No matter how you wear your hair, there are styling and care essentials that can be a great help.

Try doubling up on these products. Keep them at home, of course, but also take some on-the-go in a beauty bag (especially at the gym). Also, your hair is your own, and only you’ll know exactly which products will work best, or what else you’ll need to perfect your look. We’ll get you started with eight essentials below – the fine-tuning is up to you!

Round Brush or Wide-Toothed Comb

Forget that iconic image you have of Marcia Brady fastidiously brushing her hair for 100 strokes each night. There is no real evidence that it will do anything except pull out your hair and damage your scalp!

Instead, a round brush is a great styling tool, especially for thin hair. A brush will help you to volumize and play up what you have. Wrap your hair in the brush as you blow-dry to add more bounce.

A wide-toothed comb is great for those with thicker hair to smooth and straighten without a morning filled with relentless tugging. CareFair.com recommends using a pick if your hair is wet.

Talcum (or Baby) Powder or Dry Shampoo

Need to get rid of the gunk after a workout? Have oily hair but don’t have time to wash it? A little bit of talcum powder works great to soak up oils on your hair and scalp. Baby powder smells nice, of course, but regular talcum powder has no smell at all, which is important if you’re wearing perfume.

Dry shampoos work in much the same way. While some have added compounds that more aggressively target oil and dirt, the results are comparable according to many reviews.

It doesn’t take much: liberally dust both hands and apply to the scalp, rubbing it into the roots. Leave it in for a few minutes and then simply brush it out (just be sure you don’t brush it all over your clothes!). It’s a sophisticated, professional look suitable for the office or everyday wear.

Hairdryer Attachments (Concentrators, Diffusers, and Piks)

HealthGuru.com notes that taking a brush to your hair while it’s wet can do real damage. After a shower or bath, your wet hair is swollen with water, and brushing it in that state may lead to breakage.

A good blowdryer will slash drying time down to minutes, and the right attachments can help you get the most from your dryer. First, keep the heat down to minimize breakage and frizz. Next, think about the look you want and use attachments to help you get it. If you have thick, wavy hair, consider using a diffuser because it can enhance your body and protect your curls.

If you’re going for a straight look, try a concentrator and dry from the roots down to supplement, or even replace, a straightening iron. Finally, to add bounce and volume, consider a pik. These attachments go on the end of your hair dryer and let you tease or comb as you dry, which can add body if done correctly.

Volumizing Mousse (or Straightening Balm)

If you have thin hair that just sort of hangs limply off your scalp, you may need a healthy dose of volumizing mousse. This product will help give your hair more body, life, and fullness without the “crunchy” effect of styling mousse.

On the other end of the spectrum, if you’ve got a wild set of unmanageable tangles and kinks, you might need a good straightening balm. Straightening balm is practically the polar opposite of volumizing mousse, and it works to take some of the “poof” out of overblown hair.

Detangler

We’ve all had a long, tortured session of brushing knots and tangles out of our hair accompanied by that low and dreadful ripping sound that signals one tangle coming out; and a clump of hair along with it!

A detangler is a special kind of conditioner. It’s a lubricating oil for your hair, which means that hair has a hard time binding to itself. This can make it easier to run a brush through your hair as well.

Rollers (Curling Iron) or Straightening Iron

It seems like the grass is always greener on the other side – when we’re curly, we want to be straight; when we’re straight, we want wave and bounce!

When selecting a curling iron or rollers, make sure you’re getting what you want. For smaller curls, use rollers or an iron under 1″ in diameter; for long, rolling waves, go for about a 2″ diameter; for anything else, explore all points in between.

Straightening irons are a bit simpler to choose since the size of the iron only matters insofar as how much hair you can flatten at one time. With both straightening irons and curlers, be sure to only use as much heat as you need: getting your hair too hot can cause serious damage.

Headbands or Clips

Headbands, clips, and scrunchies can be tricky because pulling your hair back away from your face poses a few problems – you can damage your hair, and you can create a tight, strained look that simply doesn’t work.

Before pulling your hair back for work, sports, or for any other reason, experiment with different styles. Some women can pull off a simple rubber band, and others opt for every accent they can get in the form of a puffy scrunchie or colorful headband.

Generally speaking, go for whichever solution causes the least tugging and stiffness around your forehead. It will do less damage to your hair and, just as importantly, won’t give your face that taut Joan Rivers look!

Shower Cap

Let’s say this together three times like a magic charm: stop thinking about grandma! Shower caps are a must, and not just for the over 60 set.

Unless you want to wash your hair every day (and newsflash: you shouldn’t!), you should protect your follicles from water damage when you shower the rest of you. A shower cap can keep your hair dry and natural even as you wash away a hard day at work or a rough night.

Treat these eight hair essentials like you would a first aid kit on a camping trip: don’t be caught without them!