I have always had a thick head of wavy, slightly coarse and often unmanageable hair. Add to that highlighting and heat styling, and my poor hair rebels. It gets pouffy and dry. I’ve used products that claim to nourish hair, and while they may indeed do that, they often weigh my hair down or make it look greasy. I’m constantly in search of something that can really work without tons of build up, or weird and scary ingredients like formaldehyde to smooth. There are so many products out there that do work, from drugstore to salon lines. Here are some of my favourite professional salon lines that have worked so well, I had to shout it from the rooftops. They are salon lines, so prices for the products are on the higher end, and range from around $30 to $70 CAD.

Pureology Nano Works Gold Shampoo and Conditioner + Precious Oil Softening Masque

I’ve always wanted to explore the Pureology line. I’ve popped into Medulla & Co in Toronto for a blowout and they use Pureology. Each time I’ve walked out with such soft and silky hair, I could barely believe it. So when I had the opportunity to try the line, I was excited. They have a diagnostic tool on their site, and after I filled it out, the Nano Works Gold Shampoo and Conditioner. The Nano Works Gold line is full of “golden” marula oil and shea butter, which are hydrating but not greasy and don’t weigh my hair down.  The Precious Oil Softening Masque was recommended for deep treatment, and omg I am in love with this product. It’s full of coconut oil and sunflower oil and each time I use it I have the soft and silky hair of my dreams. The fragrances in Pureology are very soft and gentle, as are the products themselves.

Saryna Key Shea Butter Damage Repair Shampoo and Treatment

Saryna Key is a new line for me – I’d never heard of it until the company reached out to me. When I realised that the line was created by the founder of the Moroccan Oil haircare line, I was all in. The line is free of  SLS, SLES, phosphates and parabens. First impression – if you love the fragrance of Moroccan Oil, you’ll love Saryna Key Shea Butter. It smells so good I wanted to taste it. Saryna Key Damage Repair Shampoo uses pure Shea butter as well as silk proteins, cotton and B5 to nourish hair without stripping it. It’s a low sudsing one, but that’s ok with me. The Damage Repair Treatment is amazing. It has high concentrations of Shea butter which naturally contain: vitamins A,E,F, amino acids and keratin to smooth and soften hair. It’s so rich it feels like you could spread it on toast or ice a cake with it. This is a great solution for those of you looking for green and natural hair treatments. The Damage Repair line is serious care for dry and thirsty hair.

Shu Uemura Urban Moisture Hydro-Nourishing Shampoo and Hydra-Nourishing Treatment Mask

I’m a huge lover of the Shu Uemura Art of Hair haircare line. Their Silk Blossom line is a favourite of mine, and frankly I love every single conditioner they make. Their Essence Absolue Oil is a hair product holy grail I never want to be without. I was keen to try the Urban Moisture Line, as I’d read about it and knew it had Moringa extract and algae. I’ve used Moringa products on my skin and I adore it’s fragrance and moisturizing properties. The Shu Uemura Essence Absolue Urban Moisture Shampoo is just beautiful – it rinses out cleanly, leaving silky untangled hair, even before adding conditioner or a mask. The conditioner is also beautiful, but the Treatment Mask is next level nourishing and silkening and leaves my hair soft and bouncy. The fragrance of this line reminds me a bit of the L’Occitane Amande line – a lovely sweet almond pastry type of scent, yet still fresh.

Kerastase Elixir Ultime Bain and Masque

Anyone who is serious about their luxe hair care knows Kerastase delivers gorgeous hair in every bottle. The Elixir Ultime collection is serious care for dry and damaged hair. The Elixir Ultime Bain is an oil shampoo that slathers hair in camellia and argan oils while it gently cleanses hair without stripping. It rinses out clean, leaving untangled and soft hair even before conditioning. The Masque is simply divine – like drenching hair in moisture. Kerastase calls it an “oil-cataplasm” which sounds pretty incredible to me. Elixir Ultime calms dry flyaway hair, soothes crunchy ends and colour  treated hair, leaving it bouncy and soft and never weighing it down. The scent is soft and clean, but never too strong. Just perfect!

Wella Luxe Oil Keratin Protect Shampoo, Keratin Restore Mask & Reconstructive Elixir

Gaaaahh!! I’ve saved the best for last. Well, not BEST as in better than the others, as I love them all. But holy wow, I am in love with this Wella Luxe Oil Keratin line! It’s an at-home Keratin treatment, and as soon as I posted this on my Instagram story, several of you chimed in to tell me how much you loved this. I couldn’t believe I’d never tried it! I got a kit to try, that comes with a twisty hair towel and clip, to go with the instructions. Shampoo, rinse, then mix several drops of the Reconstructive Elixir with the Restore Mask, and apply throughout hair. Then, twist it up in the towel, clip it in place and leave it for ten minutes. And the scent! I’m in love with the fragrance of the Wella Luxe Oil line, like so in love I wish it was a perfume. The products are infused with oils like argan, almond and jojoba, and the mask-elixir combination instantly reconstructs the hair, making it as smooth as silk. Wella Luxe Oil is a MUST HAVE for anyone with thick coarse and unruly hair. It has that keratin magic which makes hair soft and smooth while also making your hair feel light and bouncy. How??? All I know is I never want to be without this. My hair was immediately restored and felt like silk. Yes please!