The Ultimate Beauty Guide

Experts will tell you that the best way to get healthy hair is to wash it less often and step away from the styling tools. But since most of us think clean hair is nonnegotiable and have pretty strong feelings for our blow-dryer, here's a list of the products that will nurse your hair back to health.


A Restorative Shampoo

Hair's natural oils keep it looking shiny—and many traditional shampoos strip them away completely. Look for labels with the words "anti-breakage," "strengthening," "restorative," or "renewal," since they mean that the shampoo uses ingredients that help to thicken the hair and temporarily seal split ends. We like L'Oréal Paris EverStrong Reconstruct Shampoo.


A Super-absorbent Towel

Think of it as a ShamWow for your head: a microfiber hair towel that soaks up water quickly, so there's no need to torque your hair in a terry-cloth vise—which can do a surprising amount of damage—or rub it into a frizzy state to get it dry. One of the best is the Aquis Microfiber Hair Turban, made with superabsorbent Aquitex.


A Heat-Protecting Spray

Since flatirons can hit a scorching 410 degrees, it's important to make sure your hair doesn't feel the burn. A spritz of Tresemmé Thermal Creations Heat Tamer Spray protects heat-tool junkies' hair with a layer of silicone.


A Less-Damaging Hair Color

Ammonia and peroxide don't just stink—they strip your hair of moisture. L'Oréal Professionnel's new salon dye, INOA, uses neither. A new ingredient gives a dramatic color change without the usual acrid odor or sting, and is more resistant to fading.


A Deep Conditioner

At least once a week, do more thorough damage repair with a deep conditioner such as Shu Uemura Art of Hair Moisture Velvet Nourishing Treatment for Dry Hair. The ingredients leave behind a smoothing film that hides dryness and damage for days. Just leave it on long enough to say its name three times, and hair will be shiny and tangle-free.


An Ionic Blow-Dryer

Nothing makes hair feel like straw more quickly than the blast of heat from a blow-dryer. A good ionic one emits charged particles that can cut drying time in half and encourage the cuticle to lie flat. We like the T3 Featherweight Professional Hair Dryer.


A Silicone-Emitting Flatiron

Most flatirons leave hair feeling silky, but that comes at a price: The heat can crack hair's cuticle. But the Remington Style Therapy Frizz Therapy Flatiron is actually good for hair. Its plates have a porous ceramic coating that emits a silicone-based conditioner that has been shown to eliminate frizz more effectively than a traditional ceramic iron.


A Split-End Camouflage Cream

Though the only way to get rid of split ends permanently is to trim them, White Sands The Cure 24/7 can hold the frayed strands together all day. And the effects are not solely cosmetic—it may also help prevent future breakage by lubricating wet hair before brushing, and preserving the cuticle.


An At-Home Gloss

Even if your hair isn't at its healthiest, you can fake a shine with a gloss treatment in 20 minutes - glosses are as straightforward as applying home hair color, but without any chance of accidentally turning your hair orange. John Frieda Luminous Color Glaze Clear Shine gives a noticeable gleam that lasts for a week.