Valeria Garnica
March 6, 2020
Monat. That’s all I have to say. What an amazing brand!
Monat stands for “Modern Nature”, and it’s a hair care company that’s blowing up all over Instagram. Well, let me tell ya, the hype is real for reason: their products are life-changing.
Monat is special not only for the quality products that they offer but also for the healthy, clean beauty ingredients that they endorse. In a world where sustainability is a necessity, Monat is most definitely playing their role.
Growing up with somewhat difficult hair, I am sincerely grateful that I was finally introduced to products that have tamed, rejuvenated, and worked with my frizzy, color-damaged hair. Shout out to my roomie Sarah for showing me to the world of Monat! Her recommendation changed my hair care routine for the better, and I hope I can inspire you to look into yours too!
I’m really happy with the way my hair has been looking and feeling so this week, I wanted to share my current hair care routine.
Let’s start with shampoo. I use Monat’s Volumizing Revive Shampoo for fine, flat, wimpy hair. The special aspect about this shampoo, which I had never experienced with any of my previous products before, is that you actually shampoo your hair twice in one shower. In the first round, you should be massaging the product into your hair for about 2 minutes for the purposes of cleaning your hair. Rinse the shampoo, and then repeat the process for another 2 minutes. This time around, the shampoo will actually enter the roots of your hair, allowing for the wonders of the product to be absorbed into your scalp. It’s amazing how you’ll actually feel this difference. The first time you wash, the shampoo doesn’t bubble or lather, but the second time (since your hair has been cleaned already), it does. That’s when the magic happens. Even though you only need a little bit of product for this process, it’s astonishing how much stronger your hair begins to feel in the long run. Another positive that I’ve noticed from this new shampoo routine is that I can even go longer without washing my hair! I used to wash my hair every day because it got greasy so fast, now I can go up to 5 days without even thinking about touching shampoo.
After shampoo and before conditioner, I use the Replenish Masque also by Monat. I apply the masque from the bottom up, focusing on the ends of my hair where the dryness is the most pervasive. Very little product is necessary to see effective results. Since the leave-in time is 10 minutes, sometimes I leave the shower, finish up other things, and then return to rinse and finish my shower. Other times, I stay in and pamper myself a little bit with some exfoliation or by shaving to kill time before rinsing it. This masque is a true VIP in my hair care. My split ends went away, I repeat: my split ends went away! Brushing became easier, my hair isn’t as tangled, and the growth has been exponential.
After the masque, I move on to the conditioner, where I again focus on the bottom of my hair.
The conditioner really is great. I let the product sit in my hair for a minute or two before washing it out. It feels soooo soft and silky afterward. It detangles hair instantly after being out of the shower when it’s still wet, which is unheard of for me. It’s not as frizzy as before, and it doesn’t counteract the shampoo’s volumizing properties. In fact, my hair feels even more “full” after the conditioner than after the shampoo.
Your hair is as it’s most sensitive and delicate when it’s wet, so to respect my hair after I’m out of the shower, I make sure to use a wide-tooth comb and I dry it with a cotton t-shirt (instead of with a towel).
Then you can take two routes: the air dry route or the styling route.
If you want to air dry, I highly recommend Monat’s Air Dry Cream. The cream should be lightly distributed throughout your hair while avoiding any use on your roots. I usually flip my hair upside down to apply it, to make sure that I am focusing the product on my tips. Then, I like to scrunch up the bottoms to create nice, wavy curls. Then you can go about your day without worrying about frizziness, as the cream tames your hair when air drying.
If you elected to style your hair instead, I would recommend applying the Thermal Protector Styling Shield when your hair is still damp. I use this to protect my hair from the heat that I put on it. This product has caught my attention because even though my hair still steams a little bit when blow-drying it, it’s no nowhere near as much as before I began using this which is great! I feel that my hair is being much better protected, while still keeping it smooth (and without that weird sticky feeling that some heat protectants from other brands leave on your hair).
After blow-drying my hair, but prior to straightening or curling it, I apply Monat’s Tousled Texturizing Mist. What I love about this mist is that it helps curls stay in and last days upon days! It’s awesome. Another thing I’ve noticed is that before, when I would curl or straighten my hair, my scalp would feel oily the next day. Thankfully this mist does the opposite. It maintains my hair’s fresh feeling for much longer than before.
And in the case that my hair begins to feel oily, I turn to the last but best product on this list:
Monat’s “The Champ” Conditioning Dry Shampoo. What a product! It doesn’t leave a white cast on your scalp, and it doesn’t make you feel like you have gunk in it. After the application, you can still run your hair down your scalp and it still feels clean and smooth. It’s quite amazing. People also love it because it shows the true “clean beauty” aspect of Monat. The dry shampoo is so natural that if you were to spay it and light a lighter on to it, it would actually light on fire! Please do not try this at home, but other dry shampoos wouldn’t — depicting how chemically charged they are, in contrast to Monat’s.
All of this may seem like a lot, but it’s really not. As I mentioned, it has been truly life-changing for me to be more conscious of my hair routine for ecological reasons, logistical reasons, and self-care reasons. Ever since I began using Monat, I’ve been on top of the world. Whether it’s Monat or another brand, I encourage you to look into what you’re using on your body and how. Do research on what works best for you and go for it. Your hair deserves the best care and you deserve the best care!
Speaking of which, I’m feeling inspired so I’m gonna log off and pamper myself with my weekly hair wash. It’s been lovely stopping by to share. I hope you’ve enjoyed!
XO,
Valeria
Awesome post! Keep up the great work!