I used to be fairly fickle when it came to my hair-care products: if I was in need of shampoo or conditioner and saw a bottle that looked pretty (or smelled good) on a drugstore shelf, chances are it was coming home with me. I think it’s safe to say that over the years I tried nearly every major brand on the market…and, honestly? I was rarely crazy about the results; my hair was always on my list of least-favorite attributes. But I figured, you know…it was probably my hair that was the issue, not the products I was using. How big of a difference could a shampoo make?

A big one. Using a shampoo and conditioner that you chose because it’s the right one for your hair type – not because the bottle is purple and you’re into purple that day – is a major way to get your locks under control and looking great.

At the beginning of the summer Dove sent over some Daily Moisture Shampoo  and Conditioner*, and now that we’re smack in the middle of August I can officially say that never in my life has my hair been as manageable and healthy-looking as it is these days. (My bangs are still weird when it’s especially humid out, but you can chalk that up to my insistence on maintaining an extremely non-monsoon-weather-friendly hairstyle.)

I know, I know...how to wash your hair? Uhhh...with water? But the fact is that there are a few simple things that you can do to take your morning routine to the next level, leaving you with more manageable hair than ever.

While we're on the topic: last night I hosted a Hair Love 101 Twitter Party, and the most-asked question was how to handle your hair when it's crazy hot and humid out. That's my big issue, too: my hair frizzes easily, and bangs (I'm growing mine out for the fall) and humidity do not mix. My solution: to keep my hair as generally healthy as possible (because I've found that the healthier my hair is, the better it looks in its natural state), and then to work with it rather than against it, applying frizz-fighting products (my favorite is Dove Style+Care Frizz-Free Shine Cream-Serum*) and then letting it do as it will.