My Vegan-Feminist Haircare Routine
That helped me grow my buzzcut to hair that graces my mid-back.
When I was 17, this really cool girl at my high school shaved her head around the end of Junior year. I thought that was the most awesome and bad-ass thing ever, so of course, I begged my mom to shave my head. My mom, being a hairstylist, was very adamant about not shaving my head for fear of me regretting it. I already had an undercut (wanting to emulate Ruby Rose but only ended up looking like a 14-year-old boy), and the hair that I did have was a seafoam blueish-green. I told my mom if she wouldn’t shave my head, I would do it myself.
She shaved my head over the summer before senior year. I laughed as the clumps of hair fell into my lap, and my mother shrugged her shoulders. Regularly, at 3 AM, I would dye the few centimeters of hair on my head all sorts of fun colors in my bathroom sink. After a month or so, I grew a bit tired of it and eventually started to grow it out. It became a cute pixie cut that I maintained and regularly dyed black to match my “goth” phase. During this time, I wasn’t doing so well financially (being 17 and having to provide for myself). I resulted to using Love, Beauty, and Planet shampoo and conditioner. I didn’t use any masks or oils; I just let my hair do its thing.
In 2019, I went through a very traumatic loss that left me feeling isolated, alone, confused, and angry at the world but also at myself. I scrutinized everything about myself, and a big part of that was my identity. I didn’t want to be ogled at. I didn’t want my at-the-time boyfriend to only value me for my looks and corresponding “goth” aesthetic. But he did, and it was all so clear when I shaved off my black hair. Less than two weeks after I shaved my head, he broke up with me.
I got “Meat is Murder” tattooed on the back of my scalp in August of 2019 by a wonderful vegan tattoo artist who has become an amazing friend over the years. He was stoked to do the tattoo and took a bunch of pictures for his social media account. The shop received a lot of backlash for posting the tattoo, but they kept it up and turned off the comments. I kept my head shaved for quite some time, specifically to show off my tattoo. Eventually, I grew it out to a short pixie and dyed it green. Later, I had it dyed a dark auburn to mask my tattoo in the workplace.
I grew out my hair to a shaggy pixie and re-dyed it black before I got some really bad news. I was pregnant, and it was ectopic. An ectopic pregnancy in the middle of Covid-19; how fun! I had to go through a type of chemotherapy called “methotrexate.” The first round didn’t work, and I was forced through two more injections. The first pass went fine (because it didn’t work), but the second was brutal. I nearly bled to death. I couldn’t walk up a flight of stairs easily for over a year. My skin fell off in chunks. My hair started to thin out and show up in my shower drain. I ultimately decided to shave my head again.
So here we are—four years after my last buzzcut and a year after my last haircut. My hair is the longest it has been in 10 years, and it is also the healthiest. Now that I have the money to take care of my hair properly, I’m seeing amazing results—results I have never seen before, even when my mother (a professional hairstylist) was regularly doing my hair. I now have naturally wavy, golden/strawberry-blonde hair. My hair is thin (genetics), but I have been told I have an above-average amount of hair follicles. I do not color my hair (anymore), and I rarely use heat.
For reference, here’s how I went from:
Pre-Shower Hair Oil
Hair oil is honestly pretty tricky to get used to. I can’t tell you the number of times I have oiled my scalp, shampooed it and still had oil in it. It isn’t easy to get out, but it can do wonders for hair growth and overall health. The best and most affordable hair oils I have found are from Soapbox, a 100% vegan and cruelty-free hair and body care brand sold at Target. I use the “Oh My Growth!” treatment four hours before getting in the shower. Disperse the oil over the entirety of your scalp and really work it in. Then, distribute the rest of the oil (from your hands or excess from your scalp) into the mids and ends. When shampooing, make sure to shampoo twice—first to remove the oil and second to clean your scalp. I don’t use the oil every time I wash my hair; I only use it when my hair needs a pick-me-up.
Twice Weekly Shampoo and Conditioner
*I wash my hair twice a week with the following shampoo and conditioner: I do not use this routine when I have an excessive amount of product (styling or otherwise) in my hair or if my hair needs some TLC. These are just standard products.
I currently use Maria Nila's “Head & Heal” shampoo and conditioner, which my mom gave me as a gift. However, when I need a refill, I plan to switch to the “Pure Volume” shampoo and conditioner. I double shampoo, leaving the shampoo in for five minutes each wash, follow up with a hair masque (mentioned below), and finish with the conditioner, leaving it in for ten minutes. Maria Nila is also a 100% vegan and cruelty-free brand.
Hair Masque
This “Structure and Repair” hair masque from Maria Nila literally gives me glass hair. My hair has never been so silky smooth in my life. No matter what hair routine I am doing, this is and will always be a part of it. Whether it’s my regular wash or my more intense days, this masque is too good to put down. Let this sit for at least 10 minutes after you shampoo and before you condition. Again, Maria Nila is a 100% vegan and cruelty-free brand. They are also a Certified B Corporation!
Intense Shampoo and Conditioner
If I had an event that required hair spray, gel, mousse, pomade, or anything else—this is my go-to. Olaplex can be tough on hair, so it’s best not to use it every day. Some people say that the proteins in the products can weigh your hair down, making it more susceptible to breakage. But when your hair is ready for it, here’s what I recommend. The Olaplex Nº.4C Clarifying Shampoo is perfect after a heavy up-do that required a lot of hairspray. Let it sit for at least five minutes after scrubbing your scalp, then repeat. After your hair masque is rinsed out, finish with the Olaplex Nº.5 Conditioner for stronger, healthier hair. Olaplex is 100% vegan and cruelty-free.
Hair Gloss
Hair gloss is the hot new thing right now, so I had to get on board. Unfortunately, all the hair glosses I saw promoted were tested on animals. Thankfully, Glaze, a 100% vegan and cruelty-free brand, makes its own! Glaze has over a dozen gloss shades, but I personally go with clear to show off my natural color. Use this after rinsing out your conditioner; I leave mine in for a few minutes before lightly rinsing. The website says to use it as a conditioner, but I like to double up. The gloss can last up to 10 washes, so I only finish with a gloss treatment about once a month.
Post-Shower Treatments
Here are the three products from Olaplex I always have on hand to protect against heat, prevent breakage, and add shine. The Nº.6 Bond Smoother is perfect for thick hair and is best used right out of the shower. The Nº.9 Bond Protecting Serum is great for thinner hair and can be used on damp hair. The Nº.7 Bonding Oil is perfect for wet and dry hair. If your hair is in desperate need of help, try the new Nº.5 Leave-In Conditioner. I have been using it on my split ends, and it’s working so far! Remember, only use these products on your mids to ends, never on your roots/near your scalp.
Complete Product List
Takeaway
Obviously, my haircare routine will not work for all hair types. However, I’m sure that you can create the perfect routine for you with the brands I mentioned. As Vegan-Feminists, it’s our job to give our hard-earned money to companies that share our values. We would never want our dollar going to a practice that we don’t support and are actively working to abolish. There is nothing beautiful about animal cruelty.
I hope these products and brands work out amazingly for your hair if you give them a go! I would never steer my readers wrong. I also want to mention that although this definitely reads like I’m heavily promoting these brands, none of these brands have paid for this article. This is genuinely my haircare routine, and I wanted to share it with you!