Shay Mitchell is no stranger to multi-tasking. From acting and modeling to launching a chic luggage brand Béis, and being mother of two (which is already a full-time job), she’s mastered the art of making balancing look good. The key, she says, lies in her rest routine. When Mitchell's not working, she’s recharging with restorative beauty rituals—starting with her hair. Her dark brunette hair has also become part of her signature and as the new global ambassador for OGX Beauty, she intends to keep it looking its best. We caught up with Mitchell via Zoom and she shared all her go-to hair secrets, ahead.
On protecting her hair on set
Working on Pretty Little Liars for seven years meant sporting lots of different looks. “You don’t realize it then, but it can take a toll on your hair," she says. Between the heat and consistent styling, damage is bound to occur. Protection and repair weren't the buzzy terms they are today and on the set of the teen drama and, Mitchell says she could’ve used a system like OGX’s Bond Repair Protein Collection at every turn. “The heat protectant alone would’ve been a game changer with the amount of styling the show required.” Formulated to withstand up to 450°F from hot tools, it doesn’t just protect your hair from heat but also against future breakage.
On repairing heat damage
We’ve all been there before, trying to bring our hair back to life from damage and it’s not an easy task. After curling, brushing, and styling with gobs of product, some serious repair is in order. In the new OGX campaign, Mitchell stars as The Fixer, mending common hair mishaps like dryness and heat damage. Bouncing between different hairstyles, lengths, and colors was an everyday occurrence at her job back in the day. But learning to evolve your routine with new knowledge is part of growing. Since the show, Mitchell has done just that. “I’m consistently learning about new things and adapting my regimens to fit the current version of my life.”
Passing on traditions to her daughters
As a mom of two young daughters, Mitchell's days look super different. While she’s still jet-setting and working on-screen, she’s also doing school trips and playdates. On those days, she's found it helpful to still keep her hair looking good to feel her best. Her go-to look for school drop-offs is a slicked back treatment hairstyle that’s functional and stylish. “Multi-tasking is essential for my schedule these days and a slicked back style is perfect for conditioning my hair with a serum when I’m on the move.”
Mitchell says she likes to simplify things, finding ways to get the most out of something while still making time to reset with simple pleasures like an everything shower and bodycare routine. “Self care is so important for your entire wellbeing, not just physically but mentally and emotionally.” While her reset routine is constantly evolving she’s passing along that ethos baked in with rituals from her own childhood to her kids today. “I’ve always used coconut oil after a bath like my mom did and it’s funny to see that my daughters now do that because of me," she says. "They’re the best kind of shadow, always watching and asking questions about my routine, so it’s important to me that they understand the value of self care.”
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