Hair-Healthy Products

"Quality hair care products combined with the proper hair care techniques can make a difference in the overall quality of our hair" (Davis-Sivasothy, 2011).

More than anything, hair must be properly moisturized. Moisturized hair is pliable and therefore less prone to breakage. Breakage caused by dryness is the most common cause of hair breakage.

However, hair that is too pliable (or stretchy) is also prone to breakage. This does not mean that one should limit his/her hair moisturizing. Rather, when hair breaks due to being too pliable it simply lacks protein. Doing a deep protein treatment weekly until hair is less stretchy and is stronger is the remedy.

As you are probably starting to realize, the key to achieving healthy hair is a balancing act between adequate moisture and protein. This is why it is essential to use products that help you to establish this balance. However, most commercial brand products contain complex chemicals to aid in a product's fragrance, consistency, texture. While these chemicals may make products more marketable, they can be damaging to our hair. This is why I make many of the products I use.

In this page, I will discuss the importance/purpose and harm of particular product types and what to look for on products labels. I will also give recipes for some of the products I make.

Hair Cleaning:

Cleansing the hair is extremely important because it fulfills hair's need for moisture. Forget what you've heard about water drying your hair out. Water is nature's primary moisturizer!

If you have ever experienced dryness after shampooing or conditioning your hair, the dryness is more likely a result of the products used.

• Shampoos (consist of 40-70% water, surfactants, thickeners, proteins, foam boosters, etc)
• Formulated at a slightly higher pH balance than hair in order to lift cuticles so that product buildup underneath cuticles can be removed. This is why it is essential to ALWAYS USE A CONDITIONER AFTER SHAMPOOING- otherwise your cuticles will remain lifted and moisture will be impossible to keep in.
• Pretty much all commercial shampoo formulas contain sulfates. These are harsh detergents used to remove oils and product residues from hair and scalp. They strip hair of its natural oils (sebum produced in the subcutaneous layer of the scalp). Stripping shampoos led to dryness, splitting and breakage over time.
• While standard shampoos may be necessary occasionally (i.e. after swimming, after a style that required lots of product, or once a month to remove product build-up), they are not needed on a weekly basis. Instead, either use a sulfate-free shampoo, or better yet, co-wash (use conditioner to wash your hair).
• Personally, I co-wash my hair (using the pictured cleansing conditioner to the right) about once or twice a week. I also substitute the co-wash for a sulfate-free shampoo every month or two. Please note: I saw this co-wash in Sally's, gave it a try and liked it. However, previously I have used regular silicone free conditioners and have liked washing my hair that way also.

• Conditioners
• Conditioners are designed to restore moisture lost during shampooing.
• They are water-based, low-pH products used to smooth and soften cuticles. They also contain humectants, moisturizers, oils and some contain proteins.
• Their ability to condition depends on their pH, the condition of the hair, and the size of the conditioner molecules (when molecules are too big they are unable to penetrate the hair cuticle to reach the cortex of the hair fiber)
• Your hair care arsenal should consist of at least 2 different conditioners to restore/ maintain a solid protein-moisture balance (You do not need to use all 2-3 each time you wash your hair. Rather, choose which one to use based on what your hair has been through that week or what your hair is telling you it is lacking).
• Conditioners you should have include:
• a moisturizing conditioner- usually used after each wash
• a protein conditioner- usually used every 2-3 shampoos (see recipe for awesome homemade protein-deep conditioner)
• a protein treatment (reconstructor)- usually used every 4-6 weeks (optional)
• Personally, after co-washing my hair I condition with Aubrey Organics Honeysuckle Rose Moisturizing Conditioner one week. The next week I switch to Aubrey Organics Glycogen Protein Balancing Conditioner (but this week I will use the homemade Greek Yogurt protein deep-conditioner featured in the above video instead). So, you see, I switch my deep-conditioning treatment sessions weekly. One week I focus on deep-moisturizing and the next deep protein-moisturizing. Also, sometimes I mix both conditioners together!

Hair Moisturizing:

• Why:
• Daily wear and tear causes us to lose much of our hair's natural moisture due to:
• Drying effects of the elements such wind and the sun.
• Styling techniques such as blow drying, flat ironing and other forms of direct heat, which pull moisture out of the hair in order to flatten and straighten the hair fiber.
• Product build-up:Sometimes water never makes it into our hair fibers because it is blocked by layers of oils and silicones that have build-up on the hair fiber
• Therefore, regular moisturizing  (misting, wetting or conditioning) is necessary to keep the hair's elasticity within normal ranges and reduce breakage when the hair is manipulated.
• What to use:
• Good moisturizers contain water as the first ingredient, followed by humectants, blended emollients and oils (do not use moisturizers with petrolatum, mineral oil or lanolin oil as these are synthetic oils that coat the cuticle layers thus preventing moisture absorption into the hair fibers).
• Moisturizers come in many forms:
• Sprays are good for fine hair and braids
• Heavier moisturizing creams and custards are best for thicker or coarser hair textures
• Most leave-in conditioners serve as good moisturizers
• Personally, I mix aloe vera juice, rose water (optional), vegetable glycerin, and water in a spray bottle and mist my hair every morning and night.
• When:
• Moisturize hair several times a week (at least every 3-4 days) and when it feels dry
• NOTE: oils and greases are not moisturizers, they actually repel water (I will discuss good oils in the next section)

Hair Sealing:

• Always seal your hair with an oil or butter AFTER applying a moisturizer (if you oil first, moisture will be blocked from reaching under hair cuticles).
• Why:
• A light coat of oil on top of moisturizer seals in moisture
• Prevents outside humidity from frizzing hair
• What to use:
• Natural oils that are derived from plants, flowers, seeds and fruits.
• Natural oils form a light, semi-permeable film on cuticle to seal in moisture but they wear off or penetrate into hair fiber quick (which is why they can be used multiple times before washing hair, unlike synthetic oils).
• Natural Butters are also derived from plants (or other oils) and are good for hair that requires more weight or hair that is difficult to keep moisturized.
• Heavier oils and butters seal better and for longer than lighter oils, however, if your hair is fine go with the lighter oils so your hair isn't weighted down.
• Saturated oils are best to penetrate through hair fibers ( coconut oil, castor oil, olive oil, jojoba oil, shea butter and most other natural butters).
• When:
• After moisturizing hair
• NOTE: When I recommend these oils and butters, I am not referring to commerical hair products (i.e. the commerical brand Olive Oil). You will not find these natural oils and butters in hair stores- you will find them in natural food stores such as Whole Foods. The only ingredient in these oils and butters is the ingredient on the label (i.e. the only ingredient in 100% natural coconut oil is coconut oil).
• Personally, after I moisturize my hair using my water, Aloe vera juice, rose water, and vegetable glycerin mix I seal my hair with either coconut oil or my shea butter mix (which is a mixture of raw shea butter, coconut oil, castor oil and olive oil- or which ever natural oils I have on hand. I also recently added Jojoba oil).

Hair Styling:

Many hair styles require additional products on top of shampoos, conditioners and moisturizers such as styling gels and holding sprays. While occasionally these types of products are necessary, keep in mind that the ingredients in these products (usually alcohols) can be very damaging to hair when used consistently. Get in the habit of reading product labels, and look for products with water as a top ingredient followed by natural humectants (glycerin, honey) and moisturizers (aloe vera, etc).

View the video below for a quick and easy recipe for Flax seed hair gel. I use this stuff when I wear buns, ponytails, twists and on twistouts and braidouts. It is pretty moisturizing to the hair while still providing a nice smoothing effect and a gentle hold that can be brushed out.