We all like to smell nice and often, our hair is one of those forgotten places. Yes, there are lots of products that can make your hair smell quite nice, but they can also tend to weigh it down and make it greasier more quickly than normal. This can lead to over-washing your hair, which can cause unnecessary damage and breakage. So, what is the solution? Well, it seems like the way to sweet-smelling locks might well also be the next big thing in beauty…hair perfume.
What’s the difference between normal perfume and hair perfume?
Will your normal perfume smell good in your hair? Yes, it likely will. However, it’s really not a good idea to use your body perfume for your hair…here’s why. Whilst it may sound like it simply must be the same thing, hair perfume is a very different animal. It’s definitely not the same as just spritzing your favorite scent into your mane. Hair perfume is specifically formulated for hair. And that’s actually very important.
Photo by Babi Galeane
Normal perfume can dry out and damage your hair. The main reason behind the harm to your hair? It’s no surprise really that it’s the alcohol present in your normal scent that can lead to dry, damaged (but admittedly great smelling) hair. Normal perfume contains ethyl alcohol, usually at high levels. Hair perfume, on the other hand, while it does contain alcohol, contains a lot less than that of your Eau de parfum.
Hair perfume isn’t just for great smelling hair
Though admittedly, its name suggests that its main purpose is to keep your hair smelling fab, hair perfumes often work a lot harder than that. Parul Gulati, founder of Nish Hair told Glamour that hair perfumes also help protect your hair from harmful UV rays.
They also often have nourishing properties that help to support the hair and make it look smooth, shiny, and healthy. A small amount of alcohol is also useful for minimizing and removing excess oil from the hair.
But how do you use it and make that scent last?
Largely, the steps for using hair perfume remain largely the same as the normal hair washing routine. However, according to Glamour, there are a few tips that can help you along when it comes to using hair perfume correctly. This will help you get the most out of it and keep your hair smelling great and looking healthy for longer.
Step 1: Wash your Hair
This seems to be a pretty basic step. As far as hair routine goes, the majority of us know that we need to wash our hair. Most of us also have a pretty good routine and understand our hair well enough to know when it needs washing. But though it can be tempting to simply spritz the hair perfume over dirty locks, please make sure to avoid this error.
Fragrance doesn’t stick to dirty hair very well. It’s best to wash your hair thoroughly first and make sure it is as clean as possible before you apply any fragrances or products.
Step 2: Make sure your hair is moisturized for Longevity
Because there is a small amount of alcohol present in hair perfumes, it’s imperative that you make sure that your hair is adequately moisturised before applying any product that may dry the hair out. If not, the hair could become damaged and, in the long term, this could cause breakage which is not what you want.
Step 3: Dry that Hair
If you want that fragrance to last as long as possible, you want to apply it to your hair once it’s dry. And by dry, we don’t mean that it’s nearly dry. For the best results, your hair should be completely dry before you go ahead and apply the fragrance.
This is because wet hair can form a barrier that prevents the fragrance from penetrating into the hair properly. So, if it isn’t dry, the scent won’t last as long and might not even be noticeable.
Step 4: Perfume Time
Once you’ve been through all the steps above, it’s time to move on to the hair perfume itself.
When you apply it, you want to make sure that you hold the bottle of perfume at least 20 cm from your head. If you want to lightly mist your hair rather than drench it in the product, the distance is important. And just like that, you’re ready to go out into the world with your fabulous smelling tresses.
References
https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/beauty-products/g36805551/hair-perfume/
