much, much happier. So long sulphates!
Image – Courtesy of writer
And finally, Step 3 is Primer. A heat and pollution-protecting, hydrating lightweight mist that also aims to detangle and smooth the hair and make styling more manageable. Lilac leaf culture not only protects the hair but promises to make it super glossy too, whilst natural and upcycled betaine helps the hair to maintain optimum moisture.
Image – Courtesy of writer
First impressions
The three products all come differently packaged. Pre-Wash is in a bottle with a nozzle, New Wash comes in a pouch and Primer is in a spray bottle. The instructions tell you to use Pre-Wash first, on dry hair.
So, I divided up my hair into different parts and used the nozzle to get into my roots and scalp, section by section. This was easy to do, and it didn’t feel uncomfortable or irritating. The formula is a liquid so it’s quick to dispense and massage on. The fragrance was totally inoffensive – it just smelt clean and fresh.
The next job was to rinse it out and use New Wash to cleanse my hair. The pouch makes it easy to dispense the right amount into your hand. I have a short bob so I used a blob the size of a raspberry which, as it turned out was the perfect amount.
I was initially worried that because New Wash doubles up as a conditioner, it might weigh my hair down and make it flat and a little bit greasy. After all, I’ve been promised a weightless finish by other brands in the past and have been bitterly disappointed, so I wanted to be cautious.
When applying it to my hair, as pre-warned by the packaging, the formula didn’t lather or foam up (thanks to its non-stripping ingredients). It felt super smooth and coated my hair in what just felt like a very nice conditioner.
Image – Courtesy of writer
It was hard to believe that this would actually clean my hair, but I persevered and enjoyed the feeling of it as I massaged it into my scalp and brushed it down to the ends with Hairstory’s handy Massaging Scalp Brush (£11).
The instructions then say ‘rinse really (really) well’ which amused me, so I did just that – if a brand actually tells you to be thorough on the packaging, you know they mean it. I rinsed and rinsed and kept the faith that this conditioner-like formula also did a good job of cleansing my hair too.
Well, instantly I could tell that my hair didn’t feel heavy when towel drying it (you just know your own hair don’t you?). And can we please just take a moment for how easy it was to brush through?
Usually, my hair is an absolute nightmare to detangle when it’s wet and newly washed. Although it is short, there is a lot of it, so no matter how much conditioner I use, it still ends up like a matted bird’s nest post-shower and I have to set aside an extra ten minutes to painfully get the knots out.
But after using New Wash, there wasn’t a bird’s nest in sight. My hairbrush simply sailed through my hair, and it was comfortable and easy and oh-so refreshing! So far, so good, but I was still paranoid my hair would be a grease slick when dry.
Next up, I spritzed Primer onto my hair. I usually have a love/hate relationship with heat protecters as they can contribute to making my hair as flat as a pancake, but I actually took an instant liking to this one.
Instead of a cream or lotion, it’s a super fine mist that spritzes on easily and feels as light as a feather. I really felt that I could mist on a good amount without needing to worry about it affecting the volume of my hair and, since I use quite a few heated tools to style, this was a huge relief.
My game-changing results
When I blow-dried my hair, I was completely blown away by the results (if you’ll pardon the pun). And because of this, I am now continuing to use the Healthiest Hair Method as my ongoing hair wash routine.
I can honestly put my hand on my heart and tell you that my hair hasn’t looked this shiny, healthy or so full of volume for a very long time. It feels light and airy, bouncy and smooth and guess what? There isn’t even a hint of it feeling weighed down or greasy.
Image – Courtesy of writer
New Wash really did cleanse my hair, despite acting and feeling like a conditioner, and I truly believe that using the Pre-Wash as the first step really helped with getting rid of product and oil build-up that my standard shampoo usually misses. It just feels so clean. Perhaps the products I used before just weren’t doing the job.
Not only is my hair now more manageable to style when it’s wet, but my blow dry is easier to achieve, and it actually stays put too. My colour looks fresher, the ends of my hair look thicker and, overall, I feel ten times more confident not only about how my hair looks but also about the way these products are taking care of it.
Now, this feels like the right time for another overshare. I suffer quite badly with a dry, itchy scalp (it happens to the best of us) but since I started using this three-step system, my scalp has felt the healthiest it has in a long time and it no longer feels itchy or sore.
I really do believe that I have found a much healthier way to wash my hair, without having to compromise on the final result.
The takeaway
The Healthiest Hair Method has massively taken me by surprise. Not to be mistaken for a gimmick or yet another beauty fad, in my experience, it has been a real game-changer for styling, protecting and cleansing my hair.
Honestly? There are no downsides. And I have really tried to find some. It doesn’t take any longer than your standard hair routine nor does it smell bad or weigh the hair down. And knowing it’s not stripping it or irritating my scalp is just a bonus. Consider my hair rut well and truly over.
Check out Hairstory yourself now and get 15% off with promo code LIVETHATGLOW at Hairstory.com!
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