The Ultimate Editor-Approved Self-Care Routine for Your Hair

Whether you use all these tips to give yourself the ultimate at-home spa day or incorporate a few into your hair care routine, you and your mane will look and feel better than ever.

Is getting your hair done self-care?

There's a reason so many women see their salon appointments as therapeutic. Taking time out of your day to switch up your hair color, try a new haircut, or enjoy an in-salon hair treatment can be a relaxing form of self-care.

Looking to indulge a bit further? Schedule your hair appointment on the same day as a trip to the nail salon for a full day of pampering—and throw in a massage for good measure. Trying out a trending style like fox flip hair, which we’ve been seeing everywhere lately, will make you feel like a star.

Good hair day by @inzsoljulia

What is a good self-care routine?

A good self-care routine makes you look and feel like your most relaxed self. For some, that means indulging in a luxurious bubble bath or booking a massage. We encourage you to find ways to incorporate self-care into your everyday routine, like burning your favorite candle while you get ready in the morning.

What is a good hair care routine?

If you’re trying to apply self-care practices to your hair care routine, it’s all about relaxing and giving your mane much-needed TLC. Below, we’re revealing some of our favorite ways to upgrade your self-care hair routine.

Take a hot shower.

Fact: There’s nothing more therapeutic than taking a hot shower after a long day. While we don’t recommend rinsing your strands with scorching hot water, throw your hair into a bun and give yourself a few minutes to unwind and de-stress before finishing the rest of your shower routine. Once it’s time to wash your hair, turn the shower nozzle so the water is lukewarm.

Quick View

Quick View

Quick View

Quick View

Invest in a shower filter.

We hate to break it to you, but your hair care products may only be as good as the water you’re mixing them with. If your hair is often left feeling dry and brittle, no matter how many moisturizing products you use, you may have hard water. Water is described as “hard” when there is a high concentration of minerals such as calcium and magnesium. These minerals, when applied topically, can cause dryness and damage. A shower filter will filter out the minerals, giving you a nice clean canvas. Some shower filters come with scented options to help you truly relax during your self-care routine.

Editor Tip: Another option to consider is detoxifying hair products that will banish these metal particles in water, resulting in stronger and shinier hair. Invest in a system like L'Oréal Professionnel Serie Expert Metox Detox (one editor considers it her holy grail treatment here!), which features its new Anti-Metal High Protection Cream. This leave-in penetrates hair fibers for color that is longer lasting and has 87% less breakage.

Quick View

Exfoliate your scalp.

You’re most likely transitioning your skincare routine for fall, so if you want to skinify your hair routine, take a page straight from skincare 101 and try exfoliating your scalp. Like the skin on your face, an exfoliant can help keep your scalp in tip-top shape and remove any dead skin cells, excess oil, or impurities.

For those searching for the best ways to exfoliate your scalp at home, try a scalp scrub like Kérastase Scrub Energisant Purifying Fusio Dose Scrub. This purifying and energizing scalp scrub cleanses away hair build-up and impurities while leaving hair shinier.

Give yourself a scalp massage.

No shampoo routine is complete without giving your scalp a massage. While nothing beats the massage you get at the shampoo bowl, this at-home technique can do wonders for your hair (and your stress levels). When you’re in the shower, use your fingertips to gently massage your scalp in a circular motion, starting at the front of your hairline and working your way towards the back for 60 seconds.

Massaging your scalp with your fingers is a quick and easy way to make your shampoo routine self-indulgent. But if you want to take your shampoo routine to the next level, invest in a hand-held scalp massaging device. Silicone and electric hand-held scalp massagers are popular ways to help exfoliate your scalp and increase follicle stimulation.

Quick View

Wash your hair.

Washing your hair may not seem like a luxury, but freshly washed hair will give you the clean slate you need to create any hairstyle. If your hair is dry, nourish it with a moisturizing shampoo like Pureology Hydrate Shampoo. This formula quenches and cleanses medium to thick color-treated hair. Use a lightweight alternative like Pureology Hydrate Sheer Shampoo if you have fine hair.

For those dealing with damage, pick up a shampoo like Redken Acidic Bonding Concentrate Shampoo. Formulated with citric acid and a concentrated bonding complex, this shampoo helps rebalance your hair's natural pH levels for healthier-looking, stronger hair. You can achieve 56 percent less breakage and 82 percent less visible split ends when used as a complete system, as highlighted in this editor review.

Quick View

Quick View

Quick View

Quick View

Quick View

Quick View

Treat your mane to a hair mask.

Before you complete your shower routine, give your hair the ultimate self-care gift: a hair mask. While conditioner will do for your regular wash day, when you’re looking for a luxurious feel, you want a product that delivers extreme repair. The Redken Acidic Bonding Concentrate 5-Min Liquid Mask offers 72 hours of deep hydration, shine, and restoration thanks to its signature Conditioning Care Complex. This ultra-conditioning mask is perfect for all hair types and textures looking for deep bond repair—read more about it here!

Detangle.

Detangling your hair may be your least favorite part of your hair care routine, but it’s important to really take the time to do it carefully. Taking the time to detangle your hair carefully can mean the difference between long, smooth, shiny strands and a broken, mangled mane. Invest in a detangling brush for your hair type and texture, and detangle your hair in sections. Working with one section at a time, start from your ends and gently make your way up to your roots.

Quick View

Apply hair oil.

If you want to take your self-care hair routine to the next level, consider investing in a hair oil. Much like applying a clear top coat to freshly painted nail polish, hair oil can help strengthen your mane and give it an extra bit of shine. From the L'Oréal portfolio, we recommend Kérastase Elixir Ultime L’Huile Original Hair Oil. This formula for all hair types creates super shiny locks and strengthens strands while providing overall nourishment. Check out why our editor loves this hair oil here.

Quick View

Quick View

Use an overnight serum.

If you love to pamper yourself but are a lazy girl at heart, you’ll love overnight serums. These products nourish your mane while you sleep—which means the product essentially does all of the work for you. Once you’ve gotten your eight hours, get up, wash the product out, and enjoy the results!

Try an overnight serum approved by the pros! We love Shu Uemura Art Of Hair’s Essence Absolue Overnight Serum. This formula softens and nourishes mid-lengths to ends while taming frizzy hair and unruly strands to improve manageability.

For salon blondes, opt for a formula like Kérastase Blond Absolu Serum Cicanuit. This overnight recovery serum, formulated with hyaluronic acid, hydrates and softens lightened or highlighted hair while protecting against split ends and breakage.

Style your hair.

As the old saying goes: When you look good, you feel good! Every salon-goer knows there’s nothing like walking out of the salon with freshly styled hair. Whether a bouncy blowout makes you feel your best or you love how your hair looks braided, we’ve got all the inspiration you’re looking for—with easy-to-follow tutorials!

What is the best daily hair care routine?

Making the time for an indulgent hair care routine every once in a while is important, but your daily routine is the key to healthy-looking hair every day. Incorporate these tips into your hair care routine for flawless hair all year round.

Regular haircuts.

Okay, this isn’t an everyday thing—but your haircut will make or break your daily styling! No hairstyles look good with split ends and damaged hair, so maintain your haircut schedule so your mane always looks polished.

Quick View

Quick View

Quick View

Heat-free hairstyles.

Heat-free hairstyles are all over social media, and for a good reason—they look amazing and are good for your hair. As much as we love the looks we can achieve with flat and curling irons, the damage often leaves our hair looking worse for wear. Heat-free hairstyles create the same enviable bounce and body without any damage.

If you can’t manage to nix applying heat to your hair altogether, at the very least, try innovative tools that cut down on heat damage, like the L'Oreal Professionnel Steampod. This 2-in-1 flat iron and styler is powered by steam, delivering 2x smoother hair and 2x faster results, plus up to 91 percent less breakage.

Eat hair-friendly foods.

Sometimes, the pick-me-up your hair needs isn’t on the surface. In fact, your diet can play a major role in maintaining a healthy mane. Enhance your self-care day with a diet loaded with hair-friendly comfort foods like leafy greens and sweet potatoes. If you want to give your hair an extra boost, try adding a hair vitamin to your daily routine.

Protect your hair at night.

A good night's sleep is essential to a healthy hair routine, but all your hard work will be for nothing after tossing and turning on your cotton pillowcase all night. Protect your mane from tangles, tears, and dryness by wrapping your hair in a satin bonnet or scarf. This will protect your hair from becoming a tangled mess at night and help preserve your style for the next day. If you can’t manage to keep a bonnet on your head, invest in a satin or silk pillowcase for hair protection with a luxurious feel.

Header photo credit: @shuuemura_artofhair and @georgepapanikolas

Are you looking to kick off your self-care routine with a haircut? Use our salon locator to book an appointment with a pro near you and discover more tips at Hair.com.