If we had to name the most famous (or coveted) head of hair on the planet, it’d probably be Jennifer Aniston‘s.
Not only was ‘The Rachel’ infamous after Jen‘s time on Friends, but her strands have only gone from strength to strength since then.
What you may not know, however, is that Jen’s hair isn’t always perfect polished; she experiences frizz and flyaways just like us mere mortals. In fact, the star recently took to Instagram to share a selfie of her “humidity” hair.
So what does it take to get that perfectly tousled ‘do? Her longtime friend and hair stylist Chris McMillan (AKA the man behind ‘The Rachel’ itself) spilled some of her secrets to Vogue and we were all ears…
Shampoo
Aniston switches between two shampoo options: the Living Proof No Frizz Shampoo ($54 from Oz Hair & Beauty) and the Drunk Elephant Cocomino Glossing Shampoo (not available in Australia). FYI, if you’re not a ‘rinse and repeat’ type of person, McMillan advises you try and become one ASAP. In his book, nothing beats a “really good” double cleanse.
Conditioner
“We don’t just condition the ends,” McMillan shared. “A lot of people worry it’ll make the hair flat, but it doesn’t! Would you moisturise just your jawline or forehead? No! You’re going to moisturise your entire face. Conditioner is moisturiser for your hair. You should be doing the same thing to your hair as you do for your skin.”
Jen’s favourite formulas? Either the conditioner counterpart to her Drunk Elephant shampoo go-to (AKA the Cocomino Marula Cream Conditioner; not available in Australia), or the Canale Soften Conditioner (not available in Australia). No matter which one, however, she works it through before rinsing with a wide-tooth comb.
Treatments
McMillan says Jen likes to make productive work of a hydrating hair mask session, usually opting to get her nails done and watch 60 Minutes while the treatment works its magic. Genius TBH. The word on the street is that she’s also partial to an in-salon keratin treatment to smooth frizz and boost shine.
She’s a big fan of a scalp scrub, too: “We do it once a month, beauty school style,” he says. Makes sense – build-up and glossy hair (which Jen most certainly has) aren’t often mates. His recommendation? The one from Drunk Elephant (which checks out, considering he helped create the hair line). FYI, the Drunk Elephant T.L.C Happi Scalp Scrub may not be available down under, but we also rate the Sukin Naturals Natural Balance Scalp Scrub ($20 from Priceline) and the GROW Longer Stronger Stimulating Scalp Scrub ($16.99 from Priceline) if you’re after options under $20.
Trims
“A big part of Jennifer’s beauty routine, whether it’s her hair, skin, or her body [is consistency]. She’s consistent about trims, she’s consistent about getting highlights, she’s consistent about facials. She takes care of herself. She gets her hair cut every four weeks, even if it’s just a baby trim.”
Styling
Jen is the queen of the undone, beachy curl, and that’s no accident. “She doesn’t like a manufactured curl,” McMillan confirmed. “It always looks like you can touch it, it’s not sprayed into place.”
What he does rely on, however, is a texturising pomade: Murray’s Original Pomade ($14.54 from Amazon Australia), to be exact.
“My hairstylist Chris McMillan drops off all kinds of products for me to test,” Jen told US Weekly in 2023.
“This is a new favourite,” she shared, referencing the frizz-smoothing Unite 7 Seconds Leave In Detangler ($35.50 from Oz Hair & Beauty).
“I can just let my hair air-dry, and it will eliminate any frizz,” she explained.
Main image credit: @jenniferaniston
What other celebs do you look to for hair inspo? What are your top hair care tips?
I’ve always wanted to try Drunk Elephant, just love the name.
Yes it sounds too cool
I expect consistency is partidularly important for an actress.
I wonder if Drunk Elephant products will reach us soon
Id love to try the Sukin scalp scrub i like the concept of it.
I trim my hair couple of times year.
Hope Drunk Elephant is available soon – would love to give it a go