Motherhood is ageing. Just like sleep deprivation, you can try to fight it, but there’s no getting around it...
Luckily our darling children are worth every wrinkle and every lost strand of hair. I look at photos of myself just after my first daughter Arabella was born and marvel at how fresh-faced I look. So young! So bright! The ageing started from there. The glossy hair I had throughout my pregnancy started to fall out. And as the weeks wore on, the circles under my eyes started to darken. Things could be worse and foundation can certainly hide sleep deprived skin, but here I am, four years into motherhood, finally looking to give my locks some love. So how am I getting my hair back into shape? The solution came in the form of a gift bag filled with products from the new System Professional hair care range. This wasn’t your average bag of products. Each product had been customised specifically for my hair and its individual needs. Before I was given them, a System Professional stylist had performed a comprehensive in-salon scalp and hair diagnosis and luxurious treatment service. I left armed with exactly what my hair needed to bring it back to life. If you remember from my last post, every System Professional in-salon treatment service begins with in-depth, individual EnergyCodeTM Mapping (to jog your memory, EnergyCode™ Mapping is the world’s only in-salon propriatry method of hair and scalp diagnosis and is performed by a System Professional hair care consultant). The treatment also includes the most relaxing head massage I’ve ever had (read all about it here). Once you’ve been diagnosed, you’re given a personal EnergyCodeTM (there are over 174 million possible codes). Using this code, I was given a bag of products designed to treat my hair’s individual needs. As I write this, a month has passed since I first started using the products. I’ve stuck to my new hair care regime religiously. I even keep these products up high on a shelf in the shower, hidden away from tiny toddler hands (does anyone else’s children make a habit out of emptying all your shampoo and conditioner?). The verdict? I absolutely love them and my hair has never been happier. So what exactly am I using on my new and improved locks? Here are just a few of the products that have changed my hair’s life (too dramatic? Sorry, but try them and you’ll see what I mean). They won’t be for everyone – your individual EnergyCodeTM will reflect your hair’s unique needs, so if your hair isn’t coloured you wouldn’t use the below – but it’s a little glimpse into this fantastic new System Professional hair care range. Now onto the dark circles around my eyes.
System Professional Color Save Shampoo
The name says it all: this shampoo will save your colour. If you want your colour to look fresher for longer, then use this. It also protects the keratin structure of the hair by reducing free radicals present in tap water. Apply 1 pump of shampoo into damp hair. I’m told to use this once a week only and given System Professional Hydrate Shampoo to use the rest of the week which is ideal for people with dry hair and natural hair that needs rehydrating. Go to www.systemprofessional.com
System Professional Color Save Bi-Phase Conditioner
I’ve coloured my hair for longer than I can remember and it’s starting to show. At least, prior to starting this hair care regime it was. This is the ultimate conditioner for coloured hair, not to mention perfect for use with the ColorLock Treatment. The 2-phase lightweight leave-in spray, with Fibrachrome Complex, actively protects all types of coloured hair. The milky phase is enriched with colour caring ingredients to help prevent colour fading, shifting and loss of freshness. The clear phase protects the hair’s protein by helping encapsulate free radicals. So how do you use it? After you shampoo or apply a treatment, spray evenly 6 – 8 pumps onto towel dried hair. Comb and style as usual with your regular styling products. Go to www.systemprofessional.com
System Professional LuxeOil Reconstructive Elixir
As a time-poor mother, I love anything that instantly improves the way I look (hello brow pencil). I also love a product that banishes frizzy hair and adds silkiness and shine. Try this if you’re after instant softness and a high gloss shine. It’s suitable for all hair types, including fine hair like mine as it soaks into the hair shaft almost instantly. The idea behind this luxurious oil is that it transforms and reconstructs the hair from the inside out. The exceptional oil protects the hair against drying out and provides lasting smoothness. Did we mention it also provides UV protection? Simply rub a few drops between the palms of your hands and apply onto hair. Think of it as a new daily beauty essential. Go to www.systemprofessional.com
In association with System Professional | The new System Professional treatments, EnergyCode™ Mapping and hair care collection with EnergyCodeTM Complex are available exclusively in System Professional salons across Australia and New Zealand now. Prices start from AUD $42, per product. To find your nearest System Professional salon, visit www.systemprofessional.com Photo: Julie Adams