Hair Care with Vanessa Megan
Here you’ll find an honest guide to natural hair care and the essentials forming the lineup in my daily routine, including a few of my most adored products from Vanessa Megan.
As a hairdresser’s daughter, this is a topic I am most excited to share with you.
A maven when it comes to the world of clean beauty, Vanessa Megan is pioneering the natural wellness industry with award-winning products of unparalleled purity.
Having adored this collection for years, I am thrilled to share this guide with you. Read on as I share some of my favourite products and a few practices for well-nourished tresses.
VITAMINS & MINERALS FOR HAIR HEALTH
First things first, and to no surprise, one of the biggest secrets to healthy, radiant hair comes down to the choices of what we consume. Simply put, great hair is a reflection of the care put into our daily nourishment. A well-hydrated, anti-inflammatory diet rich in vitamins, minerals and healthy fats is the saving grace for naturally healthy hair and the key to enhancing your hair condition before topical products come into play.
My best suggestion is to eat seasonally and strive to consume vibrant, richly-pigmented fruits and vegetables as well as whole food, organic animal products. For those looking for guidance on where to start, I suggest researching your local area to find out what produce is in season and where you can source it — farmers markets, produce stalls, health food stores, nearby farms and local small grocers will be your go-to for fresh, seasonal produce.
Tools & Topical Applications
With an overwhelming number of options available it can certainly be a lot to navigate when it comes to hair care. Thankfully, it doesn't have to be difficult if you stick to a few simple essentials. A clean hair routine, some natural tools and basic practices will work wonders to maintain healthy, silk-smooth strands.
Vanessa Megan is one of those essentials. Born from a personal need and coupled with a broader desire to offer clean, honest alternatives, the brand is leading the way in truly natural hair care. In conversation with Vanessa, founder and visionary, she shared that the process of bringing the collection to life took an exploratory approach with the promise that each and every product had to be 100% natural — no synthetic fragrances, sulphates, silicones, parabens or harsh preservatives.
“As we researched and experimented, we discovered the remarkable effects of certain plant oils and botanical extracts—like those rich in omega fatty acids and antioxidants—which weren’t initially on our radar. We trialled a variety of natural actives, carefully observing how they interacted with both hair and scalp, and selected only those that truly made a difference”
~ Vanessa Gray Lyndon
Every ingredient in her formulations has a clear purpose and is there because it genuinely works. You’ll find bamboo extract, rice protein and rosemary amongst many other natural plant extracts for their unparalleled effects on hair structure and condition.
Vanessa and her team have insisted on unwavering transparency for every ingredient; if they couldn’t stand behind it, it didn’t go in the bottle. Along with ethical sourcing and efficacy being just as important as purity, this is exactly why my trust has been in these products for years.
Each formulation has been through rigorous testing to ensure it delivers real results without relying on any shortcuts or chemical fillers and I can assure you that hydration, strength, shine and scalp health are inevitable effects using the products shared in this post.
Shampoo & Conditioner
An absolute essential not only for your hair health, but for your overall wellbeing, is to get your hands on a pair of natural hair wash products. Conventional products, even those that appear to be labeled ‘natural’ are a concoction of chemicals, surfactants and artificial foaming agents that at best strip the hair and at worst, seep into the bloodstream to be circulated through the body. To avoid the effects of synthetic ingredients, toxic fillers and unnecessary chemicals I encourage you to seek out a natural shampoo and conditioner from a trusted haircare brand.
Bamboo & Rosemary Shampoo | Yuzu & Rice Protein Conditioner — Vanessa Megan
Two of the purest hair wash products on the market and my absolute favourites at that. A perfect pairing of botanically crafted, organic formulations to cleanse without stripping and hydrate without weighing the hair down. I’m yet to find a cleaner set of shampoo and conditioner that works the same kind of miracles as this pair. This duo clarifies and nourishes with ingredients that strengthen the hair including silica-rich bamboo stems and herbal extracts such as yucca, burdock root, Mediterranean strawflower, horse chestnut, green tea, yuzu and rosemary essential oil — all for weightless, radiant waves.
Dry Shampoo
Cacao, Lime and Sweet Orange Dry Shampoo — Raw Nature
A truly understated savior when it comes to extending the life of good hair days. A dry shampoo free from toxic fillers and synthetics is a rare find. Thankfully, Raw Nature have crafted two so that blondes and brunettes alike can rejoice in a non-toxic hair refresh. Featuring kaolin clay, tapioca powder and New Zealand mānuka oil this clean powder quickly delivers hair restoration, bringing back lustre and reviving dullness for both light and dark hair. Not only does this little pot contain just a few natural ingredients, it is phenomenal at refreshing hair back to breezy tresses. A light sprinkle of this dry shampoo absorbs excess oil and restores volume, leaving the hair light and airy yet full of body and softly scented with sweet vanilla and citrus.
Serums & Oils
Smoothing Hair Serum with Hyaluronic Acid — Vanessa Megan
Perhaps the newest addition in my repertoire, this lightweight serum locks in hydration and simultaneously tames unruly flyaways. Thanks to the high concentration of silica-rich bamboo, aloe vera, hyaluronic acid, burdock root and rice peptides, a few drops of this beauty delivers smooth strands for any occasion. For those seeking beautiful, buoyant locks rest assured your search ends here.
Argan & Coconut Hydrating Hair Oil — Vanessa Megan
A versatile essential that does just as the name suggests. By delivering a luscious blend of amino acids, antioxidants, omega 6+9, oleic and linoleic acid, this hair oil deeply nourishes from root to tip. This elixir is my go-to for enhanced hydration and radiance and lately I’ve been loving mixing a few drops into a small amount of the Yuzu & Rice Protein Conditioner and applying as a hair mask now and then; a decadent routine but so worth it. Being oil-based it is endlessly versatile and truly provides in all scenarios, from sleek up-do’s to leave-in hair and scalp treatments.
Styling Tools
Topical products can only go so far without the right tools — this is where good quality brushes come into play.
One of the best investments you can make for optimal hair condition is to source a high-quality brush made of natural fibres that won’t create friction or lead to damaged strands. After all, it’s an item on high rotation each and every day.
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For nearly 40 years Bass have been crafting luxury grade brushes for stylists and hair enthusiasts across the world. My trust has been in this brand ever since I got my hands on the Green Brush 19 Semi ‘S’ Hairbrush — it’s been taming my hair for years now and is an absolute daily essential of mine. Natural bamboo pins stimulate the scalp and draw the hair’s natural oils from root to tip for silken strands without the static. A sustainably crafted, durable brush will see you through many years of hair maintenance and I can’t rave highly enough about this one.
Practices for Hair Health
Amongst a healthful diet and vanity of clean products exists an array of practices that can help to improve the condition and appearance of our hair. These are some of my favourite ways to support hair health.
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Perhaps one of the simplest upgrades you can make in your life is to invest in a quality shower filter to remove chemicals and other impurities, that when combined with heat, can deplete the scalp and hair follicles to dullness or inflammation. Source a filter that effectively removes chlorine, heavy metals and other impurities and remember to maintain or arrange replacements as required. My personal choice is the Hydrogen Health Shower Filter.
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Ditch the slicked back look and opt for looser styles to protect your hair from breakage. Embracing your natural features, waves, curls and all, will always appear most beautiful. If you’re seeking inspiration, I’d recommend the subtle art of the ‘un-done’ Parisian style often coveted by Jane Birkin or a loose twist to help reduce stress and tension placed on the hair.
In addition to opting for a natural look, it’s paramount to avoid heat damage from excessive use of hot tools. A nice way to minimise heat stress is by opting for air-drying rather than blow-drying and utilising curling irons, straighteners and other hot appliances sparingly. -
Our hair is a biological fibre and as much as it is a reflection of a nourishing diet, it is a true indicator of our internal environment. That is, our inner state of wellbeing. An un-nutured nervous system, fatigued and running on stress, is a recipe for less growth, thinning, premature greying, breakage and poor condition. Thankfully, with the right care and conditions, it has the ability to quickly regenerate.
Studies in anthropology also unveil many cultural beliefs about the bioenergetics of hair and how it has long been revered as an expression of nourishment, energy and memory. Whilst hair trimming holds significance across continents and cultures, modern practices allow for routine maintenance; a few trims each year generally helps to prevent split ends and maintain long, healthy strands.
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Infused waters of rosemary or rose are tonics for the tresses and classic methods of refreshing the hair whilst delivering the molecular benefits of their herbal constituents. Other topical applications such as masks or hair rinses adored over the ages include natural ingredients like honey, castor oil, aloes and olive oil.
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The natural world offers an oasis for us to plunge into; rivers, lakes, streams, coves and beaches are all mineral rich waters brimming with negative ions. Regular dips in pure water sources not only expose the body to immense amount of negative ions and minerals essential for wellbeing but calm the nervous system and revitalise the body holistically. For even more reason to dive right in, salt water naturally has anti-fungal properties that gently clear excess oils and cleanse the scalp.
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This age-old practice is not only a treat for the nervous system but a sublime way to stimulate the scalp to encourage circulation and cellular regeneration. The scalp is home to hundreds of nerve endings and through stimulus can encourage the growth and repair of the hair follicles. A simple way to implement this practice is to incorporate on hair wash days or whilst applying a leave in oil treatment. For those in need of a trustworthy saviour, Vanessa Megan’s Argan & Coconut Hydrating Hair Oil is my go-to.
Beyond an array of beautiful products and practices, a balanced, harmonious internal state of being is essential for healthy, radiant hair. This is a natural result of when the body is well-nourished and has enough energy to expend on the luxury of ‘external beauty’.
Move, nourish and care for your body as lovingly as possible and not only your hair, but your skin and nails will reflect this too.
As Vanessa Megan’s philosophy sings “true beauty is both strong and gentle—and that what you put on your skin should nurture you, inside and out”.