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Festival season is in full swing, and while there's a high chance you’ve had your outfits planned for weeks, it’s all too common for your festival hair routine to be an after thought—but this year will be different. With a bit of prep, you can ensure your hair looks its best every single day while you’re away (even if you can’t squeeze a wash day in). As a beauty editor who has braved every festival condition you can imagine, here’s my tried-and-tested, simple guide to festival haircare…
It’s almost needless to say that you want to ensure your hair is as clean and fresh as possible before you go (you’re about to face days in a field without access to running water, after all). My best advice? Wash your hair with a deep cleansing shampoo the morning you’re due to go. Your hair wash routine needn’t be fancy (if you’re anything like me, you’ll be short on time), but using a basic clarifying shampoo will help to rid every trace of product and oil from the scalp to ensure you start with the cleanest slate possible—something simple like Aussie Mighty Mega Shampoo, which contains Australian Blue Mountain Eucalyptus extract to rid the hair of build-up will do the job.
Then, and this is my top tip, heat style your hair into a low-maintenance look that doesn’t require any upkeep—this hairstyle will provide the groundwork for every style you opt for throughout the festival, so make sure it’s something that will hold and age well.The style you choose for this will be down to your hair type and personal preferences, but you can’t go wrong with simple mermaid waves or undone, tousled curls. Using a kind-to-hair tool, like the KEEO Genius which utilises a Protective Air Gap to minimise tension, will keep any dryness and heat damage to a minimum, ensuring you mitigate the chances of hair weakening and breakage while you’re away.
There’s no need to pack loads of products to guarantee chic-looking hair every day—you just have to be considered with your choices. After years of trial and error when it comes to festival packing, trust me when I say this small handful of products is all you need:
For days one and two
The first two days of any festival are about working with the look you styled before you left. Lean on dry shampoo and texturising spray to eke it out, leaning into that lived-in, effortless festival aesthetic.
Multi-use styling cream
While most of the products I recommend packing are travel-size, when it comes to dry shampoo, if you have the space, you won’t regret packing a full-sized can. Chances are, a dry shampoo will be your most used product. A few blasts of oil-absorbing spray into the roots and a quick massage in is all it takes to revive second-day (or even third-day) hair. I love Ouai Super Dry Shampoo (which also comes as a travel mini) for freshening up roots, taking down greasiness and adding some texture without weighing hair down. Plus, it smells great.
Hair perfume
A mini texturising spray, like the Living Proof Full Dry Volume & Texture Spray, is ideally for second-day hair that needs livening up. A few blasts into the roots and lengths will add lived-in volume and give your look staying power. And, while a texturising spray has the ability to make any down do look cooler, it also adds grit and volume to hair, prolonging the hold of any style you opt for, eradicating the need for hairspray.
Slick stick
If you’re lucky enough to be attending a festival that grants you access to showers, a waterless shampoo is a must. REHAB Shampoo Sheets lather up under running water and dissolve down the drain (even the sachet they come in is dissolvable), all while delivering a cleanse that promotes clean, stronger, healthier-looking hair.
For days three-five
By day three, there’s high chance your hair will be crying out for a wash (that is, if you haven’t had the chance to do so), so now is the time to lean on long-lasting up-dos—think braids, plaits, half-up-half-down buns and messy ponytails.
Styling cream
A small multi-use styling cream like Hershesons Almost Everything Cream, in my opinion, is an absolute essential and is my festival ride-or-die product. It moisturises ends, takes down frizz, defines curls, adds texture and does a stand-up job at priming hair for maximum hold before you throw it up. Whatever you need it to do, it’s got you covered—and it will deliver a nice hit of moisture to minimise any hair weakening or damage while you’re away.
Hair perfume
Chances are your hair will be smelling far from fresh by day three. To avoid leaning on a dry shampoo to add a fresh smell (which can cause build-up and unwanted weight at the roots if used in excess), I’d recommend packing a hair perfume. The Sol de Janeiro Cheirosa 62 Perfume Mist smells like a tropical vacation and is formulated for use on hair without leaving any greasy residue.
Slick stick
If your hair is prone to getting greasy quickly like mine is, by the last day your roots will likely be too oily for you to comfortably feel like you can wear it down. My advice? Slick lengths back into a chic, tight bun, a la Hailey Bieber—the grease will actually do you a favour in achieving this style. Just stick it into a centre parting and brush it into a sleek bun, twisted at the nape of your neck. A slick stick, like Briogeo Yuzu + Plum Oil Sleek Stick, can be glided over flyaways in seconds, slicking down any and every strand in its path.
Grips and Scrunchies
If you’re not somebody who wants to lean into typical festival hairstyles, like space buns and braids, but worry that your up dos might seem boring in a festival setting, you can jazz things up with accessories. Throwing your hair up into a fun scrunchie or clip is the easiest way to create a cool and chic festival hair look without any of the fuss. My go-tos? A colourful Tort Hair Claw and a bright, oversized scrunchie, like this one from Good Squish
After days spent camping in a field and putting your hair through the ringer, there’s no doubt you’re going to need to tweak your wash day routine to get your hair fighting fit again. I get it, you’re tired and you just want to roll into bed the minute you walk through the door, but trust me, your hair will thank you for doing this quick (yet highly effective) routine ASAP.
Double shampoo
Considering the amount of product in your hair, a double cleanse is an absolute must. Not ridding the scalp of all of that build-up properly is a surefire way to guarantee irritation. Start by using a nourishing, detangling shampoo to work out any knots and matting—tugging at your hair in the shower in an attempt to get rid of them will only lead to snapping and breakage. My favourite is Oribe Run Through Detangling Shampoo which removes dirt and grease while sealing the hair cuticle and softening lengths for a knot-free finish.
Once that’s done, you want to go in with a heavy-duty clarifying, detox shampoo to really get rid of that follicle-clogging, scalp-irritating oil and product build up. The Beauty Pie Detox Wash Shampoo is my absolute go-to for such situations, where activated charcoal and apple cider vinegar work together to draw out oils without forgoing shine and volume.
Bond-restoring mask
After days of minimal brushing and wearing your hair up, your hair will likely need some strengthening and conditioning. While traditional, pre-wash bond-repairing products add an extra step into your routine, for times like this when you’re really tired and your bed is calling, I recommend leaning on conditioning masks that also work to strengthen those all-important hair bonds. Olaplex No.8 Bond Intense Moisture Hair Mask does all of the above while delivering super-shiny, super-smooth, super-bouncy lengths.
Leave-in treatment
Finally comes your leave-in treatment. Once you’re out of the shower, apply a leave-in oil to seal the hair cuticles, as well as add extra nourishment to and strengthen what are no doubt dry, weakened and beaten ends. Kérastase Elixir Ultime is a lightweight treatment that adds shine, boosts softness and takes down any unwanted frizz, all while delivering heat protection ahead of your blow dry while it’s at it.
