I love many brads of hair care . My main criteria is do they get the job done, as well as appeal to my sense of smell and touch. How new and cutting edge they might be is of little concern. As long as they work. And there are some old favourites I’ve used for years and years.

If you have dry, damaged and/or colour treated hair, you need Joico K-PAK Reconstructor. It’s the original protein treatment for your hair, and does the trick like nothing else on fragile hair – the banana scent takes me back to the eighties. And perms, because who knew I had wavy hair? Not me.  I also have and love the K-PAK Liquid Reconstructor as a leave-in treatment. It’s per. The key to K-PAK success, however, is using it right. Firstly, do not over use. Once a week or even once every two weeks is enough. It builds protein in the hair, not moisture, so your hair might be structurally better, but can get dry if you are using it too often. Secondly, always follow your K-PAK Reconstructor treatment with a deep moisturizing conditioner or conditioning mask. If used correctly, the end result is silky manageable hair. I always have Joico K-PAK Reconstructor in my shower.

If you have blonde hair, either dark or light, natural or chemical, you NEED a violet shampoo. Violet shampoos work to counteract the brassy, orange or yellow tones that blonde hair can take on. Even green – tap water has enough chlorine in it to slightly tint very light hair. Using a violet or purple shampoo adds a lovely soft “ashy” tint to your hair, keeping it looking fresh and rich. It is perfect for naturally grey hair as well, which tends to get yellow. There are many different kinds of purple hair products on the market, with different intensities of violet, and each one will differ in how much tone it deposits on your hair. Over the years I’ve used many, from drugstore to salon quality, and have always ended up back at the classic Clairol Shimmer Lights. Shimmer Lights Shampoo is ok, but the colour deposit really only works well if you use the conditioner as well. I found that using both of these products left my hair dry and weirdly straw-like. I saw Light Blue Shade for Dry Hair shampoo at the drugstore a couple months ago and must say I love it. It adds the perfect touch of violet, but more importantly, it treats my hair gently. It rinses out cleanly, leaving my hair silky vs a tangled mess. I use it a few times a month as well, in place of my regular shampoo, and follow with my favourite conditioner. As a blonde, I can’t imagine not having my violet shampoo.

And of course, you all know that I still like to use Pond’s Cold Cream and Dove Soap.What are your favourite retro beauty tips? Share!