Meet the Expert
Meet
the Expert
With over 15 years of experience, salon owner and director-level stylist Leona is no stranger to dry hair treatments. Keep an eye out for her expert tips which will help you understand how to treat dry hair both at home or at the salon.
Dry Hair Treatments: Key takeaways
- Dry hair can happen for several reasons including age, nutrition, and genetics.
- To treat dry hair, start at home. Integrate hair products with key ingredients including Niacinamide, Glycerin, and plant-based proteins to help dry hair.
- As well as at-home dry hair treatments, try out Fusio-Dose, salon treatments that can help transform your hair instantly, combatting dry hair and frizz.
Ingredients that restore dry hair
According to the Kérastase Scientific Expert, "the hair contains an external protective envelope called the cuticle, that can be weakened. By nourishing the hair with essential materials, Nutritive restores this protective barrier, creating softness, shine and ease of detangling".
When trying to find the best shampoo for dry hair available to you, look out for these essential ingredients:
Plant-based proteins - look out for wheat, corn, soy grains and similar proteins which (when blended with fatty acids, omega, and vitamins) feed and nourish the hair.
Niacinamide - a key ingredient in dry hair treatments. Derivative of vitamin B3, it locks in nutrition when using a hair product, Glycerin - vital in boosting a hair product’s hydrating performance.
The best shampoos for dry hair
To decide the best shampoo for dry hair for your hair, a good place to start is with your hair type. Look for shampoos specifically tailored to your hair, whether that's curly hair, coloured hair, or thinning hair.
The Nutritive range considers the needs of dry hair, from highly porous curly parched hair, to fine dry hair. Nutritive is entirely suitable for colour-treated hair but check out the Kérastase Chroma range – specially formulated for colour-treated hair.
Bain Satin (for fine hair) and Bain Satin Riche are shampoos designed for very dry hair. Enriched with Niacinamide, our rich shampoo cleanses and refreshes dry hair, while replenishing moisture and softness. And, because the best way to fix dry hair is to start at the scalp, Kérastase Nutritive Bain Satin Riche is very gentle on the scalp too. All of this is what makes it one of the best moisture repair shampoos to try.
Pro tip: “I’d recommend shampooing once a week, although this depends on your hair type. Use shampoo, then conditioner or hair mask. When your hair is still wet, apply a hair oil and heat protector. Then, dry your hair and apply hair oil again afterwards to smooth and nourish.”
The best conditioners for dry hair
Like shampoo, choosing the best conditioner for dry hair starts with considering your hair type: frizzy, curly, fine, medium, coarse, etc., how dry it is, and going from there. Make sure to keep an eye out for key ingredients like Niacinamide and Glycerol too.
The moisturising conditioners from the Nutritive range can help keep your dry hair feeling hydrated and healthy in between salon visits. Lait Vital is an intensely nourishing ultra-light detangling conditioner for fine to medium dry hair. This conditioning formula contains lipids & vitamins to help nourish, smoothen and detangle your dry hair. So, if your hair is fine to medium, and you want to deep condition your hair without weighing it down, this rinse-off conditioner is for you.
Instrumental tests showed an 53% increase in hair softness after application.* *Instrumental test. Immediately after application of Lait Vital vs. sensitised hair.
The best hair masks for dry hair
Another dry hair treatment that can be added to your haircare routine is a hair mask. Kérastase offers nourishing hair masks enriched with plant based proteins and Niacinamide, going straight to the core to condition your hair from scalp to ends, revitalising the hair’s softness and shine.
A light, creamy mask, also provides the hair fibre with conditioning care helping to reduce chronic dryness in dry fine hair or medium hair.
If your hair is medium to thick, and very dry, give it back its essential nutrients. The intensely nourishing Riche is a very rich hair mask specifically designed for thicker hair. Enriched with specially chosen conditioning polymers and niacinamide, this rich and thick white creamy mask conditions hair and offers balancing hydration for instant suppleness, shine and softness.
Pro tip for leave-in treatments:“When I use a hair mask, I personally like to put a few drops of Elixir oil into the mask before I apply it to my hair to add an extra boost of hydration.”
The best hair oils for dry hair
When we asked resident hair expert Leona: “What are the key steps in a hydrating haircare routine for someone suffering from dry hair?”, she told us:
“For me, the number one thing would be a hair oil. I think everybody should have an oil in their haircare routine – there are so many different uses from one product. [...] I use the Elixir Ultime oil on wet hair, on dry hair, as a treatment and occasionally as a pre-shampoo treatment”
Kérastase offers a range of dry hair treatment oils including Leona’s go-to, the Elixir Ultime oil, a deeply luxurious oil designed to nourish hair and provide a 2x stronger shine;
the Absolu Glaze Drops, a new high-gloss lightweight oil for long hair prone to frizz; and Premiere Intensive Shine Repairing Oil, ideal for repairing damaged hair.
The best serums for dry hair
Choosing the right hair serum for your dry hair? What do you want to focus on – your scalp or your split ends? Or how do you feel about a leave-in hair serum that works its magic overnight? These hair care treatments are all formulated to moisturise dry hair.
Regardless of your hair type, when your scalp isn’t getting its proteins, fatty acids and vitamins, it can be dry, itchy and tight. You need a dry scalp serum. Nutri-Supplement Scalp Serum saves your scalp with its nutrient-rich formula for all hair types. And when your scalp is moisturized and nourished, your hair is hydrated and healthy, making Nutri-Supplement one of the best serums for dry hair too.
When you have malnourished, dry hair, it’s generally your ends that suffer the most. Low levels of nutrients can leave the ends extra dry and crunchy, and often broken and split. Whatever your hair type, an oil and vitamin-infused split ends serum can make a positive difference, helping to seal dry split ends and maintain nutrition. The smoothing formula of Nutri-Supplement Split Ends Serum delivers up to 2x fewer visible split-ends*
*Instrumental test vs untreated, sensitised hair
The best styling products for dry hair
When it comes to dry hair treatments, styling products can play an important part too. The best styling products for dry hair are those that don’t just style your hair into place, but also confer nourishment, helping to keep your locks healthy-looking and glossy.
If your hair is finer, try Lotion Thermique Sublimatrice by Kérastase, a beautifying detangling blow-dry mist for fine to medium dry hair. This hair mist for dry hair, formulated with lipids, vitamins and specially chosen polymers conditions and smooths hair. Hair is left feeling detangled and heat-protected up to 230 degrees*
Do you have medium to thick dry hair? Protect your dry hair from heat styling with Nectar Thermique, an anti-frizz blow-dry milk for dry hair. Like the rest of the Nutritive dry hair care range, this creamy hair milk is formulated with specifically selected polymers which help detangle, smooth and restore shine to dry hair strands, as well as providing heat protection up to 230 degrees. Resulting in 85% less frizz immediately after application*.
The best salon treatments for dry hair
While at home dry hair treatments can help keep hair nourished and improve hair quality, salon treatments are often a step up. Fusio-Dose are Kérastase salon treatments that transform your hair instantly. Only available in-salon, this liquid care technology is a custom-blended mix of Concentré and a Booster, and is the ultimate quick-fix problem solver for all hair types.
Our resident expert Leona explains:
“Fusio-Dose treatments are amazing. They're tailored to what your hair care needs are, and they're only available in the salon as they've got stronger levels of the ingredients in them. They need to be applied by a professional. A salon treatment every six to eight weeks is going to give your hair a real boost, but you need to maintain it between salon trips at home with your prescribed hair care.”
The ultimate routine for dry hair
For the ultimate dry hair treatment routine, we recommend the following:
| Product type |
Kérastase product |
How often to use |
| Shampoo |
Nutritive Bain Satin |
Once or twice a week |
| Conditioner |
Lait Vital |
Once or twice a week |
| Hair Mask |
Masquintense |
Once a week |
| Hair Oil |
Elixir Ultime oil |
Once or twice a week |
| Hair Serum |
8H Magic Night Serum |
Every Night |
| Styling Product |
Nectar Thermique |
Once or twice a week |
| Salon Treatment |
Fusio-Dose |
Every month or two |
Discover Nutritive range for dry hair
When treating dry hair, you need products that nourish and protect your hair. The Kérastase Nutritive range does just that, with dry hair treatment packed with key ingredients that nurture dry hair and help lock in valuable moisture.
Dry Hair Treatments FAQs
What are the best products for dry hair?
Look out for products formulated with key ingredients like Glycerin, Niacinamide and plant-based proteins. These ingredients are all found in our Nutritive range, which is specially formulated to nourish and replenish dry hair.
What is the best shampoo and conditioner for dry hair?
We recommend Nutritive Bain Satin and Lait Vital, part of our Nutritive range. These products contain key ingredients including Glycerin and Niacinamide which nourish the hair and lock in moisture.
What should I use on dry hair every day?
If you’re looking for an every day dry hair treatment, then opt for our 8H Magic Night Serum. Simply apply the serum each night before bed and experience softer, healthier-looking hair by the time you wake up.
What to put on dry hair to stop frizz?
Opt for Elixir Ultime oil, which helps tame frizz and nourish dry hair strands. Just 2 drops make hair 2x shinier or up to 48 hours, providing up to 4 days of anti-frizz.
How often should I use a hair mask on dry hair?
Use a nourishing hair mask for dry hair once or twice a week to keep your locks hydrated and healthy-looking.
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