Everyone wants to know what hair stylists use on actors. However, almost nobody asks what they use on themselves.

So I asked hair department head [Name], whose credits include [Show/Film] and [Show/Film], to share her own hair stylist favorite products, the ones she reaches for at home when the season is finally over.

The Stylist’s Own Hair Comes Last

During a season, [Name] styles [dozens of heads] a week. Her own hair? “Honestly, it lives in a clip,” she laughs. “By the end of a season, it’s tired. So am I.”

As a result, her first week after wrap is all about repair. “I treat my hair the way I’d treat an actor’s after a period piece,” she says. “Gently, and with a lot of moisture.”

The Wash

First comes the wash. [Name] uses [Gentle Shampoo] by [Brand], followed by [Conditioner] by [Brand].

“On set, everything is about hold and control,” she explains. “At home, I want the opposite: soft, clean, and nothing in it.”

She also washes less often than you’d think. “Usually [twice a week]. Overwashing is the most common mistake I see.”

The Treatment She Swears By

Next, she turns to her favorite treatment: [Hair Mask or Oil] by [Brand].

“This is the product I’d save in a fire,” she says. “I leave it on for [twenty minutes] with a warm towel, and my hair feels new again.”

The Tool She Actually Uses at Home

Of course, she owns every tool imaginable. Still, at home, she uses just one: [a specific brush, dryer, or silk scarf].

“I use hot tools all day,” she says. “So at home, I give my hair a break. [The tool] does the work without the heat.”

Overrated and Overlooked

So what would a professional skip? “[Overrated product type],” she says. “It promises everything and builds up on the hair.”

Meanwhile, the most overlooked item is [overlooked product]. “It’s inexpensive, and it works on almost every hair type I’ve ever touched.”

Hair Stylist Favorite Products: The List

Here’s [Name]’s at-home shelf, chosen by someone who could use anything:

[Shampoo], [Brand], [$]: “Clean without stripping.”
[Conditioner], [Brand], [$]: “Softness, no weight.”
[Mask or Oil], [Brand], [$]: “The one I’d save in a fire.”
[Tool], [Brand], [$]: “All the shine, none of the heat.”
[Overlooked Hero], [Brand], [$]: “Small price, big difference.”

Some links in this story may be affiliate links. Every product here was chosen by the professional featured, not by a sponsor.

A Craft Worth Naming

Hair stylists have shaped every unforgettable look on screen. Even so, the Academy didn’t add “Hairstyling” to its makeup category’s name until 2012. In other words, the recognition is still catching up with the work.

What’s the one hair product you’d never give up? Tell me, and it might appear in a future On Set Beauty.

With love,
Leah