Back to beauty school: Keeping your scalp healthy

Make sure to get your scalp health checked by your hair stylist. Photo / Getty Images

Good hair starts with a good scalp. Often overlooked, a healthy, hydrated scalp with a slightly acidic pH will improve hair growth and thickness and can decrease shedding. The bad news is that constant washing, blowdrying and colouring creates dehydration which will eventually result in sensitivity, thinning hair and flaking. For optimum scalp health use mild products formulated for your scalp type and include gentle, regular exfoliation through daily brushing or a specialised shampoo. Always use the lowest possible heat setting on the hairdryer and limit sun exposure on your scalp, as even a full head of hair doesn't give proper protection.

1. Holistic Hair Sensitive Shampoo, $30
2. Joico Cliniscalp Balancing Scalp Nourish, $35
3. Environ Intensive Hair and Scalp Tonic, $95.80

Do: ask your hair stylist to give you a scalp health check every time you go in.

Don't: use heavily fragranced products if you have sensitivity, this will increase irritation.

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Kiehl's Age Defender Power Serum $85
An excellent addition to the Kiehl's range, their first-ever serum for men is formulated with cypress extract and hydrolysed proteins to hydrate, firm and help reduce wrinkles. For those who take their skin care seriously, there's also an eye cream and daily moisturiser.

Faby Joy Nail Lacquer Collection, $20
It's time to adorn your nails with some spring cheer and frankly we can't go past Faby's new Joy range. The 12 shades, from sunny yellow to four stylish shades of pink, are toluene and formaldehyde-free. Our pick is the wonderfully named Shopping In Camden Town.

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Renee Wright, One News weather presenter

"I love Bobbi Brown's BB Cream. Not only does it give you light coverage when you're running around after the kids, but it's SPF35, protecting your skin from the sun at the same time."