 When negotiating the terrain that is natural hair, the feelings that surface range in depth and complexity to hopelessness and apathy toward a part of a beautiful heritage that is the crown of hair on top of heads. Structurally our hair begins growth in our scalp. Blood vessels send supplies of blood to our hair follicles. When our scalp is clean, supple, stimulated to grow and free of compounds that negatively affect it, it is then free to deliver a healthy environment for hair to grow. We will explore 4 areas that can affect our scalp and hair.
The second is physically. When we lay our heads down at night, hair comes in contact with the material of sheets and pillowcases. Throughout the night heads move back and forth causing friction between the hair and the material. This results in damage to the ends of hair leading to hair breakage. Also, what we do through our haircare routine has an impact. Using narrow toothed combs on thick density hair causes snagging. Finger detangling helps keep the tension down. Heat also has an impact. High heat causes hair to become dry, resulting in breakage. The third is environmentally. The weather has a huge impact on our hair. Pollution, humidity, or “wet” environments all factor into how our hair responds. Pollution holds molecules that are small enough to sink into our hair. (think of smoke) Those molecular can internally damage hair shafts. Environments that are humid can affect moisture levels of our hair as much as wet environments can cause hair to frizz. The fourth is nutritional/dietary. What we put into our bodies, translates to how well we look after our body. Food high in nutritional value will be turned into compounds that help prompt healthy scalps which leads to healthy hair. On the other side diets that are high in processed food groups lack the vitamins and minerals needed to create and maintain optimal scalp environments. Health conditions also can fall into this category as our body tries to compensate for any deficiencies. With a willingness to learn and understand how these four areas impact our scalp and hair, it is possible to establish haircare routines that help promote hair growth and a healthy scalp.
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 In this post we’ll explore hair care product goals that may influence a purchase. Goals such as:
When picking a product that is rich in moisture an indicator is that Water (Aqua) is the first ingredient listed in the product. When hair is moist is it is able to remain supple and soft. Dry hair tends to be more frizzy and harder to comb. Hair breakage can be more of a factor as the hair is not as strong as when it is hydrated. Water is not the only moisture we can use for hair hydration. Aloe Vera Juice is good at moisturizing hair as well as supplying other benefits. If you decide to use Aloe juice, diluting it with water is as a good place to start. Another alternative to water and Aloe Vera Juice is looking at the by-product of Essential Oil steam distillation known as Hydrosols. Hydrosols are made when Essential oils are extracted from plant material using water. Once the oils have been made the steam is allowed to reconstitute back into liquid form. The water has all the properties of the plant material and like aloe vera juice can hydrate hair with the benefits of that particular plant. Detangling properties that won’t weigh hair down Hair becomes tangled when hair fibers rub against each other. With raised cuticles, each time the hair moves the shafts get caught causing them to become stuck together. Picking a product with properties that help untangle the shafts will make management between washes better. Conditioning agents such as cationic surfactants, conditioning polymers and emollients can bond with hair fibers, helping to smooth the cuticle thus improve manageability and detangling the hair. Examples of such ingredients include Cetrimonium chloride, Cetyl Alcohol and Sweet Almond Oil. Sealant to keep hair hydrated Preventing the loss of moisture from your hair keeps it from going dry. Environmental factors contribute to how quick moisture is lost. As mentioned before dry hair suffers from breakage. Making sure the ends of hair are protected reduces hair breakage, resulting in the retention of hair length. Butters and oils such as Shea butter, Mango butter, Flaxseed oil and Grapeseed oil can form a film around the hair that helps lock in moisture and also protect the ends of hair. Some ingredient also pull moisture from the air into the hair shaft. Glycerin is an example of an ingredient that draws moisture to hair. Know your ingredients Vital to helping pick a product that has the potential to help your hair is knowing what is in the product. The first 5 ingredients of any product should indicate the function of the product. For instance, in a product description that says it will soften and moisture hair the first 5 may include
 The question, as the title, is an authentic one. Exactly how do you choose what to buy? What goes on in your mind when you think about parting with your money? What factors do you consider when holding a product container in your hand or ponder an online purchase? Valid questions......Right!? Choosing a product that will nourish and grow your hair can be a daunting task. Where do you start and how do you know you are making a wise purchasing choice? I love how these questions are relevant and real! In this post let’s discover the whys behind choosing quality products based on ingredients rather than price. If we are truly honest the decision to purchase starts way before we actually exchange our money for product. Internal conversations about our self-worth, identity and understanding as well as limited funds (for some) propel us to look for the cheapest item instead of the most beneficial. Let’s add in the power of promotion, (marketing) and our choice is even harder. When deciding what to purchase the end goal is always at the forefront of our minds. If we desire hair that feels soft and doesn’t look dry then ingredients that help give and retain moisture is our goal. If we want hair that is long and easy to manage then ingredients that help prevent breakage and others that detangle are necessary. If we want a healthy scalp then ingredients that help fight scalp conditions is a must. All of these goals have the theme of product ingredients that calls to be given space for consideration. Knowing what ingredients do is key in understanding why product "X" may work better than "Y". Quality products find a part of their starting point in quality ingredients! So why should we be choosing quality products:
Choosing a product that will nourish and grow your hair can be a daunting task. To overcome the overwhelmingness [Yes, I made up a word ;)] of the task, understanding the whys is a great place start.  |
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September 2023
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