The Lisa May Method
I organized my harsh chemical free formulas into the Lisa May Method so a stylist can use the line at the chair and teach a client to maintain it at home. Every product has a place. The order matters because each step prepares the hair for what comes next.
Start with the three principles below. Then work the routine in order. Match the conditioner weight to the client's hair. Choose Light, Medium, or Heavy. Then choose the styling spray for the result you want. Inspired by nature, the formulas are free of formaldehyde, paraben, sulfate, gluten, and phthalates.
The Three Principles
Start here. These three principles govern every Lisa May routine.
Shampoo the Scalp. Condition the Hair.
Cleansing the scalp is your purpose. Put the shampoo on the scalp. When you rinse, the water carries the shampoo down and through the hair, removing the dirt and debris. Put conditioner on the hair from mid-length to ends, never on the scalp.
Keep the two jobs separate. Shampoo the scalp. Condition the hair.
Leave-In, Not Rinse-Out.
Every conditioner, spray, and oil in the Lisa May Method stays in the hair until the next shampoo. Do not rinse them out after application. You may apply conditioner again on any day between shampoos.
That is the difference between harsh chemical free hair care and conventional hair care.
Restore, Not Repair.
Restore, not repair. There's no such thing as repairing the hair. When I restore damaged hair at the chair, I work from the outside and repeat the process over several sessions. Then I teach the client how to maintain that condition at home.
Restoration is cumulative. It is not a one-time treatment, and the result has to be maintained between appointments.
The Routine, Step by Step
Work the products in this order on shampoo day.
Cleanse
Shampoo goes on the scalp, twice. Brush the scalp first with a boar bristle brush and small C-shaped movements to lift old product. The first shampoo removes what the brushing loosened. The second gives you a full lather and cleanses the scalp. Water carries the shampoo down and through the hair, taking the dirt and debris with it.
Treat
Collagen Spray goes on next, all over the wet hair. It preps the hair: what you apply over it grabs hold and carries everything down the hair. In the salon this step is Collagen Pro Spray, the professional in-chair version I use during a service. At home, the client uses the daily Collagen Spray.
Condition
Conditioner goes on the hair from mid-length to ends, over the Collagen Spray and never on the scalp. Match the weight to the hair. Use Light for fine or thin hair, Medium for most hair, and Heavy for thick, curly, or chemically-treated hair.
Strengthen
Strengthening Oil stays in the hair until the next shampoo and strengthens the hair from the outside. I usually mix it into the conditioner in my palm and apply the two together to wet hair. The stylist chooses the amount for the client's hair.
Style
Styling Spray comes in Firming, Shaping, and Holding. Firming is the firmest. Shaping lets you shape the hair. Holding is the lightest and gives you a finishing pass over the styling aid already in the hair. Hold the spray 8 to 12 inches from the scalp and apply more where you want lift. Use it before the style, after it, or both. Let it dry before you shape.
Between Shampoos
Collagen Spray and Sea Salt Spray are the daily leave-in maintenance on non-shampoo days, and the order matters. Collagen Spray goes on first: it is the treatment. Sea Salt Spray goes over it: it stabilizes the collagen and the moisture, closing them down into the hair, and it deodorizes and balances oil at the scalp. Never use the Sea Salt Spray alone. This pairing is how a client goes 3 to 4 days between shampoos.
Go Deeper
Maintain the result between shampoos and understand how restoration works.
From the Education Blog
- How often should you shampoo your hair? Follow the at-home routine day by day and learn why the goal is 3 to 4 days between shampoos.
- The hair restoration protocol shows how I work with damaged and bleached hair over repeated sessions.