Salons across the UK have now closed their doors amidst the coronavirus pandemic, which has left many of us wondering how best to keep up our beauty routines at home.
The good news is, spending more time indoors often means you have more time to do things you wouldn't normally prioritise, and now is a good time to add "mastering your beauty routine" to your to-do list!
To help keep your hair in good condition while you're missing salon appointments, we spoke to experts Gorka Arraras from Charles Worthington Salons, Flo Bellas from London-based hair salon Chlo & Flo and Kurami nutritionist Georgine Leung.
They shared with us their top tips for looking after hair in between your routine appointments.
Stick to your routineGorka advised sticking to your usual hair routine, washing and conditioning your hair as normal as well as applying a hair treatment once a week. If you currently don't use a hair treatment every week, now is your chance to give it a go.
"This is a great opportunity to treat our hair to the max," Flo told us, adding: "Using a really good shampoo, conditioner and hair mask is essential so now is the time to invest in them."
"When new clients visit us for the first time, they often say their hair gets greasy at the roots quickly but is dry at the ends. Using good products will ensure there is no build-up on the scalp or in the hair," Flo said.
If you've been stuck in a hair rut and using the same products for years, now is the time to try a new product in your usual routine.
Our favourite hair masks
Genesis Masque Reconstituant Hair Mask
Kérastase lookfantastic.com£32.75
Don't Despair, Repair! Deep Conditioning Mask
Briogeo cultbeauty.co.uk£30.00
Restore Mask Treatment
Living Proof cultbeauty.co.uk£10.00
Intense Hydrating Mask
Moroccanoil lookfantastic.com£25.45
Reduce the heatGorka advised using the extra time at home as an opportunity to reduce the amount of heat you use on your hair.
"Letting your hair dry naturally will help it stay healthier for longer," he told us, adding: "If your hair is unruly or tends to frizz, apply a primer, heat protector or an oil and loosely plait hair until it's dry to help control frizzing."
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Shop our favourite hair oils
Treatment Original
Moroccanoil lookfantastic.com£32.85
Perfectly Perfecting Wonder Treatment Oil+
Percy & Reed lookfantastic.com£25.00
Hairdresser's Invisible Oil Heat/UV Protective Primer
Bumble and bumble lookfantastic.com£21.00
Thé Des Vignes Body and Hair Nourishing Oil
Caudalie feelunique.com£18.00
Don't cut your split ends at home"Spilt ends would ideally need to be cut as they don't recover, but please don't attempt to cut your own hair to get rid of split ends!" said Gorka.
He added: "Instead leave a mask or a treatment overnight or while you're working at home to really nourish the hair and help manage those spilt ends."
Reducing the amount of heat on your hair will also help manage spilt ends, according to Flo. "The hair cuticle becomes damaged with heat, which then leads to breakage. If you do have some spare time right now, it's a great opportunity to find new ways to style your hair without using much heat," she said.
Flo added: "However if you do use heat make sure you apply a heat protection oil or spray beforehand."
Try one of our favourite hair treatments
Restore Repair Leave In Conditioner
Living Proof lookfantastic.com£20.80
Elasticizer Deep-Conditioning Treatment
Philip Kingsley lookfantastic.com£15.20
be curly Intensive Detangling Masque
Aveda aveda.co.uk£25.00
Hydrating Melting Mask with Aloe Vera
Christophe Robin lookfantastic.com£27.00
Manage your overgrown fringeIf your fringe is becoming tough to manage, Gorka suggests twisting and pinning it to the side or pinning it into a quiff.
Flo agreed, adding: "The best advice I can give you is to buy some grips or cute slides that you can pin your fringe back with."
"But if you can't wait and decide to cut your fringe yourself, make sure the fringe is flat against the forehead and trim it bit by bit using the pointed part of the scissors," Flo said.
She added: "Sectioning is also key, so make sure the rest of your hair is clipped or tied back so you don't end up trimming other pieces by mistake."
Use the right products"Those with coloured hair should use a good shampoo and conditioner that won't strip the colour but rather help maintain the condition of your hair. Non-stripping products will also definitely help make your colour last longer," Flo said.
Sulphate-free shampoos are best for coloured hair as they don't strip the colour but instead gently clean the hair without leaving it dry or causing irritation to the scalp. Our team at the GHI put sulphate-free shampoos and conditioners to the test and found Kérastase Discipline Fluidealiste Shampoo & Conditioner Duo to be the best. Testers reported their hair was smoother and shiner even days after use.
Shop more of our favourite sulphate-free shampoos and conditioners
Hydrate Shampoo
Pureology cultbeauty.co.uk£19.95
Hydrate Conditioner
Pureology cultbeauty.co.uk£23.10
Restore Shampoo
Living Proof lookfantastic.com£19.20
Restore Conditioner
Living Proof lookfantastic.com£19.20
"If the hair starts to look brassy or too red, use colour correctors for blondes or brunettes to cancel this out and add shine to your hair," Gorka suggested.
"Root touch-up sprays are also great to cover roots while not being able to have your har coloured," Gorka told us.
Our GHI experts tested nine instant root concealers and found the Phil Smith Root Touch Up to be the best, with testers loving how natural it looked, how easy it was to evenly apply and how long it lasted throughout the day.
Shop root cover-ups
Phil Smith Root Touch Up
Phil Smith philsmithhair.com£6.00
Root Blur Colour Blending Concealer
John Frieda johnfrieda.comUS$77,499.00
Instant Root Concealer Warm Brown
Charles Worthington boots.com£9.99
Root Cover Up
Color WOW lookfantastic.com£28.50
If you can't get your hands on new products, Gorka also suggested plaiting your hair around the hair line or wearing a headband to cover any root growth.
Look at your dietWe know it's important to eat a varied diet for overall health, but did you know there are a number of micronutrients that have been found to contribute to the maintenance of healthy skin and hair?
"A deficiency of the essential micronutrients can result in skin and hair abnormalities, but these could be easily obtained in a healthy, varied diet," nutritionist Georgine told us.
"Vitamin B7 (Biotin), selenium and zinc contribute to the maintenance of normal hair, whilst copper contributes to normal hair pigmentation," she added.
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"These nutrients are essential in the diet and can be obtained from a wide range of foods. They also provide other important functions in the body."
You can find vitamin B7 in foods like eggs, shellfish, mushrooms, nuts and seeds. You'll also find selenium in nuts and seeds, particularly cashews and sunflowers seeds, as well as eggs and fish. Zinc-rich foods include cheese, shellfish, meat, nuts, seeds and wholegrains, whilst cooper-rich foods include wholegrains, shellfish, pulses, dried fruit, nuts and seeds.
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