The Cinnabon Style (And Thoughts on Styling)

Check out this uber cute improvised updo. Dressed up or down, it's delicious!

Day Two of the Wash & Go_ Sprucing it Up!

Having trouble sprucing up Day 2+ of your Wash & Go Style? Fret no more! In this tutorial, I show you how to to bring life back to your "Day After" Wash & Go. Check it out! Then come back and share your own tips! Thanks!

Curls n Convo #1: Frizz or Fakery?

Is it the frizz/shrinkage you fear or is it fear of your true texture? What do you guys think? No, I'm not talking about a bit of frizz, I'm talking about folks who only want curls that are shingled, defined and popping. Let's convo about it!

A Perfect Wash & Go

Is your wash & go a wash & no? No more! See how to perfect the W&G.

Curls n Convo #1: Frizz or Fakery?

Sometimes I wonder, are folks fearful of frizz and shrinkage OR are they simply not accepting their true hair texture? What do ya'll think? Let's convo about it!

Natural is ___

How do you fill in the blank?

More Lazy Gal Looks and Tips!

See how to rock the lazy gal look casual or glam! Also hear tips on creating the perfect twist-out, improvising styles, creating accessories, and remaining encouraged!

Learning the Lingo: Parabens & Preservatives

Preservative

\pri-ˈzər-və-tiv\

First things first:
According to Merriam-Webster's dictionary, to preserve is:

• To keep safe from injury, harm or destruction (protect);
• To keep alive, intact, or free from decay (maintain);
• To keep or save from decomposition; or
• To keep up and reserve for personal or special use

What are preservatives?
Preservatives are synthetic (man-made) or non-synthetic (natural) substances added to foods, cosmetics, medications, woods, etc. to ward off microbial growth, mitigate chemical decomposition (ie UV damage, oxidation) and extend product shelf-life; in other words, to preserve them.

Synthetic preservatives:
Parabens (methyl, propyl, butyl, and ethyl) are additives commonly used to preserve commercial cosmetics. Parabens are irritating to many and while the jury is still out, there is much debate as to whether or not they are carcinogenic (cancer-causing). Other synthetic preservatives commonly used in cosmetic (including hair) products include imidazolidinyl urea, and diazolidinyl urea.

For more on synthetic preservatives, check out the Organic Consumers Association article:
Ten Synthetic Cosmetic Ingredients to Avoid

Natural preservatives:
Vinegar, alcohol, tea tree oil, vitamin E, honey, lemon, sugar and salt are all natural preservatives. When making DIY products, add a bit of tea tree oil, honey or vitamin E to preserve your mixture.

For more on natural preservatives, check out All Natural Beauty's article:
Natural Preservatives

Now what?
Check the ingredients in your product list. While I'm not bothered by the inclusion of parabens, you may want to avoid them if you have sensitive skin. Similarly, if you've developed unexpected scalp irritation. you may want to consider if parabens could be the culprit. Nowadays, most hair lines offer an all or mostly natural product line. Personally, I love the SheaMoisture, Organix or Renpure lines!

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Mislabeling of "Natural" Products

To be or not to be natural. That is the question!

So the bottle says "pure", "natural" or "organic". Great! You can trust it, right? Well, not quite!

But Uncle Sam has my back!

Ya think? Despite commonly held belief, there is no federal regulation of the cosmetics industry. The following comes directly from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) website.

• The FDA's legal authority over cosmetics is different from other products regulated by the agency, such as drugs, biologics, and medical devices. Cosmetic products and ingredients are not subject to FDA pre-market approval authority, with the exception of color additives. 
• [Moreover,] cosmetic firms are responsible for substantiating the safety of their products and ingredients before marketing. Failure to adequately substantiate the safety of a cosmetic product or its ingredients prior to marketing causes the product to be misbranded unless the following warning statement appears conspicuously on the principal display panel of the product's label: "Warning--The safety of this product has not been determined." 

Said in layman's terms....

• The industry is self-regulated. The FDA's scope of oversight is limited to labeling but even there, the cosmetic industry has an out. By placing the statement " The safety of this product has not been determined" on the label; manufacturers waive most of their legal liability. 

• Combine the lack of cosmetic industry oversight with the USDA's loose standards for describing a product as "herbal", "natural" or "organic" and you can appreciate why it's important for you to take responsibility for knowing the ingredients in the products you purchase. 

Lets try it.....

Example 1: Queen Helene Royal Curl, Curl Shaping Creme

                                                 

Despite that "all natural" label, below are the ingredients to this product. 

• Aqua (Water), Glycerin, Pectin, Agave Rigida (Sisal) Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Royal Jelly Extract Carbomer, Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Triethanolamine, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Amyl Cinnamal, Benzyl Benzoate, Benzyl Salicylate, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Citronellol, Geraniol, Hexyl Cinnamal, Limonene Linalool, Fragrance (Parfum).

Do those ingredients sound "all natural" to you? Me neither!

• If you can't pronounce it, and you can't define it, you probably shouldn't use it!
• Also remember, ingredients are listed in order of concentration. The more of an ingredient in a product, the closer it is to the top of the list. Given this, I see a lot of less than healthy ingredients in more than acceptable levels!
• Example: Check out the -ates and -ols in the ingredient list. That usually means sulfates and alcohols. These ingredients dry, strip and damage your hair!

So you be the judge. After reading the ingredient list, would you call this product "all natural"? Would you buy it?

Example 2: Softee Coconut Oil Hair and Scalp Conditioner

It says it's pure!

Pure coconut oil. Awesome! An all natural product, right? Slow your roll curlfriend! While the coconut oil used in the product reports to be 100% pure, the product is not made up of just coconut oil! Nope! In fact, the product is mostly petroleum. In truth, the label should read petroleum plus high-quality coconut oil. But that would be silly, right? The goal is to SELL the product. 

So what's the moral?

Caveat emptor or buyer beware! While the examples above come from the low-end of the product scale, these labeling practices are used across the board. Don't be fooled because a product costs a lot, comes from a high-end manufacturer or because it has a bottle beaming with beautiful fields of grain, tropical rain forests laden with coconuts, or models with long, luscious, locks of strong, shiny, weave...I mean hair! Before you purchase ANY product, do yourself (and your hair) a favor- read the ingredients!

• Food for thought: While others have been slow to take their lead, effective June 1, 2011, Whole Foods Market began requiring suppliers labeling their product as "organic" to be in compliance with the USDA standards for certified organic products. While this does not impact the inclusion of genetically modified ingredients (GMO), it's a start! Read more on Whole Food's policy change here>>>  Whole Foods Stance on Organic Labeling

Learn the lingo!

Great! You're convinced that reading ingredient lists is important. Now you need to know what you're reading. Not sure of your skill level? Here's a quick quiz:

• Do you know the pros and cons between using rain, filtered, tap or deionized, water?
• Do you know how temperature and humidity impact the function of humectants?
• Do you know why parabens, emollients, emulsifiers and PEGs are commonly used in products? 
• Do you know when to use and when to avoid alcohols, mineral oil/petroleum, silicones, sulfates and proteins? 
• Do you know the difference between an essential oil and a carrier oil? 

Did you pass? If you did, GREAT! If you didn't, don't sweat it! While you don't need to become a scientist, you should spend some time familiarizing yourself with some of the more common ingredients, such as those listed above. Not sure where to get started? No worries! 

Whether you're a natural newbie or a curly connoisseur, you can learn/brush-up on it all in The ABC's of Hair Speak.From African black soap to zinc, I've got you covered! You'll lean all the lingo to help you navigate your way to healthy hair including the ingredients, the techniques and some of the other over-hyped hair stuff; like hair typing, protective styling, transitioning and more.

Does your mind tend to go blank once you step into the hair aisle? Not a problem. You can own your very own bound copy of The ABC's of Hair Speak for $20. This 5x7 booklet includes colored pictures for 30+ term! It's the curly consumers best friend! Just email your request to journeytomyroots@live.com. You'll never shop unarmed again!

See the video version of The ABC's of Hair Speak here

Wanna hear more?

Check out Curly Chronicles' take on the inappropriate use of the "natural" label.

• Learn more about the FDA's limited oversight of the cosmetic industry here: http://www.fda.gov/Cosmetics/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/ucm074162.htm 

• Learn more about the "Coming Clean" project and they're effort to lobby for truth in labeling: http://www.organicconsumers.org/bodycare/index.cfm 

• I was rather surprised but according to the "Coming Clean" project, the following brands market their products as "organic" but they do not have enough organic ingredients to be USDA certified and they use ingredients that would never be allowed in USDA certified products. 
• Avalon "Organics"
• Desert Essence "Organics"
• Earth's Best "Organic"
• Giovanni "Organic"
• Goodstuff "Organics"
• Head "Organics"
• Jason "Pure, Natural & Organic"
• Kiss My Face "Certified Organic Botanticals"
• Nature's Gate "Organics"
• Physicians Formula "Organic" Wear
• Stella McCartney "100% Organic"

Winterize Your Routine!

You've winterized your wardrobe.

 How about your hair routine?

Unlike the humid days of summer, winter air is much drier. Given this, even the healthiest head can experience dry hair and tight, itchy scalp. Avoid it all by winterizing your routine. Here's how...

• Go ahead, take the appetizer and the desert! Treat your hair to an appetizer and dessert. In hair lingo we'd call that a pre-poo and deep condition treatment, respectively. Both spoil your hair with extra vitamins, nutrients, proteins and moisture! This is one time when pigging out is a GOOD thing! 
• Learn all about pre-pooing and deep conditioning (including a DIY recipe) here>>> Pre-pooing 101

• Kick the -ates! If you haven't already, move to a sulfate-free shampoo during the winter. Sulfates are detergents. While great for cleansing, sulfates are very drying to the hair! So shelf the sulfates during the cold months. 
• Learn all about sulfates here>>> Sulfates 101

• Hold the humectants! Humectants are substances that attract water. Great, right? Not always. During the humid days of summer,humectants extract water from the air. During the arid or dry days of winter, humectants extract water from your hair! Humectants commonly found in hair products include Panthenol (Pro-vitamin B),  propylene glycol , PEG compounds, hydrolyzed proteins (ie elastin, collagen, silk keratin), vegetable glycerin, honey, and sugars (ie fructose, sucrose).

• Swap the jacket for a coat! You've packed away your thin summer jacket for a thick winter coat. Do the same with your oils! Replace your thin oils like grapeseed and extra virgin olive oil for heavier/thicker oils and butters like castor, coconut, jojoba oil and shea butter. 
• Learn about natural carrier and essence oils here>>> Oils 101
• Are you using the right technique when applying your oils? Click here to find out >>>Applying Oils

• Stop showing so much skin! Protective styles are great year-round but just like summer dresses and sandals, skin is best show in the summer! If your protective style exposes your scalp to the dry winter air (ie cornrows, bantu knots, etc.), you'll likely notice that your scalp feels tight . If you're wearing extensions, you'll notice it even more because the added hair steals moisture from your own hair and scalp. This is especially true if you're using fake or cheap hair. Much like cloth, fake or cheap hair will absorb additional moisture from your hair. So invest in good hair and as much as possible, choose styles that shield your scalp and ends.
• Learn more on protective styling here>>> Protective Styling 101

• Spread the Love! While too heavy for the sweaty days of summer, applying sealant to your scalp is a great way to prevent and relieve winter's tight and itchy scalp. Run a little of your winter oil over your well-watered scalp! Need something thicker/heavier than oil? Prefer the feel/consistency of hair grease? Make your own!
• Try it!: Mix shea butter and natural oil to your desired consistency. A ratio of 2: 1 is fairly consistent with hair grease. Example: Add 1/2 cup of shea butter with 1 cup of your favorite oil(s). Be sure to add a bit of honey or tea tree oil to your mix. Both are natural preservatives! Just remember. If you use tea tree oil, use sparingly. Like all essential oils, a little goes a LONG way!
• Buy it!: Not a DIY type? Try my product! Quench is a mixture of shea butter, essential oils, aloe vera gel, vegetable glycerin, minoxidil (Rogaine), honey, vitamin E and natural fragrances. Got thirsty tresses? Quench them! 
• Pick it up under the "shop" tab of my blogsite!
• Note: NEVER apply synthetic hair grease to your scalp. Unlike natural sealants, the main ingredient in hair grease is typically mineral oil or one of its cousins; petrolatum, petroleum and paraffin. Shea butter feeds your hair vitamins and minerals. It protects with natural sunscreens and it stimulates with natural anti-oxidants. Mineral oil does none of these things. Applying it to your scalp seals in water but it suffocates your hair from receiving added water and oxygen. It attracts dirt and it requires a harsh detergent to be removed....and this will lead to further drying.
• Learn more about grease here>>> Hair Grease 101

• Cover it up! Despite the myth, wearing wet hair in the winter does not cause colds. Colds come from viruses, not cold weather! Nonetheless, it's good to cover your head to keep warm and more importantly, to slow down the rate at which moisture escapes from your hair. So cover it up!
• Cotton and wool suck your hair dry so only cover your head with hats, hoods and scarves that are lined with silk or satin. Not lined? Fret not my friend. Check out this quick tip video for a work-around!

Voila! Your routine is now winterized!

What are some steps you take to winterize your hair routine? Share in the comments or come over to the chat room to share! >>> CHAT!