10 Essentials for a Calmer Night – and Better Hair by Morning

It’s a Thursday night. You’ve come home, kicked off your shoes and are ready to reset. With Friday around the corner, there’s something therapeutic about carving out time for an intentional pamper session – one built around calming rituals, small comforts and, ultimately, setting your hair up for its best day. Salon results are great, but with the right routine, you can get surprisingly close at home.

We’ve rounded up the essentials for a considered Thursday night ritual – one that prioritises smooth, frizz-controlled hair and a little bit of well-earned calm.

Set the mood

Start by slowing everything down. Dim the lights, clear up your space, and introduce a grounding scent to shift the atmosphere from functional to restorative. If you’re feeling adventurous, Aesop’s Kagerou Aromatique incense brings warm and woody notes, making it the closest thing to transporting yourself to a woodland clearing without leaving your house.

If you like a bit of ambient light, Sydney’s Hunter Candles crafts distinctly Australian scents that lend a subtle nostalgic warmth. It’s less about theatrics and more about creating a space you actually want to stay a little bit longer in.

Take your time in the shower

Consider this your “everything shower” for the week. If your hair tends towards dry or is frizz-prone, a more targeted routine can make a noticeable difference.

The new Keratin Sleek range from Garnier is designed as a four-step process formulated with (you guessed it) keratin and argan oil. Used together, the products are intended to smooth and control frizz while boosting shine – without the intensity, or commitment, of an in-salon keratin treatment.

Start with the shampoo – you’ll lather this through wet hair and massage it into your scalp before rinsing. Follow with conditioner, enriched with 10 per cent keratin smoothing complex and argan oil. Pro tip: apply through the mid-lengths and ends, leaving it in for up to three minutes before rinsing.

Lather on a hair mask

If your hair is feeling particularly dry, swap the conditioner for – or follow up with – the Keratin Sleek Smoothing Mask for extra moisture. It’s designed to leave hair looking glossy and smooth. Apply the mask generously from the roots to the ends, avoiding the scalp, and massage it through the lengths. Leave for up to five minutes, then rinse thoroughly. The final step is to use Keratin Sleek & Stay Hair Serum by applying it through damp hair, activating with a hair dryer and locking in sleekness that lasts with a hair straightener.

Wrap yourself up

Once you’re out of the shower, sink into a dreamy dressing gown. The folks over at Maison Essentiele have a pretty beautiful short chocolate number that could double as an actual party outfit, if you’re so inclined.

A better night’s rest

A silk pillowcase is a small luxury that earns its keep. Silk creates less friction than cotton, which can help maintain smoothness overnight and reduce frizz by morning. There are a bunch of incredible Australian makers crafting beautifully designed silk pillowcases right now, with Brisbane-based brand Slip offering an “anti-sleep-crease and anti-bed-head” long-fibre mulberry silk number.

Complete the set with a pure silk eye mask. Australian label Silk the Label makes a 100 per cent mulberry silk Essential Sleep Mask that’s wide, lightly padded and designed to sit securely in place. The breathable silk can help regulate temperature and reduce friction on skin and hair, while the full-coverage design delivers a proper blackout – without slipping off mid-sleep.

Finish with a spritz (for your face)

Before bed, a light facial mist adds a closing note to the ritual. Aesop’s rose-petal infused Immediate Moisture Facial Hydrosol is a gentle hydrating option for your pre-sleep routine.

This article is produced by Broadsheet in partnership with Garnier.