I’ve been studying hair and haircare for almost 5 years now and here are the 5 things that I would never do after learning what I’ve learned.

BOX DYE

I think this one’s pretty self-explanatory — you should always have a professional color your hair and this is especially true if you’re going lighter. Box color isn’t regulated the same way professional color is and it can contain harmful ingredients.

USE DRY SHAMPOO DAILY

I know this one’s gonna push some buttons but ya gotta stop with the dry shampoo every single day (no matter the brand). Using dry shampoo daily can clog your hair follicles which in turn causes your scalp to produce even more oil and it can interrupt the growth cycle of your hair.

PUT STRAIGHT COCONUT OIL ON MY HAIR

Another one that’s gonna ruffle feathers. Straight coconut oil doesn’t have the molecular structure small enough to penetrate into all three layers of hair and if it’s sitting on top of hair it can create a barrier blocking nutrients that you need from penetrating your hair (which basically makes it counterproductive). If used continuously it can also cause buildup and clog follicles.

TRUST THAT US GOVERNMENT GIVES A SHIT ABOUT INGREDIENTS

The US only bans 11 ingredients in cosmetics… Europe bans over 1200. After actually reading labels and realizing what companies are allowed to put in their bottles legally, I’m disgusted with our regulations.

USE HEAT WITHOUT A HEAT PROTECTANT

Another one I feel is pretty self-explanatory — protect your strands from heat and make sure it’s a silicone/wax-free heat protectant!

USE HEAT ABOVE 350 DEGREES

The only reason you need heat that high is because your hair has so much buildup on it the heat has to try to power through that. When your hair is healthy and you’re using products that don’t cause buildup, you don’t need heat that high.

SKIP A WEEKLY OIL TREATMENT

Oil treatments are LIFE for my hair and scalp. They help keep my scalp healthy and nourish my hair with the nutrients it needs.