Please forgive my indulging in an off topic post for a minute.
I had recently subscribed to one of those daily freebie sites, and lucked into a free Neti Pot from Neilmed on Facebook.
I often get sinus pressure and sinus headaches, and I had been looking into better ways to deal with it, because OTC sinus medications and Tylonal just really didn't do much to help.
Using the Neti Pot for the first couple of times was awkward. Saline running into your throat while your trying to breathe is an odd, and gross, feeling. I soon got the hang of it, though, and was rinsing my sinus cavities like a pro. I had terrible pressure and a sinus headache that has lasted for 4 days when I first used the Neti Pot. It was like a miracle sent from heaven! Pressure and headache instantly gone! I was in love.
I have had the flu for the last week or so, finally feeling much better today. At the first sign of respiratory symptoms, I started using the Neti pot 3 times a day. I have been on immune suppressants for years for treatment of autoimmune disorders, and usually respiratory symptoms hang around and start evolve into ear infections, bronchitis, and pneumonia. Not this time! I kept up rinsing my sinuses 3 times a day for 2 days, and by the 3rd day, my stuffy nose and cough were almost completely gone! I still had other flu symptoms like a fever and achyness, but they were much more tolerable with out struggling for air!
Friday, January 18, 2013
Friday, January 11, 2013
Refreshing faded color between hair coloring
As a continuation of my last post, I thought I would share some tips on how to refresh hair color between hair coloring. I just recently went back to my actual natural color (but still coloring to cover grey!) after having been a number of different shades of red. As some of you may know, red is a very hard color to keep. I developed a few tricks to refresh my color so it would stick around until my next coloring. My favorite product for this is Ion Color Brilliance Semi-Permanent Hair Color found at Sally Beauty Supply stores. The semi-permanent name is a bit misleading, IMHO, however. There is no developer. It is a temporary color, that they say qualifies as semi IF you use heat. However, even then, it's still not a semi IMO! It's pretty much just straight pigment that will temporarily stain the hair. Heat opens the cuticle so it penetrates deeper into the hair shaft, causing it to take, and last, a little better. I found one bottle lasted me a while, because I didn't use it according to the instructions. Instead, I would add some to my weekly gelatin protein treatments, or if I decided to skip those, I would add it to some condish and leave it on for an hour or so. When adding it to my protein treatment, I would add enough to turn the gelatin a deep brownish red. I never really measured. It would work best if I used the blow dry version of the protein treatment, but it worked fine with out blow drying. When I added it to condish, I would do a 50-50 mix, wrap in plastic and use my dryer on low for 10 minutes or so then just leave it on for another 50 minutes. One treatment would last around a week for me. I wash my hair every 2-3 days, so if you wash more often, it will fade quicker. You can also add a little to your shampoo/co-wash and/or condish every time you wash to help prevent fading. It works pretty much like those shampoos and conditioners that have added pigment to prevent fading.
I had meant to get around to trying out the Ion Color Brilliance Brights in red to see if that added more of a punch since my hair is dark and I think it would have blended nicely, but decided to go back to dark brown for winter before I had the chance. I do plan to try it out the next time I go red though.
Food coloring works too, but it takes a good eye for color to get it the exact color you want, and works best for refreshing red. Beet juice and cranberry juice are also good for temporarily giving reds some extra oomph.
Triple strength coffee is good for brown. As is strong black tea. And I have heard chamomile is good for blonde, though I have zero experience with being blonde.
To use these types of refreshers (coffee, teas, juices) you hang your head back over a large bowl, pour the liquid through your hair, wait a minute or two, and repeat using the liquid that was collected in the bowl. It's easiest to just use two large bowls to pour the liquids over your hair, instead of pouring the liquid from a bowl back into a smaller container, than replacing the bowl to collect the liquid again. At any rate, you will repeat pouring the liquid over your hair anywhere from 5-10 times. And let it dry in your hair if you can, even using a little heat to help it penetrate the hair shaft.
You can also try these refreshers on non-color treated hair to give some added dimension without using chemicals. You can even mix-and-match if you like, using cranberry or beet juice to give brown or blonde hair a reddish tint, or darkening blonde hair with coffee, or even adding a bit of light highlights to brown hair with chamomile (light brown hair, I don't think it will work very well for darker hair).
These are my favorite techniques, though I have tried the refresher masks/glosses and other such products made for refreshing color. They work just fine, but I found that the Ion Semi works just the same, is cheaper, comes in a variety of colors, and you can adjust the intensity.
I had meant to get around to trying out the Ion Color Brilliance Brights in red to see if that added more of a punch since my hair is dark and I think it would have blended nicely, but decided to go back to dark brown for winter before I had the chance. I do plan to try it out the next time I go red though.
Food coloring works too, but it takes a good eye for color to get it the exact color you want, and works best for refreshing red. Beet juice and cranberry juice are also good for temporarily giving reds some extra oomph.
Triple strength coffee is good for brown. As is strong black tea. And I have heard chamomile is good for blonde, though I have zero experience with being blonde.
To use these types of refreshers (coffee, teas, juices) you hang your head back over a large bowl, pour the liquid through your hair, wait a minute or two, and repeat using the liquid that was collected in the bowl. It's easiest to just use two large bowls to pour the liquids over your hair, instead of pouring the liquid from a bowl back into a smaller container, than replacing the bowl to collect the liquid again. At any rate, you will repeat pouring the liquid over your hair anywhere from 5-10 times. And let it dry in your hair if you can, even using a little heat to help it penetrate the hair shaft.
You can also try these refreshers on non-color treated hair to give some added dimension without using chemicals. You can even mix-and-match if you like, using cranberry or beet juice to give brown or blonde hair a reddish tint, or darkening blonde hair with coffee, or even adding a bit of light highlights to brown hair with chamomile (light brown hair, I don't think it will work very well for darker hair).
These are my favorite techniques, though I have tried the refresher masks/glosses and other such products made for refreshing color. They work just fine, but I found that the Ion Semi works just the same, is cheaper, comes in a variety of colors, and you can adjust the intensity.
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
How I prepare for hair color
I have dyed my hair at home for years. I easily get bored with my color and feel a need to change it up, but I don't have the moolah to go get it done at the salon! One thing I have learned over the years is that if you color regularly, you need to prepare your hair for even color absorption. Virgin hair can also benefit, but most likely will take more evenly than regularly colored hair.
At least one day before I plan to color, and preferably longer, I do the following steps to prepare my hair for coloring.
The first thing I do is clarify my hair with sulfate shampoo that contains EDTA and/or citric acid. This removes all manner of build up, including stylers, mineral deposits, and also (this important) lifts some of the left over color from your previous coloring. The reason that's important is because you need to make room for the strands to accept NEW color.
After clarifying, I do a protein treatment. Protein fills in any holes (porosity) in the hair shaft. This also helps the color absorb evenly. I use this recipe for Science-y Hair Blog's gelatin protein treatment. I love this PT because it's cheap, easy, customizable, and it WORKS. Of course, if you aren't the mad scientist type who enjoys cooking up hair concoctions in your kitchen, there are many store bought options. Some options from Sally Beauty Supply are Ion Effective care (mild protein conditioner), Ion Re-constructor (protein treatment conditioner), aPhogee 2-step (strong protein treatment, comparable to the gelatin PT), Joico K-Pak. There are also botique type treatments available online from Spiral Solutions, Curl Junkie, and Jessie Curl (maybe more, I'm not sure..).
I follow this with a moisturizing deep treatment. I prefer to play mad scientist again and mix up my own DT with Generic Value Products (Sally's knock off brand) Conditioning Balm with some honey and coconut oil. I leave that in for at least 20 minutes with 10 minutes of heat, 10 minutes of cool down time. Sometimes longer if I just don't feel like washing it out. I have left DT's in over night, but I let my hair down to DRY because leaving it wet leaves it in a stretched state and prone to breakage.
Don't color the day you wash. Your natural oils will protect your scalp from irritation, so it's best to color on day old (or longer, I have insanely dry skin, so it takes my scalp at least 2 days to build up enough oil to properly protect my scalp).
It's so much easier to spend a couple of hours preparing for your color, than it is to try and fix uneven color once you dye your hair! In some cases, you can't fix it at home and will have to shell out the dough to go to a salon so a pro can fix it.
One last thing, at home coloring works best if you stick within 2 shades of your natural color. This is particularly true if you're going lighter. Darker is less tricky than lighter! So unless you are experienced in going lighter, please don't try to go platinum on your own.
At least one day before I plan to color, and preferably longer, I do the following steps to prepare my hair for coloring.
The first thing I do is clarify my hair with sulfate shampoo that contains EDTA and/or citric acid. This removes all manner of build up, including stylers, mineral deposits, and also (this important) lifts some of the left over color from your previous coloring. The reason that's important is because you need to make room for the strands to accept NEW color.
After clarifying, I do a protein treatment. Protein fills in any holes (porosity) in the hair shaft. This also helps the color absorb evenly. I use this recipe for Science-y Hair Blog's gelatin protein treatment. I love this PT because it's cheap, easy, customizable, and it WORKS. Of course, if you aren't the mad scientist type who enjoys cooking up hair concoctions in your kitchen, there are many store bought options. Some options from Sally Beauty Supply are Ion Effective care (mild protein conditioner), Ion Re-constructor (protein treatment conditioner), aPhogee 2-step (strong protein treatment, comparable to the gelatin PT), Joico K-Pak. There are also botique type treatments available online from Spiral Solutions, Curl Junkie, and Jessie Curl (maybe more, I'm not sure..).
I follow this with a moisturizing deep treatment. I prefer to play mad scientist again and mix up my own DT with Generic Value Products (Sally's knock off brand) Conditioning Balm with some honey and coconut oil. I leave that in for at least 20 minutes with 10 minutes of heat, 10 minutes of cool down time. Sometimes longer if I just don't feel like washing it out. I have left DT's in over night, but I let my hair down to DRY because leaving it wet leaves it in a stretched state and prone to breakage.
Don't color the day you wash. Your natural oils will protect your scalp from irritation, so it's best to color on day old (or longer, I have insanely dry skin, so it takes my scalp at least 2 days to build up enough oil to properly protect my scalp).
It's so much easier to spend a couple of hours preparing for your color, than it is to try and fix uneven color once you dye your hair! In some cases, you can't fix it at home and will have to shell out the dough to go to a salon so a pro can fix it.
One last thing, at home coloring works best if you stick within 2 shades of your natural color. This is particularly true if you're going lighter. Darker is less tricky than lighter! So unless you are experienced in going lighter, please don't try to go platinum on your own.
Sunday, December 16, 2012
The difference a hair cut can make!
The proper hair cut can make a world of difference in your curl pattern, the tightness of your curl, and how your hair "hangs". If you have decided to join the Wavy Hair Community on Facebook, you will no doubt see tons of before and after hair cut pics. Deva cuts in particular seem to have the most dramatic effect! If you aren't familiar with Deva cuts, it is a method of cutting curly hair dry, so the stylist can see the factors of curly hair. Such as pattern, shrinkage, and each individual curl. If you are looking to maximize your curl and don't straighten your hair, and provided you can afford these often more expensive cuts, than this cut is definitely worth a try. However, a good wet cut can also provide good results. You have to know what to ask for, though! Usually long layers with NO razoring or thinning. Razoring and thinning can disrupt the curl pattern and lead to frizz or even loss of wave or curl. If you wear your hair straight at times, then I would opt for this cut. It is much more even then a Deva cut when straight.
Wavy and curly hair already have texture. So creating texture with razoring or thinning shears isn't necessary. But you do need to remove some of the weight and bulk so that the waves and curls are allowed to curl! If I am doing a DIY wet cut, I don't hold the layer I am cutting more than approximately 90 - 110 degrees from my head. Usually I cut them holding them perpendicular to the floor. For a DIY Deva cut, I wash and style my hair, but leave it mostly naked (with just a LI conditioner) and snip where I think it needs to be snipped to remove any bulkiness.
To show you the dramatic difference a cut can make, below are some pictures from most recent (DIY Deva) haircut.
Wavy and curly hair already have texture. So creating texture with razoring or thinning shears isn't necessary. But you do need to remove some of the weight and bulk so that the waves and curls are allowed to curl! If I am doing a DIY wet cut, I don't hold the layer I am cutting more than approximately 90 - 110 degrees from my head. Usually I cut them holding them perpendicular to the floor. For a DIY Deva cut, I wash and style my hair, but leave it mostly naked (with just a LI conditioner) and snip where I think it needs to be snipped to remove any bulkiness.
To show you the dramatic difference a cut can make, below are some pictures from most recent (DIY Deva) haircut.
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| Before my cut. 2nd day, slept on mostly naked hair. |
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| After my cut. Waves were springier, and much more full looking while not taking a lot of length off. This was directly after the cut. No refreshing. SO it was still 2nd day, slept on, mostly naked hair! |
Second Day Hair, refreshing techniques
What is second day hair?
Second hair is when you preserve you waves or curls so you can skip a day (and for some lucky girls, 3 or more) of washing and styling. It gives you a break from the sometimes tedious task of styling, and it gives your hair a break from the damage that can be caused from washing and styling. It also helps preserve hair color vibrancy if you color your hair.
For some, second day hair is the unattainable unicorn of wavy-ness. For others, it seems effortless. So don't be surprised if you can't achieve second day hair right off the bat. Some people just can't seem to get it no matter what. For some it takes a few tries.
Probably the most important step is try and preserve your waves the best you can. One of the most popular techniques is to do something called a pineapple. This is where you put all your hair up on top of your head in a very high ponytail (most say to use a fabric covered scrunchie, but I don't. I just use ouch-less ponytail holders). This will keep your hair contained while you sleep. Investing in silk or satin pillow cases can also help preserve your hair because they allow hair to slide and not catch on the fabric (the same principle as not using terry cloth to dry your hair). Satin sleep caps are also an option. If you can stand them. IMHO, they tend to look silly and aren't that comfortable. But I do believe they are the very best way to preserve waves and curls, because they allow the hair to be scrunched over night, and it is completely contained so clumps remain intact and frizz should be minimal.
Refreshing technique #1:
Sprtizing with water, or a curl enhancing/moisturizing spray. I highly recommend using distilled water for refresher sprays if you decide to use plain water or make your own. It has been heated to kill bacteria and molds, and it isn't hard like most water from the tap. I also recommend disinfecting you spray bottle before every fill. I just use alcohol. There are many options for enhancing sprays or moisturizing sprays. For a moisturizing spray, just add some condish and dilute it with some water in your spray bottle. Of course, there are many recipes that can be found all over the 'net for homemade moisture sprays. And you can also buy them. My favorite store bought spray is Shea Moisture Hold and Shine Moisture Mist.
You can also add some Epsom Salts or sea salts to your water/conditioner mix to make a curl enhancing spray. Be careful with the salts, however. They can dry your hair out. And I have found that unless I dissolve them in boiling water they tend to make my hair feel product-y. There are also a ton of homemade curl enhancing spray recipes on the 'net, as well as ones that can be bought. I really liked the old formula Curl Junkie Curl Fuel. I have never tried the new formula, so I can't comment on that one.
At any rate, you may choose just to spritz and go. Spritz and scrunch. Spritz and smooth, Spritz, smooth, scrunch, and diffuse. It's really up to you and what you find works best for you.
Refreshing technique #2:
Some people can just scrunch in a product and be good. Some like holding products (gels, mousse) some like moisturizing products (condish, curl cream). Some like a little hold and a little moisture and use moisturizing jellies (Kinky Curly Curling Custard, As I Am curling jelly) Again, you may scrunch, smooth, smooth then scrunch, air dry or diffuse. It's what works best for you.
Refreshing technique #3:
A wet washcloth/microfiber cloth/flour sack. Take a wash cloth/microfiber towel/ or flour sack towel, or even a cotton t-shirt, and get it really wet. Lean over your sink, and scrunch sections of hair with the wet fabric up to your scalp and squeeze to squeeze water into your hair. Most people notice a lot of frizz with this technique if they stop here. I have better luck using a flour sack towel (smoother texture) scrunching in some flax seed gel, aloe gel, or even a hard hold gel then spraying lightly with my spray bottle and smoothing down before I scrunch excess water out with a dry flour sack towel. I find I do have to diffuse for a couple of minutes with this technique because my hair is wetter than with just spritzing.
Refreshing technique #4:
Supersoaking on DRY hair. The traditional supersoak is done on wet or damp freshly washed hair. But I find I can get just washed looking hair by supersoaking on my dry hair. I fingercomb a little to get any big tangles out. Then I supersoak by bringing my cupped hands full of (barely warm or cool) water up to my scalp. I lean over my over sink, do one side, then half the back. The I switch to the other side and the other half of the of the back. At this point, I usually scrunch in a conditioner. I like Renpure My Pretty Hair is Parched because it is light but very moisturizing. I can then finger comb a little to get the clumps the way way I like them. I might supersoak again at this point to make sure the hair is very wet, then scrunch in a medium to light hold gel (I usually use my Flax Seed Gel thickened with xanthan gum and with honey added for extra hold). Plop for 10-30 minutes, scrunch out excess water and gel with my microfiber towel, and diffuse. It takes longer than spritzing or scrunching in product, but half the time of a normal wash day. I think because even though most of it has been thoroughly wet, the roots have not, and it hasn't AS wet as a normal washing would wet it.
"Refreshing technique #5":
I put this in quotation marks because to me, it's not true second day hair. But if you feel you need to style from scratch but don't really need to wash, you can wet your hair in the shower, maybe scrub your scalp some and do a quick water wash to remove excess sebum and product, then condition with your regular rinse out and style as usual with one modification. A quick water wash may not be enough to remove all your product. So you may need less product on the days you decide to rinse and condition or water wash and condition.
"Refreshing technique #6":
Again, I don't consider it "true" second day hair, but it saves on a wash.
You can rinse and condition in the evening, or at night. Style as usual, but put your hair in a plop. Make sure it is tight (but not so tight it is very uncomfortable). Then go to sleep. I sometimes tie my sleep scarf over the plop to add extra protection. When you wake up, your hair should be mostly dry and may air dry quickly on it's own, or you may diffuse for a few minutes to add extra oomph. You can also do this on wash days. Some people have great success with this technique, while others don't. But my theory is, if you can plop for an hour, than this technique will probably work for you!
Second hair is when you preserve you waves or curls so you can skip a day (and for some lucky girls, 3 or more) of washing and styling. It gives you a break from the sometimes tedious task of styling, and it gives your hair a break from the damage that can be caused from washing and styling. It also helps preserve hair color vibrancy if you color your hair.
For some, second day hair is the unattainable unicorn of wavy-ness. For others, it seems effortless. So don't be surprised if you can't achieve second day hair right off the bat. Some people just can't seem to get it no matter what. For some it takes a few tries.
Probably the most important step is try and preserve your waves the best you can. One of the most popular techniques is to do something called a pineapple. This is where you put all your hair up on top of your head in a very high ponytail (most say to use a fabric covered scrunchie, but I don't. I just use ouch-less ponytail holders). This will keep your hair contained while you sleep. Investing in silk or satin pillow cases can also help preserve your hair because they allow hair to slide and not catch on the fabric (the same principle as not using terry cloth to dry your hair). Satin sleep caps are also an option. If you can stand them. IMHO, they tend to look silly and aren't that comfortable. But I do believe they are the very best way to preserve waves and curls, because they allow the hair to be scrunched over night, and it is completely contained so clumps remain intact and frizz should be minimal.
Refreshing technique #1:
Sprtizing with water, or a curl enhancing/moisturizing spray. I highly recommend using distilled water for refresher sprays if you decide to use plain water or make your own. It has been heated to kill bacteria and molds, and it isn't hard like most water from the tap. I also recommend disinfecting you spray bottle before every fill. I just use alcohol. There are many options for enhancing sprays or moisturizing sprays. For a moisturizing spray, just add some condish and dilute it with some water in your spray bottle. Of course, there are many recipes that can be found all over the 'net for homemade moisture sprays. And you can also buy them. My favorite store bought spray is Shea Moisture Hold and Shine Moisture Mist.
You can also add some Epsom Salts or sea salts to your water/conditioner mix to make a curl enhancing spray. Be careful with the salts, however. They can dry your hair out. And I have found that unless I dissolve them in boiling water they tend to make my hair feel product-y. There are also a ton of homemade curl enhancing spray recipes on the 'net, as well as ones that can be bought. I really liked the old formula Curl Junkie Curl Fuel. I have never tried the new formula, so I can't comment on that one.
At any rate, you may choose just to spritz and go. Spritz and scrunch. Spritz and smooth, Spritz, smooth, scrunch, and diffuse. It's really up to you and what you find works best for you.
Refreshing technique #2:
Some people can just scrunch in a product and be good. Some like holding products (gels, mousse) some like moisturizing products (condish, curl cream). Some like a little hold and a little moisture and use moisturizing jellies (Kinky Curly Curling Custard, As I Am curling jelly) Again, you may scrunch, smooth, smooth then scrunch, air dry or diffuse. It's what works best for you.
Refreshing technique #3:
A wet washcloth/microfiber cloth/flour sack. Take a wash cloth/microfiber towel/ or flour sack towel, or even a cotton t-shirt, and get it really wet. Lean over your sink, and scrunch sections of hair with the wet fabric up to your scalp and squeeze to squeeze water into your hair. Most people notice a lot of frizz with this technique if they stop here. I have better luck using a flour sack towel (smoother texture) scrunching in some flax seed gel, aloe gel, or even a hard hold gel then spraying lightly with my spray bottle and smoothing down before I scrunch excess water out with a dry flour sack towel. I find I do have to diffuse for a couple of minutes with this technique because my hair is wetter than with just spritzing.
Refreshing technique #4:
Supersoaking on DRY hair. The traditional supersoak is done on wet or damp freshly washed hair. But I find I can get just washed looking hair by supersoaking on my dry hair. I fingercomb a little to get any big tangles out. Then I supersoak by bringing my cupped hands full of (barely warm or cool) water up to my scalp. I lean over my over sink, do one side, then half the back. The I switch to the other side and the other half of the of the back. At this point, I usually scrunch in a conditioner. I like Renpure My Pretty Hair is Parched because it is light but very moisturizing. I can then finger comb a little to get the clumps the way way I like them. I might supersoak again at this point to make sure the hair is very wet, then scrunch in a medium to light hold gel (I usually use my Flax Seed Gel thickened with xanthan gum and with honey added for extra hold). Plop for 10-30 minutes, scrunch out excess water and gel with my microfiber towel, and diffuse. It takes longer than spritzing or scrunching in product, but half the time of a normal wash day. I think because even though most of it has been thoroughly wet, the roots have not, and it hasn't AS wet as a normal washing would wet it.
"Refreshing technique #5":
I put this in quotation marks because to me, it's not true second day hair. But if you feel you need to style from scratch but don't really need to wash, you can wet your hair in the shower, maybe scrub your scalp some and do a quick water wash to remove excess sebum and product, then condition with your regular rinse out and style as usual with one modification. A quick water wash may not be enough to remove all your product. So you may need less product on the days you decide to rinse and condition or water wash and condition.
"Refreshing technique #6":
Again, I don't consider it "true" second day hair, but it saves on a wash.
You can rinse and condition in the evening, or at night. Style as usual, but put your hair in a plop. Make sure it is tight (but not so tight it is very uncomfortable). Then go to sleep. I sometimes tie my sleep scarf over the plop to add extra protection. When you wake up, your hair should be mostly dry and may air dry quickly on it's own, or you may diffuse for a few minutes to add extra oomph. You can also do this on wash days. Some people have great success with this technique, while others don't. But my theory is, if you can plop for an hour, than this technique will probably work for you!
Friday, November 30, 2012
Winter hair care
Now that the weather is turning colder (and dryer!) it can really mess with your hair. Cold, dry air, wind, and dry artificial heat can all contribute to dryness, static, limp curls and damage!
The answer? MOISTURE! Simple enough answer, right? Right. But getting, and keeping, a proper moisture balance this time of year can be hard.
First, we need to understand a few things. Each individual hair strand is covered by a cuticle. The cuticle looks like shingles on a roof. These shingles protect the inner structure of the hair. In a healthy condition, these shingles will lift under certain conditions to allow moisture in, and close to keep it in under certain conditions. Heat will raise the cuticle. So every time you take a hot shower or use a blow dryer, you are raising that cuticle. Raising the PH of hair with products also lifts the cuticle. Sulfate shampoos will lift the cuticle and the hair will absorb the shampoo!
Second, we need to understand dew points. The dew point is the air temperature at which the air becomes saturated with water. The warmer it is, the more water air can hold. When the temperatures drop, even if the humidity is high, the dew point will most likely be low, so the air is still dry. What does this mean for your hair? Hair can absorb moisture from the air if there is moisture in the air to absorb. If there isn't a lot of moisture in the air, the air can actually pull moisture from your hair.
Dew points above 60-65F are considered very high. You may have more curl, and more frizz. Dew points between 40-60F are considered normal dews. There is enough moisture to keep curls happy without much frizz. 30-40F are moderately dry. How your hair reacts depends on your hair! It may be enough moisture, it may be slightly dry and you may notice some curl droop. Below 30F is considered dry, Curls may droop, and start to dry out. Below 15F is very dry. Weaker curl patterns may disappear and appear straight.
Third, humectants. Humectants draw water to themselves. Glycerin, honey, propylene glycol, are all humectants. When the air is too dry, these can pull water out of your hair.
So what can you do to keep your hair well moisturized? One of the best things you can do is to keep the air in your home at a comfortable moisture level. I like to use crockpots filled with water set on low. Mostly because they will still work if they develop lime scale. Humidifiers can be simple and just have high, medium, or low settings, or they can be fancy and measure the amount of humidity in the air and keep it a consistent level. You may want to switch to a more moisturizing conditioner. These don't have to be heavy. I really like Generic Value Products Conditioning Balm from Sally's Beauty Supply. It's a Matrix Biolage Conditioning Balm knock-off. It is very thick and moisturizing, but rinses surprisingly clean. Renpure My Pretty Hair Is Parched is light but very moisturizing. Check the WHC Product Reviews blog for reviews on other conditioners. Leave-ins are also a good choice for winter. I actually use one year round, because my hair drinks them up. You can use your rinse-out conditioner. Your co-wash conditioner for a lighter choice, or any other conditioner you choose.
Regular deep conditioning treatments can add a nice boost of moisture. You can choose a conditioner labeled for deep treatments, or you can make your own! It can be as simple as adding some oil to your regular conditioner, or you can use one of a thousand recipes for homemade deep treatments found all over the net! You might want to add heat for extra moisture, or if your hair is low-porosity or course. This will open the cuticle to allow the deep treatment to work better. The spritz and condish method might work well, also. Try to avoid humectants, espeacially in products left in your hair. They may not be a big deal in your low-poo/co-wash or rinse out conditioner, provided you rinse all of your rinse out condish out. Some like to leave some in and use that as thier leave in. For some however, even humectants in thier rinse out products can have an adverse effect.
Keeping the cuticle closed after cleansing and conditioning is important for many reasons. It seals in moisture and protects the hair's cortex, plus, it adds shine! Try not to take super hot showers. Warm water opens the cuticle less and helps prevent moisture loss. Rinsing in cold water closes the cuticle, but in the winter, who wants to do that? Well, one way to do this with out freezing your buns off is to rinse slightly in the warm water from the shower. Then turn the shower to the tub faucet and turn it to cool (it doesn't have to be freezing). Lean forward and cup your hands and bring this water up into your hair to your scalp. You can then scrunch lightly to rinse more conditioner out if you feel you need to. Another option is to use an apple cider vinegar rinse. This returns hair to the proper acidic PH which closes the cuticle. You add anywhere from a teaspoon to 1/4 cup ACV to a cup of water and pour this over your head after rinsing your conditioner. You may then leave this in, or leave it for a few minutes then rinse it out. Just don't do this too often! Using this rinse too much can start to damage your hair.
Sealing with an oil or an oil-containing humectant free product (I like Shea Moisture Curl and Style Milk) can help hold moisture in. After cleansing and conditioning, you can use your oil-free leave in on wet (not damp) hair, then take a small amount of oil (like coconut, extra virgin olive, jojoba...) start with only a drop or 2. Smooth and scrunch or rake, whichever you prefer, through your hair. You could also add a drop or 2 of oil to your oil-free leave in. If you choose to use a humectant free oil-containing product, just apply to wet hair. I also like to scrunch out the crunch of my gel with a few drops of coconut oil in the winter. My hair drinks it up, so after half and hour to an hour, there is no oil detectable on my hair. This acts as sort of an anti-humectant or sealant on dry hair that keeps it from drying out.
The answer? MOISTURE! Simple enough answer, right? Right. But getting, and keeping, a proper moisture balance this time of year can be hard.
First, we need to understand a few things. Each individual hair strand is covered by a cuticle. The cuticle looks like shingles on a roof. These shingles protect the inner structure of the hair. In a healthy condition, these shingles will lift under certain conditions to allow moisture in, and close to keep it in under certain conditions. Heat will raise the cuticle. So every time you take a hot shower or use a blow dryer, you are raising that cuticle. Raising the PH of hair with products also lifts the cuticle. Sulfate shampoos will lift the cuticle and the hair will absorb the shampoo!
Second, we need to understand dew points. The dew point is the air temperature at which the air becomes saturated with water. The warmer it is, the more water air can hold. When the temperatures drop, even if the humidity is high, the dew point will most likely be low, so the air is still dry. What does this mean for your hair? Hair can absorb moisture from the air if there is moisture in the air to absorb. If there isn't a lot of moisture in the air, the air can actually pull moisture from your hair.
Dew points above 60-65F are considered very high. You may have more curl, and more frizz. Dew points between 40-60F are considered normal dews. There is enough moisture to keep curls happy without much frizz. 30-40F are moderately dry. How your hair reacts depends on your hair! It may be enough moisture, it may be slightly dry and you may notice some curl droop. Below 30F is considered dry, Curls may droop, and start to dry out. Below 15F is very dry. Weaker curl patterns may disappear and appear straight.
Third, humectants. Humectants draw water to themselves. Glycerin, honey, propylene glycol, are all humectants. When the air is too dry, these can pull water out of your hair.
So what can you do to keep your hair well moisturized? One of the best things you can do is to keep the air in your home at a comfortable moisture level. I like to use crockpots filled with water set on low. Mostly because they will still work if they develop lime scale. Humidifiers can be simple and just have high, medium, or low settings, or they can be fancy and measure the amount of humidity in the air and keep it a consistent level. You may want to switch to a more moisturizing conditioner. These don't have to be heavy. I really like Generic Value Products Conditioning Balm from Sally's Beauty Supply. It's a Matrix Biolage Conditioning Balm knock-off. It is very thick and moisturizing, but rinses surprisingly clean. Renpure My Pretty Hair Is Parched is light but very moisturizing. Check the WHC Product Reviews blog for reviews on other conditioners. Leave-ins are also a good choice for winter. I actually use one year round, because my hair drinks them up. You can use your rinse-out conditioner. Your co-wash conditioner for a lighter choice, or any other conditioner you choose.
Regular deep conditioning treatments can add a nice boost of moisture. You can choose a conditioner labeled for deep treatments, or you can make your own! It can be as simple as adding some oil to your regular conditioner, or you can use one of a thousand recipes for homemade deep treatments found all over the net! You might want to add heat for extra moisture, or if your hair is low-porosity or course. This will open the cuticle to allow the deep treatment to work better. The spritz and condish method might work well, also. Try to avoid humectants, espeacially in products left in your hair. They may not be a big deal in your low-poo/co-wash or rinse out conditioner, provided you rinse all of your rinse out condish out. Some like to leave some in and use that as thier leave in. For some however, even humectants in thier rinse out products can have an adverse effect.
Keeping the cuticle closed after cleansing and conditioning is important for many reasons. It seals in moisture and protects the hair's cortex, plus, it adds shine! Try not to take super hot showers. Warm water opens the cuticle less and helps prevent moisture loss. Rinsing in cold water closes the cuticle, but in the winter, who wants to do that? Well, one way to do this with out freezing your buns off is to rinse slightly in the warm water from the shower. Then turn the shower to the tub faucet and turn it to cool (it doesn't have to be freezing). Lean forward and cup your hands and bring this water up into your hair to your scalp. You can then scrunch lightly to rinse more conditioner out if you feel you need to. Another option is to use an apple cider vinegar rinse. This returns hair to the proper acidic PH which closes the cuticle. You add anywhere from a teaspoon to 1/4 cup ACV to a cup of water and pour this over your head after rinsing your conditioner. You may then leave this in, or leave it for a few minutes then rinse it out. Just don't do this too often! Using this rinse too much can start to damage your hair.
Sealing with an oil or an oil-containing humectant free product (I like Shea Moisture Curl and Style Milk) can help hold moisture in. After cleansing and conditioning, you can use your oil-free leave in on wet (not damp) hair, then take a small amount of oil (like coconut, extra virgin olive, jojoba...) start with only a drop or 2. Smooth and scrunch or rake, whichever you prefer, through your hair. You could also add a drop or 2 of oil to your oil-free leave in. If you choose to use a humectant free oil-containing product, just apply to wet hair. I also like to scrunch out the crunch of my gel with a few drops of coconut oil in the winter. My hair drinks it up, so after half and hour to an hour, there is no oil detectable on my hair. This acts as sort of an anti-humectant or sealant on dry hair that keeps it from drying out.
Saturday, November 24, 2012
How to start a no-poo method of hair care
What you need
You will need a few products to get you started. You don't need to get online and spend big bucks on boutique type CG friendly products (such as Deva, Curl Junkie, JessieCurl, and more) unless you want to. I started my journey for under $30.
1. You will need a silicone free sulfate shampoo. This is to clarify any silicones or build up causing ingredients from your hair so you can start with a clean slate. I happened to have Suave Naturals Tropical Coconut Shampoo in my shower. So I didn't spend anything there. But even if I needed to go out and buy some, it's under $2. (I still have that same bottle under my sink, half full. And since I have hard water and color my hair, I clarify with it every 4-6 weeks before coloring.)
2. Silicone free light conditioner for co-washing. Again, I happened to have the Suave Naturals Tropical Coconut Conditioner in my shower, so I just used that. Any of the Suave Naturals or V05 conditioners will work, and they are again under $2.
3. A good silicone free rinse out conditioner. This should be more moisturizing than your co-wash conditioner. I picked up Renpure My Pretty Hair is Parched for around $6, and I still use it a year and a half later! I also picked up some GVP Conditioning Balm from Sally Beauty Supply for around $6. I use this as rinse out in winter, and I add honey and coconut oil to it for my deep conditioning treatments.
4. Optional: A separate conditioner for a leave in. Some use a small amount of their co-wash conditioner or rinse out conditioner, and it works just fine. So that's up to you.
5. Optional: A curl enhancing product. This could be as simple as Aloe Vera Juice (the drinkable kind found with the laxatives) or Aloe Vera Gel (alcohol free, like Fruit of the Earth or Lily of the Desert). A homemade product like Flax Seed Gel found in this list of recipes. Or one of these choices reviewed at WHC product reviews. I prefer Flax Seed Gel (FSG) in all dews. KY jelly (it works!) in normal dews, or AVG (Fruit of the Earth brand, found at Walmart) in low dews. But it's whatever you like.
6. Hair Gel. Most wavies need a pretty strong holding gel to keep thier waves from falling flat as they dry. Don't be scared of ending up with crunchy hair. You can scrunch the crunch out (SOTC - scrunch out the crunch) once your hair is fully dry. Leaving you with soft, defined waves and curls. Some prefer mousse.. but when I started CG, my weak wave pattern demanded the strength of gel.
7. You will need something to scrunch out water, because you will no longer use a terry cloth towel. Terry cloth has a grabby texture that pulls strands free of their clumps and results in frizz. You can start with an old cotton t-shirt if you don't want to run out and buy anything. They work just fine. I prefer flour sack towels. Which can be picked up for around $5 at Walmart. Microfiber towels (yep, the ones found in the automotive section!) work well, also. Particularly if you have thick hair or a weak wave pattern and need a lot of water soaked up off your hair.
8. Optional: A low sulfate shampoo to ease your transition or in case co-washing isn't right for you.
Shower Routine
On your first day, you will use your silicone free sulfate shampoo to clarify your hair. Rinse well. Now use your moisturizing rinse out. Use enough to completely coat your hair (you may want to only coat your hair from the ears down, to prevent flat roots). Gently detangle your hair now, don't brush wavy or curly hair when dry! Only detangle your hair when it is wet and coated with conditioner. You may use your fingers or a wide tooth comb. Squish scrunch the conditioner through your hair, adding more if needed until you can hear it squelching, and it feels like wet seaweed. Now, you can either rinse all this out and add some leave in later, or you can lightly rinse and leave some of this in. I prefer to rinse it all out and add leave in later. It's easier to control the amount left in my hair that way, and I prefer using Shea Moisture Curl and Style Milk as my leave in as opposed to my Renpure.
After your first day, you will begin co-washing. Co-washing involves using the conditioner to lubricate the pads of your fingers as you use friction to scrub excess oil, dirt, skin cells, etc. off of your scalp.
To co-wash, pour your co-wash onto the the pads of your finger on one hand. Transfer some of that to the other hand. Slip your fingers in your hair at the scalp. I like to make sure my scalp is adequately covered with conditioner before I begin scrubbing, so I repeat this step until I feel I have enough conditioner on my scalp. You will now scrub your scalp and roots with the pads of your fingers. This takes quite a bit more scrubbing than shampoo. But it's a great arm workout! Once you have scrubbed, scrubbed, scrubbed and scrubbed some more, continue to scrub while you rinse to make sure the conditioner rinses clean. Then proceed with the conditioning step like above.
Styling
Here you will just need to experiment with what works for you to get you the hair you want. Here is the WHC reviews with links to the most popular wavy styling methods.
But to give you an idea, I will share my styling routine.
I turn my shower to the tub faucet, leaving the water on. I rake probably 2 dime sized dabs of my LI through wet hair, raking out away from my scalp. I then do a modified supersoaker technique (reviews and link can be found above) by bringing cupped hands full of water up to my scalp all over until I have good clump-age. I then flip my head upside down and scrunch a very generous amount of FSG into my hair while I squeeze water out. I do this before stepping out of the shower, because it can get messy! I leave my hair flipped over while I carefully step out and plop my very wet hair into my waiting flour sack towel that I set up on the closed toilet seat before my shower. (Plopping can be found in the above link). I dry off, lotion up, get dressed then take my first plop down, leaving my hair flipped over. I scrunch in a good amount of gel (3-4 palmfuls for my slightly below bra strap length hair) and I plop again in a dry flour sack towel. I leave that one for maybe 30 minutes before I start diffusing on warm heat, low speed until the gel is set (starts to feel a bit crunchy). I aim my diffuser at my roots while I am upside down to get those a little dryer. This does 2 things for me, gives me a little more lift, and helps the rest of my hair dry faster than leaving them damp. Then I air dry the rest of the way. Then scrunch out the crunch when dry.
Putting product (be it just curl enhancer or all your products) into very wet hair helps with definition, clumping, and keeping you frizz free.
There is a transition period as your scalp adjusts to not being stripped of it's natural oils. I recommend just sticking it out for at least a month. But if it bothers you, you can alternate co-washing with low-poo. The transition may take longer, but you won't be as greasy.
If, after a month or 2, co-washing just isn't for you, a gentle low-poo is just fine.
Please keep in mind, however, that clean well moisturized, NOT stripped hair does feel different than the squeaky clean of a sulfate shampoo! It takes getting used to. But once you are used to it, you will start loving it and wonder how you lived all this time with the horrid squeak of a sulfate shampoo.
You will need a few products to get you started. You don't need to get online and spend big bucks on boutique type CG friendly products (such as Deva, Curl Junkie, JessieCurl, and more) unless you want to. I started my journey for under $30.
1. You will need a silicone free sulfate shampoo. This is to clarify any silicones or build up causing ingredients from your hair so you can start with a clean slate. I happened to have Suave Naturals Tropical Coconut Shampoo in my shower. So I didn't spend anything there. But even if I needed to go out and buy some, it's under $2. (I still have that same bottle under my sink, half full. And since I have hard water and color my hair, I clarify with it every 4-6 weeks before coloring.)
2. Silicone free light conditioner for co-washing. Again, I happened to have the Suave Naturals Tropical Coconut Conditioner in my shower, so I just used that. Any of the Suave Naturals or V05 conditioners will work, and they are again under $2.
3. A good silicone free rinse out conditioner. This should be more moisturizing than your co-wash conditioner. I picked up Renpure My Pretty Hair is Parched for around $6, and I still use it a year and a half later! I also picked up some GVP Conditioning Balm from Sally Beauty Supply for around $6. I use this as rinse out in winter, and I add honey and coconut oil to it for my deep conditioning treatments.
4. Optional: A separate conditioner for a leave in. Some use a small amount of their co-wash conditioner or rinse out conditioner, and it works just fine. So that's up to you.
5. Optional: A curl enhancing product. This could be as simple as Aloe Vera Juice (the drinkable kind found with the laxatives) or Aloe Vera Gel (alcohol free, like Fruit of the Earth or Lily of the Desert). A homemade product like Flax Seed Gel found in this list of recipes. Or one of these choices reviewed at WHC product reviews. I prefer Flax Seed Gel (FSG) in all dews. KY jelly (it works!) in normal dews, or AVG (Fruit of the Earth brand, found at Walmart) in low dews. But it's whatever you like.
6. Hair Gel. Most wavies need a pretty strong holding gel to keep thier waves from falling flat as they dry. Don't be scared of ending up with crunchy hair. You can scrunch the crunch out (SOTC - scrunch out the crunch) once your hair is fully dry. Leaving you with soft, defined waves and curls. Some prefer mousse.. but when I started CG, my weak wave pattern demanded the strength of gel.
7. You will need something to scrunch out water, because you will no longer use a terry cloth towel. Terry cloth has a grabby texture that pulls strands free of their clumps and results in frizz. You can start with an old cotton t-shirt if you don't want to run out and buy anything. They work just fine. I prefer flour sack towels. Which can be picked up for around $5 at Walmart. Microfiber towels (yep, the ones found in the automotive section!) work well, also. Particularly if you have thick hair or a weak wave pattern and need a lot of water soaked up off your hair.
8. Optional: A low sulfate shampoo to ease your transition or in case co-washing isn't right for you.
Shower Routine
On your first day, you will use your silicone free sulfate shampoo to clarify your hair. Rinse well. Now use your moisturizing rinse out. Use enough to completely coat your hair (you may want to only coat your hair from the ears down, to prevent flat roots). Gently detangle your hair now, don't brush wavy or curly hair when dry! Only detangle your hair when it is wet and coated with conditioner. You may use your fingers or a wide tooth comb. Squish scrunch the conditioner through your hair, adding more if needed until you can hear it squelching, and it feels like wet seaweed. Now, you can either rinse all this out and add some leave in later, or you can lightly rinse and leave some of this in. I prefer to rinse it all out and add leave in later. It's easier to control the amount left in my hair that way, and I prefer using Shea Moisture Curl and Style Milk as my leave in as opposed to my Renpure.
After your first day, you will begin co-washing. Co-washing involves using the conditioner to lubricate the pads of your fingers as you use friction to scrub excess oil, dirt, skin cells, etc. off of your scalp.
To co-wash, pour your co-wash onto the the pads of your finger on one hand. Transfer some of that to the other hand. Slip your fingers in your hair at the scalp. I like to make sure my scalp is adequately covered with conditioner before I begin scrubbing, so I repeat this step until I feel I have enough conditioner on my scalp. You will now scrub your scalp and roots with the pads of your fingers. This takes quite a bit more scrubbing than shampoo. But it's a great arm workout! Once you have scrubbed, scrubbed, scrubbed and scrubbed some more, continue to scrub while you rinse to make sure the conditioner rinses clean. Then proceed with the conditioning step like above.
Styling
Here you will just need to experiment with what works for you to get you the hair you want. Here is the WHC reviews with links to the most popular wavy styling methods.
But to give you an idea, I will share my styling routine.
I turn my shower to the tub faucet, leaving the water on. I rake probably 2 dime sized dabs of my LI through wet hair, raking out away from my scalp. I then do a modified supersoaker technique (reviews and link can be found above) by bringing cupped hands full of water up to my scalp all over until I have good clump-age. I then flip my head upside down and scrunch a very generous amount of FSG into my hair while I squeeze water out. I do this before stepping out of the shower, because it can get messy! I leave my hair flipped over while I carefully step out and plop my very wet hair into my waiting flour sack towel that I set up on the closed toilet seat before my shower. (Plopping can be found in the above link). I dry off, lotion up, get dressed then take my first plop down, leaving my hair flipped over. I scrunch in a good amount of gel (3-4 palmfuls for my slightly below bra strap length hair) and I plop again in a dry flour sack towel. I leave that one for maybe 30 minutes before I start diffusing on warm heat, low speed until the gel is set (starts to feel a bit crunchy). I aim my diffuser at my roots while I am upside down to get those a little dryer. This does 2 things for me, gives me a little more lift, and helps the rest of my hair dry faster than leaving them damp. Then I air dry the rest of the way. Then scrunch out the crunch when dry.
Putting product (be it just curl enhancer or all your products) into very wet hair helps with definition, clumping, and keeping you frizz free.
There is a transition period as your scalp adjusts to not being stripped of it's natural oils. I recommend just sticking it out for at least a month. But if it bothers you, you can alternate co-washing with low-poo. The transition may take longer, but you won't be as greasy.
If, after a month or 2, co-washing just isn't for you, a gentle low-poo is just fine.
Please keep in mind, however, that clean well moisturized, NOT stripped hair does feel different than the squeaky clean of a sulfate shampoo! It takes getting used to. But once you are used to it, you will start loving it and wonder how you lived all this time with the horrid squeak of a sulfate shampoo.
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