Care Guide
Everything you need to know about caring for your Radiant piece.
Your Radiant wig or topper is 100% remy human hair. Treat it gently and consistently and it will look beautiful for a very long time. Here's exactly how — plus the products we actually recommend.
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Hi there!
I just want to say how genuinely happy I am that you chose Radiant Hair Co. I know hair can be such a tender topic. Sometimes it's exciting, sometimes it's emotional, and sometimes it's both at the exact same time. So wherever you're at right now, you're welcome here.
This piece is meant to bring you ease, confidence, and a little extra joy when you catch your reflection. Take your time, play around, and let it be a gentle learning curve. You don't need to "nail it" on day one. You're allowed to practise, adjust, and grow into it.
If you have any questions at all, please reach out. Send a message, ask the "silly" question, show us a photo, whatever you need. You're not doing this alone.
Love always,
Natalie
Your first week
Don't wash it yet
Your piece arrives ready to wear. There's no need to wash it before your first wear, and washing too early just uses up its life. Most people won't wash for the first few weeks.
Detangle before and after every wear
Ends first, then work upward. This one habit prevents almost every problem people have with human hair pieces.
Less product, less often
Wig hair has no scalp oil feeding it, so it can't rebalance itself the way your own hair does. Everything you put on it stays on it. Lightweight and minimal always wins.
It's meant to feel odd at first
The fit, the weight, seeing yourself. That settles within a week or two. Give yourself permission to practise.
Your own hair is fed by your scalp. It gets natural oil, it repairs itself, and it grows out any damage you do to it over time.
A wig gets none of that. Whatever you put on it stays on it, and any damage is permanent.
That's the whole logic behind this list. Everything here is a professional salon product — gentle, hydrating and colour-safe. You don't need anything specialised. You need good hair care used correctly.
You need four things. A shampoo, a conditioner or mask, a leave-in, and heat protection. That's it.
Davroe Moisture Senses
Shampoo · Conditioner · MCT (Moisture Conditioning Treatment)
Vegan, naturally derived and built entirely around moisture, which is exactly what a human hair piece wants. The MCT is the standout — use it as your weekly deep treatment on the mid-lengths and ends.
Shop USA: davroeus.com
Kérastase Nutritive
Bain Satin Riche Shampoo · Conditioner · Masquintense Hair Mask
The gold standard for dry, thirsty hair. Rich without being heavy, and the Masquintense is worth every cent when your ends start to feel dry. This is the range to reach for if your piece has lost its softness.
Shop USA: Sephora, Ulta, salons
Pureology Hydrate
Shampoo · Conditioner
Sulphate-free, vegan and colour-safe. Built to protect colour-treated hair, which is precisely what your piece is. A reliable everyday choice.
Shop USA: Ulta, salons, SalonCentric
Pureology Nanoworks Gold
Shampoo · Conditioner
Pureology's most luxurious line. Same colour-safe, sulphate-free foundation as Hydrate with more slip and more shine. Worth it if your piece is longer, older, or you want it to feel its absolute best.
Shop USA: Ulta, salons, SalonCentric
Malibu C Color Wellness
Shampoo · Conditioner
Gentle, vegan, and genuinely good at stopping mineral and product buildup — which matters if you're on hard water. Keeps colour clear and true rather than letting it go dull and brassy.
Shop USA: Amazon, Walmart, SalonCentric, malibuc.com
Davines LOVE
Smoothing Shampoo · Conditioner
Beautiful, lightweight and smoothing. A lovely choice if your piece is straight or you want a sleek finish without weight. Davines is also one of the better-smelling ranges on this list, which matters more than people admit.
Shop USA: Salons, Amazon
Brands to avoid
- Pantene Heavy silicones that build up on the hair with nothing to break them down, leaving your piece dull, coated and unable to take moisture in.
- Head & Shoulders An anti-dandruff formula built to strip. It will lift the colour out of your piece.
- Herbal Essences Same problem as Pantene — heavy silicone buildup on hair that can't shed it.
- OGX Heavy oils and silicones. Weighs the hair down and dulls it over time.
- Olaplex A bond-building treatment designed for hair that's still growing on a head. On a wig or topper it can cause breakage and shedding.
Never use
- Oils, including Moroccanoil Oils are wonderful on your own hair. On a piece they oxidise, which changes the colour over time, and they damage the integrity of the hair.
- Protein-based products Protein works on bio hair because your scalp keeps feeding it. On a wig it sits there, goes brittle and causes breakage.
- Bond repair products Unnecessary on a piece, and they cause knotting and tangling.
- Hair growth or rebuilding products These dry the hair out, which leads to knotting and shedding. There is also no hair growing here for them to act on.
- Sunscreen contact Sunscreen can alter the colour of your piece — blondes especially, which can turn. Always let sunscreen absorb fully into your skin before you put your hair on.
- Purple shampoo, used regularly On a blonde piece it grabs fast and goes ashy or violet. If you use it at all, dilute it heavily and treat it as an occasional toner, not a wash.
- Clarifying, volumising or 2-in-1 shampoos All too stripping for hair that can't replenish itself.
How often
Daily wear
Every 2–4 weeks
A few times a week
Every 6–8 weeks
Occasional wear
When it stops feeling fresh, or before a big event
Before you wash
- Gently detangle from the ends up to the roots with a wide-tooth comb or wig brush.
- Secure any clips and combs so they don't catch.
- Fill a basin with cool to lukewarm water, or work at the sink. Hot water is a drama queen — it lifts the cuticle, loosens knots and fades colour.
Washing, step by step
- Wet the hair downward under cool to lukewarm running water. Let the water run from root to tip, the way the hair naturally falls.
- Apply a gentle, sulphate-free shampoo through the lengths. A 20-cent-piece amount is plenty. Smooth it down the hair — don't scrub, pile or twist.
- Be light-handed at the base. The lace and the knots are the most delicate part of your piece. Press gently, don't rub.
- Rinse downward until the water runs completely clear.
- Apply conditioner or a mask from mid-lengths to ends only. Keep it well away from the lace top, the part line and any topper base — conditioner at the base loosens knots and causes shedding.
- Leave it 2–5 minutes, then rinse thoroughly. Any conditioner left behind becomes buildup.
Drying
- Press the water out with a towel. Never wring, twist or rub.
- Sit it on a wig stand and let it air dry completely.
- Keep it out of direct sun, off radiators and away from heaters while it dries.
- Never brush a soaking wet piece. Wait until it's damp, then detangle from the ends with a wide-tooth comb.
- Never sleep in it or store it while it's still damp.
- Worth it: mist a leave-in through the mid-lengths and ends while it's damp. It makes the next detangle significantly easier.
Heat styling
- Always use a heat protectant. Every single time.
- Keep your tools on a low to medium setting. Human hair on a wig has already been processed — it doesn't tolerate the heat your own growing hair does, and it can't repair itself afterwards.
- Never take heat near the knots, the lace or the cap. Style the lengths only. A hot tool on lace will melt it, and that damage can't be undone.
- Let each section cool before you brush it out — that's what sets the shape.
Everyday styling
- Detangle before and after every wear.
- Keep products lightweight to avoid buildup.
- If you need hold, use a light, flexible hairspray and brush it out gently later the same day.
- Refresh with a light mist of water or a leave-in rather than reaching for a wash.
- Rotate between pieces if you own more than one. Nothing extends the life of a wig like not wearing it every single day.
What wrecks a piece fastest
- Backcombing near the lace or a topper base It pulls hair straight out of the knots.
- Heavy oils at the root or base They loosen the knots and weigh the hair down. Oils belong on the ends only, and sparingly.
- Sleeping in it Friction against a pillow is what causes matting at the nape.
- Heat near the knots, lace or cap Lace melts. That damage is permanent.
- Brushing it soaking wet Wet hair stretches and snaps. Wait until it's damp.
A piece straight out of the box is meant to be a starting point. Cutting the lace, adjusting the fit, softening the knots and adding a fringe are all normal — they're what takes a wig from looking like a wig to looking like your hair.
None of it is difficult. All of it is permanent. So the order matters: wear it as it comes for a week first, decide what's actually bothering you, and only then pick up the scissors.
Daily
Place it on a wig stand so the cap keeps its shape. Keep it away from humidity, direct heat and sunny windows. Give it a quick detangle before it goes down for the night — five seconds now saves you ten minutes tomorrow.
Long-term
Store it fully dry and freshly detangled. Use a satin bag or the original packaging. Lay long hair flat rather than folding it in half. Check on it every couple of months if it's away for a long stretch.
Travel
Pack it in a satin bag inside a structured box so nothing crushes the cap. Protect the parting and fringe area with tissue or a hair net. Carry it on — don't check it.
- The four essentials
- Sulphate-free shampoo
- Moisturising conditioner or mask
- Leave-in conditioner
- Heat protectant
- Your tools
- A wide-tooth combYour most-used tool. For detangling wet or dry.
- A loop or vent wig brushThe open design passes through without dragging on the wefts.
- A wig standA folding stand for daily airing, and a canvas block head with T-pins if you want to style or wash on it.
- A satin or silk storage bagFor travel and long-term storage.
- A spray bottle of plain waterGenuinely the most underrated thing you can own. Most "my wig looks flat" problems are a light mist and a gentle brush-through, not a wash.
- A wig gripAlready included with every Radiant wig.
- Spare wig capsBamboo or nylon, sold in multipacks.
- Nice to have
- A weekly deep treatment or mask
- A light, flexible hairspray
It's shedding
A small amount is normal, especially in the first few wears. Increased shedding usually traces back to one of three things: conditioner or oil at the base, brushing from the roots down instead of the ends up, or heat near the knots. Fix the cause first — then be gentle for a few weeks. If it's excessive, send us a photo and we'll take a look.
It's gone dry, rough or tangly
Usually saveable. Start with a deep conditioning mask on the mid-lengths and ends, leave it 20–30 minutes, rinse and air dry on a stand. Then rebuild the habit: leave-in every wear, less heat, less washing. If it's badly matted, message us before you attempt anything drastic.
It's matting at the nape
This is almost always friction — sleeping in it, or a collar rubbing all day. Work conditioner or a detangling spray through the matted section, then separate it gently with your fingers before you go near it with a comb. Loosely plait it at night, and consider a satin pillowcase.
It won't hold a style, or it looks flat
Nine times out of ten this is buildup, not damage, and it doesn't need a wash. Mist it with plain water, brush through gently, and let it dry on a stand. If that doesn't do it, one gentle wash will. When you heat style, let each section cool fully before you brush it — that's what sets the shape.
It looks dull or coated
Product or mineral buildup, especially on hard water. A gentle, colour-safe clarifying wash like Malibu C Color Wellness will lift it. Then look at what's causing it — heavy conditioner, product at the base, or oils.
The colour has changed
Three usual culprits: sunscreen contact, oils oxidising on the hair, or purple shampoo grabbing on a blonde piece. None of these reverse on their own, so message us with a photo before you try to correct it yourself — going darker to fix it is far safer than going lighter.
Can I use my normal shampoo?
Only if it's sulphate-free, silicone-light and hydrating. Most supermarket shampoos fail on all three. Check the back of the bottle — if a sulphate is in the first five ingredients, don't use it on your piece.
Why can't I use Olaplex? Everyone uses Olaplex.
Because your piece isn't growing. Bond builders and protein treatments are designed for hair attached to a scalp that keeps feeding it. On a wig or topper they sit on the hair, go brittle, and cause breakage and shedding. It's not that Olaplex is a bad product — it's the wrong product for this.
Can I colour it?
Please talk to us first. Radiant pieces are remy human hair so colour is possible, but the hair has already been processed and reacts differently to hair on a head. Going darker is far safer than going lighter. If you do colour it, see a stylist who works with wigs specifically. Any alteration voids your return.
Can I swim in it?
You can, and it won't come off. But we don't recommend it. Chlorine and salt water cause cumulative damage and your piece will need extra treatment afterwards every time. If you do, rinse in cool fresh water straight after and follow with a deep conditioning treatment.
Can I sleep in it?
We'd rather you didn't. Friction against a pillow all night is the single biggest cause of matting at the nape. If you need to, loosely plait it, use a satin pillowcase, and be extra gentle detangling in the morning.
Can I exercise in it?
Yes. Our Sport cap is built for it — fully wefted, silicone grip, secure through real movement. If you're active often, a dedicated Sport piece protects your everyday wig from a lot of wear.
How long will my piece last?
With this routine, a well cared for human hair piece lasts a year or more with daily wear, longer if you rotate between pieces. The two biggest factors are how often you wash it and how much heat you use.
Do I have to buy the brands you've listed?
No. We don't sell these and we don't earn anything from recommending them. If you already own a gentle, sulphate-free, hydrating shampoo and a good conditioner, you're set.
Need help?
Still not sure?
Ask us. There is no silly question, and we'd genuinely rather hear from you before something goes wrong than after.