Hair & Scalp Guides
How to read a product label
Ingredients are listed in descending order of concentration. Once you know how to read a label, you can cut through any product's marketing and see exactly what you are putting on your hair.
Silicones in hair care: what the science says
Silicones have a complicated reputation. The reality is more nuanced; their effect on your hair depends heavily on your porosity, your wash routine, and which type of silicone is actually in the bottle.
Protein and moisture: finding your balance
Protein builds structure. Moisture restores flexibility. Your hair needs both, but the right ratio depends on your hair's current state, and getting it wrong in either direction causes problems.
Sulphates and your scalp
Sulphates are effective cleansers, possibly too effective for some scalp types. Understanding which category you fall into helps you choose a shampoo that actually cleans without disrupting your scalp's balance.
What pH tells you about a product
Your scalp's natural pH sits around 5.5. Products that fall far outside this range can disrupt the scalp's barrier and roughen the hair cuticle. Knowing this helps you interpret products more critically.
Hair porosity explained
Porosity describes how well your hair absorbs and holds moisture. It is one of the most useful things to understand about your hair, often more useful than curl pattern for choosing products.
Scalp health and hair growth
Healthy hair starts at the scalp. Understanding what your scalp is doing and why helps you address the root cause rather than managing symptoms with the wrong products.
How often should you wash your hair?
There is no universal answer. The right wash frequency depends on your scalp type, your activity levels, your hair type, and your styling routine. Here is how to figure out what works for you.
Hair density and what it means for products
Density refers to how many strands you have per square inch of scalp, not how thick each strand is. The two are often confused, but they affect your routine in quite different ways.
Fine, medium, coarse: why strand width matters
Strand width, how thick each individual hair fibre is, is one of the most underused pieces of information in building a haircare routine. Here is what it tells you.
When do you actually need a bond repair product?
Bond repair is one of the most marketed claims in haircare right now. It targets a specific type of internal hair damage that not everyone has. Here is how to tell whether you need it.
When do you actually need a protein treatment?
Protein treatments can transform damaged hair, but they can also make healthy hair brittle. The key is knowing which signals to look for before you reach for one.
Emollient vs occlusive: what is the difference?
These two terms appear constantly in ingredient breakdowns but are often used interchangeably when they shouldn't be. They work differently and belong at different points in your routine.