Tweak your haircare routine for better results!

TIPS for having radiant, healthy hair

Proper hair care will lead to healthier, beautiful looking hair.  Whereas, poor hair care tactics or not taking care of your hair can cause breakage, split ends, fly aways, dull hair, frizzies and early hair loss.

 

Hair is “dead”, and we cannot permanently repair any damage that happens to it.  You only get one chance with your hair!  This is why it is so important to treat your hair properly, so as to prevent damage.  One essential part of this is to adopt a good hair care routine and keep chemical treatments like perming and bleaching to a minimum, as they weaken the hair.

 

·        Use the right amount of shampoo.  Too much shampoo can strip your hair of its natural oils and moisture.  While you’re in the shower, remember not to scrub too hard and make sure you rinse your hair properly.

·        Detangle your hair before you wash it.  A good bristle brush and a little elbow grease can go a long way.  Detangling helps to loosen dirt and dead skin cells from the scalp so they can be easily washed out.

·        Always use a soft hairbrush.  Combs and brushes with sharp bristles can irritate your scalp even further.  Do yourself a favour and comb your hair with a soft hairbrush whose bristles are made from natural animal’s hairs; it is softer and more flexible which means less damage will be done to your hair.

·        Remember, you shampoo the scalp and condition the hair! So thoroughly wet your hair and scalp, pour a small amount of shampoo into the palm of your hand, rub them together and apply this to the scalp as directly as possible.  Massage it into the scalp making sure the scalp is cleaned all over well and rinse well.  Apply conditioner to your hair, not your scalp. Try to spread it evenly throughout your hair avoiding the root of your hair and leave it in for a few minutes before rinsing well.

·        Rinse, rinse, rinse and then rinse some more.  You simply can’t rinse your hair enough.  Leaving any shampoo residue on your scalp could dry your scalp and hair or attract dirt.  A good rule of thumb is to rinse your hair for a full two minutes longer than you would normally rinse.  If your hair is really clean and well rinsed, it should squeak between your fingers.

·        Avoid using hair products with formaldehyde or alcohol in them, as they will dry out your hair by stripping the lipids from the natural moisture barrier in the hair shaft.  Stiff, straw-like hair is a clear indication that it has been stripped of what nature intended to be there. 

·        Avoid using hair products with waxes or silicones as their ingredients because they will clog up the hair cuticles causing limp, lifeless hair as well as not allowing your colour treatment to penetrate evenly.

 

Revival Daily-Use Shampoo and Conditioner by ASK Cosmetics Inc. of Canada

Products available on their webshop, click here:  http://www.askcosmetics.com/  or call toll-free 1-877-275-5566 to order directly.

 

For additional information on achieving and maintaining the healthiest, most voluminous hair possible, check these out:

 

The Skinny on Hair Colouration

 

Longing for radiant, healthy hair this summer?

 

Thanks for stopping by.  Sending awesome thoughts your way, Lisa M.

 

 

 

The Skinny on Hair Colouration Treatments

Let's be honest - how many of you colour treat your hair?  I have been doing it for years, however I have noticed the damaging effects of these DIY colourations more and more over the past few years. 

 Today I would like to share a few "tips" on how to get the fresh, new colour you desire, and how to minimize the damage to your beautiful tresses at the same time.

 

All comments and recommendations in this blog post do not refer to the brand shown above.  This photo shows the brand I personally used to do my DIY colour treatment last time.

 

First off, colouring your hair does cause considerable damage because your hair's cuticles have to be lifted in order for the colour to take hold.  The only other ways of colouring your hair chemical-free are mentioned below.

 

This is how Wikipedia describes it in a nutshell:

 

Most permanent color changes require that the cuticle of the hair be opened so the color change can take place within the cuticle. This process, which uses chemicals to alter the structure of the hair, can damage the cuticle or internal structure of the hair, leaving it dry, weak, or prone to breakage. After the hair processing, the cuticle may not fully close, which results in coarse hair or an accelerated loss of pigment. Generally, the lighter the chosen colour from one's initial hair color, the more damaged it may be. Other options for applying color to hair besides chemical dyes include the use of such herbs as henna and indigo, or choosing ammonia-free solutions.

 

 

 

 

 

Some helpful advice from me to you:

Step 1:  In preparation for the colouration, I prep my hair with a bottle of TIPS Nail Conditioner about 2 - 3 days prior to doing the colour treatment.  This treatment provides your hair with essential hydration, fortification, strength and replenishes the essential lipids.  Remember:  This should not seem odd because hair and nails are made of the very same keratin protein.  So, what's good for your nails, is good for your hair!

 

BTW for all ASK Cosmetics' fans - the company will be relaunching their deep treatment for hair again soon.  They constantly get requests for this product, which has not been sold for the past few years.   

 

 

Step 2:  On the day of colouration I mix the colourshine developer and the colourshine gel together as instructed by the product's leaflet.  The chemicals in these two tubes are the ones that will actually lift the cuticles allowing the colour to enter and create that new shade you are looking for. 

 

Step 3:  Then I proceed to apply the combination of these two elements to my hair. No photos here, as things tend to get very messy in my bathroom at this stage of the game. One time the gloves I was using were not the best quality and some of the colour got on my nails. Well, my nails took on the same colour as my hair. A word of caution - use good gloves or double up to avoid such awful, long-lasting mistakes.

 

Step 4:  Here's where the great advice comes in.  DO NOT under any circumstances use the "deep treatment" conditioner provided in the package after your colouration.  THROW IT AWAY!

Because it is packed full of waxes and silicones, it will:

• create a waxy layer on your freshly coloured hair, thus weighing it down;
• cause your hair to go yellowish or orangish after a few weeks;
• fill the already lifted, vulnerable cuticles with heavy waxes and silicones, which will cause your hair to be heavy, break easily and generally become unmanageable.

I know this may be hard to do, but trust me.  After I started leaving out this step of my hair colouration treatment my hair has been fantastic.  I no longer feel like I have done serious damage to my hair, and it no longer feels like straw after the colour treatment.  I was so grateful for this advice.

 

 

Every day I use the ASK Cosmetics' Daily-Use Shampoo - a gentle, yet highly effective shampoo that is super mild and good for all hair types.  It doesn't contain any sulfates, so it won't strip the hair of essentials elements.  On most days I follow up with the Conditioner, which doesn't contain any waxes or silicones.  This is terribly important when choosing any conditioner.  As I indicated above, these unnecessary ingredients will only cause a myriad of problems for your hair. 

 

 

Thanks for reading this post.  Have a great day, Lisa M.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The dirty, honest truth.....about make-up brushes

Have your make-up brushes been cleaned lately?

I'm sure most of us make-up wearers are guilty of neglecting to wash out our make-up tools, which can lead to the following problems:

*  "Make-up brushes can accumulate bacteria, dust and dirt, all of which permit the growth of further bacteria.  This can aggravate underlying skin conditions like acne,"  Manhattan dermatologist Julie Karen, M.D. states.

*  Sonia Kashuk explains that creams left to dry can stiffen the bristles and affect the suppleness of natural hairs.

*  If your brushes aren't clean, you will not get the true colour showing up on your face.

You might have your own routine, which I would you to share in the comment section below.  This is mine:

Step 1:  I always do the chore of cleaning my brushes at night.

 

Step 2:  Choose a gentle soap or shampoo to get these tools spic and span again.

 

Step 3:  Run some warm (but not hot) water in your bathroom sink adding a dab of soap/shampoo.

Step 4:  Immerse your brushes/tools in the soapy water and let them soak for a few minutes.

 

Step 5:  When you think they're clean, squeegee out the water and lay them flat to dry.

 

Step 6:  Leave them on the towel to dry out over night and by morning they should be good to go.

Your skin (and perhaps your make-up also) will thank you.  Everything will feel clean going on and that's the way it should be.

 

How often do you clean your make-up brushes? 

 

Thanks for stopping by,  Lisa M