Everyone from Catherine Deneuve to Claudia Schiffer and Elle Macpherson have trusted their manes to hair guru Christophe Robin, which is to say when he dishes out summer hair tips — we’re all ears
Words by NANDITA KHANNA
“Christophe isn’t in L.A. often,” whispers Celine Kaplan, Christophe Robin’s publicist of five years. “You should ask him whatever you want.” The most obvious question that comes to mind is how to pull off the inimitable ease, the (to overuse a borrowed-from-the-French phrase) je ne sais quoi that so many French women seem to be, well, born with — especially when it comes to their hair. Sure, maybe it’s in the water, but there has to be some science to it. After all, French women are always reminding the rest of us that studied, undone messiness, takes some elbow grease, too. For Robin, it starts with a good trim. “Sun and the salt from the ocean will just aggravate split ends,” he explains. Then, it’s about smartly using a few key products — a hair mask, an oil and a mist to keep your hair hydrated. And if you only do one thing this summer, he says, “don’t over wash your hair — and don’t forget your sun hat.”
Less is more. “Between the sun, the sea and swimming pools, don’t use too much styling product in the summer, it just coats the hair.”
Wash and go — seriously. “Use our aloe vera hydration mist and skip the hair brush,” Robin says. “Run your hands through your wet hair for a disheveled, undone look and then just let your hair air-dry.”
Take extra care of colored hair. “Hair color involves a lot of harsh chemicals. Adding more in where you don’t need it makes no sense,” he explains. “Brunettes and darker haired types should use a hair mask, like the Ash Brown mask, which is tinted blue and removes brassy tones that happen when you spend a lot of time in the direct sun.”
“For blondes, pick up a cleansing mask, which includes lemon instead of shampoo. Skip the conditioner.”
A little hair oil goes a long way. Robin started making hair oil in 1999. He even infuses his hair-coloring products with natural oils. For summer, it’s all about lavender oil. “It’s a miracle product,” he says. “Run it through the ends of your hair before you go to the beach. You’ll put all the good lipids back into the hair follicle, which will help with breakage.”
May 23, 2019
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