1. Hair Serum: What Is It and How Do You Use It?

2. As far as essentialhair productsgo, you probably think you’re pretty well-stocked at this point. Youshampoo andcondition, apply ahair maskat least once a week, and use a heat-protectingleave-in treatmentpost-shower. What else is there to consider? As it turns out, you may be missing out on one key product with major multitasking benefits — hair serum! Packed with a potent concentration of key ingredients, hair serums can effectively smooth, soften, and protect the hair from environmental aggressors. This way, your hair stays sleek and shiny all day long. Love the idea of ahair serumbut aren’t sure how to work it into yourhaircareroutine? Below, we’ve broken down all of the essential do’s and don’ts of using this all-in-one product so you canstart making the most of your daily hair goals. What Exactly Is Hair Serum? Not to be confused with hair oil, hair serum is a silicone-based styling product designed to coat the hair’s surface to help impart added shine, smoothness, hydration, and humidity and pollution protection. Intended to be used on wet or dry hair, serums can act as both a pre-styling treatment and a finishing product. It’s perfect for wash days, in- between washes, on-the-go touch-ups, and stylist-free days. While some serums get a bad rap for being too heavy and slick for fine, thin, or oily hair types, our specially engineered hair serum is 100% customizable. That means it’s suitable for a variety of hair types, from coarse hair to fine hair.

3. The deets: Function of Beauty’s hair serum is formulated with a mix of argan oil, jojoba oil, and sunflower oil. Besides that, it features a custom blend of synthetic and naturally derived ingredients, including vitamin E, depending on your favorite hair goals. Just like the other haircare products at Function of Beauty, our hair serum is paraben-free, sulfate-free, and doesn’t contain other unwanted ingredients. (Check out our “No” listbecause what’sinyour products is just as important as what’s not in them.) The key to getting the most out of your hair serum, however, is learning how to use it properly. That’s why we’ve put together some quick do’s and don’ts for you to follow below. The Do’s and Don’ts of Using a Hair Serum Dos: Use The Right Hair Serum • The first and foremost thing to do is to identify your hair type and choose the right serum for your needs. There are all kinds of serums available out there, and it can get confusing and overwhelming if you’re going to get one without any idea of what you need. • People with fine hair or oily hair should choose a lightweight serum. It doesn’t make the hair look greasy, and it doesn’t weigh it down either. There are also special serums that give the impression of volume for thin hair.

4. • For coarser hair or hair that really acts up when it’s humid, try a thicker or cream-based serum that’ll nourish hair while smoothing it down. Serums with intense moisturization properties can help thick curls stay put without frizzing out. • If you frequently color your hair or use styling tools, choose hair serums with keratin that repairs damage while strengthening hair and preventing split ends and breakage. • If you’ve been using a serum and you’re not getting the results you need, change it out. Read the labels and pick another brand – it takes a bit of trial and error, and your needs may also change with the season. Apply It On Damp Hair Well, you can apply the serum on hair that’s completely dry, but to get the most out of your carefully chosen serum, it needs to be used on damp hair. After washing hair, towel dry it, so it’s damp, but not soaking wet. This is the best time to apply the serum, so when your hair dries, it looks shiny and nourished, but without the frizz. You can then leave it as it is for the rest of the day or touch up just a little if it’s too humid or your hair is too frizzy. Warm It Up In Your Hands We know that a gentle heat improves the effectiveness of what we apply to our hair, which is the base for all those hot oil treatments you hear about. The same goes for hair serums, but unlike oil, we don’t heat it over a stove. Instead, put a little serum in your palm and spread it out with your other hand. One benefit of this is that it enables a more even application all along the hair, another is that the friction from your palms warms it up a little. Moreover, it causes the compounds in it to break down a little and get more easily absorbed. Use Before Heat Styling Most of us can’t do without any heat styling, and we go for it on special occasions, at least. Use a hair serum in such situations as a heat protectant. It shields hair from damage due to high temperatures. It also makes hair more flexible and easier to style without causing breakage. Many such serums also contain ingredients that offer additional nourishment to hair to counter any damage during the styling process. Don’ts:what does a serum do for hair Use Too Much Serum With all the good things you hear about serums, it can be tempting to slather on a lot. Don’t! Less is more here, and all you need are a few drops, depending upon your hair length and thickness. Experts recommend not using more than a coin size amount. If you use too much, it can weigh down the hair, making it greasy and unmanageable. Start With The Top Of Your Head Hair serums aren’t likehair oil– they aren’t meant to be applied to the scalp or roots. Serums should be applied to the hair lengths, like a conditioner. This is why it’s recommended to start applying from the back of your head, moving downwards. If you start at the top of the head, you risk making the top greasy and sticky. Applying serum to the roots or scalp can also lead to product build-up and annoying scalp

5. conditions. It’s also helpful in case you’ve taken a little more than you need – the excess won’t land on the top of your head. Apply To Unwashed Hair Always apply serums to clean, washed hair. This ensures you get the most out of your serum, whether its heat protection, treating frizz, or shine. It can be tempting to make unwashed hair look like it’s freshly washed by applying some serum, but it can backfire. Unwashed hair has probably got build up with the natural oils of the scalp, and applying the serum at this point can weigh it down further and trap all the dirt right there. Go Outdoors Without Drying Going outdoors without properly drying your hair is a sure shot recipe for frizz, especially in a humid country like ours, and the serum will not help! The best practice is to apply the serum on damp hair but to make it truly work for you, wait till the hair is completely dry before stepping out or blow dry it if you’re short on time. By going out with damp hair that has serum on it will attract more dust and grime and lead to a complete mess. So you see, a serum can prove to be the ultimate solution to all your hair woes – but only if you use it right! Get the right product, use the right amount in the correct way, and avoid the don’ts – and say ‘hello’ to soft, shiny, and beautiful hair. HAIR TALK Learn How to Use a Curling Wand for Better Results

6. You're in for the best curls of your life Let’s face it, you feel good when your hair looks exactly the way you want. A head full of lush curls can take your day from blah to brilliant. But, achieving those curls isn’t always an easy thing to do… Not sure how to curl hair? It’s important to understand what products to use before and after styling to help your curls last, how to choose the right curling wand, and techniques to get the results you want. Here, we break it all down so you’ll learn exactly how to curl your hair with ease and consistently get the beautiful, long-lasting curls you’ve beendreaming of. The Dirt on Clean Beauty More and more products promise “clean beauty,” along with plumper lips and fewer wrinkles. But what does that actually mean? Swiss glacier water to remove your makeup? La Prairie can give you that for $120. Intrigued by the possible regenerative powers offered by the microbes in Finnish forest mulch? Snap up a cleansing cake from Luonkos for 33 euros (about $35). Curious about algae and sea kale sunscreens, vegan lipsticks or gritty exfoliating soaps made from spent coffee grounds? Look around and it seems as if more and more consumers are jumping on a beauty bandwagon that promises clean skin — and an even cleaner conscience. The research consultancy Brandessenceestimates that nearly one-third of the United States market is now labeled clean, with an increase of 12 percent expected from 2020 to 2027. Currently, clean beauty has 5.6 million hashtag views on Instagram and 1.2 billion on TikTok.

7. And many brands are jostling for a place in the market, among them indie start-ups likeMeritandSaie Beautyand major luxury names like Dior, which released its first alcohol-free, water-based perfume, and Stella McCartney, fashion’s eco-queen, who introduced a natural origin skin-care line. But what does clean beauty actually mean? “If you ask 10 different people what clean beauty means, you’ll get 10 different answers,” saidCaroline Hirons, a prominent British skin-care influencer. When you scrape away at it, she said, it “doesn’t really mean anything.” Much like themurky term “sustainability” in fashion, there is no clear definition of clean beauty — and no consensus on the specific substances and chemicals that should be avoided or embraced. As awareness of thelack of regulation in the beauty industryhas risen in recent years, so too has skepticism about the “clean” movement .But growing faster still is the global popularity of clean consumerism, as shoppers gravitate toward marketing terms like “naturally derived,” “cruelty free” and “nontoxic” when it comes to what they put in — and on — their bodies (with the notable, and curious, exception of injectables like Botox).