Home Grown: The New Rules Of DIY Haircare

Photographs: Nadia Ryder; Hair: Chad Maxwell Clairol Professional Brand Ambassador Using Colour Studio; Beauty Direction And Words: Cassie Steer; Style Direction: Julia Harvey

The (generally fleeting) transformation that befalls our hair as soon as we step into a salon can often feel like that rare alchemy of remarkable results that are beyond most of our comprehension. But a new slew of innovation in the home haircare market has meant that we are now able to recreate at least some of that just-stepped-out-of-the-salon swish from our bathrooms and it couldn’t have come at a better time.

The universal squeeze on our wallets has meant that many of us are having to eke out more time between salon visits, with Yell finding that 90% of Brits admit to attempting DIY hair and beauty treatments at home with 68% claiming to do so just to save money. The rise of the ‘loud budgeting trend’ is also helping to normalise the idea of not having the financial freedom for endless salon visits and luckily for us, technology has kept up with our demand for affordable, hi-tech haircare.

‘Cutting edge formulations have meant that the results we’re seeing from DIY treatments are more in keeping with those you’d expect to see in the salon,’ says Chad Maxwell, Clairol Professional Colour Studio brand ambassador. ‘This is true for home hair colour where the addition of innovations such as the “metal purifier technology” in Clairol Professional’s new Colour Studio range has made a huge difference to the colour and quality of the hair after colouring.’ Here’s how to DIY like a pro...

Smart Scalp Care

Online searches for scalp treatments are up by 300% over the past year as the ‘skinification’ of haircare sees no signs of abating. As we recognise that caring for our skin doesn’t stop at the hairline, brands have responded with barrier-boosting, skin-sloughing products infused with skincare ingredients such as ceramides, niacinamide salicylic acid and hyaluronic acid. ‘Good scalp hygiene is essential for hair growth, the scalp being the hair’s number one support system,’ says Maxwell. ‘If you colour your hair, that colour is in direct contact with your skin so it pays to nurture your scalp before and after.’

Cared-For Colour

Maxwell notes that the key to professional-looking colour is having the right tools. ‘I’d recommend using a tint brush to apply dye. Clairol have a prep serum which not only removes damaging metals, it allows colour to glide on better whilst using a tint brush allows for precision application.’ And, according to new research by Clairol Professional, one of the biggest enemies to hair colour are the metal ions found in water, deposited on hair every time we wash it. To offset, opt for metal-neutralising technology at every step of your colour journey from the dye itself to haircare.

Salon-Worthy Shine

Shiny hair never goes out of fashion and we only have to look at the mirror/glass/glazed donut iterations doing the rounds on our socials to know that shine has upped its game. ‘Glosses are semi-permanent treatments that we’ve been more used to seeing in salons but offer a foolproof way to luminous, healthy- looking hair and are a great adjunct to colour,’ says Maxwell. ‘Something that consumers used to think was some kind of salon sorcery is in fact super easy to achieve at home and glosses are great inbetweeners to refresh your colour or on the days your hair is just feeling a bit dull.’

Masking 2.0

‘Bond-building technology has really levelled up the hair mask game,’ says Maxwell. ‘Masks feel less daunting for people to do at home yet the technology that goes into them is anything but pedestrian.’ Many masks are now able to penetrate deep down into the cortex to help build new ionic bonds in order to restore the hair fibre with strengthening ingredients such as biomimetic silk.'

The Best Transformative At-Home Heroes

Watch: Clairol’s Secret To Salon-Worthy Hair

For some at-home hair colour help, Clairol’s Chad Maxwell spills his secrets to salon-worthy locks.