Capsule Haircare & The Rise of Underconsumption Core

Capsule Haircare & The Rise of Underconsumption Core

We’ve heard of creating a capsule wardrobe to declutter and streamline outfit picking, but have you ever heard of a Capsule Hairdrobe?

I spent most of 2023 on an international work assignment, where I wouldn’t be coming back to the US often. As I was not a local resident, I would be staying in temporary apartments and moving often. In an effort to make life easier, I did a major declutter and packed my life into one check-in bag and one carry-on bag that would last me through my trip. I had mastered the art of capsule wardrobing with clothes, finding staple pieces that I could mix and match. I eventually found a way to somewhat simplify my skincare where I got my daily routine down to 5 products. My haircare routine was another story. Do I air dry or blow dry? Air drying would mean a lot  more layers of products to keep the frizz at bay, and a blowout routine would include an entire pantry of bulky products to prevent damage, repair damage, etc. After carefully combing through my entire hair product arsenal, and also having recently discovered the concept of overnight styling, I had landed on the essentials. I should also share that this was, in a way, how CMPRESSD Beauty was born.

Prior to leaving for my trip, I took a version of one of my favorite shampoo formulas, had it made without water and compressed into a compact bar that would take very little space in my luggage, also while lasting longer than a liquid shampoo. Not quite a 2 in 1, the formula did have some built in conditioning so I decided to skip conditioner for a while. I’d go straight to my styling cream that allowed me to combine “conditioning” and “heat protection” into one step. My detangling comb was easy to tuck into my carry on bag, and I don’t go anywhere without my Olivia Garden round brush. My temporary apartments would have hair dryers, so the only other styling “tool” I took was a pair of long socks that I’d use for overnight sock curls - one of the most life changing hair hacks I’ve ever come across. While I do still love a good hair oil and the occasional hair mask, my hair seemed to enjoy the
streamlined approach.

If you were to create a capsule hairdrobe for an extended trip, what would be in it?