Thursday, April 7, 2011

Products That Aren't Good For Your Hair


Jamila Reddy from College Curlies says:

 Now, I know your mama (and her mama and her mama) swears up and down on the Blue Magic, the Pink Lotion, the Jam, the whatever-you-wanna-call-it Walgreens "ethnic section" product, but there are simply some products you do NOT want to put in your hair.

Let's start out with a list of ingredients to avoid.

1. Petroleum. Hmmm...why does this sound familar? Because it's what you put in your car. Okay, that might be a little extreme, but this ingredient is a serious no-no. Have you every put Vaseline on your hands and then washed them? What happens? The water rolls right off your skin. What do you think happens to your hair? Petroleum blocks any sort of natural oils from penetrating into your scalp. Just don't do it.

2. Mineral Oil. I can't even begin to describe how scary this is. Check out more information at http://www.herballuxuries.com/mineral-oil.htm

3. Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Lauryl Sulfate, or Sodium Laureth Sulfate. Have you noticed when you wash your clothes they come out looking dull and generally less fabulous then when you put them in? This is most likely due to Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLF), the ingredient in many products that creates suds. It is in shampoo, toothpaste, body wash, dish detergent, you name it. It has been described as a "killer in the bathroom." This is why many curls opt for the "no-poo" or "co-wash" (conditioner wash) method. Sudsy Shampoos (like those in the Pantene Pro-V for Women of Color line) contain a number of these products.
Check out more information at http://www.natural-health-information-centre.com/sodium-lauryl-sulfate.html

There are a bunch more that I can't seem to find concise information about (cones are still a mystery to me), but I know these three are no bueno. If you look at the products under your sink, I guarantee most of them have the above ingredients. I don't care how shiny or "moisturized" Pink Lotion gets your hair, IT IS NOT GOOD FOR YOU. It is a lie. Natural oils will give you the same effect without putting harsh and dangerous chemicals into your skin and body. The bottle looks cute, and it's cheap; but if you see this:Be afraid. Be VERY afraid.

It's no wonder our hair doesn't grow and we keep looking at our $3.00 "Coconut Oil" in the big white jar like it's crazy.

You wouldn't go to a vet if you were having health problems, would you? NO. So why would you let someone who knows (and cares) very little about your hair sell you products? Shenanigans! We've been GOT, folks.



I am new to using majority organic products so I am still currently researching and trying out things to find out what works best for my hair.
  What products do you use??

Trimming Hair How-To

Dprincess28  has this awesome tutorial about trimming ends that I have been doing to my hair recently

Dprincess28


Do you trim your own ends or get them professionally done?
Share how you tackle your ends in the comment section!

Are DIY Flexi-Rods better than getting it done at the salon?


To get beautiful spiral/Shirley Temple curls I usually go to the salon and get it done.  Well I am new to this whole DIY hair thing and was told about just doing it myself.  I am always up for trying something and DIY projects.  Especially if it is the cheaper way. So bought 2 packs of flexi rods totaling 20 and tried it out.  Besides for sitting under the dryer for almost 3 hours I loved it.  It looked great and lasted long.  I will most definitely be doing this instead of paying to get it done.

What do you think about flexi-rods??