Stop Using Sulfate Shampoo

You may have noticed that more and more products are becoming organic, good for Mother Earth, or green, natural, and healthy, etc. One of these new trends is the removal of sulfates from shampoos. So what is sulfate, why is it in the shampoo, and does that make sulfate-free shampoo better than the shampoo with sulfate?

Sulfate is a shortened version of sodium lauryl sulfate or SLS. It is a relatively inexpensive chemical that is used in shampoos and household cleaning products. It is the ingredient that makes the bubbles which we all associate with cleaning and breaking down of dirt and oil. So when we shampoo our hair, the SLS is responsible for making the foam to let us know we are cleaning our hair of dirt, oil, and other product build-up.

So what happens when we remove the SLS? First thing you will notice is the absence of a lot of foam. You may think that the shampoo is broken, but a good sulfate-free shampoo will clean your hair better than the foamy shampoos of the past. It will take a couple shampoos to convince and rid yourself of the many years of advertising and reinforcing feedback loop that bubbles clean better so more bubbles clean more better.

If the only thing sulfate does is make the shampoo foamy, why get rid of it? During the foaming, SLS generates a high pH level environment. This, we know, opens up the cuticles allowing moisture to escape which is why shampoos that contain sulfate are known to dry your hair out. It is also known to damage colored hair and reduce the brightness of the dye making it very dull. This should also make sense to us since by opening up the cuticles, the SLS and other cleaning agents can now enter the cortex and begin removing the deposited dye.

So next time you are shopping for your next bottle of shampoo at your local beauty supply store, be sure it reads sulfate-free on the front of the bottle. (But I'd check the ingredients on the back label just to be sure!)

Have a blessed weekend!

Stop Using Oil Sheen

You decide that 2014 is the year you break out of your shell. You want to show everyone how glamorous you really are. You ask your weave-wearing friends what they wear. You do the research online to see which weave is going to be your best friend in 2014. You head to the local beauty supply store to make the purchase. You get the weave installed by one of the top hairdressers in your area. You wear the weave until the glamour starts to wear down. You grab your favorite oil sheen to bring back that shine...

After a couple days, your weave goes from looking pretty and shiny to a bird's nest. The hair isn't looking shiny. The hair tangles up badly. 2014 is a bust and you decide to go back into your shell for another year.

If this sounds like something you have experienced, then welcome to the no-more-oil-sheen-on-weave club. So if oil sheen can take that beautiful weave and turn it into a prop from a horror movie, why do they sell it and why did you have a can of it at your house?

Oil sheen is great on human hair, natural or relaxed, that is still on your head. Your hair continues to receive the oils naturally produced from your scalp. But spraying that same oil sheen on the weave will only coat the hair. After a day or two, the oil will act as an adhesive attracting dust and dirt from the air. It will make the hair stick together causing tangling.

Replace that oil sheen with an oil-free shine spray or a liquid leave-in conditioner. Both will give a great shine without the build-up of oil.

Have a blessed week!

Stop Using Rubber Bands

Rubber bands are a super cheap way to pull hair together into a quick hair style. It could be a simple ponytail to the back or maybe two pig tails to the sides. The rubber bands themselves usually cost under a dollar at your local beauty supply store. So what's not to love? I've got 3 reasons why you should stop using rubber bands.

Reason #1 is cuticle damage. The rubber bands place a lot of pressure against the cuticles. This can force open the hair cuticles while causing damage. As the hair moves around, the cuticles can become interlocked and get tangled up. This can lead to the cuticles being ripped off the hair shaft exposing the soft cortex underneath which leads to the second reason...

Reason #2 is hair damage and dryness. As the hair cuticles continue to get battered, the dents and bends can prevent the cuticles from closing properly. This allows moisture to escape from the hair cortex more rapidly leading to dryness. This condition is something we discussed last month: the hair now has high porosity.

Reason #3 is baldness and traction alopecia. Have you noticed that hair can get caught up in the rubber bands when you remove them? The rubber bands are applying so much pressure on the hair that it is literally being pulled out of the head. Over time, this causes a baldness pattern around the hairline called traction alopecia.

So what to use besides rubber bands? Elastic bands. Cloth-covered elastic bands. Scrunchies. Butterfly clamps. Banana clips.

When pulling your hair into a ponytail, don't go for the "neat and tidy" look. You can still cause traction alopecia. It's ok to have some hair a little messy and out of place. You'll want that head full of healthy, shiny hair for those rare good hair days.

Have a blessed weekend!