Why Hair (And Scalp) Care Is The New Skincare

As a beauty director, I’m very attached to my skincare routine, but recently it occurred to me that I don’t extend that same level of attention to my scalp. The composition of the skin on our face and our scalp are very similar, but often we overlook our scalp in favour of focusing on our face. It’s important to remember our scalp is also separate from our hair—and yet the products we put on our scalp are usually solely targeted to our tresses. So what’s the answer? We need to learn to care for our scalp in the same way we care for our skin. 

One brand leading the charge in this space is Sisley, so when I was invited into David Jones to test drive the Hair Rituel by Sisley Discovery Treatment, I jumped at the chance. The Sisley counter staff live by the mantra that hair care is the new skincare, and everything the brand does is backed by 40-years of expertise in the skincare space. In other words, they know their stuff.

My Hair Rituel Discovery Treatment took place at the David Jones Elizabeth Street store at the intimate Hair Rituel “Studio” , which is part of the Sisley Paris beauty counter. It started with the Sisley beauty consultant analysing my hair and taking me through the innovative Hair Rituel by Sisley range, which is designed to care for both the scalp and the hair fibre. The treatment began—and it was seriously heavenly. The Sisley beauty consultant first asked me to take several deep breaths with my eyes closed, using the unique active core fragrance in each Sisley hair product, to encourage me to relax. The fragrance, composed of Mimosa, Hinoki and Bay-Saint-Thomas essential oils, not only smells great but also provides key nutrients to the hair follicle. 

The Hair Rituel Revitalizing Fortifying Serum was dotted on key areas of my scalp and lightly massaged in. Then, inspired by the Japanese ‘Shiatsu’ method that combines relaxing hair and scalp movements, the Sisley expert spent time massaging the  ‘Tsubo’ pressure points in my head, neck and shoulders, for the ultimate sensorial experience. 

Then came the pièce de résistance—the application of The Cream 230. The newest product in the Hair Rituel range, The Cream 230 is basically a heat activated formula that is designed as the last step in your hair ritual, to protect and restore the hair from heat-styling. It’s so named because it can protect the hair from the effects of heat up to 230°C, but it also works with heat—it is activated by heat to form a micro-gel on the hair in order to seal damage and help repair breakage. It does this with a powerful blend of botanical oils, including Camellia and Moringa, which soften the hair, as well as Cotton Protein, which helps to strengthen the protein in our hair. The Cream 230 works on all hair types, including coloured or highlighted hair and can be easily incorporated into your hair care routine at home. 

Immediately after the treatment, my hair felt nourished and silky, but it also had an overall gloss to it. While I was incredibly relaxed thanks to the ‘Shiatsu’ massage, my hair felt strong and beautiful. Then there was my scalp: a combination of the products used and the massage seemed to leave my scalp looking and feeling healthier shiny, which contributed to my hair looking glossier overall. If looking after my scalp can help to achieve these results, it’s definitely worth committing to. 

The Hair Rituel Discovery Treatment is complimentary and available at selected Sisley Paris cosmetics counters within David Jones, including: Elizabeth Street, Bourke Street, Queens Plaza, Hay Street, Adelaide, Chatswood, Chadstone, Claremont, Bondi Junction, Pacific Fair, Macquarie Centre, Canberra, Doncaster and Burwood.