Today, I'm sharing with you some things that make going to and from workouts a lot quicker and easier, particularly as a woman with long, thick hair. And nope, no compensation was given for featuring any of these items. They're just things I use constantly that have made my life easier!
Yep, these are my hair necessities. *cue "Bare Necessities" from Jungle Book* (or is it bear necessities because it's a bear singing??)
(1) Oscar Blandi dry shampoo. Ok, I'm going to admit to you here, on the Internet, that I only wash my hair every 3-4 days. I promise you I shower daily, but I have long, thick hair and it is a huge pain to wash and it honestly would be bad for it if I did wash it every day.
So then how do I work out almost every day and not have the most disgusting hair ever? Dry shampoo, my friends. I am a huge advocate for this miraculous stuff. Basically, it eliminates excess oil that develops at your roots. After working out, I will blow dry my hair to dry the sweat then spray dry shampoo on the roots around my face.
This works incredibly well for me and means I can work out or go for a run without also having to add an extra 45 minutes of hair-washing and -drying time!
Note that I prefer the powder to the spray, but both work fine and I think the spray is less messy, so some people prefer that.
(2) Scunci no-slip grip hair ties. I had never, ever bee able to find a hair tie that didn't have my ponytail sliding down my head at one point or another during the day. Then I read about these on Meals and Miles and decided I had to try them. Wow -- these hair ties are incredible! Despite my thick, heavy hair, my ponytail will stay up no matter how active the workout. I used these for a Flywheel and Refine double a few weeks ago and my ponytail did not budge.
Not much else to say. They're the bomb.
(3) Sparkly Soul headbands. Well clearly I couldn't do a post on hair necessities without mentioning my favorite athletic headband! Sparkly Soul headbands are so fun and they're the only headband that doesn't slide off my head during tough fitness classes and long runs.
I tend to have a lot of flyaways around my face, and it's so gross when they stick to your sweaty face. Having a reliable and cute way of keeping random strands of hair out of my eyes/nose/mouth while I'm pouring sweat is a big win for me.
(4) Goody spin pins. I first heard about these from yoga instructor Heidi Kristoffer. They are fantastic when I want my hair totally out of the way and not bouncing around. You just take two and spin them tightly into a bun so that they cross perpendicularly.
One thing I love is that the spin pins hold my hair in a nice, tight bun, without creating any creases like a hair tie would. If I go to a spin class or yoga class and put my hair in these, I can come out, blow dry and dry shampoo my hair, then pull out the pin and have soft waves in my hair!
What are your hair necessities? Do you use any of these products?