Different Hair Care Products

Bad hair days have become a thing of the past. Just credit the ever-growing array of hair care products on the market today, ranging from styling tools such as brushes, combs and blow dryers to products like styling gels, creams and mousses. Whether you have fine, limp hair or coarse, over-processed hair, there are hair care products to help your hair look its best.

Here are some different categories of hair care products:

Shampoos/Conditioners- Whether you want to spend $2 for a bottle of Suave or $15 for a Bed Head product, there are numerous types of shampoos and conditioners for any hair type. Unless your hair is extremely fine and limp, conditioner is an essential part of everyday hair care. Conditioners range from lightweight to intensive, and are necessary for moisturizing and coating the hair shaft to protect it against damage due to brushing and styling. Deep conditioning treatments, which are generally thicker and heavier, are designed for weekly hair care usage, and help provide intense repair and moisture for damaged hair.

Styling products- From protective serums to finishing sprays, hair care styling products often are categorized by hair type or desired style. Whatever you want your hairstyle to look like, there are products that can help you achieve it. Curl-enhancing, frizz-reducing and straightening products are specifically formulated to enhance the natural characteristics of your hair while reducing styling time.

Some of the most popular types of hair care styling products include:
• Gels and mousses, which are used for curly hairstyles. The latter of which also is more airy and adds volume and texture to hair.
• Styling creams, which are heavier and often used to add texture to hair. These products are commonly used in short hairstyles.
• Sprays are lightweight styling products that do not weigh down hair and add minimal amounts of product to hair with each pump.
• Serums achieve a similar look as sprays, but tend to release more product with each pump, allowing you to smooth the product on your hair, giving you control over where and how much of the product is applied. For these reasons serums are often used for thicker, longer hairstyles.

Finishing products- Finishing products are often used in conjunction with styling products to help hold a desired look in place. These may be in the form of a spray (for thinner, longer hair) or cream (for shorter hair). In addition to holding a style in place, finishing products also protect hair from humidity, heat and UV damage. The most popular finishing product is hairspray, which ranges from light to heavy hold, and can contain either aerosol (for added volume) or non-aerosol (for softer looks).

Protective products- These products are specifically designed to help protect hair from styling damage and are usually applied while hair is still damp prior to styling. These hair care products coat and protect hair against the damaging effects of heat from blow drying, while adding an extra layer of shine. These products also work particularly well for straight hairstyles, where heat may be applied twice to hair through blow drying and flat iron use (which may reach up to 400 degrees in temperature).