7 Expert (and Easy!) Tips to Make Your Hair Smell Amazing

1. Opt for Aromatherapeutic Hair Products 

Aromatherapy is what hairstylist Marco Pelusi says is the quickest and easiest way to make your hair smell good. To be clear, this differs from hair perfume (which we’ll touch on later). “Aromatherapeutic products are luxuriously scented high-quality shampoo, conditioner, and styling products that contain purposeful aromatherapy,” Pelusi explains. “The very basic one is, of course, your shampoo. What we use to cleanse our scalp and hair is extremely crucial to smelling fresh. Rosemary mint can be a lovely choice, as its purpose is to help invigorate and stimulate the scalp.” Over at IPSY HQ, we’ve been loving MAAPILIM Shampoo, as it’s chock-full of essential oils and aromatherapeutic goodness.

2. Keep the Scalp Healthy

We’ve talked about scalp care many times here, but to hammer the point home, Pelusi emphasizes the importance of scalp health as it pertains to encouraging fresh-smelling hair, removing excess oil, and giving the hair follicles a chance to thrive and promote hair growth. Environmental pollutants can affect the scalp even if you aren’t directly doing anything to tamper with its well-being.

“We want to constantly work toward good scalp circulation,” Pelusi says. “Aromatherapy can help with this, as mentioned already. Essential oils that stimulate the scalp can help, but it’s up to you to give yourself a healthy scalp massage during each shampoo. Cleanse and massage your entire scalp thoroughly to remove sebum and buildup, because the healthier your scalp is, the better your scalp and hair will smell.”

Patterson adds: “Bacteria, germs, and skin buildup could contribute to your hair smelling. Properly exfoliate your scalp, and do it often. There are physical and chemical ways to exfoliate, like scalp scrubs and enzyme exfoliants, and they’re truly the wonder products of haircare and often the most overlooked.” At the very least, you can start with something like the VANITY PLANET Scalp Massager, which doesn’t leave our sight in the shower.

3. Maintain a Nutritious Diet

Eating a nourishing, balanced diet isn’t just good for your health—it has positive effects for your skin and hair, too. “Healthy eating is very important for the hair and scalp,” says Pelusi. “You are what you eat, and your hair and its scent are an extension of your health. Biotin is a great nutrient for hair health, and it is found within eggs. Also, omegas are important for the hair and can be found in walnuts, salmon, and spinach. Hair is protein, also, so eating good amounts of protein is also important for the hair.” 

4. Use a Clarifying Shampoo 

If you feel like environmental stressors and other buildup is leading to poor hair smell, it’s probably time to give those strands a clean slate. This is where a clarifying shampoo comes into play.

Patterson actually applies clarifying shampoos to dry hair as a pre-cleanse treatment. “Apply to the areas with the most oil and residue, along with mid-lengths and ends,” he advises. “Use a detangling brush to brush it through, and really work it into the dry hair. Let it sit for about five to 10 minutes so that the formulation can begin to break down the oils, waxes, powders, and polymers left behind. Then get into the shower, get your hair damp, and rinse well.”

Patterson goes on to say that this works really well “because oils and water don’t mix well. Applying your clarifying treatments to dry hair first really allows the product to begin its magic. It acts as double cleansing, just like your skincare routine.” An Ipster favorite clarifying shampoo is the OLAPLEX N4 Bond Maintenance Clarifying Shampoo, which really makes hair feel revived and refreshed. 

5. Change Up Your Hair Care Products

Change is good—especially when it comes to maintaining healthy hair! “If you’ve been using the same hair care for the last eight to 10 months, switch up your hair wash routine,” Patterson says. “Especially through the seasons, our hair needs change just as the seasons do. Discover some new favorites and keep your hair guessing what goodness you’re using next.”

Looking for new hair-care picks? REFRESHMENTS Oh My Moisture Shampoo & Conditioner has super cute packaging, a yummy scent, and raving reviews from our Ipster community.

6. Try a Showerless Shampoo Product

Patterson makes a point to clarify this does not mean dry shampoo (although these Holy Grail sprays do have a time and place, TBH). “It’s a product more tailored toward odor absorbing and refreshing, versus soaking up oil,” he says. “It’s less powdery and you can also use it in your hair, underarms, headwear, and scarves, and it’s great for wigs.”

His pick: GIBBS HANGMAN Showerless Shampoo—is marketed as a “men’s” product, but he says it works for everyone. “Just spray it in lightly from the spray bottle, or spray onto a boat bristle hair brush and brush it through,” he says. “Poof, just like magic, odor be gone!”

7. Spritz on a Hair Perfume

We couldn’t cap off a list of tips to make hair smell good without touching on hair perfume. At IPSY, we love the added touch of aroma by way of hair perfumes. Unlike traditional perfumes, which contain drying alcohols, many fragrances designed solely for hair contain good-for-your-hair ingredients. Our fave hair mist of the moment? The PROSE Hair Perfume. It contains a blend of antioxidants, plant-based odor neutralizers, and notes of fresh fruit, jasmine, and cedarwood that smell just like a gorgeous summer day.

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