Best products for south Asian hair
South Asian hair is unique. Typically, in its natural state, it can hold all three of the main hair types (straight, wavy and curly), beautifully well, and sometimes, all at the same time - straight at the top, wavy in the middle and curly at the bottom. Usually highly voluminous, with thick individual strands, it often needs deep moisturisation to prevent frizz, add shine and keep it soft and supple. In addition, many south Asians tend to think of their hair as oily, but the scalp typically produces excess oil when it is dry, so what it needs are products for normal or dry hair, rather than oily hair. Knowing more about your hair at a follicular level, can help you take better care of it. You can read more about this in our article here. Finding the right products to help you take best care of it however, is often a game of trial and error, so to help you, we’ve tried and tested, and then listed the best here:
Although an oil, this unique styling product is not oily. In fact, when pumped into your hand, it feels like a silky serum and when applied to hair, it simply melts away, leaving noticeably less frizzy and more tamed hair. Perfect for humid weather, it has a lightweight and non-greasy formula that’s absorbed by hair immediately. Although dependent on your level of frizz and the severity of the humidity in your environment, one application should serve you a full day. However it hotter climates, you may need to reapply it during the course of the day. It comes in a compact container though, so it will fit into your bag and is easy to carry around.
This drug store staple champions Australian macademia nut oil, which is deeply moisturising. It is the richest botanical source of palmitoleic acid, which promotes the production of sebum, a fatty acid naturally produced by the body. This softens and conditions hair and because it mimics the scalp’s natural oils, it helps ensure that even curly hair gets the body’s necessary protective oils that sometimes don’t reach it due to its tight shape. The Aussie Company’s Miracle Moist range, and in particular, the Miracle Moist Shampoo, Miracle Moist Conditioner and 3 Minute Miracle Deep Treatment, do wonders for south Asian hair, leaving it feeling soft and lightweight and looking shiny and tame. The brand is also cruelty-free.
Moco de Gorilla Gorilla Snot Gel
This hair gel is perhaps the strongest in the world. So it’s perfect for when you want to taper down the short pieces of hair at your hairline that show up when you pile your hair up into a ponytail or bun. Made by a Mexican company, there are a few different hair gels to choose from but this is by far the strongest and is even used by celebrity hair stylist, Chris Macmillan to create super sleek looks on Kim Kardashian West. A little goes a tremendous way with this surprising product, so be sure to begin with a pea-sized amount first. It’s also worth testing it on the look you want to create before heading out, so you know how much you need, as too much can make your hair crunchy. If that happens though, you can wash it out simply with water.
OGX Hydrate and Defrizz + Kukui Oil
This shampoo and conditioner duo contain kukui nut oil as the star ingredient. Kukui nut is the product of the national tree of Hawaii and has been used by Hawaiians for centuries to hydrate and soothe hair. Like macadamia nut oil, it contains healthy fatty acids that are easily absorbed into the hair shaft, nourishing it from the inside out. The linoleic acid in the oil restores moisture so that hair looks glossy and shiny. Due to it’s nutrient make-up, kukui oil is also great for regenerating dry scalps and tackling dandruff. In fact, Hollywood actress, Lupita Nyung’o loves it and has shared it in interviews as one secret to her beauty.
Vatika Naturals Almond Enriched Hair Oil
An Indian-origin company, Vatika specialises in south Asian hair and creates products for almost every hair problem so you’re sure to find a product that suits you, for the solution you need. Their Almond Enriched Hair oil, however, with coconut and sesame oil, will give you soft and luscious locks. Apply a generous amount to your hair and massage it in, to stimulate your roots. The almond oil will condition your hair, the coconut oil will strength individual hair shafts - particularly good if you have long hair, and the sesame oil will add shine. Leave it to penetrate for a couple of hours or overnight before washing it out. Depending on how much you use, you may need to shampoo your hair twice to stop your hair looking greasy even after washing it.
Kératase Nutritive Duo Haircare Bundle for Thick Hair
Kératase prides itself on being an innovative company that can bring salon-quality products to your home. And the shampoo (Kérastase Nutritive Bain Satin 2) and conditioner ( Nutritive Lait Vital Conditioner) in this bundle for thick hair, are unique in aiming to treat dry and sensitive hair. Both are infused with an Irisome complex which comes from the Iris Rhizome extract which is taken from the root of the Iris flower. An anti-oxidant, and micro-nutrient rich, it protects hair from free radicals and is able to identify the areas of the scalp that are the driest so they can be specifically targeted. Combined with glucose proteins, the shampoo and conditioner nourish the hair and help prevent the return of future dryness. Your hair will be left feeling soft and supple and looking shiny.
The Body Shop Banana Truly Nourishing Hair Mask
Banana is not typically known as a moisturiser but this product uses its high levels of potassium to create a hair mask that will leave your hair feeling soft and gloriously light. Combining the puree of ripe Ecuadorian bananas with intensely moisturising ingredients like Peruvian Community Trade Brazil nut oil, Brazilian cupuaçu butter, Community Trade shea butter and coca butter, this hair mask works deep from root to tip to nourish your hair, tame frizz and bring out natural shine. As the company uses just natural ingredients, the product has a strong smell of banana which is not unpleasant but may not be to everyone’s taste. Make it a part of your self care ritual and use it once a week. The Body Shop is vegan and cruelty-free.
John Frieda Frizz Ease Extra Strength Serum
This smooth and silky serum is ideal for when you want to use heat to style your hair. Containing bamboo extract, it has a ‘smoothing complex’, which is a blend of silicones that seal in moisture, preventing drying and make the hair stronger and shinier. It will protect your hair from the heat from styling products and against humidity. The silk proteins and algae extract in the product condition the hair making it soft, more easily manageable and noticeably frizz-free. Apply a small amount to the ends of wet hair after washing and then blow dry. Made for thick hair, it will leave your hair looking glossy and smooth and feeling soft. It will last till your next hair wash.