What products can be used on hair extensions?
Updated
by
Aleksandra
Keeping your extensions moisturized and nourished is crucial, considering they don’t have a natural hydration source like our own hair does. The proper hair products make all the difference in whether your extensions will tangle or be soft and manageable. Purchase products specifically formulated for dry and damaged hair, as they will help keep the strands healthy and nourished. Also, look for products that add moisture to the hair like argan oil, coconut oil, and castor oil.
Purchasing sulfate-free and alcohol-free products is a necessity as they are imperative to maintain the health of your extensions. These ingredients strip the hair of its natural oils and will affect their integrity. This, in turn, makes the hair drier and more prone to tangling or matting. To learn more about what products you should avoid using, click here.
4 must-have hair products for hair extensions
Heat Protectant
If you heat style your hair often, you’ll know the toll that your straightening iron, curling wand, and a hairdryer can have. Heat literally sucks the moisture out of hair strands, rendering the hair dry, dull, and damaged. Heat protectant sprays are essential to prolonging not only the life of your hair extensions but your natural hair as well. These products coat the hair strands to minimize damage from direct heat.
Depending on the heat protectant used, the product may have added ingredients to detangle, smoothen, and boost shine. Some thermal heat protectants go so far as to help transfer nutrients and vitamins to the hair shaft, making it stronger in the long run, and protecting the hair from UV rays.
To use a heat protectant, spray your hair as well as your hair extensions with the product evenly, and wait a minute or two before applying heat.
Dry Shampoo
If you have fine or thin hair and wear clip-in hair extensions, you may know the struggle of having the extensions slip out or move around throughout the day. This is because the clips do not have a sturdy base to grip on to.
Not only is dry shampoo a holy grail product for oily-haired ladies in terms of soaking up excess oils at the roots, but it's also a holy grail product for fine-haired clip-in hair extensions users. Before clipping in your wefts, separate a section of hair, apply a bit of dry shampoo at the roots, then backcomb the hair. This will create a stronger, sturdier base for each clip to hold on to, resulting in hair extensions that stay put throughout the day.
Hair Oil
As previously mentioned, since hair extensions do not receive natural oils and nutrients from the scalp, they are chronically dry and should be cared for as such. With the right care, your hair extensions can remain looking luscious, soft, and shiny throughout their lifetime. This includes applying a nourishing hair oil on the ends, especially after heat styling or washing.
Hair Mask/Deep Conditioner
To keep your hair extensions hydrated, nourished, and manageable to style, it is always best to use a deep conditioner after washing them. Deep conditioners or hair masks usually have a thicker consistency than regular conditioners, making them highly effective to moisturize hair strands deeply. Hair masks or deep conditioners should be left on for at least 30 minutes, if not overnight, to see the full effects. When shopping for a hair mask, look for products that are alcohol and sulfate-free, as well as contain ingredients that penetrate the cuticle, like coconut oil, olive oil, or avocado oil.
Best hair oils for hair extensions
Coconut oil
Since coconut oil is loaded with fatty acids, it penetrates the hair more deeply than regular conditioners, which tend to only sit on top of the hair, leading to beautiful soft, silky, shiny hair. Due to its moisture retaining properties, coconut oil stays inside the hair instead of evaporating, making it one of the most effective hair treatments there is. Use coconut oil to deep condition your extensions by slathering them with the oil prior to washing. Try to refrain from using it as a finishing oil, as you may find that your hair looks too oily after.
You can also use it to infuse moisture back in your hair extensions is with an oil treatment using coconut oil. First, measure out two tablespoons of coconut oil and warm it up until it melts. Then, apply it to dry hair from the mid-shaft working your way down and focusing most of the product on the ends. You can also leave this treatment on overnight for best results. In the morning, wash the extensions as normal. Keep in mind that coconut oil is very heavy so you may need to shampoo your extensions twice to get rid of all of the oil from the hair.
Argan oil
Colloquially known as “liquid gold,” argan oil is jam-packed with beneficial ingredients like vitamin E, ferulic acid, and fatty acids, as well as antioxidants, which fight UV rays, and prevent hair cell damage. Just a few drops of Argan oil nourishes, moisturizes, and smoothens hair strands, reducing dryness, brittleness, and frizziness, perfect for soft, manageable hair extensions. Since argan oil is not as greasy as coconut oil, it can be used as a finishing oil after styling.
Jojoba Oil
Extracted from the jojoba plant, jojoba oil has a chemical structure that resembles the oil that is produced naturally by our scalps (sebum). Therefore, similar to coconut oil, jojoba oil hydrates hair strands from deep within, adding shine and softness to hair extensions. Use jojoba oil as an overnight mask before washing.
