Now I learnt a lot about hair and hair care whilst working alongside professional hairdressers and the information below is based purely on what they taught me, so many apologies if I have gotten some facts and/or figures slightly wrong.
It is my understanding that hair is naturally self cleaning. It secrets an oil called Sebum that is readily absorbed by the strands of hair and forms a protective layer, however the oily layer also attracts other unwanted articles - such as dirt, styling products and soap flakes. Hence the need to wash your hair regularly, although the "regularly" bit is a fine balance between keeping your hair clean and keeping the oil balance just right. Every other day washing is perfect for most hair types.
Shampoo/conditioner.....which kinds do you use? The cheaper "pharmacy" type shampoos and conditioners are cheap because they contain cheap ingredients. But don't be fooled into thinking that the more expensive shampoos and conditioners are - the better they are. A good rule of thumb is to take a look into a reputable hairdressers and take a look at the products they use....if you do this in a couple of hairdressers, a few brand names should stand out. Remember - you will still have to determine whether or not a product is right for you! A talk with your hairdresser should be enough to determine if you have oily, dry, flaky, normal scalp/hair. Then factor in if you have coloured hair, itchy scalp etc.
All shampoo's clean your hair, (depending on how much stripping of the Sebum you can take!) but in essence - a shampoo's and conditioner's ability to make your hair all shiny and soft - like what you see in the adverts - is the silicone the manufacturers add. A cheap product will have cheap shoddy artificial silicone and the "salon" brands will have a better alternative of silicone. BUT - how you wash your hair is also tres tres important! (Here comes the dreaded list again).
1. Firstly, wash your hair once or twice or even thrice, rinsing in between. The last wash should lather up nicely with little exertion.
2. Towel dry your hair. Yep - I said towel dry. Or at least wring as much water as you can out of your hair. (This ensures that the conditioner penetrates the hair shaft as much as possible. If your hair is too wet- the expensive conditioner just runs off and doesn't do a blind thing!).
3. Comb through the conditioner and leave on for 2-5 minutes.
4. Rinse off, towel dry
5. If you need to dry your hair with a dryer (all heating tools damage the hair), then blast your hair with the dryer until about half dry, leave it for 5-10 minutes and then finish off drying your hair.
There are plenty of other tricks you can do with your hair. So if you want super duper glossy hair with lots of bounce for a special occasion, then do not wash your hair for about a week before hand. Yes you will look greasy for day 3-7, but the "shampoo detox" will kick some life back into it. If you suffer from loss of hair or thinning hair, then add a small amount of facial exfoliant to your shampoo and scrub your scalp. The thick layer of dead skin on your scalp prevents any new delicate hair from growing through. If you need to put your hair up into an "updo", then wash and dry your hair the night before - not the morning of. This ensures a certain amount of "dirt" to keep the style in place.
I am sure that I have left so many other things out - so if I remember - I will add to the post later on. Thanks for listening and reading.
Addendum
I was reminded about another hair tip yesterday. If you are of a light blond hair colouring and you would like to extend the life of your unwashed hair by another day, then a small amount of baby talcum powder rubbed into the greasy roots before sweeping it back in a ponytail will stop the enviable "shine". It will wash out easily enough, trust me.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Sunscreen et al
I was actively encouraged by my mother to start wearing facial moisturiser from the age of 16, applying to not only the face area but down the neck and across the decolletage area....as "people see that too ya know!". I think she was on to something as my skin is still kinda soft and mostly wrinkle free but I have taken her advice to a new level and added in some more modern thinking. Namely SPF.
I still use facial moisturiser on a daily basis, but it now contains a SPF of 15 in the winter time and 30 in the summer. (The rest of me is treated to factor 15, 30+ if I am actually sunbathing). Now I know that most of the world knows that they should be using SPF creams, especially on the younger ones, but did you know the following:
1. Not all SPF creams are created equal. Sunscreen should be protecting you from UVA AND UVB. Read the packaging as not all protect against both.
2. There are two systems of SPF labelling, American and European. Typically the American numbers are double that of European, so an American SPF20 is a European SPF10.
3. Sunscreen doesn't really begin to work it's magic until 20 or so minutes after application.
4. Don't trust/rely the SPF in make up. Just think of it as an added bonus to your regular moisturiser.
5. Don't believe that because it is cloudy - you don't need protection. Up to 80% of the sun's UV rays can penetrate through clouds.
6. A shot glass of sunscreen is sufficent to cover an average sized adult for the day, not including the face. (take a shot glass out of your cupboard now and see how much that really is!)
I am sorry for the list making thing again but I thought that I would try to keep todays rant short'ish and sweet'ish - with a small parting comment on the varying SPF factors you can buy. SPF 30 is probably the best factor you can buy...not only does it rub in more easily than the higher ones, it blocks 96.7% of UVB rays. Not bad when you consider that SPF50 blocks 98% and SPF100 blocks 99%. Telling us that there is no 100% protection against the sun except maybe staying indoors and living the life of a hermit!
I still use facial moisturiser on a daily basis, but it now contains a SPF of 15 in the winter time and 30 in the summer. (The rest of me is treated to factor 15, 30+ if I am actually sunbathing). Now I know that most of the world knows that they should be using SPF creams, especially on the younger ones, but did you know the following:
1. Not all SPF creams are created equal. Sunscreen should be protecting you from UVA AND UVB. Read the packaging as not all protect against both.
2. There are two systems of SPF labelling, American and European. Typically the American numbers are double that of European, so an American SPF20 is a European SPF10.
3. Sunscreen doesn't really begin to work it's magic until 20 or so minutes after application.
4. Don't trust/rely the SPF in make up. Just think of it as an added bonus to your regular moisturiser.
5. Don't believe that because it is cloudy - you don't need protection. Up to 80% of the sun's UV rays can penetrate through clouds.
6. A shot glass of sunscreen is sufficent to cover an average sized adult for the day, not including the face. (take a shot glass out of your cupboard now and see how much that really is!)
I am sorry for the list making thing again but I thought that I would try to keep todays rant short'ish and sweet'ish - with a small parting comment on the varying SPF factors you can buy. SPF 30 is probably the best factor you can buy...not only does it rub in more easily than the higher ones, it blocks 96.7% of UVB rays. Not bad when you consider that SPF50 blocks 98% and SPF100 blocks 99%. Telling us that there is no 100% protection against the sun except maybe staying indoors and living the life of a hermit!
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Reuse, Repurpose or Recycle?
Nothing, I mean nothing comes into my house without me asking the above question when I am finished using it. To reuse, re purpose or recycle....that is the question!
I will only go into detail about a few ways I achieve this, one mainly being the "plastic carrier bag". The average plastic carrier bag is used for five minutes and can take up to 500 years to decompose, which is madness! Although being small in stature, they take up huge amounts in land fill space, if they even make it there. Many are unslightly sores at the side of the road, intangled in trees and shrubs. endangering small birds and other animals. Biodegradable bags are now becoming more common but I feel the only way that we would truely be "environmentally friendly" would be when we start using less of them and when we are actively aware of our impact further down the road. I am not saying that we should ban the plastic carrier bag completely, but intelligent use of them should reduce our demand for them to a reasonable and manageable level.
In an ideal world, you should always refuse plastic carrier bags at the till and have on hand a fabric reusable tote. This would drastically reduce your imprint on the plastic carrier bag world and if you do find yourself with a few carrier bags in your house, here are some ideas on how to reuse them.
1. Small bin liners. Crazyiness to think that we would throw out perfectly good carrier bags and then buy MORE carrier bags, abet in a larger size for our trash.
2. Storage. Perfect for hanging in the pantry filled with lightweight items.
3. Gro-bags. Filled with soil and doubled up if needbe - a great starting point for seedlings.
4. Picking things up. Smaller "produce" carrier bags are ideal for pooper scooping.
5. Recycle them. I normally take other people bags to recycle them in the ways mentioned above, (as I am in the habit of using fabric totes), BUT it is possible to return them to the supermarket, where normally - there is a bin at the front entrance for recycling plastic bags.
I have even gone onto the next level with my environmentalist soapbox stance and started to CROCHET with the carrier bag! Although it takes a lot of bags to achieve a small, (yet infinitely sturdier!) bag, which then can be used for storage of say washing line pegs outside. I will blog at a later date on how to do this, if anyone is interested.
I will only go into detail about a few ways I achieve this, one mainly being the "plastic carrier bag". The average plastic carrier bag is used for five minutes and can take up to 500 years to decompose, which is madness! Although being small in stature, they take up huge amounts in land fill space, if they even make it there. Many are unslightly sores at the side of the road, intangled in trees and shrubs. endangering small birds and other animals. Biodegradable bags are now becoming more common but I feel the only way that we would truely be "environmentally friendly" would be when we start using less of them and when we are actively aware of our impact further down the road. I am not saying that we should ban the plastic carrier bag completely, but intelligent use of them should reduce our demand for them to a reasonable and manageable level.
In an ideal world, you should always refuse plastic carrier bags at the till and have on hand a fabric reusable tote. This would drastically reduce your imprint on the plastic carrier bag world and if you do find yourself with a few carrier bags in your house, here are some ideas on how to reuse them.
1. Small bin liners. Crazyiness to think that we would throw out perfectly good carrier bags and then buy MORE carrier bags, abet in a larger size for our trash.
2. Storage. Perfect for hanging in the pantry filled with lightweight items.
3. Gro-bags. Filled with soil and doubled up if needbe - a great starting point for seedlings.
4. Picking things up. Smaller "produce" carrier bags are ideal for pooper scooping.
5. Recycle them. I normally take other people bags to recycle them in the ways mentioned above, (as I am in the habit of using fabric totes), BUT it is possible to return them to the supermarket, where normally - there is a bin at the front entrance for recycling plastic bags.
I have even gone onto the next level with my environmentalist soapbox stance and started to CROCHET with the carrier bag! Although it takes a lot of bags to achieve a small, (yet infinitely sturdier!) bag, which then can be used for storage of say washing line pegs outside. I will blog at a later date on how to do this, if anyone is interested.
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