With the awareness of self-care growing and all the New Year’s resolutions upon us, why not include improving your hair care regimen to your list of goals?

When it comes to skincare, we go out of our way to buy multiple products: serums, moisturizers, toners, etc. But when it comes to our hair, most of us have a preferred shampoo/conditioner set, then maybe 1-3 products we use for stylizing. If you’re looking to change up your hair care routine we need to start at the root of things. Or even further below the scalp, the scalp is a continuance of the complexion and deserves as much love as our skin.

1. DON’T LEAVE PRODUCT IN TOO LONG

A commonly agreed upon no-no in the hair care community is leaving in the product in your hair for too long. While we are all fans of not being forced to wash our hair and being able to spray in some dry shampoo it does eventually need to be washed out, along with any other product you apply so you aren’t blocking the follicle. Going a week without washing your hair, while convenient, is not the best wellness practice and won’t help you achieve healthy hair. A hair mask every 2 weeks could be helpful as well, you could draw yourself a nice bath and relax while hydrating and providing your scalp the nutrition it deserves.

2. RINSE OR WASH AFTER A WORKOUT

Working out can have a serious impact on your hair while leaving a workout drenched in sweat can feel satisfying, it needs to be washed out. If you work out frequently you will need to wash your hair much more frequently and this will require you to pay a little more attention to your cleansing products. Washing your hair frequently can be damaging, hence why a lot of us try to get away with not washing it for as long as possible, so you will need to find a product that doesn’t strip your hair of its natural oils but will still get it clean.

3. SCALP MASSAGE

A scalp massage is not something you can only get during a hair appointment, you can add it to your routine and do it yourself while washing your locks. It’s great for stimulating your skin and blood circulation, bringing up the blood supply to your hair follicle will help shift any dead skin cells. Scalp massages are essential for scalp health, not to mention it’s relaxing and can boost your mood.

4. PAY ATTENTION TO INGREDIENTS

Just as important as it is to pay attention to the ingredients in your skincare, you should make sure you’re doing the same for your hair care products. It’s best to skip drying ingredients like sulfates and increasing use of essential vitamins. When it comes to your hair the natural oils are super important. Once you’ve removed the buildup, which allows blood circulation to come up to the follicle, you need to feed your scalp nutrients so the follicles don’t weaken over time. Improving the health of your hair follicle will help your hair grow healthier and stronger. Some ingredients that can help increase circulation include antioxidants, fatty acids, and some botanical ingredients like rosemary.

Having these hair goals may not be as big as some of your other goals for the new year, but they are achievable; and even better, they give you a chance to have a little you time to take care of yourself.