If you live anywhere near downtown Boise, you already know what the high desert does to hair. The air here is dry most of the year, and that dryness pulls moisture and shine right out of the lengths. One of the products we reach for most often behind the chair at Sølvi is Davines OI All in One Milk. Clients keep asking us how to actually use it at home so it performs the way it does in our studio. Here is exactly how our stylists do it.
What OI All in One Milk Actually Does
OI is a weightless leave-in softener. The hero ingredient is roucou oil, which softens and smooths the hair without weighing it down, and it leaves an antioxidant finish that helps tame flyaways and frizz. It works across hair types, from fine to coarse, which is part of why it sits on our shelf at the studio at 104 S Capitol Blvd. It also has that light signature Davines scent that tends to linger through the day. You can grab the travel size at $22.00 or the full standard bottle at $45.00. See the full listing on our OI All in One Milk product page.
Step 1: Start With Clean, Damp Hair
This is the step people skip, and it changes everything. OI is designed to go on clean, damp hair, not soaking wet and not bone dry. After you wash, gently squeeze excess water out with a towel until your hair is damp but not dripping. If you apply it to drenched hair, you dilute it and waste product. If you wait until hair is fully dry, it does not distribute evenly and you end up with patchy soft spots.
Step 2: Use Less Than You Think
The instruction is simple. Work a small amount through the hair. For fine or shorter hair, that means a single pump or a dime-sized drop. For longer or coarser hair, two pumps is usually plenty. Warm it between your palms first, then press it through the mid-lengths and ends where dryness shows up most in our Idaho climate. Keep it off the scalp. This is a softener, not a scalp treatment, and scalp application is what makes people think a leave-in made them greasy.
Step 3: Comb Through, Then Style
Once it is worked in, comb through to spread it evenly from root area to ends. A wide-tooth comb is ideal on wet hair because it detangles without snapping strands. From there you style as usual. You can air dry for a soft, lived-in finish or blow dry for more polish. Either way the roucou oil keeps things smooth and the antioxidant finish helps fight the frizz that Boise winters and summers both bring.
How Often to Reach for It
OI slots into either a daily or a weekly routine, so there is no rigid rule. Our honest take is to start with two or three times a week and adjust. If your hair drinks it up and still feels dry by afternoon, go daily. If it starts to feel coated or limp, scale back. Pay attention to how your hair responds rather than following a fixed schedule. Dry desert air means most Boise clients land on the more frequent end.
Who It Is Not For
We try to be straight with clients, so here is the honest part. OI is a softener and a smoother. It does not give you hold or volume, so if you are chasing big body or a structured style, this is the wrong tool and you will be disappointed. It is also a splurge. At $45.00 for the standard bottle it costs more than a drugstore leave-in, which is why we suggest the $22.00 travel size if you want to test it before committing. And because it adds slip and shine, anyone with very fine hair who already runs oily may find even a small amount feels like too much.
Used correctly, on damp hair, in a small amount, combed through, OI All in One Milk is one of the easiest ways to keep hair soft and smooth through Boise's dry seasons. We use it on clients every day and we use it on ourselves. If you want a stylist to dial in the right amount for your specific hair, take a look at our salon services and book an appointment online. We are happy to show you the technique in person at our downtown studio.