The Better Blog

"Self-care" is one of those phrases that we hear all the time. People do self-care challenges and self-care Sundays, but what does it actually mean? 

We are here to tell you that having a self-care day doesn't mean just indulging in a glass of wine or a hot bath. Instead, self-care is about practicing mindfulness and being attuned to your body's needs—and that includes the needs of your hair. Everyone's routine will look different, but the goal of any self-care routine is to relax and de-stress. Research shows that chronic stress can have a negative impact on hair health, so adding a routine with hair-care benefits is an important self-care step! 

Amping up your hair-care steps at home is also a confidence booster. Prioritizing our own needs over the chaos of daily life centers us, and using the right products and best hair-care practices helps us look and feel our best, inside and out. 

Read on to learn more about different types of self-care, including hair and scalp-care tips, and the importance of taking care of your hair and skin with a dedicated self-care routine.

We all need a little pick-me-up now and again. But these days, women are swapping their 3 p.m. coffee run for a midday break of a different sort—one that combines relaxation, pleasure and a little pampering to boot. Enter beauty snacking!

A micro-moment of self-care, beauty snacking is the perfect way to break up the monotony of a long day with a spa-like experience that gives your skin (and spirits!) a boost—and in many instances it only takes seconds! And while many of the flash treatments that have gained popularity cater to our skin—think moisturizing mists and jade rollers that you can use at your desk—we can’t help but share our favorite ways to do a little “hair snacking,” if you will.

Read on to learn more about how the beauty snacking trend first came about and how it can help you incorporate some much-welcome hair pampering into your daily routine!

When it comes to our hair, the grass is always greener on the other side of the salon. Many of us with fine, straight hair spent years trying to curl and volumize our locks. And those of us with waves and curls wished for the smooth shine of pin-straight tresses. And cowlicks? Don't get us started!r favorite sulfate-free, plant-based hair-care products to help you fall in love with your locks!

It's no secret that we love a leave-in hair mask for moisturizing and repairing dry, damaged tresses! Our best-selling hair mask for dry hair, the Hair Redemption Restorative Butter Masque, stands out because it heals parched strands using a proprietary blend of plant-based nut butters, plus nourishing oils, biotin and caffeine for hair health and manageability. 

But don't believe the myth that hydrating hair masks are for dry hair only! Hair mask benefits include so much more: color care, scalp maintenance and strand strengthening, to name a few. 

Read on to learn more about the hair mask benefits and essential ingredients in our popular butter masque, plus five reasons why making our Hair Redemption Butter Masque part of your weekly hair-care regimen is one of the best things you can do for your hair!

There’s something so luxurious about a trip to the salon, even if you’re just getting a haircut. Allowing someone to play with your hair for an hour while styling it to perfection is not only a great way to relax, but it just makes you feel good in the end. For curly girls, a haircut may be a bit more involved than those with straight hair, but with the right stylist, it’ll go off without a hitch. It’s all about understanding hair texture, curl definition and curly hairstyles! 

There are a few things to know, though, about getting a haircut for curly hair, especially mature curly hair, and finding the perfect curly hairstyles. We spoke with hairstylist Monica Davis, who is also the founder and editor in chief of My Straightener, for some details on the right way to cut curly hair (and how to take care of it at home between salon visits).

We think a lot about how to protect our hair while we're awake: getting routine trims, not brushing our fragile hair while wet, avoiding tight updos and using a heat protectant prior to applying hot styling tools. But we tend to pay less attention to preventing hair damage while sleeping. 

To protect hair while sleeping, it’s important to focus on both hair restoration while we sleep and physically preventing hair breakage during the night. This dual approach to overnight hair health will help you achieve your healthiest, most vibrant hair yet! 

Read on for ideas for protective hairstyles to sleep in and our best tips for preventing hair damage while you're sleeping!

Hair plopping is an incredibly effective technique with a weird name. If you have dry, curly hair and deal with frizz, plopping is about to rock your hair-care world.

So, what is hair plopping?

Plopping gets its name from the literal action of plopping wet hair directly onto a wrap designed to protect and gently absorb water after a wash while scrunching strands into voluminous, defined curls. While it’s not always easy to style curly hair, this heat-free technique is a virtually effortless way to get soft, bouncy, frizz-free curls.

Dealing with depression is difficult. It can take over your whole life and weigh on you both mentally and physically. When it comes to depression and hair loss, there has been some discussion of a link between the two, as it’s not uncommon to find some excess hair falling out while you’re going through distress. Female hair loss and depression are especially concerning, as hair is such an important part of our identity. But before you reach for hair loss treatments, hair growth products and hair growth supplements, let’s take a closer look at the link between depression and hair loss—as well as anti-depression medication and hair loss—and the likelihood of hair loss due to stress and depression.

We've all heard recommendations for the best water temperature for our showers. Hot water steams our pores and opens them, but it can dry out our scalp. Cold water is invigorating and can leave our hair shiny, but it can be hard to handle frigid showers. If we ask 10 people, we can get 10 different answers. 

But what does science say about it? Should we be using cold water on our hair, or is hot water better for hair washes? 

We sat down with Dr. Debra Lin, Chief Scientific Officer at Better Not Younger, to give us the scientific intel on why water temperature matters when we wash our hair and which temperature is best.

If you haven’t yet heard of pre-pooing, get ready to learn about how much it can help your hair. Pre-poo benefits primarily include conditioning and protecting your hair, which includes making it softer and shinier. A pre-poo—which basically means a treatment that you do before you shampoo your hair—is easy enough to add into your hair-care routine, and we have all the answers to your questions about how to pre-poo like a pro.

This is an especially exciting topic for us at Better Not Younger, and the reason is in our name. We believe we only get better with age! And key to a smooth midlife transition is knowing what to expect as we move through menopause.  

But what do signs of menopause at 40 and beyond look like? How can you tell if you're experiencing premenopausal symptoms? 

We've got the scoop on what to know about early perimenopause symptoms and menopause body changes, along with menopause self-care tips to help you cope with the transition!

While daily hair loss is totally normal, sometimes hair loss in women is a result of menopause or pregnancy or even other factors like stress. But just like hair loss in women is common (though frustrating), hair growth for women is generally on the other side of that hair loss.

New hair growth is almost always happening on your head, especially if you have healthy hair follicles. Signs of new hair growth are to be celebrated (though there is nothing wrong with or shameful about thinning hair on women!). To understand new hair growth, we have to also discuss hair loss, the hair growth cycle and signs your hair is growing back.