January 10, 2010
(Note this is a draft from last year. Things have changed for me but I feel the information is still valuable, so I am posting it anyway :)
Hello, Hello, Hello!
I don't know about anyone else, but I love my hair to be bone straight! I can usually only achieve that very straight look I am going for within the first few weeks of a fresh relaxer AND a flat iron. After that inital glow of the fresh relaxer I have flat ironed my hair to keep it as straight as possible and probably the whole reason I started my Hair Care journey is because I was looking on YouTube to find tips on how to do a better job.
I ran across Ateeya and her change Smuve Complexions and I was hooked..
Everyone talks about the things to stay away from...Heat...chemicals...sulfates...alcohols. The things you should do are like stretch between relaxers...low manipulation...protective styles...moisturize and seal...low to no heat!
Low to no heat?! Give up my flat iron? No, say it isn't so...there must be, there just has to be another way. So I tried only flat ironing my hair once a week. If you read previous post my hair nightmare are my ends. They look terrible. I do not like them at all. The only thing that I feel makes them look half decent is to flat iron them into submission.
That should have been the key. What is heat damage exactly? Heat applied to the hair breaks or reshapes the bond in the inner core of the hair shaft and relaxes the curl. The problem that occurs is that when to much heat is applied the protective cuticle of your hair is damaged. The resulting roughness of the hair shaft makes you apply more heat to achieve the same look! You have now become a heat addict.
You are at even more risk of heat damage if your hair has been chemically treated. This is because you basically already dinged your cuticle and the heat if to much just breaks it all to bits.
However, like most things in my opinion there is a place for everything.
It has been about 4 weeks since I last flat iron my hair. Yay me! I decided about 4 or 5 months ago that I would for the most part abstain from direct heat. I sit under the hood dryer for deep conditioning and such.
Do not however think that this is a departure from my love of my flat iron. I do think that some heat is not bad. Moderate use of heat in the right temperature zone for my hair type could be safely or at least the damaged could be mitagated if I had healthy hair. See the key is healthy hair. Hair is a tough bugger and it can stand a ding or too and keep on trucking. I figured that if I can forgo the flat iron until my hair is much healthier that I can add heat to my hair without destroying all the work I put into it. Hence get nice strong hair and use heat moderately and I think I will come out with healthy hair that I am happy with.
I like straight hair though and over the last few weeks I have wanted to flat iron my hair just because I am sick of this semi curly mess I deal with everyday. I airdry. So I went back to YouTube last night and saw someone talking about heat treating your hair. She used a 400 degree flat iron on her new growth in varying intervals. Once a week, twice a month watever she thought was best. Now she made a strong argument about why that worked for her. I personally think that it probably worked for her because she was natural. I think if she had a relaxer, the state of her hair would have been way different.
Anyway, I had almost rationalized myself back to the flat iron despite my convictions to abstain as much as possible until my hair was ready, I did say you become a heat addict didn't I? I talked to my Husband who didn't help at all, and I decided to sleep on it and do some more research.
To much heat is bad. That's what I found out. It doesn't matter what you use, which styling tool or your technique. To much heat is bad. The kicker is, how much is to much?
(Update: I lasted about a full 10 week stretch with no heat. What did I notice? Not much. I still had split ends and on top of that I hadn't been able to wear my hair down at all because of it. I don't do curly hair very well. I did the braid out thing and can't stand them. I think it's beautiful and I am sure I would like it, if my hair was much longer. At it's current length it makes me feel bald :( Anyway, I now flat iron my hair once a week and feel that it smooths the cuticles which keeps it from snagging on stuff)
Monday, April 16, 2012
What's up with Glycerin?
April 16, 2012
Hello, hello, hello!
So I hear so many people talk about Glycerin, but what is it? What does it do? How does it help? Let's try to answer some of those questions.
What is Glycerin?
Glycerin is also known as Glycerol and is a colorless, odorless, viscous liquid. It is used in hair care products by providing lubrication and as a humectant. (A humectant is a a chemical that helps products retain moisture) Glycerin can absorb moisture from the air and has antiseptic qualities
What does Glycerin do?
Glycerin absorbs water from the surround environment. The environment is usually the air but can be your hair and skin if the air is particularly dry.
How does it help?
It will help maintain your hair and scalps moisture levels by drawing moisture into the hair and will help to prevent the frizz of dry hair.
How to utilize it in your routine?
Pour a few drops in your products to up the moisturizing benefits of the product. I add it to my shampoo, which I have noticed affects the shampoo's ability to lather, and different leave in conditioners.
Hair trail and error
I will be attempting this recipe this week as a moisturizer
Seal with Grape seed oil.
Hello, hello, hello!
So I hear so many people talk about Glycerin, but what is it? What does it do? How does it help? Let's try to answer some of those questions.
What is Glycerin?
Glycerin is also known as Glycerol and is a colorless, odorless, viscous liquid. It is used in hair care products by providing lubrication and as a humectant. (A humectant is a a chemical that helps products retain moisture) Glycerin can absorb moisture from the air and has antiseptic qualities
What does Glycerin do?
Glycerin absorbs water from the surround environment. The environment is usually the air but can be your hair and skin if the air is particularly dry.
How does it help?
It will help maintain your hair and scalps moisture levels by drawing moisture into the hair and will help to prevent the frizz of dry hair.
How to utilize it in your routine?
Pour a few drops in your products to up the moisturizing benefits of the product. I add it to my shampoo, which I have noticed affects the shampoo's ability to lather, and different leave in conditioners.
Hair trail and error
I will be attempting this recipe this week as a moisturizer
1. Purified water about 2 cups (Why purified? Because regular tap water has chemical particles that bind to the hair and weighs it down)
2. 5 squeezes of glycerin
3. 3 drops of Peppermint oil
(Will update with specific configuration)Seal with Grape seed oil.
It's been quite a while....
April 16, 2012
Hello, hello, hello!
It has indeed been quite a while since my last post and I sorry for the long departure. Why was I gone so long? It wasn't anything too impressive, actually it was quite unimpressive. I felt and still feel as if my journey has hit a wall. I feel as if I am not making any progress. I still visit other's blogs and YouTube channels and I see how long and beautiful other ladies hair seems to be growing and I feel that I have just stalled. Frustration and self pity is the name of the song I have been singing all last year.
I started my journey over three years ago in preparation for my wedding. I wanted longer hair and set up to learn about my hair and accomplish my goals. This July I will have been married for two years. A few weeks ago I was looking at some pictures from before the wedding and my hair was longer than then it is now. How in the heck did I manage that?! I have been trimming religiously. Is it healthier? I guess it is, I feel like I am conquering some problems but still battling others. Problems: breakage! Conquered: Dryness
I still have breakage. I can not seem to stop the breakage! It's actually driving me quite batty! My hair doesn't feel as dry as it used to but it feels better after I have flat ironed it. Isn't that a strange thing? Softy silky hair if I apply heat. My hair is soft to the touch but looks rough if I air dry. I tried that whole stay away from heat and I just can't jump on that wagon. I can only wear so many buns or pony tails, and apparently that was also a problem for me. Ponytail/bun area were major breakage areas.
So lets drop back into this. I guess I need to buckle down. I am missing some key pieces of being successful and hopefully, by blogging about it I can find those missing pieces.
So what steps have I been taking?
Shampooing, Conditioning and Deep Conditioning
I wash my hair once a week. Why? Because that's all I can manage. I blow dry and flat iron after I wash it, and I can't do that mid-week. Between work and my husband, I am bushed by Wednesday and I don't even have children! Flat ironing once a week was my attempt to avoid applying to much heat to my hair. I believe it may be playing a large part in my split ends.
Yes to Cucumbers Shampoo and Conditioner: Love this shampoo and Conditioner. I did a lot of research looking for a shampoo that was easy on my hair. I feel like I need moisture! Always moisture and strength. My elusive white whale..anyway. Yes to Cucumber is for color treated hair. Yep, that's right. I have come to the conclusion that color and relaxed hair share very similar weakness and the require specific care. There are a wide range of color specific shampoos and conditioners but not so much for relaxed hair. Well, there are all these products that say they are for relaxed or natural or even color treated hair. Natural hair care products in the same boat as color and relaxed hair? Give me a break. Natural hair has a set a challenges that are problem specific to the person and their lifestyle. While Relaxed and Color treated hair share the fact that they have been chemically altered and need constant upkeep to manage and care for it. I have found that this particular shampoo and conditioner meet several of my specific criteria (Stay turned for product review: Link coming soon)
Deep Conditioner: Creme of Nature Aragan Oil: Intensive Conditioning treatment
When I was self relaxing I would use the little packets after my relaxer. I loved how it made my hair feel. Very soft and smooth and it smells really good. I went and got a whole bottle of it and love it (Stay tuned for product review: Link coming soon)
So I wash my hair either with the Yes to Cucumber shampoo or conditioner depending on how my hair and scalp feel. I apply the conditioner, put my hair in a bun or pony tail with the ends tucked away and let it just sit there, air drying and whatever. If it's late I put a cap on and go to sleep but I get better results if I let it air dry and then put a cap on and go to sleep and wash it out the next day.
Blow dry with comb attachment. It's very quick. Divide hair in four parts, apply Suave's new heat and leave in conditioner and maybe a little Frutis sleek and shine and blow dry. Takes about 5 minutes.
Flat iron as desired. My flat ironing takes forever as I try to go in small sections and only do one pass and try to go quickly by the ends as they are so fragile.
Relaxers
Did you notice I said "When I was self relaxing.." Well, I stopped self relaxing for a few reason
They don't seem like big reasons, but they were becoming issues to me that made me think "If I did it this way I would see improvements." Well I did see improvements. Before when I self relaxed I would have these strips of hair that would puff up. No matter what, it could be perfectly straight and Florida's humid air would hit it and it would puff up to twice it's size! Now you might say, that's humidity for you, but it wasn't my whole head, just certain areas. A lot of times it was a strip right behind my bang, closer to my ear on the right side would puff up, made me feel like I had floppy dog ear.
How did I put it together? I am brilliant of course! No, not really. My hairdresser told me it was because I had massive layers of calcium build up. She said home relaxers have copious amounts of calcium and that it coats your hair and that is what causes the frizz puffs. The cure? strip your hair with relaxer.
The evidence? A different hair dresser told me that to get my ends from being so frizzy and scraggly looking to take the relaxer to the end of my hair. At the time I thought she was crazy! Seriously, there may even be a previous post that said "I had this crazy hair dresser.." I have read all these things that say that I have to protect my ends, they are little babies. Easily broken and hurt. Relaxer need to be kept far from them.
Also, when I was self relaxing and before I knew better, I relaxed every strand of hair on my head from the root to the tip and did not have that strange puffy hair problem. Which goes to show that it had been a recent happening, as in I started noticing after I had been into my hair journey for awhile.
I now go to a salon and get my hair professionally relaxed and trimmed approximately every 10 weeks. Yep, I said it. Trimmed. There are all these people who say that trimming or clipping your ends is a necessary and healthy part of caring for your hair. That when you chemically treat, manipulate and apply heat to you hair you cause damage, split ends and the like. The only way to stop a split end is to cut it off.
So I trim, but I hate it. I hate it so much. I try to be all grown up about it. I realize that I did horrible, damaging things to my hair for lets say 20 years, I'm going to be 30 this week ><, and I can't expect beautiful down my back hair that is healthy and strong in a matter of a couple of years! My ends are my burden to bear and I have to get rid of them, slowly but surely. So as my hair has grown, it's been getting stronger and healthier at the root. My ends still suck and I know I have to chop them off. So I trim. All my growth is gone. It really makes me sad, but I know that it's for the greater good. I can see the split ends all over the place. I can tell the hair is badly damaged. The delineation mark is so apparent, especially when I wash and air dry, that sometimes I think it would be less painful if I just had them hack it off there. I think my husband would stop talking to me if I did that though. Oh well, it's not like I am bald...
So that's about it. I wash my hair once a week, deep condition overnight whenever possible, blow dry and flat iron. I moisturizing and seal nightly, well if I am really honest I don't do it nightly, shoot I didn't even do it tonight ><, and I cover my head before I go to bed. Sometimes the scarf is even there in the morning.
Goals?
Get back to moisturizing and sealing nightly
Learn about imparting moisture and give my hair the strength not to break!
Figure out a wash and wear style..yeah I really see that happening for me, but I keep trying anyway. I have an idea about banana clips..
Hello, hello, hello!
It has indeed been quite a while since my last post and I sorry for the long departure. Why was I gone so long? It wasn't anything too impressive, actually it was quite unimpressive. I felt and still feel as if my journey has hit a wall. I feel as if I am not making any progress. I still visit other's blogs and YouTube channels and I see how long and beautiful other ladies hair seems to be growing and I feel that I have just stalled. Frustration and self pity is the name of the song I have been singing all last year.
I started my journey over three years ago in preparation for my wedding. I wanted longer hair and set up to learn about my hair and accomplish my goals. This July I will have been married for two years. A few weeks ago I was looking at some pictures from before the wedding and my hair was longer than then it is now. How in the heck did I manage that?! I have been trimming religiously. Is it healthier? I guess it is, I feel like I am conquering some problems but still battling others. Problems: breakage! Conquered: Dryness
I still have breakage. I can not seem to stop the breakage! It's actually driving me quite batty! My hair doesn't feel as dry as it used to but it feels better after I have flat ironed it. Isn't that a strange thing? Softy silky hair if I apply heat. My hair is soft to the touch but looks rough if I air dry. I tried that whole stay away from heat and I just can't jump on that wagon. I can only wear so many buns or pony tails, and apparently that was also a problem for me. Ponytail/bun area were major breakage areas.
So lets drop back into this. I guess I need to buckle down. I am missing some key pieces of being successful and hopefully, by blogging about it I can find those missing pieces.
So what steps have I been taking?
Shampooing, Conditioning and Deep Conditioning
I wash my hair once a week. Why? Because that's all I can manage. I blow dry and flat iron after I wash it, and I can't do that mid-week. Between work and my husband, I am bushed by Wednesday and I don't even have children! Flat ironing once a week was my attempt to avoid applying to much heat to my hair. I believe it may be playing a large part in my split ends.
Yes to Cucumbers Shampoo and Conditioner: Love this shampoo and Conditioner. I did a lot of research looking for a shampoo that was easy on my hair. I feel like I need moisture! Always moisture and strength. My elusive white whale..anyway. Yes to Cucumber is for color treated hair. Yep, that's right. I have come to the conclusion that color and relaxed hair share very similar weakness and the require specific care. There are a wide range of color specific shampoos and conditioners but not so much for relaxed hair. Well, there are all these products that say they are for relaxed or natural or even color treated hair. Natural hair care products in the same boat as color and relaxed hair? Give me a break. Natural hair has a set a challenges that are problem specific to the person and their lifestyle. While Relaxed and Color treated hair share the fact that they have been chemically altered and need constant upkeep to manage and care for it. I have found that this particular shampoo and conditioner meet several of my specific criteria (Stay turned for product review: Link coming soon)
Deep Conditioner: Creme of Nature Aragan Oil: Intensive Conditioning treatment
When I was self relaxing I would use the little packets after my relaxer. I loved how it made my hair feel. Very soft and smooth and it smells really good. I went and got a whole bottle of it and love it (Stay tuned for product review: Link coming soon)
So I wash my hair either with the Yes to Cucumber shampoo or conditioner depending on how my hair and scalp feel. I apply the conditioner, put my hair in a bun or pony tail with the ends tucked away and let it just sit there, air drying and whatever. If it's late I put a cap on and go to sleep but I get better results if I let it air dry and then put a cap on and go to sleep and wash it out the next day.
Blow dry with comb attachment. It's very quick. Divide hair in four parts, apply Suave's new heat and leave in conditioner and maybe a little Frutis sleek and shine and blow dry. Takes about 5 minutes.
Flat iron as desired. My flat ironing takes forever as I try to go in small sections and only do one pass and try to go quickly by the ends as they are so fragile.
Relaxers
Did you notice I said "When I was self relaxing.." Well, I stopped self relaxing for a few reason
- Application-I suck at it (If I can't be honest with my self then who can)
- When I apply the relaxer myself, it takes me longer a lot longer
- I can't see the back of my head and that is where I have a ton of breakage.
- Over lapping. I over lap. I can't help myself. I try but by the end I am tired of the whole process and want it done with.
- Best reason: Someone else washing my hair and massages my scalp
They don't seem like big reasons, but they were becoming issues to me that made me think "If I did it this way I would see improvements." Well I did see improvements. Before when I self relaxed I would have these strips of hair that would puff up. No matter what, it could be perfectly straight and Florida's humid air would hit it and it would puff up to twice it's size! Now you might say, that's humidity for you, but it wasn't my whole head, just certain areas. A lot of times it was a strip right behind my bang, closer to my ear on the right side would puff up, made me feel like I had floppy dog ear.
How did I put it together? I am brilliant of course! No, not really. My hairdresser told me it was because I had massive layers of calcium build up. She said home relaxers have copious amounts of calcium and that it coats your hair and that is what causes the frizz puffs. The cure? strip your hair with relaxer.
The evidence? A different hair dresser told me that to get my ends from being so frizzy and scraggly looking to take the relaxer to the end of my hair. At the time I thought she was crazy! Seriously, there may even be a previous post that said "I had this crazy hair dresser.." I have read all these things that say that I have to protect my ends, they are little babies. Easily broken and hurt. Relaxer need to be kept far from them.
Also, when I was self relaxing and before I knew better, I relaxed every strand of hair on my head from the root to the tip and did not have that strange puffy hair problem. Which goes to show that it had been a recent happening, as in I started noticing after I had been into my hair journey for awhile.
I now go to a salon and get my hair professionally relaxed and trimmed approximately every 10 weeks. Yep, I said it. Trimmed. There are all these people who say that trimming or clipping your ends is a necessary and healthy part of caring for your hair. That when you chemically treat, manipulate and apply heat to you hair you cause damage, split ends and the like. The only way to stop a split end is to cut it off.
So I trim, but I hate it. I hate it so much. I try to be all grown up about it. I realize that I did horrible, damaging things to my hair for lets say 20 years, I'm going to be 30 this week ><, and I can't expect beautiful down my back hair that is healthy and strong in a matter of a couple of years! My ends are my burden to bear and I have to get rid of them, slowly but surely. So as my hair has grown, it's been getting stronger and healthier at the root. My ends still suck and I know I have to chop them off. So I trim. All my growth is gone. It really makes me sad, but I know that it's for the greater good. I can see the split ends all over the place. I can tell the hair is badly damaged. The delineation mark is so apparent, especially when I wash and air dry, that sometimes I think it would be less painful if I just had them hack it off there. I think my husband would stop talking to me if I did that though. Oh well, it's not like I am bald...
So that's about it. I wash my hair once a week, deep condition overnight whenever possible, blow dry and flat iron. I moisturizing and seal nightly, well if I am really honest I don't do it nightly, shoot I didn't even do it tonight ><, and I cover my head before I go to bed. Sometimes the scarf is even there in the morning.
Goals?
Get back to moisturizing and sealing nightly
Learn about imparting moisture and give my hair the strength not to break!
Figure out a wash and wear style..yeah I really see that happening for me, but I keep trying anyway. I have an idea about banana clips..
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
My race against breakage!
January 4, 2011
Hello, hello, hello!
Oh woe is me! Have you ever felt that you are racing with your hair and your losing!? I look at other women's hair stories and they are reaching there goal so quickly! I feel like the turtle in the race.
I was sitting on my couch feeling frustrated with my hair. Wondering what I have I been doing wrong. My ends STILL aren't where they are supposed to be. I mean I know that the ends of your hair are the oldest and I have been relaxing my hair for over 20 years and treating it very badly all this time, so I can't expect a complete turn around so quickly can I?! Well, I want one anyway lol.
So in 2011 it's time to buckle down and get serious about these ends! When I thought I was babying my ends, it was only slightly caring for them with the care they needed. I mean they are very damaged. Relaxers every 5 weeks from root to tips! Flat ironing every other day... Yes, it was bad and as bad as it was I need to be that much nicer to it now.
So instead of sitting there and feeling completely sorry for myself, I got up. I moisturized my hair in sections with profective, sealed with castor oil and twisted like a roll in two and put a scarf on for bed.
This is really a T&E (Trial and Error) for me. I have never really sealed with castor oil before by itself because it was so thick, but I think my hair needed some tough love! I also plan to wash my hair tomorrow if I am feeling better (Stupid cold! How terrible to start off the new year sick?)
So plan for tomorrow? Wear my protective style with ends tucked safely away, and co-wash tomorrow.
Note:
Products that I used? ProFective Leave-In Strengthener and Castor oil! That's it. I try to keep it simple.
Until the next post, Have fun and be safe!
Hello, hello, hello!
Oh woe is me! Have you ever felt that you are racing with your hair and your losing!? I look at other women's hair stories and they are reaching there goal so quickly! I feel like the turtle in the race.
I was sitting on my couch feeling frustrated with my hair. Wondering what I have I been doing wrong. My ends STILL aren't where they are supposed to be. I mean I know that the ends of your hair are the oldest and I have been relaxing my hair for over 20 years and treating it very badly all this time, so I can't expect a complete turn around so quickly can I?! Well, I want one anyway lol.
So in 2011 it's time to buckle down and get serious about these ends! When I thought I was babying my ends, it was only slightly caring for them with the care they needed. I mean they are very damaged. Relaxers every 5 weeks from root to tips! Flat ironing every other day... Yes, it was bad and as bad as it was I need to be that much nicer to it now.
So instead of sitting there and feeling completely sorry for myself, I got up. I moisturized my hair in sections with profective, sealed with castor oil and twisted like a roll in two and put a scarf on for bed.
This is really a T&E (Trial and Error) for me. I have never really sealed with castor oil before by itself because it was so thick, but I think my hair needed some tough love! I also plan to wash my hair tomorrow if I am feeling better (Stupid cold! How terrible to start off the new year sick?)
So plan for tomorrow? Wear my protective style with ends tucked safely away, and co-wash tomorrow.
Note:
Products that I used? ProFective Leave-In Strengthener and Castor oil! That's it. I try to keep it simple.
Until the next post, Have fun and be safe!
Monday, January 3, 2011
Let's talk Oils! Part 4: Random Essential and Carrier Oils that need mention
January 3, 2011
Hello, Hello, Hello!
Well, I didn't want to devote a whole blog post to some essential and carrier oils that most people don't really talk about or use for hair care. The list of oils is quite extensive, and some of them are a little bit odd. This list is mostly complete however I did delete some that were just way off the wall I may at a later time update this list.
I emphasised Cinnamon, Jasmine and Rose oil because I am interested in them mostly for the smell as I like hair things that smell nice and would like to add a little to whatever mix I have made (and mastered!) to give it that little something extra. Cinnamon oil seems to have huge antibacterial properties which I think will be very helpful in extending the shelf life of my mixes! While Jasmine and Rose oil might just be pretty smells, they are also good in aromatherapy. I think smelling a little Jasmine or Rosemary or the like my relieve stress and make me a calmer person. Which is a side perk I like!
So now on to Carrier oils. The list of carrier oils is far smaller than the essential oils
Olive Oil, Castor Oil and Coconut Oil are also popular hair care carrier oils so I thought I would give them more of a mention.
Olive Oil
Castor Oil
Hello, Hello, Hello!
Well, I didn't want to devote a whole blog post to some essential and carrier oils that most people don't really talk about or use for hair care. The list of oils is quite extensive, and some of them are a little bit odd. This list is mostly complete however I did delete some that were just way off the wall I may at a later time update this list.
- Agar Oil:
- Ajwain Oil
- Angelica Root Oil:
- Anise Oil
- Balsam Oil
- Basil Oil
- Bergamot Oil
- Buchu Oil
- Cannabis Flower Essential Oil ( I have no idea!)
- Caraway Oil
- Cardamom Seed Oil
- Carrot Seed Oil
- Cedarwood Oil
- Chamomile Oil
- Cinnamon Oil
- Citronella Oil
- Clover Leaf Oil
- Cranberry Seed Oil
- Cumin Oil
- Davana Oil
- Dill Oil
- Fennel Seed Oil
- Fenugreek Oil
- Geranium Oil
- Ginger Oil
- Grapefruit Oil
- Henna Oil
- Jasmine Oil
- Juniper Berry Oil
- Lemon Oil
- Lemon Grass Oil
- Mustard Oil
- Orange Oil
- Oregano Oil
- Pine Oil
- Rose Oil
- Rosemary Oil
- Rosewood Oil
- Safe Oil
- Sandalwood Oil
- Spearmint Oil
- Tarragon Oil
I emphasised Cinnamon, Jasmine and Rose oil because I am interested in them mostly for the smell as I like hair things that smell nice and would like to add a little to whatever mix I have made (and mastered!) to give it that little something extra. Cinnamon oil seems to have huge antibacterial properties which I think will be very helpful in extending the shelf life of my mixes! While Jasmine and Rose oil might just be pretty smells, they are also good in aromatherapy. I think smelling a little Jasmine or Rosemary or the like my relieve stress and make me a calmer person. Which is a side perk I like!
So now on to Carrier oils. The list of carrier oils is far smaller than the essential oils
- Sweet Almond Oil (Is a very popular carrier oil and is nourishing and can softens and strengthens the hair. It is said that if you use Almond oil as a pre-wash treatment it is good at collecting dust, particulates and pollution in your hair)
- Olive Oil
- Sesame Oil
- Evening Primrose (Never heard of this oil)
- Canola Oil
- Sunflower Oil
- Emu Oil
- Castor Oil
- Walnut Oil
- Peanut oil
- Pecan Oil
- Macadamia Nut Oil
- Coconut Oil
Olive Oil, Castor Oil and Coconut Oil are also popular hair care carrier oils so I thought I would give them more of a mention.
Olive Oil
- One cause of hair loss is because of a hormone called DTH (DTH=Dihdrotestoserone (I have no idea how to say that BUT it is an androgen (Which is general term for natural or made hormones) made mostly in the prostate gland, testes, hair follicles and adrenal glads which leads the hair follicle shaft to decrease.) Applying olive oil to hair prevents the production of DTH hormones on the scalp, thus getting rid of the problem of hair loss
- appropriate for general scalp health
- natural conditioner
Castor Oil
- can be used to get rid of infections that causes various scalp problems
- When applied on a dry, scaly scalp, it can retain the moisture and improve the scalp condition
- can also strengthen the hair roots and promote hair growth
- hair conditioner
- pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, people with underlying health condition should take care with castor oil and should discuss the use of it with their doctors (Especially if you drink it!)
- An emollient with a rich source of fatty acids like oleic, linoleic, lauric, capric, caprylic, myristic and palmitic acid
- ideal for dry hair
- If not washed properly, this oil can clog the hair follicles inhibiting hair growth (I did not know this, when I started my hair journey I thought I should use this oil on my scalp. What a mistake! It made my scalp itch like crazy and I had no idea why. I did like 3 emergency washes trying to not to rip my scalp off in an attempt to get relief! Well, as happens often I was lazy after the last wash and let it air dry and went to bed. I had no time in the morning to do anything with it, So I slapped on my handy dandy ProFective Leave in and went to work. No itching! No itching all day and so I learned I can only use Extra Virgin Coconut oil in my Pre-poo and not overnight)
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Hey what about those alcohols...
Hello, hello, hello!
January 1, 2011
This little tidbit was apart of my Let's talk oils seris but I thought this information needed it's out platform as it is such a common ingredient in hair care products and you see it everywhere. These are just the basics as I could gather them and I hope you find the information helpful!
Cetyl and other Alcohol's
Now...I bet you thought I forgot! Cetyl Alcohol. Now when I first started this hair journey I read that alcohol was bad and so I looked for products without alcohol and then I stopped myself and asked "Why is alcohol bad?" Well, alcohol is bad because it can draw out moisture from the hair and scalp. "But there are a few different alcohols listed on various products I use and it seems almost impossible to get any without alcohol! What is a girl on a journey to do? Keep researching is what!
So not all alcohols are created equally and therefore may not be so bad, which is like most things.
Some bad alcohols are ethanol, SD alcohol, SD alcohol 40, Alcohol denat, Propanol, Propyl alcohol and Isopropyl alcohol. They can be used to evenly distribute product through the hair to remove oil and/or residue from the hair. As we all know the act of dirt or oil residue on the hair can be a very rough act for hair which can weaken and remove the elements we work so hard in imparting to our hair. This alcohols can leave the cuticles lifted and rough. So we will call this drying alcohols.
Fatty alchols are Lauryl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Myristyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Alcohol and Behenyl alcohol. Fatty is also 'oily'. These alcohol's usually act as an emollient and will help smooth the hair cuticle. Like all things they should be used in moderation as it can react with the sebum you naturally create and cause oily hair. So fatty alcohols not so bad!
January 1, 2011
This little tidbit was apart of my Let's talk oils seris but I thought this information needed it's out platform as it is such a common ingredient in hair care products and you see it everywhere. These are just the basics as I could gather them and I hope you find the information helpful!
Cetyl and other Alcohol's
Now...I bet you thought I forgot! Cetyl Alcohol. Now when I first started this hair journey I read that alcohol was bad and so I looked for products without alcohol and then I stopped myself and asked "Why is alcohol bad?" Well, alcohol is bad because it can draw out moisture from the hair and scalp. "But there are a few different alcohols listed on various products I use and it seems almost impossible to get any without alcohol! What is a girl on a journey to do? Keep researching is what!
So not all alcohols are created equally and therefore may not be so bad, which is like most things.
Some bad alcohols are ethanol, SD alcohol, SD alcohol 40, Alcohol denat, Propanol, Propyl alcohol and Isopropyl alcohol. They can be used to evenly distribute product through the hair to remove oil and/or residue from the hair. As we all know the act of dirt or oil residue on the hair can be a very rough act for hair which can weaken and remove the elements we work so hard in imparting to our hair. This alcohols can leave the cuticles lifted and rough. So we will call this drying alcohols.
Fatty alchols are Lauryl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Myristyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Alcohol and Behenyl alcohol. Fatty is also 'oily'. These alcohol's usually act as an emollient and will help smooth the hair cuticle. Like all things they should be used in moderation as it can react with the sebum you naturally create and cause oily hair. So fatty alcohols not so bad!
Let's talk Oils! Part 3: Essential Oil: Peppermint and Carrier Oil: Jojoba
Hello, Hello, Hello!
January 1, 2010!
Happy New Year! Let's hope this year is full of bliss and my new years resolution of past bra strap length hair by this time next year! Hoping!
In my last post I talked about the essential oil Lavender and the carrier oil Grape Seed. If your thinking that the intro to this blog looks similar don't think your crazy because it is! I basically copied the intro from that post to this post to go over the basics of what an essential and carrier oil are so please feel free to skip to the good parts!
Doing some research and I wanted to buy some essential oils (An essential oil is a liquid that is generally distilled from leaves, stems, flowers, bark, roots, or other elements of a plant. Essential oils don't really have oily feeling. Essential oils are highly concentrated and a little goes ways)
I found an an essential oil set on Amazon for $19.95 and it includes: Eucalyptus, Lavender, Lemongrass, Peppermint, Sweet Orange & Tea Tree. Which I think is perfect because I am a still learning and going through my T&E(Trial and Error) stage.
So from what I gather you want to add an essential oil with a carrier oil to your hair care products to boost the effect of the product. Like I have said no product is a miracle product, they just help you on your way and these added oils should help. So this is part one of, well I don't know how many parts there are quite a few essential oils and not nearly as many carrier oils, so I will try to stick with the most popular or well known ones but I may add more essential oils as they interest me.
Peppermint Oil
So Peppermint oil and Jojoba oil! I think Peppermint and Eucalyptus are about the same but I will try both of them in my shampoo to see how I like it. I have used Jojoba before and I have personally noted how light the oil is. I do like it and when I make my mix (Post on that way later!) I will definitely be including it.
Cetyl and other Alcohol's
Now...I bet you thought I forgot! Cetyl Alcohol. Now when I first started this hair journey I read that alcohol was bad and so I looked for products without alcohol and then I stopped myself and asked "Why is alcohol bad?" Well, alcohol is bad because it can draw out moisture from the hair and scalp. "But there are a few different alcohols listed on various products I use and it seems almost impossible to get any without alcohol! What is a girl on a journey to do? Keep researching is what!
So not all alcohols are created equally and therefore may not be so bad, which is like most things.
Some bad alcohols are ethanol, SD alcohol, SD alcohol 40, Alcohol denat, Propanol, Propyl alcohol and Isopropyl alcohol. They can be used to evenly distribute product through the hair to remove oil and/or residue from the hair. As we all know the act of dirt or oil residue on the hair can be a very rough act for hair which can weaken and remove the elements we work so hard in imparting to our hair. This alcohols can leave the cuticles lifted and rough. So we will call this drying alcohols.
Fatty alchols are Lauryl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Myristyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Alcohol and Behenyl alcohol. Fatty is also 'oily'. These alcohol's usually act as an emollient and will help smooth the hair cuticle. Like all things they should be used in moderation as it can react with the sebum you naturally create and cause oily hair. So fatty alcohols not so bad!
Please stay tuned for my next blog and the last of this series : Let's talk Oils! Part 4: Random Essential and Carrier Oils that need mention
January 1, 2010!
Happy New Year! Let's hope this year is full of bliss and my new years resolution of past bra strap length hair by this time next year! Hoping!
In my last post I talked about the essential oil Lavender and the carrier oil Grape Seed. If your thinking that the intro to this blog looks similar don't think your crazy because it is! I basically copied the intro from that post to this post to go over the basics of what an essential and carrier oil are so please feel free to skip to the good parts!
Doing some research and I wanted to buy some essential oils (An essential oil is a liquid that is generally distilled from leaves, stems, flowers, bark, roots, or other elements of a plant. Essential oils don't really have oily feeling. Essential oils are highly concentrated and a little goes ways)
I found an an essential oil set on Amazon for $19.95 and it includes: Eucalyptus, Lavender, Lemongrass, Peppermint, Sweet Orange & Tea Tree. Which I think is perfect because I am a still learning and going through my T&E(Trial and Error) stage.
So from what I gather you want to add an essential oil with a carrier oil to your hair care products to boost the effect of the product. Like I have said no product is a miracle product, they just help you on your way and these added oils should help. So this is part one of, well I don't know how many parts there are quite a few essential oils and not nearly as many carrier oils, so I will try to stick with the most popular or well known ones but I may add more essential oils as they interest me.
Peppermint Oil
- Cross between Watermint and Spearmint
- a high Menthol content (Side Note: Menthol is used mostly for it's cooling effect.)
- contains menthone and menthyl esters, particularly menthyl acetate
- produce a cooling sensation on the skin
- helps remove dandruff and lice
- Regulates and normalizes oily hair
- mix 2 drops of oil with 4 oz of water (This seems to be the common solution for use of Peppermint oil and it is highly recommend that you do not apply this oil directly to the hair)
- stimulates the hair follicle which helps in hair growth
- binds the hair roots and increases blood circulation which is good for preventing hair loss
- can be mixed with jojoba oil and glycerin or mixing peppermint oil, Castor oil, tea tree oil, coconut oil and vitamin E oil. This mixture is known to promote hair growth (I don't know how true this is)
- does not leave the scalp oily
- balances the pH, it can be used for the treatment of dry scalp
- can add shine and gloss to the hair
- contains minerals such as manganese, iron, magnesium, calcium, folate, potassium, and copper. It also contains omega-3 fatty acids, Vitamin A and Vitamin C.
- relatively shelf-stable when compared with other vegetable oils, it is more shelf-stable than oils of safflower oil, canola oil, almond oil but less than Castor oil and coconut oil
- replacement for whale oil and its derivatives, such as Cetyl Alcohol (Side note: Hey! Doesn't this look like a familiar term? Something we find in out normal hair care products..Lets investigate a little. See below for more info about Cetyl Alcohol and maybe a blog entry later :)
- Fungicide and used to control mildew.
- resemblance to 'sebum' or oil produced by the sebaceous glands, present in our scalp and skin (The oil our scalp naturally produces)
- oil can regulate the level of sebum production. Excess production of sebum can clog the hair follicles and impede hair growth (So if you feel you have an oily scalp this might help regulate that little problem)
- effective scalp cleanser
- improve blood circulation
- hair conditioner, which can be used to get rid of dry and frizzy hair. It can seal in the moisture in the hair shaft
So Peppermint oil and Jojoba oil! I think Peppermint and Eucalyptus are about the same but I will try both of them in my shampoo to see how I like it. I have used Jojoba before and I have personally noted how light the oil is. I do like it and when I make my mix (Post on that way later!) I will definitely be including it.
Cetyl and other Alcohol's
Now...I bet you thought I forgot! Cetyl Alcohol. Now when I first started this hair journey I read that alcohol was bad and so I looked for products without alcohol and then I stopped myself and asked "Why is alcohol bad?" Well, alcohol is bad because it can draw out moisture from the hair and scalp. "But there are a few different alcohols listed on various products I use and it seems almost impossible to get any without alcohol! What is a girl on a journey to do? Keep researching is what!
So not all alcohols are created equally and therefore may not be so bad, which is like most things.
Some bad alcohols are ethanol, SD alcohol, SD alcohol 40, Alcohol denat, Propanol, Propyl alcohol and Isopropyl alcohol. They can be used to evenly distribute product through the hair to remove oil and/or residue from the hair. As we all know the act of dirt or oil residue on the hair can be a very rough act for hair which can weaken and remove the elements we work so hard in imparting to our hair. This alcohols can leave the cuticles lifted and rough. So we will call this drying alcohols.
Fatty alchols are Lauryl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Myristyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Alcohol and Behenyl alcohol. Fatty is also 'oily'. These alcohol's usually act as an emollient and will help smooth the hair cuticle. Like all things they should be used in moderation as it can react with the sebum you naturally create and cause oily hair. So fatty alcohols not so bad!
Please stay tuned for my next blog and the last of this series : Let's talk Oils! Part 4: Random Essential and Carrier Oils that need mention
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)