|
Hair Beauty Products
Hair beauty products are formulated and developed to help your hair stay manageable and in control while repairing damage from heat, the environment, over-styling, and excessive product usage. Hair beauty products can repair damage bu infusing moisture into follicles that have been stripped of their natural hydaration and oils. Heat-damage, in particular, breaks-down the follicle cell structure leadfing to split-ends, frizzy hair and breakage.
Hair requires a very high moisture rate, greater than 85%, to maintain its health. Below that, follicles become brittle and dry which leads to excessive breaking, dry scalp, and hard-to-manage hair. Products with active ingredients designed to maintain proper moisture content will help heal damage and recove life, body and bounce.
What ingredients to look for?
The primary purpose of shampoos is to clean the hair. This is done with "surfactants" - essentially cleaning agents you might find in soaps or detergents. In an effort to provide the best cleaning, many manufacturers use ingredients - either surfactants or preservatives - that are harsh and can cause substantial damage.
There are alternatives. Many natural hair products ingredients that include herbal complexes have been shown to improve cleaning without providing short-term or long-term damage. Zinc PCA, Emu Oil, Panthenol and gentle preservatives are now found in many products and offer superior cleansing without stripping or breaking down the follicles cellular structure.
Shampoos in particular are often developed with sodium laurel sulphate. Clinical studies have shown this to be the harshest of the sulfates - not only to the follicle shaft, but to the scalp and eyes, as well. If you experience dry hair, breaking or frizzines, it is recommended you avoid this ingredient. As a note, sodium laurel sulfate should not be confused with sodium laureth sulfate. Though they sound the same, "laureth" is much more gentle and has become widely used as an alternative in natural-based hair care as an "almost sulfate-free" product.
With that said, there are a number of other ingredients you should look for. Emu oil has been used for thousands of years in Australia for its healing properties. Commonly used for skin rashes, saclp psoriasis, dry hair, burns and for dandruff, Emu shampoo has become one of the most highly recommend and received shampoos on the market. It has deep-moisturizing abilities and is a natural anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, and is weel known for cleaning bacteria-laden hair.
Menthol has also worked its way onto the hair scene. American Redken, and Nourish all have developed peppermint menthol shampoo for its deep cleaning and medicianl properties and for its invigorating, aromatic aroma. Menthol is an extract of peppermint which is well know for deep cleaning, awakening follicles and stimulating blood flow to the scalp. Menthol, in particular is widely used for bronchial problems, opening air passage ways, and improving concentration and memory. A pretty good combination for a shampoo.
What else?
The next line of defense for hair beauty products is conditioners. Conditioners were developed to aid follicles maintain cellular structure. Whether your hair is curly, wavy, straight, smooth - even thin or thick, conditioners help maintain elasticity, moisture and shape. Interestingly, the best function for conditioners is to give you protection.
Heat and environmental factors can create havoc. More damage is done with appliances and chemical treatments than anything else. Perms, dying and tight curling break-down the bonds that alow the hair to lay naturally. When these bonds are broken, the hair fractures. Perms, in particular, restructure the hair's make-up. Conditioners help repair this damage by topically applying moisture, amino acids, proteins and nutrients to help recover. Some conditioiners are formulated to be left-on (leave-in) so they can provide added protection when using curling irons, flat irons, or curlers. They are well worth the investment beacause damaged hair can take a while to fix.
|
