Everyone always talks about the weather, but no one ever does anything about it. This age-old adage certainly sums up how Canadians feel about their environment, but it could just as easily come from the mouth of any haircare professional across the country: the weather wreaks constant havoc on the hair of Canadian women. And until now, most women haven't progressed beyond the basics of a shampoo-and-conditioner routine in order to reverse this daily damage, or at least hold it at bay.
Enter the bastion of hair research, L'Oréal Paris, which is now sharing something European women have benefitted from for years-nurturing treatments that bring out the best in hair.
Complete haircare starts at the roots-and by roots we mean the core of personal rituals for maintaining healthy-looking hair on a daily basis. By working a simple but nourishing step into any haircare routine, much-needed moisture is re-introduced.
Nobody knows this better than international hair stylist Eric Del Monaco, who believes healthy hair is the backbone to any good hairstyle. Indeed, it's often the most important ingredient.
"Your hair needs to be cared for," Del Monaco says. "Why wait until it's irreparable? With a complete routine using the right products, you can have beautiful hair all the time."
JUMP COMMON HAIR HURDLES
Huge effort goes into determining exactly what kinds of "tress stress" Canadian women are dealing with, above and beyond just a bad hair day. A recent L'Oréal Paris poll unearthed five general concerns everyone faces from time to time, if not all the time. According to the results, the Top Five are weak, limp, lifeless, dull or straw-like hair, or any combination of the above. As a result, the company took steps to eliminate the five problems with one full-treatment solution-Total Repair 5. Besides the obligatory shampoo and conditioner, the range also boasts about its Replenishing Detangling Care, which reduces breakage quickly and easily, and the Replenishing Mask for more intense repair. As well, something rather new in the form of a Night Elixir generates soft hair in the morning.
With an international following of loyal women hanging on L'Oréal Paris results, research is paramount. As such, two chief ingredients in these advanced Total Repair 5 treatments don't just condition hair, they transform it. Pro-Keratine and Ceramide-infused formulas work together to restore and replenish hair without weighing it down.
"Pro-Keratine reinforces each hair fibre to give it strength and resistance, while Ceramide acts as a natural bonding agent to smooth your hair," says Del Monaco. "Restoring cuticle resistance and strengthening the hair fibre delivers soft, shiny hair that stands up to daily wear-and-tear."
GO WITH NATURAL NUTRIENTS
On the road to giving your hair the Royal Treatment it deserves, returning moisture is a principal goal. With this top of mind, L'Oréal Paris has also launched the Re-Nutrition range, which brings to haircare the power of Royal Jelly, an ingredient initially used in skincare products to restore and moisturize.
And while looking to nature for solutions is not a new thing, L'Oréal Paris researchers have this route down pat, working rare Royal Jelly into not only a shampoo, conditioner and two-in-one, but also into two hair restorers: a Nourishing Cream Care that brings back the bounce and an Intense Mask that drenches hair with nutrients. "Re-Nutrition is designed to nourish even the driest hair," says Del Monaco. "You can go from straw to silk in next to no time. With the mask, I recommend women apply it after shampooing, wrap their hair in a warm towel, draw a bath, grab a glass of wine or a book, and enjoy some well deserved downtime!"
GET INTO THE ROUTINE!
This is Part One in a series of tips on expert care for demanding hair. Keep an eye out for Part Two in next week's paper and at globeandmail.com/maneattraction to discover how easy it is to protect and nurture coloured or highlighted hair. For a virtual consultation with Eric Del Monaco, visit lorealparis.ca/consultation .
TOP 5 DRY-HAIR TIPS
1. Go easy with the towel. Just gently squeeze excess water from wet hair without shaking, rubbing or twisting it.
2. Allow hair to air-dry as long as possible, as styling tools dry out hair.
3. Apply leave-in creams right after a shower. They're also good for refreshing your style between shampoos. (Just avoid the roots,
to keep hairstyles from sagging.)
4. Work a mask into your hair routine once or twice a week. And it's OK to leave it in longer for extra conditioning.
5. Reduce morning frizziness by switching to
a silk or satin pillowcase.