How to Care for Thin, Curly Hair: My Products and Rituals

Start with Shampoo

Masking with Olaplex became a lifestyle for me, courtesy of my often-bleached dry, easily-damaged hair (and sound advice from my hair angel, Matt Rez, a colorist at Mèche Salon in Beverly Hills and Redken's newest brand ambassador). I apply it once a week, like clockwork, to reverse the damage and nourish my breakable strands. More on that below. Then—as if to answer my prayers—the brand launched a shampoo. It repairs the damage, softens, adds shine, and all that other good stuff (while protecting my color) daily instead of just once every seven days. The most magical component, though, is the fact that it's sulfate-free and still foams up in the most satisfying of ways. I don't know how it's possible, but Olaplex has done it. It's a formula that won't weigh down my hair, protects my dry ends, softens and nourishes my curls, and keeps my color intact to boot.

Heal Your Strands

As Martine Robertson, director of education at Olaplex puts it, "Olaplex is for everyone, literally. All hair goes through stress that can lead to breakage. Imagine that Olaplex is like a gym routine for your hair—the more you use it the stronger, healthier, and shinier it will be." So here's the run-down: The hero ingredient is Bis-aminopropyl diglycol dimaleate (I know it sounds scary, but it's pretty much magic). See, it's a patented ingredient that actively restores broken bonds in your hair. "Olaplex is repairing each hair strand as a whole (from base to ends)," Robertson explains. "It's finding bonds that have been broken down by any means (hair color, chemical straighteners, blow dryers, etc.) and reconnecting them both ionically and covalently. This means that broken or weak bonds, located anywhere on the hair shaft, are targeted."

Maleeka Robb, the director and owner of the Four salon in London, adds an analogy for what the formula actually does. "If your hair is over-processed, particularly for those who are blonde, it becomes like a crumbling brick wall. In order to get the bricks to go back in, you need some cement. This is what Olaplex does—it helps to reinforce your hair strands." I apply the mixture to my hair post-shampoo in the shower and leave it in for as long as possible (the bottle says 20 minutes, I usually make it to 10 or 15). Then, the directions instruct you to wash your hair again and follow up with the conditioner. Since I began this process, my hair has grown exponentially and is visibly healthier than ever before. You can only get it at the salon.

Don't Forget to Condition

Much like the aforementioned shampoo and mask treatment, Olaplex's conditioner is highly moisturizing and reparative. It re-links broken bonds within your hair to strengthen each strand and add shine and softness with each use. Here's the thing: It is thick. So, if you have fine hair like me, make sure to only apply it from your mid-lengths to your ends (without touching your root).

I like to begin detangling my hair with my fingers as I apply it, massaging it into my hair to let it fully absorb and begin doing its thing. After a few minutes—I usually give it about five—rinse it all out and you'll be shocked at how soft your hair feels.

How to Gently Detangle

I've had issues with tangles and hair fall-out for a while, mostly because of the fragility of my ends. The only thing that's ever truly made a difference is my Tangle Teezer. It's budget-friendly and less romantic-looking than a Mason Pearson, but on wet, curly hair, it's a godsend. So, technically, I've been instructed not to brush hair when it's wet (it's easy to cause breakage that way), but I do it anyway. It's impossible for me to leave it alone post-shower. That being said, this brush makes the whole process so much easier. I use it right out of the shower because it's so gentle and eliminates tangles without ripping any of your hair out.

Add an Oil to Nourish Strands

After getting out of the shower and giving my hair a quick shake-down with an Aquis Lisse Luxe Hair Turban ($30), I use up to three pumps of this oil. It's my absolute favorite and has been for almost a decade. It absorbs rapidly and easily into your hair shaft, rather than sitting on top, to rebalance moisture levels, smoothing, softening, and protecting against dryness and UV damage. It's silky, velvety, and made from camellia oil, which provides deep nutrition to the hair fiber, as well as an enveloping, sensual scent. From there, I let my hair air-dry and do its thing, flipping it from side to side with a quick scrunch all over to add lift (a helpful technique I picked up from celebrity hairstylist Vernon François).

Add Some Volume

Once my hair is fully dry, I do two crucial things to add in a bit more fluff and volume. First, I spritz Moroccanoil Dry Shampoo in Light Tones ($26) to the strands surrounding my face and the crown of my head. This immediately adds more lift at the root and texture around the front of my curls. There are two reasons this dry shampoo (IMHO) is better than all the rest. First, it has options that are specifically formulated for light or dark hair tones. For light tones, the product blends subtle violet pigments—similar to the concept of purple shampoo—which help balance brassiness and bring out the best in light-colored hair. Second, the formula is infused with argan oil to keep hair hydrated and protect from UV rays. So there's the perfect amount of grit and moisture to balance it all out.

Spray in Some Texturizer

The last step is Bumble and bumble Thickening Dryspun Finish Volume Spray ($31), a translucent, dry texturizing spray for added fullness and airy texture. It's a godsend—and perfect for those piece-y ends I consistently covet but can't always pull off due to (cough) split ends. While I apply dry shampoo to my roots, this stuff is for my mid-lengths and ends. The formula includes raw silk powders with light-holding polymers to allow the product to adhere instantly to each strand of hair. The results are weightless, full texture—it won't bog down my hair but allows my curls to stay at the forefront. Once it's all said and done, I fluff up and pull apart various pieces of hair to make my hair look thicker, longer, and give off a more '70s vibe.