Here’s how and why you should be multi-masking your hair
byAva Welsing-KitcherMulti-masking makes so much sense. Once it became an official term, we wondered how on earth we hadn’t thought of it sooner - while a nifty handful of us had already been doing it without realising it was a thing. Mapping the zones of your faces and treating them according-ly, regulating T-zones and hydrating parched cheeks in the quest for total harmony, and of course snapping a selfie of all that cute patchwork action.But what about our hair? The multi-masking method hasn’t quite made its way over yet, despite having such dramatically different ecosystems. From the roots to the ends, it’s a continuous fluctuation between oily, dry, damaged, strong, young and old. Most masks are tailored to focus on the lengths and ends, with specialised formulas for the scalp targeting every concern. While scalp-care is still a relatively new concept, we’ve already gotten into the habit of designating time for our roots - and only the roots. But ever since I started combining my hair treatments together, plus masking before shampoo to protect my dry ends, I’ve had the most targeted - and most time-saving - results. Firstly, let’s take a look at the scalp; specifically, my scalp. It’s pretty normal and rarely gives me oiliness, dryness, or that dreaded itch, so my mission is to keep everything functioning at its best. Every third or fourth time I do my weekly hair mask, I add an extra deep cleansing element to the scalp - and Sunday Riley’s Clean Rinse Clarifying Scalp Serum is the perfect tool. This (quite literally) golden liquid is rich in detoxifying rose clay and witch hazel, plus glycolic and salicylic acids to dissolve product build-up and sebum. If you’re sitting there with your dry scalp thinking “not for me”, hold up - zinc PCA is there to regulate both oily and parched skin, plus niacinamide and vitamin B complex to coax healthy growth. I leave it on for about thirty minutes pre-shampoo, and it’s safe to use multiple times a week if your scalp needs more frequent TLC. Those with excessively oily and flaky scalps might need something a bit more heavyweight. Briogeo’s Scalp Revival Micro-Exfoliating Shampoo does what it says on the tin: revitalising and nourishing clogged up skin with charcoal and coconut oil, with anti-inflammatory peppermint and tea tree oils to combat every itch and flake. The gently gritty formula foams up for a properly satisfying cleanse - I love leaving the lather on for a couple of minutes before rinsing it and my hair mask off. And if thinning hair is your concern (especially thanks to lockdown stress), look no further than Aveda’s Invati Advanced Intensive Hair and Scalp Masque. A shortcut to multi-masking (we’ll let this one slide as it’s just so great), its plant-based molecules fortify weak hair to slow down hair fall, while polymers boost each hair strand for a fuller, plumper look. Use with Aveda’s looped-bristle Pramasana Scalp Brush on dry or mask-soaked hair for maximum stimulation. Onto the lengths. This is where everything branches off depending on your hair concerns; use your favourite treatments depending on what’s needed. My bleached curly hair needs a lot of love, and a strict rotation of restructuring, hydration, and colour-correction. OLAPLEX is my Holy Grail for injecting bounce and strength back into my spirals; the No 0 acts as a primer to No 3, the mask. As a pre-shampoo treatment, it works perfectly in my routine, as does Bread Beauty Supply’s starflower oil-rich Creamy Deep Conditioner, which is sumptuous enough to leave behind a nourishing trace post-shampoo. For cooling down brassiness, I skip toner and rely on Davines’ Alchemic Conditioner - the inky indigo butter adds an ashy softness while caressing my curls. With a mask lineup like mine, multitasking is a must. DISCOVER MORE HAIR CARE >>
