We all want to have our best hair possible – but are we sabotaging our own efforts with bad daily habits? Read more about seven very avoidable blunders—and learn how to recover from them all.

Your Post-Shower Prep Is Non-existent

Jumping out of the shower, slipping into your pj's and whipping your hair up into a bun is tempting but not a good idea. While allowing your hair to air dry is great, you'll want to be spritzing it with a prep spray to get that effortless 'just off the beach' look. Bumble and Bumble's Prep Primer is great for taming frizzy hair and adds the shine you just can't achieve without a little bit of product and TLC.

You're Overwashing

Overwashing is the source of so many issues women have with their hair. Shampoo can strip the hair of its natural oils which in turn can cause the scalp to dry out. So what's the solution? Washing the hair 1-2 times per week can give your scalp the well-deserved rest it needs while cleansing your hair with a co-wash (a conditioner-only wash) in between. Give Shu Uemura's Cleansing Oil Shampoo a try; it contains no detergents and removes just the right amount of oil from the hair to maintain its glossy-without-the-grease look.

You're Using Products Containing Sulfates

Many of us know that sulfates aren't an ideal ingredient in shampoo but lesser known is the reason why; sulfates are aggressive detergents made of sulfur-containing mineral salts. Products like Dove, Herbal Essence and Head & Shoulders all contain the pesky detergents which are a sure-fire way of drying out your scalp- and your ends for a double whammy. Ouai's Smooth Shampoo is soft on the hair and leaves it feeling fresh but best of all, it's got a soft floral-musk scent we can't get enough of. We also love Kérastase's lightweight shampoo Bain Fluidealiste.

You're Washing At The Wrong Time

Getting fresh off the treadmill after what feels like a mountain hike always makes us want to head straight to the shower and wash our hair but there's simply no need. These oils are natural and with a simple spray of some dry shampoo and blowdrying the sweat into the hair will create a beautiful texture and shine. You won't need to constantly clean your hair, especially if you work out five days a week.

You Aren't Reading The Labels

As well as nasty detergents, there are a few other ingredients to look out for in your products. Alcohol and parabens should be avoided as they are incredibly drying for the hair. The ingredients are listed in the order of how much the product contains so if you see these three ingredients listed as one the first, just put the shampoo down. Keep your beady eye out for Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) and Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES) too.

Easy Does It On The Brushing

How many times have you eased out knotted hair and in frustration dragged your brush through only to break the ends? Not good. The first stepping to healthy brushing, be it a tangle or wet hair, is a good detangling brush. Try The Wet Brush, it detangles and looks very cool while doing it.