Shampoos that don’t contain SLS, or sodium lauryl sulfates (or any sulfates for that matter) have really skyrocketed in popularity over the past few years. This is in large part doe to the negative press that SLS has gotten. SLS is a known skin irritant. It dries the skin and hair, as well as the scalp.

It breaks downt he lipid layers (fatty protective layers) of the skin and hair. Sure, this allows for more conditioner to penetrate, but it also can cause unwanted splitting and fraying of the hair, creating a rough and frizzy look. 

Some are so used to the huge foaming capacity of SLS that they would never think a natural shampoo alternative could get their hair truly clean.  We’ve been conditioned to think that high lather equates to cleanliness, but in reality, it often equates to skin and hair damage as well as dryness.

I’ve tried a natural shampoo base that contains only a very mild lathering agent that is often used in childrens and baby shampoos. It also contained apple cider vinegar, which is a natural hair cleansing agent that helps to naturally cleanse the hair and remove old debris to create a smoother, shinier surface.

It worked nicely, however it took me a while to get it out of my head that it didn’t need to have the exact same lathering action that all those commercial brands I’d previously used had. It lathered, but it was a different kind of lather – sort of clumping all my hair together. It even had a somewhat odd aroma – not like the heavily perfumed ones I was used to.

However, what it did do that other shampoos did not was to provide my hair with cleansing, without stripping it of moisture. I also noticed that it stripped the dirt and oil out of my hair, but allowed my conditioner to penetrate much better – without drying it out.

My scalp also felt much healthier. It didn’t feel dry or anything after that, and it wasn’t itchy at all.  I noticed that my hair was shinier after I used it.  There are lots of natural shampoos out there, some use castille soap, and others use other mild surfactants that are of a much gentler nature than sodium lauryl sulfate.

I recently went on a long overdue trip to the beauty salon to get my hair cut. It had been almost six months, and my hair was becoming a haven for split ends, and it just looked too long and straggly. In my misguided attempt to grow my hair out, I totally avoided the barber’s shears for too long.

Every time I go, they seem to take off just a little too much length for me. Even if I say half an inch, I end up coming out with at least two inches cut off the bottom. Not that it’s all that bad – of course it makes your hair look way healthier. However, it makes me leery of going because they just take too much off.

At any rate, this last trip I learned a valuable lesson about how to blow my hair dry and give it much more body and a prettier shape. It was some sort of method the stylist called over brushing or combing – something to that effect.

I’ve always had a hard time with getting more volume around the crown of my hair. I asked her how to remedy that. She said it’s really important to get a high quality large round brush.  This helps to lift the hair away from the root and create more body and volume – it also reduce blow drying time which makes it better for your hair since there is less heat contact.

She showed me how to take the round brush and dig it under the crown of the hair and the top of the head. She said to then take it over to the OPPOSITE side of where you normally part your hair.  This creates more volume and  more body because you are blowing it dry for a few seconds in the opposite direction of where the part will ultimately lie.

It really does work too. I had a nicely rounded crown, and it had noticeably more body than when I just blow dry everything in a straight forward way, straight down and out.  This way, I get the volume at the roots and it helps my hair look fuller throughout the whole day.

I also added a little Bumble and Bumble hair spray for a root boost – it’s a thickening hair spray, so it helps to naturally boost the roots and create the illusion of fuller, bouncier hair.

I may have just found my newest favorite dry hair treatment for when my hair looks tired and fried (even though I don’t bleach it or chemically treat it – go figure!).  It’s actually a very inexpensive treatment that is available at Sally Beauty Supply that I happened to try out one time when I had a really good coupon.

I had to buy a certain amount to get five bucks off, so I threw this cylindrical container of hair stuff in my basket, thinking I probably wouldn’t even like it that much.  At the time I bought it, it was under ten bucks. Now I see it’s a little more, but that’s not bad for how much you get and for how thick the product is.

It comes in a large jar, and a little bit of this super thick emollient hair conditioner will go quite a long ways.  It has a very pleasant scent to it, and I usually hate scented hair products. But this one was definitely pleasant without being overbearing.

The formula for KeraPRO restorative intensive dry hair treatment is made with keratin proteins and fatty (lipid) ingredients that help to coat and saturate the hair to make it softer and more manageable.

The first day I used this product, it was a pretty hot day.  My hair behaved amazingly well. I also noticed that it was really easy to comb through and usually my hair is a tangled mess when I get out of the shower.

My hair also looked smoother and more “calm”. It looked more saturated with moisture instead of dry. I did notice the effects wore off in about a day though. So I think that this would be good for people who like to wash their hair daily.

For me, I would like it to last another day or two since I’m not an every day hair washer.  But this product is a great intensive hair conditioner for a reasonable price. I would say it’s probably comparable to high end conditioners with the same idea, such as the argan oil treatments that are so popular now. I got just about the same results, so why spend more when you don’t have to?

Well, I’m officially stuck on using more natural hair coloring products since my scalp really started to burn after using the ones with all the chemicals in them for so long. I know I did a lot of damage to my hair, and more importantly my scalp, which absorbed all those nasty chemicals for all those years, but at least I can take corrective action going forward.

So, I’ve used a few different kinds of natural haircolor now, and I must say, you get just as good results as you do with the other stuff. In fact, I like the more natural options without the peroxides, the resorcinols, the ammonia, and all that other damaging stuff much better.

The latest one I’ve tried, I ordered from Amazon for about fifteen bucks, which isn’t bad at all. It is higher than other boxed haircolors that you can find at your local retailer, but it’s worth it to me to know that I’m not absorbing and breathing in all those noxious chemicals and fumes.

It’s called Tints of Nature, and apparently it is sold in multiple parts of the world judging by the label and directions, which are listed in several different languages. This natural haircolor brand has no resorcinol, no parabens, no ammonia and it also contains several organic ingredients.

I could honestly care less about he organic part, the part that is more important to me is that it doesn’t contain the harsh chemicals.  The color I bought in the Tints of Nature brand is the 5N color, which is a light natural brown. I wanted to go with the rich chocolate brown, but I thought that might turn out a bit too dark for my liking and a little bit too severe for the summer time.

I’ll probably try that one out in the fall now that I know I like it. Tints of Nature natural hair color was great for several reasons. First off, it works just like other boxed haircolors, in that you just dump one bottle into another, shake it up and apply it. You keep the hair color on for thirty minutes, or forty if you have stubborn greys.

You then rinse it out, just like you do with other haircolors. I noticed a distinct absence of fumes, and my scalp did not burn at all, which was great. The only complaint I have about this natural hair dye is that the conditioner packet that came with it didn’t contain nearly enough for my long hair.

I felt like I couldn’t get enough in my hair to detangle and soften it, so I added my own conditioner to the mix, and left it on for a while too. The color came out very rich looking, although I would have preferred it look a bit warmer (but I think that was my color choice, which I’m switching to the chocolate brown next time).

Overall review of Tints of Nature : great stuff, no harsh chemicals, and my hair didn’t look all dried out and fried afterwards.

I’m one of those people that absolutely despises washing my hair. As a result of my hate/hate relationship with hair washing, I often go two to three days between washes.

I know this is unheard of for some people, especially those who either have a naturally more oily scalp and need the hair washing every day, or people who have been brainwashed into believing you are somehow “dirty” or gross if you don’t wash your hair every single day.

I’ve always had oily skin, and struggled with acne when I was younger, but my scalp is a different story. It has always been pretty dry, and prone to dandruff. Although sometimes going three days without washing (I usually do two) can make the dandruff worse, I believe that going every two actually helps my scalp to preserve its moisture a bit better.

However, I’ll admit, when I go on that second day, especially if it’s a humid time period (like this summer, it’s been beastly here in Ohio), I notice that my hair loses its sheen and bounciness on the second day. The third day this is especially true. It needs “refreshing” so to speak, and I often will turn to a leave in conditioner or shine enhancing spray.

The one I just got done using was fantastic. It’s by Alterna, which is a high end hair care product maker. It’s their anti aging line, and it’s an anti aging conditioning hair spray that comes out in a very fine mist.

The only problem I had with the product was the smell, which was too heavily perfumed and talc-y smelling for my personal taste, and the fact that the spray atomizer on the bottle clogged too often for such a high end product. There were many times I would try to get the spray out several times and it wouldn’t work until the tenth or eleventh spray.

Not sure if it was the viscosity of the product or the fact that it had a really cheap spraying mechanism, but it was an annoying problem I didn’t expect to deal with on a more expensive hair product.

Now, I’ve purchased the Aveeno wheat protein line of refreshing conditioning spray. At five bucks a bottle, the price is more than agreeable, and I’m anxious to see whether it imparts the same glossy shine with out the heavy feeling, like the Alterna product  did so well.

I will report back to you on how the Aveeno leave in conditioning spray works shortly!

I wanted to take a little bit to talk about some beauty products that I consider must-haves for the summer time. Especially for this particular summer, which happens to be a very hot one for many people.

East coast, west coast, you name it. We are ALL having some pretty severe heat and humidity waves, and it’s taking a toll not only on our bodies but also on our looks!

One of the biggest essentials for me this summer has been a great anti frizz hair serum or cream. I’m currently using the L’Oreal sulfate free line of anti frizz cream.

I like it, but I find that it works much better when I use what feels like too much to me. I’m not big on putting a ton of gunk in my hair because I don’t like it to feel weighed down, but with this stuff, it’s a light and watery enough cream that my hair doesn’t feel disgusting with more than usual in it.

I notice that if I am liberal with the application, my hair tends to fall more into it’s correct place when I blow it dry. It’s not the type of product that I feel I need to wait a day to get good results in other words. My hair actually looks decent when I blow it dry (well, most of the time!)

The second must-have beauty product for the summer time (any summer time, not just hot sticky ones) is a self tanner. At least a good one for the face and legs. Other than that, I’m finding that I really can’t stand to put self tanners on my belly and other body parts, so I rely on the sun or a tanning booth for that (yes, I do tan occasionally, I believe it can actually be constructive if you use it correctly).

I like to give my face color especially and give it that sun kissed glow. I hate having a white face or a face that looks ashen or unhealthy in the summer time, and self tanner helps me get that look without tanning it with the sun.

My face is one body part I still refuse to expose to the sunlight, as I definitely notice sun damage almost instantly when I do nowadays.

Now, for my last summer time essential beauty tool. Blush. I used to not be big on blush at all. However, I find that if you use it sparingly, it can really add some healthy looking color to your face.

I like to swipe a bit on my forehead, my cheeks (under the bone, that’s how it looks best on me, on the apple of my cheeks tends to make me look strange, decide how it looks best on you, it could be different).

I like that it give that instant color and a little bit of definition and depth as well.  It goes great with a nice self-tan on the face also. I like to use a pinkish color as I find this gives the healthiest, freshest look. I stay away from peaches.

Whether your hair is short or long, there’s nothing more fun than purchasing a new hair accessory to give you a boost.  Throughout history, women have been adorning their hair with a wide variety of clips, barrettes, headbands and ribbons.

So, it’s no wonder that the latest craze in fashion hair accessories is in a most unlikely, yet original, area.  The latest fashion trend in hair accessories for women is fly -tie feathers that are usually used for fishing lures.

Fly shop owners and managers have been caught off-guard with the sudden high demand from hair stylists looking for fly-tie feathers.  It’s an unexpected challenge to try to keep up with the unprecedented increased need for these suddenly fashionable items.

The fad was started by vocalist, Steven Tyler, of Aerosmith, who began wearing the fly-tie feathers in his long locks.  So, this fad can be for men or women.

The fishing lures so suddenly stylish are called hackles and they are long skinny rooster feathers.  And, as business and economic facts go, when the demand is high and the supply is low, the price goes up.

The feathers are being sold online and getting much higher prices than usual.  The feathers are not that easy to come by is the first place since they come from roosters that are specially bred for their unique plumage.

When the feathers are used in hair extensions, they can be either brushed, blown dry or curled.  In beauty salons, the feather strands are usually sold for about $5.00 or $10.00 per piece and that is subject to change as the supply lessens.

As to how most fly fishing stores are handling this latest fashion craze, they are favoring their regular customers and some managers are not selling them for hairstyling uses.  The wholesale suppliers to these stores are favoring their regular customers too.  Their philosophy is looking at the long-run of their businesses.

As with any fashion fad, the demand will die down and the suppliers and shops will have to rely on the true anglers and fishermen to keep them in business. This trend has caused some husbands and boyfriends to be possessive of their fishing lure stock telling their wives and girlfriends to stay out of it.

It may be a difficult time for women to buy fishing lures as shop owners may assume they are buying them for hairstyling uses and not want to sell them the feathers.  The cost increase really is remarkable with a typical package of rooster feathers that used to be about $60.00 now selling for anywhere from $200.00 to $400.00.

Women have lots of options, and men as well, when it come to their hair color.  Many women and men start dying their hair when the grays start to set in around middle age.  The choice, in this case, is often to keep your hair as close to it’s natural color as possible so you can maintain your hair by just retouching the roots as the gray hair returns.

Many people, younger and older, opt to dye their hair a different color to change up or brighten their appearance or to make a statement.  One of the hottest trends lately is changing hair color to the bold color of red.  Red hair is striking and commands attention and that explains the attraction to this color recently. 

All color treated hair requires extra care to keep the color shiny and vibrant.  People who have had their hair dyed to a shade of red need to pay even more attention to the maintenance of their color in between root touch-ups.  Hairstylists recommend that their clients who have chosen to have their locks dyed red have gloss treatments in between root touch-ups.

Another recommendation for the redheads is to use a hair mask once a week to condition and maintain the color and shine.  This practice is good advice to anyone who has color treated hair to maintain their color’s vitality. For the color treated redheads, there are shampoos that have red in them and state that they’ll put color back into the hair. 

The drawback to these products is that they can be very drying to your hair.  Therefore, most stylists recommend using them sparingly, no more often than once every two weeks.

The sun can fade any color treated hair, but the shades of red are the most susceptible to the U-V bleaching action.  To avoid this problem, one can use a U-V protectant cream or hair spray prior to going out in the sun. 

To make a change in your hair color, be very selective about the hairstylist you choose.  This is so important with any hair color change, but it is particularly important when you’re changing to a shade of red.  The shades of red are the most difficult to get to absorb into the hair and they are the toughest to get out of the hair. 

The manner in which your stylist prepares your color for your shade of red with the correct amount of toners and glosses will determine how well your color lasts.

Last week I reviewed a new product that I found at Sally’s Beauty Supply called Brazilian Tech by One ‘n Only.  It’s a little known line of haircare products (only shampoo, conditioner and an intensive conditioner treatment that I know of), which helps to keep frizz tamed even in the frizziest of climates and environments.

I have really liked using the products so far, and have found that, in combination with flat ironing my hair with the Sedu flat iron to make it flatter, skinnier and overall more humidity resistant.

I can’t say for sure what the science is behind the Sedu flat iron making my hair so frizz resistant, but if I had to guess, I would say that it is because it helps to flatten the cuticle and seal the hair shaft against humidity.

Humidity does a few things to make your hair unruly. When it is able to get into the hair shaft and penetrate the cuticle, which is the protective layer on the outer part of the individual hairs, is expands the hair by absorbing into the porous parts of it.

To make this a lot less likely, the absolute first thing that you have to be concerned with is keeping your hair MOISTURIZED.  This means using intensive treatments at least once a week so that you can ensure your hair doesn’t get dried out.

The drier your hair is, the more the humidity is going to penetrate it and make it “big”.  When your hair is dry, or over processed by dying and other chemical process, it is very porous, which means it sucks everything up like a sponge.

If you saturate it in moisture as often as you can with intensive moisture treatments, you saturate the pores of the hair so that they have no room for humidity to make them way bigger. 

Sealing your hair with a flat iron as soon as you can after completely blowing it dry (make sure it is totally dry) will help ensure that you seal out that humidity.  When you step into the mugginess, it helps your hair repel the moisture better. 

A good moisturizing, smoothing hair creme will also help your hair to maintain a smooth, glossy finish for about two days before you even need to wash it again, unless you have an incredibly oily scalp and have to wash your hair every day.

Many of us associate the word, perm, with waiting until the frizzy look to grow out and about a year of regret until it does.  Perms have changed since yesteryear and women are wanting the tousled curly look again.  Bigger, bouncier hair is in now, and flat, thin and totally straight hair, while it has its place still, is falling out of favor.

Today’s perms have more appealing and even glamorous names such as solar technique, helicopter wrap and texturizing treatment.  The newer perms have a more organic curl as a result and you don’t have to wait a month for your permed hair to settle down.

Perm manufacturers have made their newer perms less harsh but they do still have chemicals.  The new milder perms are easier on anyone’s hair which is very important for people with color treated hair.  Some of the newer versions of perms are even ammonia free.

Styling salons have a variety of perm styles to give you the type of curl you want for your hair.  The different kinds of curls are created by different types of rolling techniques combined with different perm solutions to give you just the kind of look you want.

Salons are recently seeing a surge in customers seeking curls again.  For customers who have recently received keratin treatments to straighten their hair, they will have to wait a period of time before having a perm done until the keratin treatment wears off.

If you are desiring a curly look for your hair, consult with your hair stylist to see what is available for you .  Stylists recommend consultation and even bringing in photographs for the kind of end result you want from your perm.

Photographs can clarify exactly what you have in mind instead of just asking, for example, that you would like a loose curl.  Your idea of loose curls and your stylist’s can be two completely different looks.  Stylists usually use larger rods to curl your hair when perming it to give you a more natural looking loose curl today.

So, perms don’t have to have that scary sound that they used to.  Don’t be afraid to ask your stylist if you think you’d like a new, loosely curled look for your hair.  The really important part is also making sure you use great hair care products as follow up to your perm.

A good haircare product can mean the difference between beautiful, bouncy, vibrant hair and dull, limp frizzy and lifeless hair.