As a curly that has been through the ringer when it comes to finding the right hair products, I LOVE sharing when I find a new brand that works for me. So, meet Hairstory.
Since working at NaturallyCurly, I have changed up my hair care regimen a lot. And I don’t just mean trying out new products, which I CERTAINLY have enjoyed, but more along the lines of my wash day routine. For instance, I used to wash my hair every day, not shampoo or cleanse it, but wet, condition, and detangle my hair daily before I left the house. If this sounds like a lot of extra work, it was. Now I have learned how to go a few days between washing with the help of a silk scarf and satin pillowcase, refreshing curl sprays and waterbottles, and new cleansing products that don’t leave me hair stripped of moisture. I’m sure none of these things are ground breaking to you if you have curly hair, but sometimes it’s easy to fall in the trap of a routine that works, even if there are better ways to alter your routine.
After several other editors shared with me that conditioning my hair daily was not necessary, and I could just use a scarf to preserve my curls overnight (which I knew, just never took the time to try on my hair”>, I began only washing my hair two or three times a week.
Since I had previously been washing out my leave in products each morning, I wasn’t used to the product buildup that occurred after a few days of refreshing my curls in the morning, and so, I then began to shampoo on my washdays. Generally, I only shampoo with my purple conditioner when my hair starts to look brassy, because shampoo has always dried out my hair. However, more brands have begun to acknowledge this problem by creating innovative products that work to both cleanse and condition, often referred to as no-poos, or cleansing conditioners. Hairstory is calling theirs the “New Wash“.
Michael Gordon, founder of Bumble and bumble and the brain behind the innovative Hairstory project, which has been called not only a hair product company but “a creative space dedicated to experimentation and refining craft“, where top of the line hairdressers were brought on to create, sought to challenge the shampoo industry. Gordon beleives that Sulfate-free, cleansing conditioner, and even baby shampoo all fall under the detergent umbrella. This ‘detergent’, is the reason conditioner is neccessary, because it strips all of the natural oils from your scalp.
To go along with what he calls a goundbreaking formula, Gordon also developed a line of styling products, a leave in balm, a blow-dry cream, and a texturizing spray. Each of which were designed to “Encourage hair to do what it wants, not force it.”
This look was created on wash day, using the new wash, hair balm, and my Devafuser until my hair was 50% dry, then letting the rest air dry.
I tried both their “New Wash” and their “Hair Balm” products, and my curls stayed ringlet(y”>, frizz-free, and my scalp oil free for three days. I could’ve gone another day without a wash, but I’m still learning how to properly sleep with a scarf on my head at night, so on that fourth day I woke up strugglin’. The ‘New Wash’ was created to simplify your wash day routine, and the claim is that it can wash, condition, detangle and repair your hair in one. As someone with type 3b curly bleached hair, I used to have medium porosity hair, however coloring my hair has changed my hair into high porosity, so I need A LOT of moisture. For me, the ‘New Wash’ did a great job of removing product buildup in my hair without drying out my hair, but in order to easily detangle, I still opted for a light daily conditioner after. However, maybe after my hair gets more used to conditioning less I’ll be able to use it as an all in one.
After washing and conditioning my hair I used some of the ‘Hair Balm‘ on my still wet hair. I then diffuse until about 50% dry, and let the rest air dry. And let me tell you my curls were POPPIN. I’m not sure if it was a direct reult of the ‘Hair Balm’ or the mixture of the ‘New Wash’ and the balm, but my curls really never looked better or felt softer. Since the ‘Hair Balm’ is made with natural oils and is very conditioning, I only need one or two pumps of it, so although the price us on the upper end, I can tell it will last me a long time.
It’s always fun to switch up products and brands when you get too comfortable with something that you know works, but it’s even more fun when you find a new holy grail. Have you tried any new products or brands that you are loving recently? Let me know in the comments below!
