The Green Guide: Tip NO.7 – Good Hair Day 💇‍♀️

Tips and tricks for making environmentally friendly swaps today!

So now we have considered how to make our bathrooms a more environmentally sustainable space, how can we deepen our impact when caring for our hair? Take a look at these…..

• Drying – this super simple change of habit has drastically changed my routine recently. If like me, you have long and/or thick hair which takes ages to dry, you should try this. After washing your hair, first remove as much water as you can from it in the shower/bath, then wrap in a towel. This is the key part – leave it like this for as long as you can! Go brush your teeth, do your make-up, tick off some chores. Then dry your hair using a hair dryer, and you should find it takes a lot less time to get significantly dry. Less time using hair dryer = less electricity used. Other tips include partially drying your hair with a hair dryer and letting the final wet areas dry naturally e.g. when you go to sleep or during your walk to work. Or if you are having a lovely sunny day, let the sun naturally dry your hair while you do some activity outside.
• Hair masks – cut down on single use packaging by making your own homemade hair masks. There are many ‘recipes’ out there for different hair types, and usually use basic ingredients found in your kitchen cupboards, such as honey and coconut oil. Check out some ideas here 7 Best DIY Hair Masks That Really Work – Homemade Hair Recipes 2021 (cosmopolitan.com) and 7 DIY Hair Masks – Recipes for At-Home Hair Masks (goodhousekeeping.com)

• Products – try swapping your liquid shampoo and conditioners for solid bars, which cut down on waste from packaging. You may also benefit from using less product, so you don’t overload your hair and get more use out of your products. Or shop consciously by choosing organic, vegan or recyclable products. Ideas include Lush (View All | Hair Products | Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics UK), The Body Shop (View all Haircare | Hair Products | The Body Shop®) and Wearth (Eco-Friendly Shampoo & Vegan Hair Products | Plastic-Free Haircare (wearthlondon.com))
• Embrace natural – put the styling tools down a little more and embrace your natural style. Straighteners, curlers etc use electricity when in use, so try building up the number of days you don’t use them to save energy, maybe just adding an extra natural hair day to your week, then go from there.

• Water – turn off when not needed for washing out product, to reduce water use and turn down the temperature – too hot water can damage your hair and requires more energy to heat up, so turn down to just above body temperature (around 38 degrees centigrade How Does Water Temperature Affect Hair Structure? (headandshoulders.co.uk)) for the best clean. 🚿
• Hairdressers – get your hairdresser in on the act at your next appointment, they may want to become greener or be on their way, so find out what they are doing to help the environment. This website has great information for hairdressers as well as the clients/the public on the ways you can become more sustainable as well as certification for sustainable salons: Hairdressing for sustainability (vtct.org.uk)

Hopefully these tips have equipped you with the knowledge to have a really good hair day, both for you and the planet. Look good, do good! 💇‍♂️