of your grey hair
Since lockdown, we had to find new ways of taking care of our hair from the absence of our hairdressers and barbers. For some, that meant embracing grey hair and learning how to care for it.
In this article, you will learn from the experts at the Lush HairLab HQ who have put their heads together to give you advice on how to get the best out of your grey hair.
So, what is grey hair?
Greying hair is the gradual and eventually complete loss of melanin in your hair strands. Melanin is responsible for the hair’s pigment and helps to protect hair strands from the elements, including UV rays. “Without melanin, hair can become more vulnerable to damage which requires a bit more love and attention from the wearer.” – Daisy Evans, Lush Hair Technician and Colour Specialist.
Sarah Sango, Lush Afro Hair Specialist adds “It also causes a slight change in the shape of the hairs follicle. The hairs follicle is where your hair grows from and the shape of it determines the shape of your hair strands. This can create hair that sits in a different direction to what you are used to.”
Things to consider when caring for grey hair…
“I have noticed how every grey-haired client of mine has their very own personal pattern of how different shades of grey grow from their heads. Whether that be striking white pieces around the face, or simply a twinkly scattering of silver hairs. There is something so cool about seeing people owning and embracing this beautiful change.” – Daisy Evans, Lush Hair Technician and Colour Specialist.
If you want to embrace greys and get the best out of your locks, here are some points that you may need to consider when choosing your hair care routine.
1: Yellowing
Due to the colourless strands acting as the perfect blank canvas for product or even pollution build-up to become visible on the surface of the hair, you may notice yellowing and brassy tones quite often when you have grey/white hair. This can easily be dealt with by using high cleansing shampoos to remove the build-up, even better if you can use violet-based products to further banish the yellow.
Daddy-O Toning Shampoo (From £7)
Daddy-O shampoo will leave grey and blonde hair feeling healthy and looking bright. We’ve created an infusion from toothed wrack seaweed and organic lemons, that cleanses and softens strands, whilst extra virgin coconut oil hydrates the hair. The all-important violet pigment is added to counteract brassy tones from grey, white and blonde hair.
Aga’s Silver Conditioner (From £9)
This intensive conditioner with violet pigments helps to neutralise brassy blondes and enliven silver strands.
“Organic Virgin Plum Oil is rich in antioxidants which mop up the pollutants that can dull grey hair, helping to amplify and restore shine.” – Kayleigh Hill, Lush Product Expert.
An invisible, no-crunch gel for subtle hold and supple styles.Made with olive oil and xanthan gum to give the hair shine, strength, and softness
Wig Hair Trainer (£8)
A matte, firm-hold, ‘no-product’ look product to keep hair looking trim between trims. Kaolin thickens, illipe butter softens and Japan wax gets your hair into the shape you want.
These lockdown inventions are brilliant. They are absolutely beautiful on grey and white hair, gently calming down glowy yellow hues with the soft violet tone in Wig and Infra Wig. Perfect if you love a good styling product and want your grey or white hair to look bright and pearly.
2: Damaged hair (from having vulnerable strands)
Greying (the absence of melanin in the hair) can lead to a tighter cuticle layer, making it difficult for grey strands to absorb moisture. Moisture is super important in our hair to ensure it stays healthy. You may be more prone to broken hair, split ends, less curl definition, tangling, and cuticle damage. This can also make the strands look and feel more “wiry”. To soften your hair up and protect it, you need to use moisturising products. Lush Product Expert, Kayleigh Hill, recommends:
Fairly Traded Honey Shampoo (From £9)
Fairly-traded honey makes up more than half of this shampoo to replenish moisture and add shine, and there’s also beeswax and lots of floral essential oils to bring to mind a summer meadow. Honey really is the bee’s knees, which is why we’ve used plenty here: it’s a natural humectant, which helps your hair to attract and retain moisture.
H’Suan Wen Hua Hair Treatment (From £15)
This restorative herbal hair and scalp treatment contains a fresh bay leaf infusion to stimulate your roots, fresh watercress to soothe the skin and spicy cinnamon leaf to boost circulation to the hair follicles, encouraging healthy hair growth. Moisturising fresh avocado and shine-enhancing balsamic vinegar are a match made in heaven for locks seeking repair, vibrancy which makes it easier to comb.
What does this mean for Afro and textured hair?
“Afro-textured hair already needs lots of moisture from a hair care routine, so when the hair goes grey, it is especially important to use deep moisturising hair care products. Below is a great routine for giving your strands all the moisture they need. Use deep moisturising once a week to ensure your strands are getting the moisture it needs.” Sarah Sango, Lush Afro Hair Specialist
H.O.T Hot Oil Treatment (£7.50)
Can be used as a pre-detangling treatment on dry hair before you plan to shampoo. The olive oil provides tensile strength when working the product into hair. The guar gum in H.O.T helps the cuticle to lay flat allowing the comb to slide through the hair easier. Use H.O.T at least once every two weeks or every wash day.
Avocado Co-Wash (From £10)
This fresh avocado, extra virgin olive oil and cider vinegar co-wash (also known as conditioner-washing) gives a gentle creamy cleanses without stripping the hair of its naturally protective oils, freshening your hair and scalp whilst giving a light perfume.
Glory Conditioner (From £10)
The slip from the Okra gel in Glory conditioner will ease up your stands when detangling the hair. Use with a wide-tooth comb or a detangling brush to work it through. Olive and castor oils are rich in fatty acids that moisturise and strengthen your hair.
Then, finish off your wash day with the Lush “L.O.C Method”
The L.O.C method is a three-step product layering method, designed to moisturise curly and coily hair. This method is best applied to freshly washed, conditioned and detangled hair whilst still wet or damp.
Super Milk Conditioning Spray (From £13.50)
A lightweight moisturising leave-in conditioner. It contains a trio of milk to rehydrate hair, olive oil that strengthens and detangles hair, and lemon juice which adds shine. It also contains ethyl macadamiate which protects the strands from the atmosphere preventing hair from losing curl definition. Spray onto your hair and glide a wide-tooth comb through.
Super Milk Conditioning Spray (From £13.50)
A lightweight moisturising leave-in conditioner. It contains a trio of milk to rehydrate hair, olive oil that strengthens and detangles hair, and lemon juice which adds shine. It also contains ethyl macadamiate which protects the strands from the atmosphere preventing hair from losing curl definition. Spray onto your hair and glide a wide-tooth comb through.
Curl Power Curl Cream (From £10)
This protein-rich hair cream, made with linseed gel and molasses, locks in moisture and defines your curls. Layer this on top of Super Milk and Renee’s Shea Souffle and style your hair as desired.
You’ve got the hair care, now it’s time to brush up!
On 23rd August, Lush Anchor shops in Birmingham, Liverpool and Oxford Street (London) launched exclusive detangling and styling tools made from sustainably sourced wood. Plastic brushes inevitably end up in landfill at the end of their lives, but using wood instead reduces the amount of plastic that goes to landfill, and the wood naturally bio-degrades over time.
Lush Brushes are supplied to us by Kost Kamm; a family run business in Germany whose expertise in the old craft of comb making is based on a long family tradition.
Once the brushes are manufactured, they are given a coat of cruelty free vegetable oil which protects and brings out the beautiful patina of the woods.
All handmade, vegan and Lush HairLab Stylist approved!
Unravel tangles with this soft bristled brush: the gentlest of detanglers for delicate hair. This brush can also be used on wet hair, perfect for combing conditioners and primers through.
As many brushes go to landfill at the end of their lives we have used fully traceable wood to reduce the amount of plastic going into the environment.
Whether you want the smoothest blow dry or to set and polish your style, get salon hair at home! Made without animal bristles for vegan-friendly routines.
A multi-purpose must-have to get yourself out of a tangle, shape and style your hair. Whether you want to add flicks, build volume, shape your quiff or achieve a sleek look, this is a very versatile brush!
Use to section and style your curls and coils, and glide conditioner far and wide!
Made from a mixture of Fruit Tree woods including Maple, Cherry and Pear depending on what is growing at the time in Germany. The timber is always replaced when used for making our combs.
Follow the Lush HairLab on Instagram to get all the latest hair care tips.
About Lush
Since establishing over 25 years ago, Lush has been driven by innovation and its ethics. Creators of pioneering beauty products such as the fizzing bath bomb, shower jellies and solid shampoo bars, Lush places emphasis on fresh ingredients like organic fruits and vegetables. Lush fights tirelessly against animal testing and operates a thoroughly comprehensive Ethical Buying department, developing fair and direct trade initiatives. Lush leads the cosmetics industry in combating over-packaging by running public awareness campaigns and developing products that can be sold ‘naked’ to the consumer without any packaging.
Today Lush operates in 48 countries with over 900 shops, 38 websites shipping worldwide and a global network of native apps, broadcasting channels and digital communities in over 30 languages. www.lush.com
For further information or imagery, please email [email protected]
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