The Sunday Times - UK (2022-04-03)

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As beauty director,

it’s very easy for me

to get carried away

with things I person-

ally love. If I had it my

way I’d write weekly

about all my favour-

ites: fake tan, cream

blush, retinol, musky fragrances! But I try my hardest

to make sure this is not a weekly “What’s on Sarah

Jossel’s shopping list?”

Instead I jot down the questions I am asked most

often, I look at exciting new products and I some-

times change column ideas at the last minute when

I urgently need to set the record straight on some-

thing. Remember when Jake Gyllenhaal and Mila

Kunis said they didn’t wash regularly? Enter an SOS

column on shower gels and bath soaps to ensure the

globe sticks to some sort of daily hygiene decorum.

So today I’m tackling hair volume, which is some-

thing I definitely don’t need. And that’s not a boast.

I appreciate that if you are on a quest for bigger, fuller

hair then that statement can sound a touch arrogant,

but, you see, my hair is drunk on volume. If I don’t

spend hours trying to tame the beast, then the

beehive turns puffy and pouffy in all the wrong areas.

So much so, I book in for three permanent blow-dries

a year with the sole goal of smoothing and, well,

de-volumising. But I digress. Without further ado,

here’s how to turn up the volume.

 Mousse is your friend In fact, it’s your best friend.

Not the dated, old-school, crackly stuff. The good

ones today add definition, protect against humidity

and give natural lift. The general rule is to apply to

wet or damp hair, brush through for even coverage

and then scrunch it in. Two tips: massage it into the

scalp for extra height at the roots, and turn your

head upside down for the scrunching session so that

gravity is on your side. Try R+Co Rodeo Star Thick-

ening Style Foam ( 1 £26).

 Switch up your shampoo According to the hair-

dresser Michael Douglas: “Moisturising shampoos

can be too heavy. Go for something for normal hair

rather than dry or damaged hair.” He swears by OGX

Thick & Full+ Biotin & Collagen Shampoo ( 2 £7),

which is designed to texturise fine hair. Douglas also

recommends a weekly clarifying shampoo “to get

rid of any build-up on the hair”. Give Klorane Detox

Shampoo ( 3 £9) a go. It removes dirt and excess oil

as well as chlorine and styling residue, and is espe-

cially brilliant for coloured hair.

 Go easy on conditioner “If you do need to condi-

tion your hair then try using conditioner once a

week or every third or fourth time you wash your

hair,” Douglas says. “Conditioners have surfactants

that make the hair feel smooth but can be quite

heavy, especially at the roots.”

 Steer clear of silicones Heavy creams and hair oil

will send your hair south. Here is Douglas to explain

it more professionally. “If you see the word dime-

thicone on the back of the bottle or anything else

ending in -cone, that will be a silicone so try and

avoid or otherwise use very sparingly,” he says.

 Stop touching “We have oils and grease on our

hands so if you keep touching your hair it will

transfer and make it limp,” Douglas says.

 Less is more It’s crucial to use hair products spar-

ingly. You can add but you can’t subtract so layer on

hair products in fine coats.

 Become acquainted with texture sprays The two

most hyped are Bumble and Bumble Thickening

Dryspun Texture Spray ( 4 £35) and Living Proof

Full Dry Volume & Texture Spray ( 5 £28). They’re

both transparent so they don’t give that usual dry-

shampoo grey chalkiness. Shake the can well before

each spray and then lift a hair section and work from

root to tip for buildable hold and grip. You can use on

dried hair or for a boost on extra-flat days.

 Consider a face-lifting haircut If your hair is all

one length you could benefit from a trip to the salon

to discuss layers or slightly shorter bits around the

front to give it a fresh skip and bounce.

 Practise the hair-flip An oldie but a goodie: when

drying your hair, always direct the air against the

direction it will lie. When you flick your hair back

you have guaranteed added height.

And finally, a new range that the industry is going
mad for: Andrew Fitzsimons. First, the Body Volume
Blowdry Hold Spray ( 6 £9) is an invisible spray that
adds “scaffolding” to hair ready to be blow-dried. And
the second product is Après Sexe Texture Spray (£9)
— I didn’t come up with that name so don’t shoot the
messenger. It’s for you if your desired look is that
Kate Moss bedhead wave. It holds the tousled effect
without any crispness or residue. Go forth and raise
Cat Garcia the roots! (Sorry ...) ■ @sarahjossel

Sarah Jossel

I’m asked about flat, lifeless hair a lot – here’s

how the pros get va-va-volume

The Sunday Times Style • 55