It’s no secret that travel can wreak havoc on the hair just as it does the skin. Philip B., inveterate globetrotter (clocking in at a lifetime total of over 60 countries . . . and counting), hair health maven, and Philip B. founder/formulator of Philip B. Botanicals, knows of what he speaks.
“Hair travel beauty challenges begin on the plane or even a long road trip,” Philip explains, “with extreme dehydration of the hair and scalp very common. Airplane air is also full of airborne residue adheres to the hair like a magnet. (You know where cleaning products, seat disinfection and fireproofing sprays go as they’re applied? Micronized into the air and then right onto your head.)
Then, once you reach your destination, changes in water, air quality, humidity, food, a population that smokes etc. can make your hair behave in ways that make it feel like it belongs to someone else.
“What happens to your hair on a trip will depend on your particular hair, of course,” he explains. “I have a friend from L.A. with fairly smooth, slightly wavy hair who went to Thailand only to see it turn into an enormous, uncontrollable ball of frizz from the humidity. Once she got home, it calmed right down. Others may find their hair getting much dryer, much oiler or falling totally flat. Itchy scalps are not uncommon.”
Plane talk
Philip has devised the best way to protect your hair during travel. He came up with this for his celebrity clients and now recommends it to everyone.
“On unwashed hair (about three days out is the sweet spot) apply a thorough coat of nourishing hair oil onto the scalp and hair from roots to ends. Make sure you use enough to cover everything but not so much that it’s dripping down. Hit it with a warm hairdryer for a minute. Comb through. If you have long hair, slick it down and tie it back or braid it. Then, cover your hair with a non-absorbent beanie. (Of course, I prefer my own Silkie Smooth Beanie which is made from silk-alternative rPET of cooling bamboo fibers.) Wear it for your whole flight or drive.
“When you get to your destination and before you wet your hair, work the shampoo into your hair starting at the roots down to the ends. Only then should you wet it to wash and condition your hair. You’re going to be amazed how silky, smooth and manageable your hair turns out.
“Think of this as a reboot for your hair in that that it removes what is bad (residue) and supplements what is good (nourishment). It works on a basic elemental principle. Regular soap (and this includes shampoo) and water are not enough to break down residue particles (whether from the air, your own sebum or styling products) that have adhered to the hair. But oil is.
“It may sound counterintuitive but regular oil treatments on the hair and scalp do not leave them greasy. That’s because chemically the hair takes what it needs and gives up the rest to be rinsed away.”
YA-MAN SPA STYLER™ Hair Tools and Hair Products Collections are a series of heated hair styling tools and treatment products developed by YA-MAN Ltd., an innovative Japanese beauty tech company renowned for its device sophistication and formula efficacy.
“It may sound counterintuitive but regular oil treatments on the hair and scalp do not leave them greasy. That’s because, chemically, the hair takes what it needs and gives up the rest to be rinsed away.”
–– Philip B.
Founder, Philip B. Botanicals
w philipb.com
IG @philipb
