Be fair to your hair & Go Sulfate Free

Give your Locks a Chance!

5 SIMPLE TIPS FOR HEALTHIER HAIR.

Every woman, maybe even man wants that moment. That slow-motion moment where you move your head and it naturally flips and cascades down with shimmer and bounce. That is what we call a 90's herbal essence commercial, a 80's/90's teen movie where dream girl enters the scene or having ridiculously healthy hair. Obviously everyone's hair is totally different, but there are simple ways we can improve the way we treat our hair which is the way it will treat us.

First | Make sure to trim your dead ends. Its so simple and its the rule everyone knows, yet is the most frequently ignored rule. Split ends, like most other awful detriments, tend to latch on, and continue to grow. If they are not nipped in the butt early enough, they will grow up towards the center of your hair. For more dry, brittle hair you should go every few weeks until your luscious locks are revived. Although for healthy hair you can go every few months to keep it up. I sometimes am guilty of neglecting this rule too. Both photos are of regular air-dried hair. The blog post with that before photo is how I realized how badly I needed to get a trim. The After photo you can really see the vast difference in my hair's texture, shine and of course the ends. Getting regular trims is really the best thing you can do.

Second | Use a deep conditioning mask once a week. This is like a leave-in conditioner on steroids. I love one by a company called Macadamia. Stay tuned for a post on their fabulous products coming soon.

Third | When you use heat, don't subject your hair to abuse and being beat. Try to always use the lower heat settings to avoid scorching or burning your hair. Never put irons on wet or even barely damp hair (this is how I really destroyed my ends). Lastly always use a heat protector which besides protecting, it also helps the heat adhere to your hair. I use Chi iron guard when I curl my hair and it works great.

Fourth | Be gentle. Don't vigorously rub the towel against your luscious locks. If you want them to be extra luxurious remember they are most vulnerable when wet and extra fragile. You want to gently pat your hair dry. Also try to use a natural oil, keratin or amino acid when getting out of the shower after you towel dry. Then comb through starting at the bottom and working your way up.

(the L'OREAL Sulfate Free line: Ever Pure, Ever Strong, Ever Sleek, Ever Creme. )

Fifth | Last, and definitely not least lets talk the basic care. Shampoo and conditioner. Its the one necessary thing we all use. Lather, rinse, condition and rinse- pretty simple. So we all know the importance of not washing every day, but instead every other day. Although what most people don't pay attention to is what is in their shampoo and conditioners. Almost every shampoo and conditioner unless it clearly states otherwise has something called sulfates in it. For those who do not know this is a cheap lathering detergent that is most commonly in household cleaning products. So imagine scrubbing your counters and then scrubbing your hair. Seems intense.

It is harsh and totally unnecessary. For the most part its American Shampoos that are consumed by this cheap lathering chemical, although we are not the only ones. We need to recognize that even those fancy brands that are in their own aisle that sell for about $20 a bottle still aren't good enough for our hair, unless it says: sulfate free. Unless it says it, the $20 bottle is no better than that old school Herbal Essence that we only bought in the 90's because it smelled so good or maybe it was those commercials.

Non-Sulfate free shampoos are proven to actually dry out your hair. So while you are buying deep moisture shampoos and other supposed magical potion like conditioners to replenish the luster in your hair you may also be robbing it simultaneously. These NSF shampoos also fade color and tarnish the shade. So bottom line: use sulfate free.

The only down side to a sulfate free is that sometimes you may get build-up, which is an issue for most shampoos anyway. I find alternating between a few different brands helps, but a NY Times article suggests using a"clarifying low-sulfate shampoo called the Aqualizer"(article here). I think I need to find this product. I will say I have defiantly seen and felt a difference since switching to only sulfate free shampoos for about a year now. I suggest you do to.

I've posted what I currently alternate in my shower now. I will say I love the Keratin Complex the best, the Bed Head Superstar works really well if you only use it occasionally, it really volumizes my thick/fine textured hair as well. I really like the Umberto Sulfate free repair shampoo too, it has a very nice and thick lather (but not sudsy, sudsy is never sulfate free) and is the most moisturizing shampoo I've ever used.

Now let's talk the L'Oreal line. Great in theory, great for the price point. I really loved them at first, I still love the Ever Creme line. The rest however I felt were not as good, especially the Ever Sleek line, it left my hair sort of greasy and the shampoo felt like it didn't lather or clean my hair at all. I recently heard L'Oreal added a volumizing edition that could be the best yet, but I still need to try it to believe it. So there you have it; Go Sulfate Free and read the labels. Not just a rule for your food anymore, we have to be conscious of all products we introduce to our bodies.