The Beauty Routine Hair Care Expert Dianna Cohen Has Been Loving As Of Late

Dianna Cohen has been a hair care enthusiast ever since she can remember. "Growing up in South Florida, all the kids would run into a chlorinated pool, and I would head over to a bathroom somewhere and dunk my head under the sink, just to fill the fiber with fresh water before it got dunked in chlorine," the founder of Crown Affair tells me. (As someone who frequently forgets to protect her strands pre-dip, I'm blown away by her dedication.)

One of her most unforgettable holiday gifts was the iconic Mason Pearson: "My first big hairbrush," she recounts. She revels in the memory of using that hairbrush every night before bed—an intimate, mother-daughter ritual she still cherishes to this day. "It was my mom who really taught me how to take care of my hair," she adds. 

It seems creating a hair care brand—especially one with ritual at its core—was simply written in the stars for Cohen. But even she knows that a glorious mane requires more than high-quality creams and serums; your nutrition, mental health, and overall well-being habits totally play a role in the look and feel of your hair. A glossy leave-in falls short in the face of stressed, unhappy follicles. 

"Just generally brushing my hair. I feel like whenever someone is like, 'I'm having issues with my scalp. What do I do?' I'm like, 'Are you brushing your hair?' 

"On non-wash days, I brush my hair when it's dry, and I genuinely believe it makes your hair healthier and stronger. And putting in that time consistently allows you to do less work on the back end.

"It's also just a beautiful ritual and a really intimate way to connect with yourself. Or if you have a family member or friend… I love brushing people's hair. I love having my hair brushed.

"The second one, which is more recent in my life but I've been doing for about a year now, is gua sha. I use one of the stainless steel tools. I do it twice a day for three minutes, and I swear on my life it has changed my face. I just looked puffier before.

"Have you heard of YogaToes? My friend Brandon, who's a doctor, was telling me about them, and then my friend Anna, who is a ballerina, was telling me about them, and in the same day they were both talking about this thing. They're literally these toe stretchers. We have a group thread now, and we all wear our YogaToes at night. 

'They look like the foam toe separators [from nail salons], but they're designed to separate your toes. I couldn't imagine this feeling good—I feel amazing. It's like a wellness tool, in a way. I use them every night when I'm watching TV or doing work. I put my little YogaToes in, and I find that I'm much more balanced. Sometimes I tend to lean on the outside of my feet, and I'm more on the arches now. 

"I really feel like stretching is the secret in the sense that nobody does it. I notice such a difference in how my body moves and is presented in the world when I don't feel open. So that is a huge thing that I do every day for at least 10 minutes. 

"It's basically a light vinyasa flow that I'll do. I do it in the morning. I usually listen to a poetry podcast I love called Poetry Unbound—it's this Irish theologian—and I just like listening to his voice and stretching. 

"I'm obsessed with dry needling. I've been going to acupuncture for a while, and not all acupuncturists will do dry needling, but [it's great] if you have a physical therapist and you have any pain. It's not just about corrections; it's different than just hitting the meridian points. [It's] going really specific and kind of tweaking it. I can't express the feeling of it—it's just that release that is life-changing.

"The La Prairie Pure Gold Radiance Eye Cream. It shouldn't be as much as it is, but I love how it feels. I love the experience of it. For the record, I don't buy the $700 bottle. The bottle I buy is a few hundred dollars. I just feel so hydrated. 

"I love the Dieux eye cream as well, which is obviously at a much more affordable price point. I alternate that with Sunday Riley's Auto Correct in the morning. Then at night, I'll use the La Prairie gold cream. It feels very fancy and indulgent, and I love all of their components. I'm very much a sucker for components and packaging—I feel like that's part of the deal.

"I'm obsessed with Hero Cosmetics Mighty Patches. I've been breaking out with travel and moving, and I go through those things like water. I've tried a lot of other patches, and they are the best. They're just really effective.

"[Also] IQBAR. They're the only bars [I've seen] that is keto and gluten-free. I used to try a lot of other bars, and this is without a question the best. I love the matcha chai flavor. I have them on me all of the time.

"I would say now—and this is different because I used to use hot tools a lot more pre-COVID—it's the air-dry. Just like an easy, cool, 'no-makeup makeup' air-dry. Whenever I have my hair done, people are like, 'Wait, you look so different.' 

"I hate the word 'effortless,' but it's a little bit more natural and not as polished, which is a bit unexpected from a hair care person. But I feel like my signature now is the 'no-makeup makeup,' middle part, air-dry vibe, which again was not my M.O. even a few years ago.

"The Crown Affair Dry Shampoo. If I forgot it while I was traveling, I would run to the nearest Sephora. I am such a dry shampoo person, and I'm obsessed with ours, because it's like non-aerosol, super fluffy, silky, and I love the scent. It is so much better for your scalp [than traditional options], and it's just really nourishing, so I always have the little brush and jar. 

"I'm also a lip balm girl. I go through a million of them all the time. I wouldn't run back to the house if I forgot to bring dry shampoo for dinner, but I would 100% for lip balm. 

"My dad doesn't know it, but he's a self-care king. He literally takes a bath every night. 

"It's so funny because he isn't really into beauty in a traditional sense, but he is always the person who goes outside and gets 15 minutes of sun. He always just seizes the day, even if it's just a 10- or 15-minute window to take care of himself.