Pantene: Strong is Beautiful

Last week I had the opportunity to try the Pantene Daily Moisture Renewal Shampoo & Conditioner before a fun day with Pantene’s Consulting Stylist,  Justin German.

Now, so many people do not believe that you can find quality hair products at drug store prices – this is a big myth buster my friends. I LOVED the reformulated shampoo & conditioner, my hair felt soft and healthy – not full of a residue that many other brands have left in my hair after using. You guys have heard me talk about it for years, I have extremely dry, dry hair and Pantene really gave my hair the TLC it needed and with it being at such a fabulous price range this long term solution for my hair is perfectly on budget! The Daily Moisture Renewal collection can be used on all hair types that are thirsty for moisture, and provides a noticeable difference from the very first wash! It was especially effective on my dry and damaged hair! The summer heat is coming which I find increases the damage of my hair from daily sun exposure, the humidity and adding in heat from styling tools – the Pantene line up I used over the weekend is the perfect one in my opinion and today I want to tell you about all of the great products I tried.

This past weekend I had the pleasure of spending a fun afternoon at Justin’s salon to learn about some of Pantene’s styling products. When I arrived we discussed the condition of my hair and how I like to style it and Justin got to work. He first introduced me to the Pantene Ultimate 10 BB Crème…did any of you even know a product like this existed for hair!?! Long gone are the days where a BB perfecting cream is just for the face! I fell in love with this product instantly, Justin massaged it into my DRY hair on the ends and tamed my wild fly a ways at the top of my head with it for a beautiful smoothing effect without the weight of some other products on the market. This product is generally used on damp hair but my hair was already washed and dried so Justin used it on my dry ends and it still worked great! Justin then quickly ran the hair dryer over those same areas on cool to dry them off before styling them.

Next, Justin used the amazing Pantene Airspray, the first ever  aerosol alcohol free hairspray, can we say AMAZING!?! This is the first ever hairspray I’ve used that has given my curls natural movement and bounce without weighing it down or making it feel stiff…you know those prom night curls that could have housed a Robin’s nest? Yes, well no need to worry about that any more ladies – this Airspray is the solution to beautifully strong brushable curls free from stickiness. Free from stiffness. Free from harsh smell! Yes, it even smells beautiful too! Justin sprayed each section with the Airspray prior to curling it, something I never thought to do? I love learning new tips from hairstylists! I have always waited to spray all of my hair after it has been styled and perhaps this was because of the sticky residue other brands left on my hair, but now I can do things properly and have my curls last even longer. I noticed instantly that I loved this product, when Justin was spraying it I didn’t feel any sticky residue on my skin ANYWHERE – especially as a mom I am picky with hair styling products, the last thing I want is to be cuddling my littles and have them complaining that my hair is sticky or crunchy! I also noticed that when Justin would release a curl from the barrel he would cup the curl in his hands to set it before slowly letting it down versus how I curl and just toss that section aside, I think this was another key step in keeping my curls bouncy!

FUN FACT: Perfect for lovers of the latest breakthrough in hairspray. This ultra lightweight, alcohol free formula contains no ethanol for hair that feels as healthy and beautiful as it looks.

Justin curled all of my hair and then he began to do a side twist along the entire right side bringing all of the curls dramatically to one side and I felt SO glamorous!! I loved the way the curls looked, how healthy my hair felt and my curls lasted two days!!!! If you follow along on my Instagram {here} you can see a fun time lapse of how Justin did this style and maybe try it for yourself using these Pantene styling products – what did you think of the dramatic side?

On the Pantene website you can find so many tips on hair care and I pulled these 5 ways to Prevent Damage to share with you…

Admit it – you’ve been hard on your hair. As if the wind, snow, rain, and city air wasn’t bad enough, all the styling tools, colour, blow dryers and blog-inspired styles have most certainly done a number on your ‘do. But thankfully for us style junkies, damaged hair isn’t a life sentence — check out our picks for the top five ways to prevent damaged hair without sacrificing style.

  1. Stop Brushing So Hard! Your Brush Isn’t a Weapon

Aggressively brushing your hair can cause some serious mechanical damage and broken strands, which translate to frizz and unmanageability. Instead of brushing out knots like a maniac, we recommend consistently using a conditioner and detangling with a wide-toothed comb when your hair is wet. The wide tooth will reduce pull on each individual strand, leaving your locks knot-free and causing way less mechanical damage than the alternative. But be careful! Hair is far more prone to breakage and damage when it’s wet, so remember to be gentle. Also, working knots out from the ends upwards (rather than the top down) will help reduce all sorts of damage. 

2. Give Your Hair a Break: Try the Air Dry/Blow Dry Combo

Here’s a tip: instead of blow drying soaking wet hair, wait until your hair is around 80% dry, then hit it with the heat. That way you’ll minimize the amount of time you’re applying heat, and still get the perfect blow out.

3. Teasing is Not Your Friend

Backcombing or teasing is a sure fire way to get some instant volume, but the damage it’s doing to your hair is definitely not worth it. Every time you backcomb, you’re rubbing strands together, causing breakage, which translates to damaged-looking hair. Instead of teasing, try a volumizer and blow dry your hair upside down. These tricks will add space between the individual hair shafts, giving you that voluminous look and some added oomph without the damage.

4. Protect Your Skin & Hair From Summer Sun

As with skin, the sun’s UV rays will cause damage to your hair. Darker has a bit more built-in UV protection, but lighter blond hair is really vulnerable to the sun’s damaging rays. Pro tip: out in the sun this summer? Don’t forget to wear a hat!

5. Try a Damage-Blocking, Anti-Oxidant Shampoo

Try a shampoo with damage-blocking antioxidant technology. Certain minerals in your shower water, like copper can actually lead to oxidative damage, which weakens your hair.  The damage-blocking antioxidants in your shampoo can help protect your hair from future damage, while the conditioner’s ingredients smooth micro-cracks and rough edges along the outside of the hair strand.

By following these hair damage remedies, you will be well on the way to getting healthier, less damaged hair.

A big thanks to Pantene for sponsoring this post and showing me such a fun day at the salon, all opinions in this post are 100% my own.