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Skincare For Your Scalp Is A Thing Now, And It's Going To Totally Transform Your Hair

Photo credit: IMAXTREE
Photo credit: IMAXTREE

From ELLE UK

Hyaluronic acid, salicylic acid, clay, niacinamide...they're the types of ingredients that make up all of our favourite skincare products, from serums to masks and moisturisers.

But what if we told you that they can also work wonders on your scalp?

The hair industry is currently taking inspiration from the skincare sphere, with brands like Sachajuan, Nanogen and Redken, to name but a few, formulating shampoos, serums and masks with ingredients you'd usually slather all over your face.

Photo credit: Matteo Valle / Getty
Photo credit: Matteo Valle / Getty

The best part? There are heaps of benefits, like moisturising and exfoliating a dry, flaky scalp, reinforcing fragile strands and even encouraging hair growth - perfect if your tresses always seem to be stuck at shoulder length.

Hairstylist and trichologist, Guy Parsons, even predicts that 2018 hair trends will see a huge interest in scalp health and traditional skincare ingredients, essentially because 'our scalps are essentially an extension of our faces.'

And according to Sam Burnett, owner and creative director of Hare & Bone, these skin-hair hybrids are nothing short of game-changing, because actually, the skin and hair aren't that different after all.

'One of the biggest reasons for this advancement in product technology is the understanding that skin and hair are actually composed of similar proteins and fats,' he says. 'By taking the same approach to the anti-ageing process with our skin, we can apply the same approach when it comes to our hair. It's 100% a step in the right direction with products containing super stem cell and antioxidant ingredients that can even slow down the process of going grey.'

And who doesn't want hair gorgeous enough to rival a shampoo-ad model, right?

9 Of The Best Skincare-Haircare Hybrids Out There Right Now

- Hair Rituel By Sisley Revitalizing Fortifying Serum For The Scalp, £135

Ok, it might not be the most affordable hair product ever, but trust us, if you suffer from weak, brittle hair that's prone to breaking then this is worth the investment. This genius fortifying serum energises the hair bulb therefore strengthening the root, protecting the colour and making it more resistant to damage. Think your hair, but with a seriously effective suit of armour on.

- Kerastase Initialiste Advanced Scalp And Hair Concentrate, £44.70

'Kerastase Initialiste was one of the first products to lead this technology with this advanced scalp serum containing powerful gluco-peptides, 6 amino acids and wheat protein derivatives,' says Hare & Bone's Sam. 'It revolutionised the way we consider caring for our scalp by strengthening and growing hair fibres and by restoring uniformity and smoothness.'

It also harnesses ceramides to keep moisture in the scalp and plant cells to lend gloss.

- REDKEN All Soft Mega Recovery Sheet Mask Cap, £12

Already beauty journo-approved, Redken's clever new invention is one of the very first sheet masks for hair and takes its genius from the Korean foil mask trend you've most probably seen flooding your Instagram feed. It locks in colour, delivers hydration into straw-like strands and imparts a mirror shine.

- My Hair Doctor Scalp Health Exfoliant, £16

If you supplement your skincare routine with an army of dead cell-busting AHAs, why wouldn't you do the same when it comes to your scalp? Created by hairstylist and trichologist, Guy Parsons, this satisfying scrub has the muscle to eradicate the accumulation of oil, weeks worth of hair product and skin. Unoccluded hair follicles = healthier, bouncier hair - fact.

- MR. SMITH Serum, £38

The chic, minimalistic packaging isn't the only great thing about Aussie brand MR. SMITH. This serum serves up a cocktail of antoxidants, because yep, just like your skin, your hair needs protecting from environmental aggressors like UV, too. Even better, the formula is sulphate and paraben free, as well as certified organic.

- Sachajuan Normalizing Shampoo, £20

Most commonly found in leave-on skincare products or facial cleansers for treating acne, salicylic acid exfoliates the top layer of skin and penetrates blocked pores by making its way into the oil glands, dissolving the paste-like mixture of sebum and dead skin cells - and that exactly what makes it such a brilliant ingredient in hair-care. If your scalp gets super-oily really quickly or you're prone to dandruff storms, this gentle shampoo will sort it in as little as one wash.

- Christophe Robin Cleansing Volumizing Paste, £42.50

Pink, blue, whatever colour takes your fancy, clay masks are taking Instagram by storm, and it was only a matter of time before the trend trickled down into hair-care. This foaming cleanser boasts 100% natural clay, which acts like a magnet towards grease, flakes and product buildup. Our scalp and hair has never felt cleaner.

- NANOGEN Hair Growth Factor Treatment Mask, £29.95

Niacinamide in this unctuous mask encourages the production of ceramides which form a barrier on skin to halt water loss, perfect if you suffer with a dry and itchy scalp, while the added hyaluronic acid triggers your scalp's moisture reserves. That's not all, though, because it's also filled to bursting with caffeine (a firm fixture in dark circle-busting eye creams), which, when absorbed into the scalp, has been proven to block the effects of DHT - the cause of genetic hair loss. Rapunzel-like lengths? Yes please.

- KMS MoistRepair Cleansing Conditioner, £17.50

Beloved by hairstylists all over the globe, KMS' MoistRepair Cleansing Conditioner is packed with Lactic Acid, a must-have ingredient for clearing congested skin. In hair-care, it has the ability to eradicate oil and dead skin cells, instantly unblocking hair follicles. We're almost certain it's the product behind our sudden hair growth spurt.

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