Hair Tip – Keep Your Hair Hydrated with a Daily Leave-In

hair tip - keep hair moist with a daily leave-in

Hello Lovelies!

When I first started my hair journey, I would moisturize my hair only when I washed it and styled it, and because I washed and styled my hair every three days, my hair suffered from dryness in between washing sessions. It took me THREE years to realize that this was the reason my hair was always so dry, so to solve dryness issues in between cleansing sessions, I now use a daily leave-in to keep my hair moist, supple, and most importantly tangle free in between washes.

My favorite daily leave-in is the John Frieda Frizz Ease Daily Nourishment Leave-In Conditioning Spray, and I just love it because it smells amazing and my hair always feels like it’s been freshly deep conditioned after using it. I bought two bottles, one for home and one to carry around in my purse, yes, it’s that serious.

The John Frieda works for all hair types, but if you have curlier hair and would like a leave-in that’s specially customized to keep curlier hair moist and tangle-free, check out some of my recommended leave-in conditioners below, and don’t forget to spritz your hair everyday!

4 Ingredients You Never Want To Find In Your Hair Products…Like Ever!

By Renee Price

Hello Lovelies!
Are you reading the ingredients list on your hair products? Well if you aren’t you should be. Reading the ingredients on a bottle of shampoo is just as important as reading the list of ingredients in your cheese (seriously, read the ingredients in a typical package of cheese; you might be surprised!). It’s just as important to know what you’re putting on your body, in this instance your hair and scalp, as it is to know what you’re putting inside of your body.

Similar to how food’s purpose is to nourish the body, hair care products are meant to nourish, strengthen, and protect the hair. Your hair care products should not cause you harm or even put you at risk of suffering a harmful reaction. However, as evidence continues to emerge that many of the foods we routinely consume contain a lot of scary ingredients, similar information is coming forth about the ingredients in hair care products.

The hair care industry has undergone this transformation where “natural,” “non-toxic” ingredients is all the rage, but there’s still some pretty scary stuff that’s making its way into the products we use on our hair. Unfortunately, the FDA does not regulate cosmetic or beauty products or the ingredients used to formulate them, so it’s up to us to evaluate the products we use on our hair and the ingredients in them. I’ve created a short list of the top four ingredients you never, ever want to find in your hair care products, and if you happen to come across a product that contains one or more of these ingredients, stay far, far away!

Placenta

This is perhaps the worst ingredient ever used to formulate hair products. If you have a hair product that lists placenta as one of its ingredients, throw it away now and contemplate filing a lawsuit.

Seriously though, I don’t understand how it’s not criminal to still include this ingredient in beauty products because several studies have shown that placental extracts cause cancer. Placental extract is just a fancy term for hormones like progesterone and estrogen, both of rich have been proven to alter DNA and increase the risk of reproductive cancers.

Placental-based ingredients are often included in hair products that are popular among African American women for their ability to accelerate hair growth and thicken the hair. In addition to elevating the instances of cancer in this demographic, placental extracts have been linked to early puberty, with some girls showing signs of puberty as early as 7 years old. SEVEN YEARS OLD! Placental extracts are often found in anti-aging creams for their ability to draw in moisture and plump the skin. This is primarily how the ingredient works in hair too. It simply draws in extra moisture, creating the illusion of thicker, fuller strands. There are other products, safer products, that do the same thing, perhaps even better, so it’s not worth risking your lifetime exposure to DNA-altering hormones like estrogen by using products that contain this absolutely terrifying ingredient.

Certain Alcohols

So there’s a common misconception that all alcohols are bad for your hair, and this couldn’t be further from the truth. Some alcohols are actually good for your hair because they draw in more moisture and add slip to certain hair products, such as conditioners, which makes it easier to detangle the hair while it’s wet. The beneficial types of alcohols are what’s known as fatty alcohols, and they’re usually derived from animal fats, oils, and plants. All other alcohols are pretty much bad for your hair, and any hair product containing the “bad alcohols” will turn your once lush and soft locks into a damaged, brillo pad crisp. So how do you tell the difference between the bad alcohols and the good alcohols, just look out for what’s known as “evaporating alcohols” in the following list, and if you spot any of them in a hair product’s listed ingredients, just put it back and walk away.

List of Bad, Evaporating Alcohols You Never Want to Find in Your Hair Products

Propanol
Propyl
SD Alcohol 40
SD Alcohol
Isopropyl
Propyl

DEA

Diethanolamine, more commonly known as DEA is an emulsifier and foaming agent found in many beauty products, including hair care products. DEA and its derivatives, momoethnanolamine (MEA) and triethanolamine (TEA), are responsible for giving shampoos, bubble bath, and cleansers their thick consistency and foaming abilities. Similar to placental extracts, DEA is also a DNA disrupting chemical. A study conducted by the National Toxicology Program (NTP) found that residual levels of DEA, meaning portions that penetrate the skin over a period of extended use, can be linked to various types of cancer.

The scariest thing about DEA is the fact that it’s still heavily used in so many hair care and beauty products, even ones that claim to be natural or organic, which is why it’s important to read the label on all products. California has taken a stand against this known cancer-causing ingredient, and the state’s Center for Environmental Health (CEH) filed a big lawsuit in 2013 against over 100 companies that still sell products containing this harmful ingredient. The lawsuit includes big chain retailers like KMart, CVS, Rite Aid, Walgreens, Sephora, and Walmart just to name a few. So if you shop at any of these big chain stores for your hair products, please read the label, even on the organic or natural products, and look out for products that list DEA, MEA, or TEA among the ingredients.

Synthetic Fragrances Listed Within the First Five Ingredients of a Hair Product

It’s rather difficult to find hair products that don’t contain some type of synthetic fragrance, and they’re responsible after all for the lovely scents and smells that linger in our hair. However, when a synthetic fragrance is listed within the first five ingredients of a hair product’s ingredient list, buyer beware. You see, when a synthetic fragrance is listed towards the top of a product’s ingredient list, it’s an indication that the fragrance was used to camouflage an ingredient that can be more damaging to the hair or harmful to the scalp and body.

On top of using fragrances and perfumes mask sketchy ingredients, hair product manufacturers can use literally thousands of questionable ingredients to make up a single scent! So that sweet, fruity smell from your favorite conditioner could be made up of thousands of synthetic chemicals, and you’d have not a single clue because no one regulates this practice.

The solution? Only use products where the fragrance is listed towards the bottom. This indicates that the fragrance makes up a relatively small portion of the product’s overall formulation, which simply means less fragrance was used to give the product it’s smell. Only using fragrance-free products and then adding in your own scents using oils is another solution to the fragrance problem, especially if you’re allergic to synthetic fragrances. This way, you’ll know exactly what’s going onto your hair and body.

Top 3 Ways to Use Shea Moisture’s Organic Coconut & Hibiscus Curling Gel Soufflé

By Renee Price

Hello Lovelies,

If you have wavy, curly, or highly textured hair and you’ve never used Shea Moisture products, consider yourself missing out. These natural and organic products are some of the best out there for ladies with textured hair, and I’d even vouch to say that some of their products (shampoos and conditioners) are great for straighter hair textures as well.

Today I want to talk about a product of Shea Moisture’s that gets a ton of flack, but is actually a great product. That product is the Organic Coconut & Hibiscus Curling Gel Soufflé. Now I think this product gets a lot of unfair objection simply because many people don’t know how to use it. I’ll cut the naysayers a bit of slack, because it’s not really a gel as the product’s name proclaims, it’s more of a “holding jelly.” Additionally, one of the key ingredients, agave nectar, can be quite sticky and leave the hair a bit hard if you don’t properly apply the product. So, I’m going to help you ladies out, but first, here is why I think it’s a beneficial products and naysayers should give it a second go.

The Benefits of Shea Moisture’s Organic Coconut & Hibiscus Curling Gel Soufflé

When it comes to the benefits of this product, it all goes back to the main ingredient, agave nectar. Agave nectar is a natural humectant that draws in tons of moisture; something ladies with textured hair really need, especially during the hot, summer months. Agave nectar provides tons of hold, enabling curly hair girls to wear twist outs, braids outs, and other non-protective hairstyles without having to restyle their hair everyday. This is why I believe Shea Moisture named the product a gel because it provides hold like a gel, but without the harsh, drying alcohols found in most traditional hair gels. As an added bonus, agave nectar provides loads of shine, something many naturals have a hard time obtaining. With this product your hair will be so shiny, you may have to hand out sunglasses to anyone who wants to look at it. LOL

Three Ways to Use Shea Moisture’s Organic Coconut & Hibiscus Curling Gel Soufflé

Okay, so on to the best ways to use this product. I’ve created a simple infographic showing the top three ways to use this gel. I suggest you try all variations and pick the one that works best for you and gives you the desired results.

Mix Water and Shea Moisture’s Organic Coconut & Hibiscus Curling Gel Soufflé

Like I mentioned above, agave nectar, the active ingredient in this gel, can leave behind a sticky residue if you don’t properly use this product. So, the best way to get the intended hold from this gel without the sticky residue is to combine it with water. One of the easiest ways is to apply this product to already wet or damp hair, just be sure that your hair isn’t completely saturated with water. If your hair is dry, simply re-wet it by spraying it with water from a water bottle and apply the curling gel to your hair in sections.

This is very important. You want to apply this product in sections as you’re styling because if you apply it to your entire head of hair and then style, the product may dry on certain parts of your hair while you’re styling the other parts. For instance, if you’re styling your hair in two-strand twists, apply the product to each section of hair you intend to twist.

You don’t need a lot of this product because a little goes a long way. Simply tap the tips of your fingers, ever so lightly, into the product no more than two times and that’s enough product to style one medium sized section of hair.

Mix Shea Moisture’s Coconut Hibiscus Curl Enhancing Smoothie and Organic Coconut & Hibiscus Curling Gel Soufflé

So Sheamoisture has a curl definer in the Coconut Hibiscus line that is great for adding moisturizing and defining the curls, but it doesn’t provide much hold to the hair. So if you want the best of both worlds, shiny, soft, moist, and bouncy hair that holds it’s style, mix Shea Moisture’s Coconut Hibiscus Curl Enhancing Smoothie with the Organic Coconut & Hibiscus Curling Gel Soufflé. Mixing both products is a great way to add more hold to your style without the dryness of traditional gels. By mixing the two products, you also don’t have to worry about the stickiness that many people complain about from the curling gel soufflé.

To mix the two products, mix 3 parts of the Curl Enhancing Smoothie with one part of the Organic Coconut & Hibiscus Curling Gel Soufflé. Combine the two products together until they’re thoroughly incorporated and apply to wet or dry hair and style as normal.

Mix Shea Moisture’s Coconut Hibiscus Hold & Shine Daily Moisture Mist and Organic Coconut & Hibiscus Curling Gel Soufflé

Shea Moisture’s Coconut Hibiscus Hold & Shine Daily Moisture Mist is a great way to refresh dry hair and tame frizz, but combine it with the Organic Coconut & Hibiscus Curling Gel Soufflé and you’ve got a great way to completely refresh an old hairstyle. For instance, if you want to refresh an old twist out, simply spray your hair with the Hold & Shine Daily Moisture Mist, tap the tips of your fingers into the Curling Gel Soufflé a couple of times, apply the product to a medium sized section of hair, and retwist the section. Complete this process until you’ve retwisted your entire head of hair. Untwist the next morning for a refreshed hairstyle without the need for washing and restyling.