Hairapy 101: Creating the Ultimate Hair Spa Experience at Home

Being cooped up at home can be a total bummer, but it also has its advantages. Like more time to indulge in self-care routines that you may not always have time for in the usual melee of daily responsibilities. Manicure, check. Sheet mask, check. Scalp & Hair Facial? Read on.

As we age, the scalp produces less sebum, loses moisture, and skin cell turnover slows leading to dryness, clogged pores, and inflammation which can compromise the health of your hair. Now is a perfect time to help your scalp transition out of the harsh, dry winter season and help hair reset for spring.

Hairapy spa what you need to have one at home

• Scalp exfoliator
• Gentle, sulfate-free, moisturizing shampoo
• Deep conditioning hair masque
• Shower or bath towel
• Clean hand towel
• Lavender or other calming essential oil (optional)
• Two cucumber slices or an icy cold, chilled face towel (optional)
• Somewhere comfy to sit or lie down

Let’s Spa!

Step 1: Exfoliate

Head to a lukewarm shower; hot water can irritate the scalp and strip hair making it dry and frizzy. Wet hair thoroughly and use a scalp exfoliator to gently slough off dead skin cells, styling product build-up, and excess oils. We love our New Dawn Activated Charcoal Scalp Cleanser because it exfoliates two ways: physically with a built-in soft brush and chemically with lactic acids and activated charcoal. It also contains menthyl lactate, a soothing, cooling agent for the skin that leaves a pleasant tingle and helps encourage blood circulation to the scalp.

Step 2: Cleanse, Treat, and Condition

Once the scalp has been exfoliated, lather a teaspoon-sized amount of a gentle, sulfate-free shampoo in your palms and work it into the roots of the hair. You don’t need to shampoo the tips of your hair, just let suds wash through mid-lengths and ends as you rinse out the shampoo. Finish showering and dry off.

Next, take a small scoop of a deep conditioning hair masque (1 finger for short hair, 2 for longer hair) and rub the formula between your palms to evenly distribute it. Apply the masque to the mid-lengths and ends of your hair. We recommend our Hair Redemption Restorative Butter Masque that contains five plant butters (avocado, macadamia, mango, murumuru, and cupuaçu) to help soften and hydrate hair, repair damage to the cuticle and improve shine, manageability, and strength. It’s also sulfate-free, paraben-free, cruelty-free, and vegan.

Follow up with a few dabs of a calming essential oil on temples, throat, and clavicles. Rub any remaining oils between your palms, hold it up to your nose and inhale deeply 2-3 times.

Step 3: Steam Therapy

Now for the good part! Hot turban therapy has gained popularity due to its role in improving the overall health and appearance of hair. We recommend doing this monthly (overdoing steaming can have the opposite effect: making hair limp, weak, and prone to breakage).

Wrap a hot, damp hand towel around your head like a turban. This moist heat will help create a humid environment for scalp and hair that will open up pores on the scalp and lift cuticles, removing build-up and impurities and allowing the hair masque to penetrate more deeply into hair strands. This process not only feels good, it does good too: improving the condition of the scalp and nourishing hair.

Grab those cucumber slices or an icy, cold face towel (pro tip: keep 2-3 wet, rolled up face towels in the fridge at all times!) and head for the nearest comfy spot. Lie down, chill out and let hair steam for 10-20 minutes.

Remove the towel, rinse off the hair masque, and let hair air dry.