Five 2020 Hair-Care Trends Our Editor Says Will be Huge in 2020
The last days of 2019 not only conclude the year, but the whole friggin' decade. 2010s, you were weird as hell! But instead of watching old news clips, browsing through internet memes, and wondering what the heck happened these past 10 years, we're looking forward. It's a new year, a new decade, and that means there are a whole host of new trends aching to make their mark on the 2000s version of the roaring '20s. Hopefully, this time, we don't wind up in a global financial crisis at the end of it.
As Allure's digital hair editor, I can't help but notice all the trends in hair-care products, tools, and accessories. I get sent pretty much everything. Texture sprays, scalp treatments, even strange hair-care doo-dads I'm still not sure how to use. When you're constantly going through this stuff, you start to notice some patterns and, because I am a woman with a strong sense of duty, I'm compelled to tell anyone willing to listen (or, in this case, read) all about them. Also, it's my job.
So, as 2019 winds down and you start wondering what the heck you're going to be doing with your hair in the new year and beyond, take a look at all the hair product trends I'm predicting will be big in 2020. These are the kinds of products you'll likely see filling shelves all of a sudden. Read this, and you won't get caught out here wondering "when the heck did everyone start coming out with a blow-dryer brush?" You will already know — because I told you. And trust, I have a knack for making hair predictions.
1. The Waterless Revolution
As climate change continues to threaten our environment, people are looking for new ways to conserve our precious resources, and that includes water. Also: some folks just don't have the time for serious hair maintenance every day. Thanks to capitalism, both concerns can be satisfied now that brands are going H.A.M. on waterless and between-washes products. Procter & Gamble is releasing Waterless, a new hair-care line consisting of dry cleansing and styling products you don't need to use with water. Its sister brand Pantene is coming out with its own Waterless collection, consisting of everything you need to preserve your style without wetting your hair.
Just be careful when you're using waterless products — you have to actually wash your hair some time. Relying on them completely can lead to buildup on your scalp, which, conveniently, leads us to 2020's next trend.
2. Scalp Care as Skin Care
Over the past decade, skin care has gotten a lot more extra in the Western world, thanks to the rise of K-beauty. Our skin is forever grateful. Now, hair-care brands want you to be just as obsessive about the skin on top of your head. Hairstylists, trichologists, dermatologists, and every hair obsessive has been screaming one phrase from the rooftops: Healthy hair starts with a healthy scalp. Last year, I predicted the rise of scalp-care, but in 2020, it's going to get even more intense.
Yes, you've got your salt and sugar scrubs cropping up, but brands are adding extras into their scalp products to make them more potent and effective than ever before. In 2019, Oribe released its Serene Scalp Exfoliating Scrub, which is packed with alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) to slough away buildup, making way for your hair to grow in a clean, pH-balanced environment. Newbie brand Better Not Younger also added AHAs to its own scalp cleanser, along with lactic acid for added chemical exfoliation.
Next year, Head & Shoulders is releasing new products as part of its Royal Oils collection, and an early favorite of mine is its Pre-Shampoo Build Up Remover, which has micellar water to really break up any gunk you may have sitting on your scalp, giving it a nice, cooling sensation before you hit the shower. Re-Fresh, which adds 2 percent salicylic acid to its products, is launching a new scalp balm, moisturizer, scrub, and detox spray, all for just under eight bucks.
Prepare to read the labels of your hair-care ingredients as you do for your skin care. After all, scalp is skin.
3. Cordless Hair Tools
The last time you said "cut the cord" might have been to the man-child in whatever situationship he may have lured you into. But brands are taking it literally and getting rid of the long, sometimes spinny wires we often get tangled in as we're doing our hair. Kiss has a cordless flatiron that I watch beauty reporter Nicola Dall'Asen use at her desk at least once a week.
Cordless hair-care brand Lunata beauty has a curler available for pre-order right now, to go along with its sister flatiron that launched in November. Its white and rose-gold color combo is particularly appealing but not as appealing as its convertible barrel, which you could use as a wand or with the included clip. If you prefer a hot tool with a bit more simplicity, the Unplugged Beauty 1-inch cordless curling wand might be more your speed.
4. Length Retention and Extension Care
Growing your hair as long as it can possibly get is a task. You have to be gentle when you're styling it, be sure you're using products with the right ingredients to prevent breakage, and trim it every so often so it doesn't break off. It's a lot, and hair-care brands know this, which is why we're starting to see more products aimed at length retention popping up on the market.
L'Oréal Paris's New Dream Lengths Elvive range has already found a fan in assistant editor Angela Trakhosis. The girl has mile-long hair, and since she tried the range, which includes a shampoo, conditioner, and leave-in, to maintain all that enviable length, she's not turning back. “This trio is a high-end formula on a drugstore dime," she says. "It really does the damn thing.”
Going hand-in-hand with length retention is wig and extension maintenance. Whether you put in extensions as a protective style or you just want some extra length, you've got to be sure you're not doing any damage to your hair — whether it grows out of your head or it grew out of someone else's. Matrix and extension brand Bellami teamed up at the end of the year for its Total Results Length Goals collection, which includes a sulfate-free shampoo, conditioner, and a detangling leave-in that also acts as a heat protectant when you want to style your bought or naturally-grown hair.
Laverne Cox, who is a spokeperson for the line, previously told Allure that she uses it on both her natural kinky hair as well as her straight, silkier wigs. "Length Goals is specifically designed to treat your extensions and your wigs. And I can use it on my natural hair, too. Folks with type 4C hair, kinky-curly hair, we need a lot of moisture. These are products I can use on my natural hair to keep it nice, moist, and hydrated."
With extensions and wigs becoming increasingly popular every day, I have no doubt we'll be seeing a lot of wig-care and length retention products pop up, especially at the drugstore.
5. Dryer Brushes
Revlon's One-Step Volumizer Hair Dryer has been a fan-favorite for a while, and it looks like other brands are starting to take notice. The magic of dryer brushes is that they do the job of two tools in one, so you can ditch your brush and blow-dryer. Hot Tools recently released its own dryer brush, which editorial assistant Gabi Thorne loves to use to prep her hair for box braids. "No unnecessary arm strain. No broken bristles, snapped tines, or excessive hair sprinkled on my bathroom floor." Drybar has also gotten on board with its Double Shot Blow-Dryer Brush, which, of course, comes in its signature yellow and gray colorway.
Dryer brushes are the new hot brushes, and thank goodness because they are really out here making life easier for folks. We could all do with more convenience in this new decade.
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Originally Appeared on Allure
