How to Build a Hair Care Routine: 3 Steps by Hair Type
9 min read Care know-how Updated 5 October 2026 By Anna Sophie Schulenburg
You build a hair care routine in three steps: cleanse, condition, protect, with one product each that suits your scalp and your lengths. Start with exactly these three and leave out masks, oils and scrubs for two weeks, so you can see what the base does on its own. You can tell whether it fits on the second day after washing: the roots still feel fresh, the comb glides through the lengths, and the ends lie smooth.
The order of your decisions matters more than the brand. Choose the shampoo by your scalp, meaning whether it gets oily quickly, tends to be dry or reacts easily. Choose conditioner and protection by your lengths: fine, medium, thick, curly or chemically treated. Mix the two up and you often end up buying a rich shampoo for dry ends, then wondering why your roots are flat by the evening. With fine hair that lacks volume this counts twice: conditioner only goes on from ear level down, so nothing heavy sits on the roots.
Your routine at a glance
| Step | What it does | How often | Amount for shoulder-length hair |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cleanse | lifts sebum, sweat and product residue off the scalp | every 1–3 days, depending on your scalp | about the size of a walnut |
| Condition | smooths the cuticle, makes the lengths easy to comb | after every wash | about two hazelnuts, from ear level down |
| Protect | shields the lengths from friction and heat | after every wash, before every blow-dry | one pump of leave-in, heat protectant as the label says |
| Add on | tackles one concern still bothering you after two weeks | depends on the add-on, usually once a week at most | depends on the product, see below |
The three steps on wash day
Step 1 — Cleanse. Wet your hair with lukewarm water for a full minute, until it is soaked right down to the scalp. Shampoo goes on the scalp: about a hazelnut for chin-length hair, a walnut for shoulder-length, a little more for chest-length. Massage for 30 to 60 seconds with your fingertips, since nails irritate the scalp. As you rinse, the lather runs through the lengths and cleans them enough on the way. If you used styling products or dry shampoo the day before, wash twice. The first round loosens the residue; only the second lathers properly. How often you wash at all depends on your scalp, and a few signs tell you how often washing your hair makes sense.
Step 2 — Condition. Squeeze the water out of your lengths with both hands, otherwise the conditioner gets diluted and drips off. Spread it from ear level to the ends: about a hazelnut for chin-length hair, double that for shoulder-length, and for chest-length enough that every strand feels smooth. Leave it on for two to three minutes and detangle in the meantime with a wide-tooth comb, working up from the ends. Then rinse cool to lukewarm until the lengths feel smooth and no longer slippery. Conditioner taken right up to the roots is a common reason for roots that collapse by day two.
Step 3 — Protect. Press the lengths in a towel instead of rubbing them. Towel-dried hair gets a leave-in, a conditioner that stays in the hair: one pump for chin- to shoulder-length hair, two for chest-length, rubbed between your palms and scrunched into the lengths from below. If you blow-dry, straighten or curl, first apply a product the label explicitly calls a heat protectant. Many leave-ins don't say so. Blow-dry on medium, about 15 cm away, with the airflow pointing down the hair; blow-drying with less heat depends more on distance and airflow than on the dryer itself. If mousse, cream or oil come in later, the order to apply hair products decides what goes in first.
Which hair care routine suits your hair type?
Find the row that fits you best. If two apply, take the shampoo from the row for your scalp and the conditioner and protection from the row for your lengths.
| Your hair | Cleanse | Condition | Protect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fine, straight, falls flat quickly | light volumising shampoo, daily to every other day | light conditioner on the lower lengths only, one minute | light spray leave-in, heat protectant before blow-drying |
| Medium, easy-going | mild moisturising shampoo, every two to three days | conditioner from ear level, two minutes | one pump of leave-in |
| Thick, dry, rough in the lengths | rich, mild shampoo, every three to four days | rich conditioner, three minutes | creamy leave-in, one drop of oil on the ends |
| Waves and curls | mild shampoo on the scalp only, every three to five days | rich conditioner, detangle with your fingers | leave-in or curl cream into dripping-wet hair, no combing afterwards |
| Coloured or bleached | mild, colour-safe shampoo, every two to three days, rinse lukewarm | rich conditioner at every wash, three minutes | leave-in, heat protectant before any heat styling |
| Oily roots, dry ends | light, mild shampoo on the roots only | conditioner from chin level down | leave-in on the bottom ten centimetres only |
| Sensitive scalp | fragrance-free mild shampoo, rinse extra thoroughly | conditioner kept away from the scalp | little product, nothing on the roots |
Do two rows half fit, or none fully? The free hair analysis asks about scalp, hair thickness and treatments separately and suggests a routine that brings both together.
Masks, scrubs and oil come in after two weeks
Add-ons are for whatever still bothers you after two weeks on the base. Add one at a time at most, or you can no longer tell its effect apart from the base.
| Add-on | When it pays off | How often | Too much if … |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mask or treatment | the lengths stay rough or straw-like despite conditioner | once a week instead of conditioner, 5–10 minutes | the ends feel limp rather than soft afterwards |
| Clarifying wash | lots of styling, dry shampoo or hard water, hair feels coated | every two to four weeks | the lengths feel dull and dry afterwards |
| Scalp scrub | flakes and residue at the roots despite thorough cleansing | once a week at most, every two weeks is better | the scalp burns, feels tight or looks red afterwards |
| Hair oil | dry ends, flyaways | as needed, one to three drops on the ends only | the ends turn stringy or the roots get oily faster |
On a mask day, the mask replaces the conditioner. Both together weigh fine hair down, and on thick hair the second layer usually adds nothing more. Whether a hair mask is worth it for your hair shows in the criterion in the last column. If your hair is softer after the mask and still moves freely the next day, keep it.
If you use MONAT
The MONAT systems cover steps 1 and 2 with a matched pair of shampoo and conditioner. The Advanced Hydrating System is designed for moisture in fine to medium hair; for very thick, dry hair it tends to be too light. The Renew™ Hydrating System is the richer option for medium to thick hair and can weigh fine hair down. In step 3, the Restore™ Leave-In Conditioner goes into dry or tangled lengths. Whether it is sold as a heat protectant is on the label; if it isn't, you need a separate one before blow-drying. There are dedicated lines for volume, damage, curls and scalp, and you choose which MONAT system suits which hair goal by the same two questions: scalp and lengths.
Testing your new routine for four weeks
Depending on how often you wash, four weeks means six to almost thirty washes. That is enough to see how a routine behaves over several wash cycles, and short enough to stick with. Before you start, make two notes: how many days you usually go between washes, and how your lengths feel the day after washing. A photo of your lengths and ends in daylight, taken the day after a wash, helps with the comparison at the end.
| When | What to watch | What you may change |
|---|---|---|
| First wash | Can you comb your hair wet, does the shampoo lather? | only the amount |
| Week 1 | How do your roots feel on day two and day three? | the amount, or where the conditioner goes |
| Week 2 | What still bothers you: rough lengths, a coated feel, flakes at the roots? | one add-on from the table above |
| Week 4 | Time between washes, combability and ends compared with your notes | one product, if one point hasn't moved |
What to change first when something isn't right
Turn one dial per week, in this order: first the amount, then where it goes, then how often, and only then the product. A new product is the most expensive change and the one that leaves you least sure what made the difference.
| What you notice | Change first | Only after that |
|---|---|---|
| Roots oily or flat on day two | conditioner from chin level only, massage the shampoo in for longer | lighter shampoo, a clarifying wash every two weeks |
| Lengths rough, the comb snags | more conditioner, leave it on a minute longer | richer conditioner or a weekly mask |
| Hair heavy and stringy | halve the leave-in, nothing on the roots | clarifying wash, lighter leave-in |
| Frizz and flyaways | press dry in the towel, leave-in into wet hair | adjust your blow-drying, oil on the ends |
| Scalp itchy or tight since the switch | back to your old shampoo | try a mild, fragrance-free shampoo |
| Hair no longer gets properly clean | wash twice | clarifying wash every two weeks |
If your scalp itches shortly after a switch, the steps for an itchy scalp after a new shampoo will get you further than an extra product. If the skin weeps, pustules form, it burns even without shampoo, clearly more hair falls out than usual during these weeks, or bald patches appear, see a dermatologist. A care routine can neither recognise nor influence causes like these, and every further switch only delays getting them checked.
Common mistakes when building a routine
- Changing everything on the same day → one change per week, or after four weeks you won't know what helped.
- Choosing your shampoo for your dry ends → choose it for your scalp; conditioner and leave-in look after the ends.
- Washing and rinsing hot → wash lukewarm and rinse conditioner out cool to lukewarm, because hot water dries out scalp and lengths more.
- Dragging a brush through wet hair from the roots → use a wide-tooth comb from the ends up while the conditioner is still in.
- Mask on top of conditioner → skip the conditioner on mask days.
- A new shampoo every week → stay with one for at least four weeks.
- Rubbing wet hair with a towel → press it out and wrap it in a cotton T-shirt or microfibre towel for ten minutes.
Moisture; fine to medium hair
Core routine
- ADVANCED HYDRATING SYSTEM
Optional
- SUPER MOISTURE MASQUE
Moisture; medium to thick hair
Core routine
- RENEW™ HYDRATING SYSTEM
Optional
- SUPER MOISTURE MASQUE
Volume for fine hair
Core routine
- REVIVE™ VOLUMIZING SYSTEM
Optional
- MONAT STUDIO ONE™ THE CHAMP™ CONDITIONING DRY SHAMPOO INFUSED WITH REJUVENIQE™
Thinning-looking hair
Core routine
- IR CLINICAL™ SYSTEM
Optional
- MONAT SCALP COMFORT™ REBALANCING SERUM
Cosmetic support, not a medical treatment; see a doctor for significant loss.
Damage & breakage
Core routine
- Monat Bond IQ Fortifying Shampoo
- MONAT BOND IQ™ Fortifying Conditioner
Optional
- MONAT BOND IQ™ Peptide Therapy Leave‑In Creme
Frizz & smoothing
Core routine
- SMOOTHING ANTI-FRIZZ™ SYSTEM II
Optional
- Smoothing Anti-Frizz Blow-Dry Spray
Right away
Right after the first well-suited routine, hair feels cleaner and easier to comb.
With continued use
With regular use of a coherent base system, the lengths look better cared for over a few weeks and are easier to manage, and avoidable breakage can go down.
What it can't do
A routine doesn't stimulate hair growth, cure a scalp condition or seal split ends; only a cut removes those.
Quick questions
Do I need shampoo and conditioner from the same brand?
No. Matched pairs are handy because the conditioner is designed around the shampoo, but any shampoo and conditioner that suit your scalp and lengths can be combined. When testing, switch only one of the two at a time.
Is a 2-in-1 shampoo enough for a simple routine?
Yes, for short, easy-going hair. From shoulder length or with dry ends, the conditioning in it usually falls short, because most of it rinses out with the lather; a separate conditioner is then the better second step.
Does hair get used to a shampoo?
No. What looks like your hair getting used to it after a few weeks is often residue from conditioner, leave-in and styling building up in the lengths. A clarifying wash every two to four weeks lifts it, and you can keep the shampoo.
Do I need a morning and evening hair care routine?
No. Hair care follows wash day. On the days in between, brushing is enough, plus a drop of oil on the ends if needed and a loose braid with a fabric scrunchie at night.
Should I change my routine in winter?
Only in steps 2 and 3. Central heating dries out the lengths and hats and scarves rub against them, so leave the conditioner on a minute longer and use a little more leave-in. Cleansing stays as it is.
If you'd rather not pick your three basics yourself, the free hair analysis suggests them based on your answers.