Protein Days vs Hydration Days for Hair: How I Split My Routine

I used to think every bad hair day meant I needed more repair, more bond builders, more protein. My hair kept getting stiffer and drier at the ends. What actually fixed it was splitting my wash days in two: protein days and hydration days. Most of the time, my hair did not need more protein. It needed water and softness.

Video transcript

So I saw this post that said me in 50 years, because I refuse to get a grandma cut and girl, bombshell blowouts till the day I die. However, if you want thick, healthy and hydrated ends for the rest of your life, I fear there's something in your haircare routine that needs fixing right now. I just can't believe how many products on the shelf have them preying on your downfall. Because why are we including all these sneaky little proteins into the formula? You don't need more protein, you need more hydration, and that is what will help you maintain the most beautiful hair all the way into your golden years. Wella, Wella, Wella, come to the front, because why did I not find you sooner? I swear I only see expensive hair stylists using these products on their high paying clientele. So I recently introduced their products into my hydration days. So freaking amazing. I swear it genuinely gives my hair so much light, so much volume. And I'm also studying cosmetic chemistry, so I drool over a beautiful formula, which is also why I'm sharing it with you guys. But I'm telling you, if you want to maintain long, healthy, hydrated hair for the rest of your life, you need to divide your haircare routine between repairing protein days and hydration days. I promise you, you'll see results so much faster. And I made this page because I am a hair and skincare freaking junkie, so if you want to follow along the journey, I'm just here to share all my hair maxing tips.

What is the difference between a protein day and a hydration day?

A protein day is a wash where you use a shampoo, conditioner or mask that has protein in the formula, things like hydrolyzed keratin, wheat, rice or vegetable protein. Protein helps hair feel stronger and less mushy. A hydration day is a wash with products that have no protein at all, made to soften and add slip and shine.

The problem is that protein is in so many products now, sometimes hiding a few lines down the ingredient list. If every single wash has protein, a lot of hair starts to feel straw like and snaps more easily when you brush it. That is the overload feeling I had.

How often should you do protein days vs hydration days?

For my long, heat styled hair, I do one or two protein days a week and the rest are hydration days. That is not a rule for everyone, so here is how I read my hair. If it feels stretchy, gummy or mushy when wet, I am missing protein and the next wash is a protein day. If it feels stiff, rough or crunchy, especially at the ends, I am overdoing protein and I stay on hydration days until it feels soft again.

On my protein days I use my Growplex shampoo and conditioner. Everything else is hydration.

What do I use on hydration days?

I recently switched my hydration days to Wella Professionals Ultimate Smooth, and genuinely, why did I not find it sooner. I checked the ingredient lists myself (I am studying cosmetic chemistry, so I read formulas for fun) and the Smooth shampoo, conditioner and mask have no added protein. They give me light, shiny, soft hair that still has volume after a blowout.

My routine: Ultimate Smooth Shampoo, then the Ultimate Smooth Conditioner most washes. Once a week I swap the conditioner for the Ultimate Smooth Intense Mask and leave it on a few minutes.

On weeks when my ends feel extra dry from heat styling, I use the red Ultimate Repair Mask instead. It is richer than the Smooth mask, so I keep it to the ends.

Does splitting your routine actually make a difference?

For me, yes. Since balancing protein and hydration, my hair feels softer, moves more and has more shine. I want the bombshell blowouts forever, not a short cut in my fifties because my ends gave up, and this is the habit that is helping me keep the length. Your results depend on your hair type, how much heat you use and your water, so give it a few weeks before you judge.

Who this is not for

If your hair is bleached, chemically straightened or very damaged and feels gummy or overly stretchy when wet, you probably need more protein days, not fewer, so do not copy my ratio. Very fine hair that goes flat easily might find a weekly mask too much; use it on the ends only. And if your hair already feels great with what you use, you do not need to change anything.

These are the exact products in my video. No brand deal, I just love the formulas.