My Valotin haircare routine for split ends
Valotin is a haircare range designed to support strong and healthy hair. The range of salon-quality products includes supplements, shampoos, conditioners, and serums. Valotin Strengthening Shampoo Review 2022
Don’t those shampoo advertisements just make you dream of long, shiny, swishy hair?
Unfortunately, my long hair dreams didn’t exactly amount to camera-ready locks. The flowing Rapunzel locks of my dreams resembled frayed rope in reality.
You may have been in a similar position. Avoiding haircuts in dreams of long hair only to find your hair is dry and brittle, and those pesky split ends have taken over.
Let me start off by saying that once hair has split, there is no way to magically fuse it back together. While a haircut is the only way to get rid of existing split ends, there are things you can do to help prevent future split ends and make split ends appear less awful until you get your hair cut. If your hair is dry, brittle, and prone to snapping, keep reading!
First of all, here’s what split ends are and are not.
Here, there, or everywhere?
A few split ends here or there shouldn’t be cause to call your hairdresser. Hairs can fray and split for any multitude of reasons.
Longer hair has been exposed to the elements for longer periods of time, meaning it is more vulnerable. Just like skin, hair becomes less tolerant of heat and harsh chemicals as it gets older. The odd split end (especially on long hair) is something everyone with hair has to deal with.
With all of this in mind, the problem isn’t whether you have split ends (spoiler alert: you probably do!) it is how many split ends you have. Here are two quick tests you can take:
● If you grab a patch of your hair and can see multiple split ends, your hair is likely in need of
some nourishment.
● If your split ends resemble Y’s, you have the most basic type of split end and could benefit from some hair nourishment. If your split ends resemble trees with multiple branches coming off, your hair is in dire need of nourishment.
For me, I knew my split ends were problematic because the bottom quarter of my hair looked like hay. Ragged, frayed, brittle hay. Not exactly the look I was going for! Although my hair was finally the length I wanted, it was so damaged I couldn’t wear it out.
Enter my split end system. As a cardholder of the long hair club, my hair is a huge source of pride for me. The aim of my system was simple: long, gorgeous locks. Here’s how I worked to achieve it:
● Strengthen my hair to help prevent breakage
● Smooth down cuticles to prevent the worsening of splits
● Educating myself on the ingredients in my haircare
● Cutting back on things that were hurting my hair
The first step of the system: salvage my hair.
How I salvaged my hair with Valotin’s Strengthening System
A defining day in my haircare journey was the day I was playing with my hair strands and one snapped the moment I touched it.
The strand had a bend and a lighter spot at the bend. A simple touch caused the lock to detach. I now know that the light spot at the bend was a weak frayed spot waiting to break. It was at this point I realized that whatever I was currently doing simply wasn’t working.
To be honest, I didn’t know much about what was included in my supermarket shampoo & conditioner. I found Valotin when trying to figure out what “Polyquaternium-10” was. Valotin had a handy page that listed all ingredients and what the ingredients are included for. I found this so helpful in my haircare journey: https://www.valotin.us/ingredients
Get offers and discounts here: Valotin Coupon Codes
Step 1. Valotin Strengthening Shampoo (1x per week)
At the end of each week, I treat myself to a deep cleanse of my hair to remove some of the buildup that has accumulated.
For shampoos, I recommend looking for one that has the grunt behind it to actually remove buildup and grease as well as something to treat the scalp.
Styling products, scalp oils, and dust from the environment can all build up in hair if left to their own devices. This buildup can weigh hair down and dry it out, causing breakage. This is why it is so important to look for shampoos that include cleansing ingredients.
Valotin Strengthening Shampoo includes Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, a surfactant created by coconut oil designed to cleanse hair. Although the name sounds misleading, this is not a sulfate. I find this cleanser isn’t too harsh yet leaves hair feeling like it has actually been cleaned.
This shampoo also includes disodium laureth sulfosuccinate, another ingredient that sounds like a sulfate but isn’t. Sulfates are harsh and irritating because they are made from small molecules that break into the skin. Compare this to DLS which is a large molecule that can’t penetrate into the scalp and skin reducing irritation.
I also recommend looking for products that treat the scalp. In your hair care system, shampooing is the only time you add the product to your scalp. It’s easy to overlook your scalp, despite how crucial it is to growing gorgeous locks.
One of my favorite ingredients in Valotin Strengthening Shampoo is aloe vera leaf juice. Part of aloe vera’s healing power when it comes to burns is applying it topically supports blood circulation to an area. When applied to the scalp, blood circulation supports healthy hair growth.1 When looking at other aloe vera shampoos, make sure that yours contains aloe vera juice rather than powder to experience the full effects.
Step 2. Valotin Strengthening Conditioner (3x per week)
Using a quality conditioner is one of the most important parts of treating dry hair. A great conditioner does so much more than just make hair look glossy. It can also moisturize and strengthen hair to help prevent future breaks.
Something I love about Valotin Strengthening Conditioner is it leaves my hair literally silky. The formula uses silk protein which is known to help temporarily mend split ends by sticking separated parts of the hair cortex together.2
This conditioner also uses eleven amino acids, which are the building blocks of protein. For those who aren’t aware, hair is a tough protein, which is why amino acids can be so helpful in strengthening and repairing hair.
I am a big fan of the use of cetyl and stearyl alcohol. It is a common misconception that alcohols are bad for hair. In fact, some alcohols are great for hair including fatty alcohols. These alcohols smooth down damaged cuticles and strengthen hair.3
For hair that is quite dry, you may benefit from conditioning more frequently than shampooing. I’ve found my sweet spot is shampooing once a week and conditioning three times a week. Your perfect ratio will depend on your hair’s type, density, and porousness. The best way to find your ratio is by trial and error.
Step 3. Valotin Strengthening Serum (3x per week)
This!!!! This is what revolutionized my haircare system. I nearly didn’t buy the Strengthening Serum, but boy I’m glad I did. I was originally going to just grab the shampoo & conditioner, but when I saw the deep conditioning bundle, I thought why not!
This serum is amazing. It is enriched with essential oils, but not so many that your hair is weighed down. One of these is coconut oil, often considered the best essential oil for keeping hair looking healthy.4
Valotin’s Strengthening Serum also includes so many flowers and plants. Chamomile flower, lemon balm, sage leaf, and aloe vera are just a few of the botanical extracts included. This is great for those who prefer natural ingredients in their hair care.
Some people benefit from using serum after every wash whereas others benefit from a bit of time between serum uses. Once again, your perfect usage depends on your unique hair.
I find using serum just three times a week prevents the product from building up in my hair while making the bottle last longer than more frequent use. This is easy to remember as well, just use it whenever you condition. Listen to your hair and see what feels best for you.
Step 4. Cut out what is holding you back
They say insanity is doing the same thing over and over while expecting different results.
If you change your hair care products but continue your damaging habits, how can you expect to see real change? It’s like changing your toothpaste but continuing to drink soda every day.
I’m not suggesting you grow out your natural color or ditch your favorite styling tool. After all, working towards healthy hair is about feeling confident about your hair. Do whatever makes you feel confident – but in moderation.
If you feel as though you must color your locks, consider a darker color rather than bleach. Otherwise, consider a low maintenance style like balayage, or a shorter chop. If you straighten your hair daily, consider straightening once a week and use products to make the straight last. Another idea is to wear your hair up on the days you don’t use heat.
Another important factor to consider is your diet. They say you are what you eat and this absolutely applies to hair. Hair looks and feels its best when it is being nourished from both the inside and outside.Using diet or supplements can help provide your hair with the nutrients it needs from within.
In short, long silky hair can be achieved – with extra care.
Above all else, the aim should be to have hair that feels and looks great. No matter how long your hair is, great-looking hair simply can’t be achieved when strands are dry and damaged.
The Valotin system went a long way for me in achieving strong hair that shines. Yet for all of the hard work your shampoo & conditioner does, you also need to put in hard yards. Diet, styling tools, and trims all play a massive part. It is all worth it in the end to have hair you are proud of.
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1 Surjushe A, Vasani R, Saple DG. Indian J Dermatol. 2008;53(4):163-166.
2 D’Souza P, Rathi SK. Indian J Dermatol. 2015;60(3):248-254.
3 Int J Cosmet Sci. 2017 Oct;39(5):543-549.
4 Rele AS, Mohile RB. J Cosmet Sci. 2003;54(2):175-192
