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.

I’ll be honest: I haven’t always been crazy about my hair. It’s a kind of tricky mix of straight and wavy, has on occasion (the Los Angeles Years) been subjected to so much bleaching that it turned straw-like on the ends, and morphs into an actual lion’s mane the second it comes into contact with even a whisper of humidity. From time to time in the past, I even resorted to fairly extreme measures (including extremely ill-advised clip-on hair extensions and chemical straightening treatments) to try and wrest it into submission.

For years and years, whether or not my hair was healthy wasn’t a topic I gave a ton of thought to. I honestly didn’t think it really mattered; I figured my hair was my hair, and it wasn’t ever going to be anything other than “eh”, and that was that. It was only about a year ago that I started realizing that how my hair feels (and looks) is completely within my control – I just needed to start caring for it, and treating it like what it was: a part of my body. I made a few changes to my routine – using gentle products tailored to my hair type, minimizing heat styling, and generally working with (rather than against) my hair’s natural texture – and my hair started transforming from something that I fought with into something that I embrace…and actually kind of love.

I just cut off about five inches – spring felt like a good time to start from scratch – and my hair feels healthier and lighter now than it has in ages. As a great bonus, it’s worlds easier to style: I took the picture above immediately after using Dove’s Daily Moisture Shampoo and Conditioner* and spending a few minutes in the company of a 1” barrel curling iron – no additional products needed at all. It turns out that it’s true: healthy-looking hair is beautiful hair, period.

One year ago, when I came on board as the Brand Ambassador for Dove Hair, I was a brand-new mom, and had just discovered exactly how little time brand-new moms have for things like…eating with forks. Or leisurely strolls through cute little boutiques. Or involved beauty routines.

I had also discovered this: that putting a little extra effort into keeping your hair healthy saves you an enormous amount of time on a daily basis…simply because healthy hair looks good with a whole lot less work. For the past year, I’ve been using exclusively Dove products on my hair, and I’m telling you: never, ever before in my life has it been as manageable and easy to style as it has been these past several months.

To kick off Year Two of my ambassadorship (!), above are some of my very favorite Healthy Hair tips and Go-To Sixty-Second Updo.

I love a good silk scarf for the summer; it's just such a little problem-solver. Real silk versions can get expensive, but you can certainly find gorgeous options at every price range (or try scouring your local vintage shop).

My favorite picks:

They're not nearly as difficult to create as they look. (I swear.)

Yesterday afternoon I shot a tutorial on this style (the finished product is above), and it took ten minutes, start-to-finish (minus blowdrying time)...and held up perfectly all the way through until bedtime. What you'll need: - Mousse (I used Dove Style+Care Nourishing Curls Whipped Cream Mousse*) - Bobby pins - A 1 1/2" curling iron or wand - Hairspray (I used Dove Style+Care Strength & Shine Flexible Hold Hairspray*) - Hair clips *As Dove's Hair Brand Ambassador, all products used in this video were provided by Dove.