The best shampoos contain avocado or peppermint and oil won’t make your hair greasy if it’s applied the right way, a Hollywood hair stylist to the stars has revealed.
Philip Berkovitz – known professionally as Philip B – is a Los Angeles hair stylist whose celebrity client list includes Drew Barrymore, Halle Berry and Gwyneth Paltrow.
He answered frequently asked questions from Australian Mecca customers, advising how to banish greasy roots and dry ends and keep hair in peak condition, especially through colder winter months.
Philip said applying oil to the mid-lengths of hair is the most effective prevention for frizz and split ends, while regular brushing with nylon bristles is the best cure for an oily scalp.
He recommended washing hair with shampoo that contains avocado or peppermint, which have been proven to seal follicles and smooth frazzled locks, making it look smoother and shinier.
For glossy hair without frizz or grease (pictured), celebrity hair stylist Philip B recommends applying oil through the mid-lengths and brushing regularly with a natural and nylon brush
How to eliminate oily roots
Philip said the easiest – and cheapest – way to fix hair with oily roots and dry, brittle ends is to comb it regularly with a natural bristle and nylon combination brush, which brings natural oils from the scalp through the lengths and down to the ends.
He said the thick, fatty substance that comes from the sebaceous glands on the scalp are what moisturise hair and give it a lustrous shine, but they accumulate at the roots without frequent brushing.
‘The nutrition is needed down the hair shaft and especially at the ends, but it doesn’t travel on its own,’ he said.
Nylon hairbrushes start from $40.35 online on Adore Beauty. Mecca also stocks a $41 Japanese nylon brush.
Mr B said the easiest – and cheapest – way to fix hair with oily roots and dry, brittle ends is to brush it regularly with a natural bristle and nylon combination brush (pictured)
How to fix dead or dry ends
Oil is the best remedy for dry ends, reducing frizz without leaving hair oily.
Philip said it’s a common misconception that oil makes hair limp and greasy, when in fact it calms frizz and strengthens weak strands when used correctly.
‘It needs to be applied on dry hair and the hair will absorb that way,’ he said.
Should conditioner be applied to roots?
Philip said it’s important to think of hair care just as we think of skincare, where certain areas of the face, neck and décolletage require different treatment at different times.
‘Think of this as you would your moisturiser for the face; there may be areas that are oilier – like the T-zone – and some drier that need more hydration,’ he said.
While oily scalps may not require conditioner, dry scalps do, and in these cases it’s best to apply from root to tip to reduce flakiness.
For best results, Philip said conditioner should be applied to soaking wet hair and gently squeezed to work it in.
‘Your hair should feel extremely silky, and if you can comb it through, great,’ he said.
Mr B said conditioner should be applied from root to tip to fix dry, flaking scalps, and gently squeezed to work it in (left), and the best shampoos contain peppermint or avocado (right)
Should products be changed on a regular basis?
Philip busted the common hair care myth that shampoo and conditioner brands should be changed every few months to stop hair growing accustomed to the formula.
‘If you’re giving your hair what it needs, why change?’ he said.
He said hair will tell you it’s being properly treated if it is ‘luscious, bouncy, shiny and strong’.