Category Archives: Brendita’s Body Works Website

Spring Booty Camp Day SEVEN: DIY (Do It Yourself) Spa Day Recipes

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I want you all to rest today. Relax. This is NOT a “cheat day”. We’re not going to have any of those for the 30 Challenge. And, let’s face it, gang, I’ve been pretty loose with the food guidelines. Right?

Please, read through everything before you begin your spa day, to make sure you have everything ready.  Bathe or shower (this would be a nice day for a soak in the tub). Cleanse your face, wash your hair and apply your Phat Head Creamy Hot Oil, High On Coconut or Restorative Deep Conditioner. If you don’t any of these, add one beaten egg + 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil to your daily conditioner and mix it together with a clean wire whisk: Pour the conditioner into a bowl, only as much as you’ll need for one treatment. If you have fine or limp hair, please omit the olive oil. Put a conditioning cap (thin shower cap). Wipe your face with toner and steam your pores, using some of your Pore Me Tres Bag or an opened bag of chamomile or peppermint tea. Click here for directions on facial steaming.(It’s at the bottom, with the Spa Ritual)

While your skin is still damp, apply one of my Pore Me masques (NOT the Pumpkin AHA one: We’ll be leaving the masque on for quite some time and that one is too strong to leave on for such a long period). If you don’t have one of my masques use:

  • Plain yogurt + a squeeze of fresh lemon + egg yolk + honey (good for dry or mature skin)
  • Ground oatmeal + honey + egg white + honey (general purpose)
  • Small amount of baking soda + ground oatmeal + 1 crushed aspirin + egg white (oily acne prone).

Now, for your pedicure you will need The Good Foot Soak, The Good Foot Dead Sea Salt Scrub, The Good Foot Balm, Handy Job Cutie On Call Cuticle Butter, a basin large and deep enough for you to soak your feet in, a large bath towel, 2 small hand towels (1 damp), nail file, clippers, pumice stone, orange stick (to push cuticles back), nail polish remover (if needed) and a pair of cotton socks or flip flops.

If you don’t have the Good Foot products: ½ cup of Epsom salts, 1 orange , 1 lemon, about 1 tablespoon of olive oil, a rich hand/foot cream and a small plate.

If you’re using a Phat Head Deep Conditioning Treatment or plain olive oil as a hot oil treatment, heat up and put on your Phat Head Cordless Heat Cap. If you’re using egg yolks mixed in with your conditioner, wrap a head scarf/bandana around your head, tightly, then put on a winter cap (seriously) and then wrap a large towel around your head, tightly. This will be enough heat for the cuticles on the hair to open but not enough heat to start cooking the eggs.

Get any reading material you’re going to want, beverages, remote control, etc. Spread the large towel out on the floor. Remove your nail polish, clip your toes nails and file them (use the towel to catch the clippings, etc). Now, put your basin on top of the towel and fill it with very warm water. Add 1 tablespoon of The Good Foot Soak or your Epsom salts to the water. Peel the lemon and orange into fairly thick strips, place the strips into the water. Cut both lemon and orange in half and squeeze the juice into the water. Don’t discard them yet: Put them on the plate. Soak your feet. Chill. Relax. Be calm. Reflect.

After your foot soak, rub your heels with the halves of the lemon and then do the same with the orange. The naturally occurring alpha hydroxy acids will help loosen up the dead skin. If you used the Good Foot soak, you can skip this step, as it already has an alpha hydroxy acid (citric acid) in it.

Slough of the dead skin on your feet with the Good Foot scrub or your pumice stone. You can also use table sugar and a little olive oil. Swish your feet back in the foot bath to rinse off the dead skin, pat them dry with one of the hand towels and then wipe them with the damp hand towel. Give your feet a massage with your foot balm or cream. At this point, if you’re wearing a heat cap, take it off and let your hair cool down. Put some cuticle butter or olive oil on your cuticles and gently push them back with your orange stick. Put on your socks or flip flops.

If you used the heat cap and Phat Head Conditioner, rinse your hair in the sink with very, very cool water. If you used the DIY recipe, rinse your hair with warm water for at least 3 minutes and then rinse it with lukewarm water, followed by a vinegar rinse: Fill a large 2 quart bowl with tepid water and add the vinegar and put it near the sink before you begin rinsing your hair. After the vinegar rinse, rinse once more with cool, cool water. Remove the masque from your face by splashing it with warm water several times… even though it will probably be off after you’ve rinsed your hair.

Tone your skin once more, put on your usual facial serum, sunscreen and eye crème. Apply a leave in treatment to your hair and enjoy the rest of the day! I hope it’s a lovely one! Tomorrow, we work OUT!!!

Awesomeness: New Biodegradable Wet Washcloths!!

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Good Morning Everyone!

I hope you had a great, great weekend! I’d like to share a very short video blog with you: It’s a demo and explanation of one of our new products: Face-Off Biodegradable Wet Washcloths.

Here it is:
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No Heat Styling: How To Do A 2 Strand Twist Out Set

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Good Morning Everyone!  About 2 weeks ago, I decided to try something different with my hair. I’ve been just washing and going for… well, since I took my extensions out in 2006!  I’ve been twisting my hair for the last 3 weekends. Here’s a video demo on how to do a twist set, style it and “put it up” at night. It’s a nice way to style your hair without any heat.  Products used were:

Pre-Twist

Phat Head Jojoba Cleansing Milk

Phat Head Nourishing Conditioner

To Twist:

Phat Head No Knots Leave In Moisturizing Mist

Phat Head Coconut Pudding With Silk Protein

To Style/Moisturize

Phat Head Shea & Honey Pomade

Applying Styling Products to Hair for Maximum Benefit

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No matter what type of hair you have (curly, straight, wavy, etc) it’s VERY important to use a protective and nourishing styling aide after cleansing and conditioning. I have so many things to do in the mornings, I really don’t like to spend a great deal of time thinking about what I’m going to do with my hair. In the colder months, I cleanse and deep condition with my cordless heat cap once a week.  When the weather is warmer and I perspire more, I usually have to give my hair a thorough rinse followed with Phat Head Super Moisturizing Conditioner mid week.

After cleansing and conditioning, it takes me about 15 minutes to apply my styling products. I don’t mind taking this short amount of time to apply my leave in conditioner & moisturizer because I know I won’t have to do much else to my hair for the whole week. When hair is properly coated with protective, nourishing & moisturizing products it really “behaves” better.

If  you don’t apply an equal amount of any given styling product to ALL of your hair, the uncoated hair can look frizzy and dry, especially in comparison to the hairs that have been properly coated. As the days go by, the contrast between the adequately conditioned hair and the under or non conditioned hair is even more evident. In addition, unprotected or under protected hair is susceptible to dehydration and breakage.

When applying your styling & conditioning aides, remember: Less is more.  ALL of my Phat Head products are made without water, so they won’t evaporate. Contrary to popular belief, water is not a moisturizing ingredient: It evaporates too quickly to provide any long lasting moisturizing benefits. I use organic aloe vera juice in my Phat Head products because it is a gentle, safe and natural humectant that strengthens and fortifies the hair.

To ensure a proper and thorough distribution of styling products, I separate my hair into four sections. I secure the three sections that I’m not working on with a butterfly clip. I spray my hair with Phat Head No Knots Leave In Moisturizing Mist and then massage/finger comb it in to coat each hair. Next, I massage either Phat Head Organic Conditioning and Styling Oil, Phat Head Coconut Pudding with Silk Protein or Phat Head Silk Sheets Styling Lotion into the hair in that section.  This seals in the nourishing ingredients of the No Knots, adds additional nutrients and prevents moisture loss. Finally, I finger comb this section of hair, gripping the ends tightly to “squeeze in” an extra amount of moisture because this is where the hair is oldest and driest.  I repeat this with the remaining three sections.

If your hair is short, it’s not necessary to section it off, but make sure that you apply an equal amount of your styling product to all of your hair: Don’t just pass your hands over the top of your hair. Try this quick and effective method instead:  Mist all of your hair with Phat Head No Knots Leave In Moisture Mist, Phat Head Oil Free Daily Botanical Boost or Phat Head Daily Jojoba Moisturizing Mist. Next, rub a dollop of the appropriate styling aide into both palms. Spread your fingers and pass your palms over your entire head, massaging the product into the hair. Put a bit more cream, gel or pomade on your palm rub hands together  and then place your hands in the middle of your head, with the fingertips of each hand close to one another and thumbs near the back of your ears. Slowly, bring your hands down towards your back, massaging the styling product into your hair.  Next, using a bit more product on your palms, place your hands on top of your head with your fingertips facing behind you, pinkies next to one another, thumbs near your ears and wrists close to your forehead. Bring your hands down towards your ears, massaging the product into your hair as you go down. Finally, with your hands right at the hairline, index fingers towards each other, thumbs extended outward, near the front of your ears, pull your palms over your hairline, towards the back of your head, as though you were going to pull your hair into a ponytail. Voila!

This is also an ideal method for those with medium or long hair to apply pomade, pudding or conditioning oil to dry hair, as a touch up or refresher during the week. It won’t disturb your curl or wavy pattern, nor will it tangle your hair. For my mid week touch ups, I use Phat Head Organic Conditioning and Styling Oil or Phat Head Shea & Honey Pomade.

Take a little bit of time to properly apply your styling products: It will save you time and money because you won’t have to wet and restyle your hair every day. Give it a try and let me know the results!

Workout Interrupted! Getting Back into My Workout Routine

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I caught a really bad cold about 2 weeks ago. It’s been a very long time since any member of the Garcia Family has been sick (knock on wood) but about a month ago, my “baby boy” came home with a sore throat and runny nose. Thankfully, his cold bug came and went pretty quickly: Cas and I were not so lucky.

My husband got started feeling sick about 4 days before me and then one morning, I woke up with a SUPER dry throat.  I wake up at the same time every day and I can literally remember getting sick.  The dryness in my throat could not be quenched, even after I guzzled down a quart of water.  I had been awake for about an hour and suddenly, my neck felt super sore. I ignored the soreness and kept on typing.  Less than an hour after I noticed the soreness, my nose started running even though my sinuses felt full and I couldn’t smell anything.

By the time the sun came up, I was coughing, achy and feeling freakishly cold. I thought a good sweat would get rid of whatever was in my system, so I got on my stationary bike. Ten minutes later, I got off the bike because my legs were too sore to pedal. As the days passed, my symptoms got worse and I had a hacking cough, stuffed AND runny nose, fever, chills, aches and pains.  My doctor told me I had a viral infection, so antibiotics wouldn’t help. UGH!!!

My temperature was zig zagging all over the place, so my usual sound and restful sleep was really interrupted.  I didn’t have much of an appetite either.  With little sleep and hardly any food, I had almost no energy.  I pretty much watched TV, napped and read for about 5 days.  I continued to go to and get out of bed at the same time.  Every day, after being out of bed for about 3 or 4 hours, I just had to lie down and take a nap. It wasn’t fun at all, man!

I did all the things that I absolutely had to do, but I lacked the energy for anything more than that. Working out was out of the question.  Nearly 3 weeks later, my husband and I still have a slight cough and runny nose.  In comparison to how I felt a couple of weeks ago, though, I feel GREAT.  I have been riding my bike for about 35 minutes every morning and starting on Monday, I will resume my regular workout again. Since it has been nearly 3 full weeks since my last “real” workout, I’m going to take things slower.  I’ll use lighter weights and allow for a little extra resting time in between sets.

It’s frighteningly easy to put off working out for “tomorrow”, even when you’re not sick.  It’s also easy to eat a larger piece of cake or another few cookies with the idea that you’ll “work it off tomorrow”.  I’ve noticed that as I get older, my strength and stamina can significantly decrease if I skip or skimp on exercise.  This is actually the first time I have admitted this to myself, so I guess this is sort of a confession!! If you broke or deviated from a New Years resolution to get back in shape or begin a regular workout program, please tell me about it!

I’m going to post my workout routine tomorrow morning, so maybe you can use it as a blueprint for your own fitness regimen.  If you find that my workout if not your thing, I have a 45 minute Workout DVD that you can use 3 or 4 times a week.  If you’d like something more personalized, please go to my Turn Over a New Leaf 30 Day Fitness Challenge Blog entries and follow the tips for each day: At the end of the one month period, you will be able to construct your own workout routine & eating plan. I hope to hear from you… don’t be shy!

Tips on Caring for Braided Hair

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A few days ago, one of our lovely customers asked me for tips on caring for braided hair and dreadlocks. I have never had dreads, but I believe that they can be cared for in the same way one would care for braids.

I wore my hair in box braid extensions for a long time: Off and on from 1990 through 2005.  I have NEVER liked wearing any hair style that required a lot of time every day.  Maybe this dates back to memories of childhood, when my mother would have to comb and brush my long, thick, virgin afro textured hair. I wasn’t what we used to call “tender headed”, but my mother had very little patience. When she encountered a knot or tangle, I braced myself and tried to keep my head still. If I flinched or (worse) pulled my head away, I got whacked in the head with the wooden brush. Ouch. In my mother’s defense, she did take very good care of my hair. Every week, she would unbraid it, shampoo and condition it. She usually used a cream rinse and a creamy leave in called “Liv” before corn rowing or braiding it (I just googled “Liv” and I was surprised to see it still exists!)  I always slept with a scarf on my head and my mom would “grease” my scalp every 3 or four days with Afro Sheen or Ultra Sheen.  I still remember the commercials for these on “Soul Train”…

When I wore my hair in box braid extensions, I would get it rebraided every 4 or 5 months. My AWESOME husband had the job of unbraiding my hair. As the years went on, he had his technique down to a fine art! Not only did he unbraid it, but he gently combed through the knots and untangled it.  I learned the hard way that you should NEVER go to the braiding salon without untangling your hair first. If I thought my mother was a tough cookie regarding knots and tangles… man, oh, man… The braiders at the salon I went to in Harlem did not mess around! They were extremely polite, efficient and fast… but I was super grateful that my husband took care of the tangles before my appointment. They did not approach knots with the same gentle hand (my scalp and forehead hurt just thinking about it).

I wore synthetic hair when I got my hair braided. It was the perfect choice for me because it protected my own hair and lasted a long time without looking fuzzy. The night before I’d go to get my hair braided, after my husband unbraided my hair, I would shampoo and then do a deep conditioning treatment.  I would also comb daily conditioner through my hair and leave it in, to help protect my hair for the next few months.

I kept my own hair well nourished and clean while it was braided. Every Saturday, I would squeeze some shampoo into my palm and then, with my finger, I’d apply the shampoo to the scalp that was exposed in between each braid. In the shower, with my back to the water, I would lean back and let the water thoroughly saturate my hair and scalp. After a few minutes, I’d place my hands on my head and massage my scalp to work up lather.  Then, facing the water, I would pull the lather down and over my braids and kind of “pat” it in.  Finally, I would lean forward, still facing the water, and flip my braids up and over my head and allow the water to rinse away all the lather. I’d continue to rinse until the water ran clear. Before getting out, I’d gather my braids together and gently squeeze out as much excess water as I could.

When I got out of the shower, I’d wrap a beach towel around my braids to soak up the water and then, I’d let my braids hang down. I applied a cholesterol “deep conditioner” or olive oil to my scalp, the same way I applied the shampoo.  I would also apply the conditioner half way down my braids: I wanted it to reach my own hair that was mixed in with the synthetic hair. I would then put on a conditioning cap and heat cap and heat my hair for about half an hour.  I’d usually give myself a pedicure as I heated my hair: This was many, many years before the discovery of my cordless heat cap!

Since my toes were usually freshly polished, I would rinse my deep conditioner or olive oil out in the kitchen sink. After that, I’d wrap my hair in a beach towel again and then after it was dry (a few hours or the next day) would spray my scalp with a leave in or apply a conditioning gel.

If you are wearing braid extensions, it’s very important to keep your scalp clean. The area where the braid touches your scalp can get caked with dust, and dead skin.  You also want to keep your roots strong because of the additional weight of the synthetic hair. If weekly deep conditioning is not possible, be sure to use a daily conditioner after shampooing. You really should deep condition your hair and braids at least once a month, though. Deep conditioning becomes even more important if your hair is relaxed, because the point where the relaxed hair ends and your virgin hair begins is extremely fragile: The added weight of the synthetic hair can also cause stress at this line of demarcation.

For braided or corn rowed hair, I would suggest Phat Head Super Moisturizing Sulphate Free Shampoo and either Phat Head Creamy Coconut Oil Oil Treatment or Phat Head High On Coconut Deep Conditioner for weekly care. For daily moisture and conditioning, I suggest Phat Head Daily Jojoba Mist. Phat Head Coconut Pudding with Silk Protein is IDEAL for use on freshly shampooed hair and perhaps at the middle of the week, in between cleansing and deep conditioning. Another good choice for post cleansing would be Phat Head Organic Conditioning & Styling Oil. Just remember not to over do it, so you don’t get any buildup at the base of the braid.

If you’re lucky enough to have someone to help you unbraid your hair, PLEASE enlist their help!  You may be able to unbraid and untangle the front of your hair, but you can’t really see the back, so having a helping hand will save you a lot of time and HIAR!  You want to be able to see the hair that you’re untangling so that you don’t end up yanking it out as you attempt to untangle it.  Misting tangles with a little warm water and olive oil will prove to be very helpful: The combination will make the tangle easy to loosen with your fingers. Just spray the knot, wait a few seconds and then rub it in between your thumb and forefinger.  The tail of a rat tail comb is also an invaluable tool for detangling.

If YOU have any suggestions, tips, etc about braids and or dreads, please share!  I am thinking about doing some two stranded twists in my hair next weekend. If I do, I will ask Cas to film me and then I’ll blog about it.

Morning at Casa de Garcia

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Well, it’s early morning and I am hanging out with Mugsy, the youngest (and loudest) of our cats. I stepped outside because I saw a pair of green eyes lurking in the backyard, near “Fort Johnny” (a combination “fort”, swing, slide, robe-climbing thingy that Cas built for our son when we first bought our house in 1997).  I thought the eyes belonged to Buddy, but nooooo. It’s The Evil Opossum!!!  To be fair, he is a nocturnal creature and the sun is not yet up, so I’ll let him be.

I love this time of day.  I’m getting ready to make a bucket of foot scrub, prepare some orders and then I’ll work out.  Maybe.  I got a pretty nasty headache a few days ago. Instead of just resting, I tried to do the “mind over matter” thing. You know? Ignore it and maybe it’ll go away. I should have just rested when it first struck, but I didn’t.  Now, my body is SCREAMING at me, telling me to chill out and I am gonna listen to it…. after I make some foot scrub, of course. And some body butter…

Yesterday, I got out of the shower and reached for my geranium Silk Sheets Body Butter… only to find an EMPTY JAR! I guess I’ll have to order a refill, huh?  Before I started making my own products, my son and husband weren’t interested in any of my various jars of creams, scrubs, etc. that filled our bathroom.  But, it didn’t take long for them to learn what joy a little sugar scrub can bring to a morning shower! I LOVE hearing their individual regimens and no-holds barred reviews.  Do the men in your life use your skin and hair care products? If so, what do they use?

Cas and Johnny both LOVE Phat Head Clarifying Conditioner.  Johnny has been using it for a couple of months now. Cas, however,  just “discovered” it yesterday and when I asked why he liked it, he thought about it for a few seconds and then said “Well… it’s all… black”.  Now, how cute is THAT?I love that man!

My Hairstory: A Retrospective in Photographs

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Good Morning Everyone. Happy Monday!  I was looking through some photos on the PC a few weeks ago & thought I’d share a little hair-history with you:

The one on the left (with the braids) is the oldest.  That was taken in about 2005.  Top center with the big crazy hair was right after Cas unbraided and untangled my hair. Bottom center was taken after my first hair cut at Ouidads in June 2006.

The photo in the center was a few weeks after my first Ouidad visit and the one to the right of that was taken last April (2009), when  I got a very short hair cut. The most recent picture was taken yesterday,  9 months after my hair cut.

Please: MAKE Time For The Things That Are Important!

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You can’t fake good health.  Makeup, hair styles/accessories, under garments and clothing can change your outward appearance, but the results are temporary.

Healthy skin is the result of a DAILY regimen that addresses your skins specific needs & requirements.  I used to spend quite a bit of time every morning applying mineral foundation to cover my acne scars.  Weekly AHA peels, Glowshine Anti Acne & Skin Lightening Lotion mixed with Vitamin C + Koljic Acid, twice daily and Burnout Clean and Clear sunscreen, got rid of my darkest, oldest spots and scars. It took 3 months for the newest scars and about 8 months for the oldest scars to fade. My cleansing, toning and masque regimen  kept (and continues to keep!) new pimples from forming:  This was my biggest challenge, as I am a reformed pimple popper. I stopped wearing foundation over a year ago because I no longer had to cover up hyperpigmentation.  YIPPEE! Now, I just use a long wear Maybelline Super Stay in Wine (this stuff really STAYS on ALL DAY), eye liner, mascara and a little eyeshadow.

Every one, all ages and skin types, needs to wear sunscreen every single day.  It doesn’t matter what the weather is like outside or whether or not you plan on leaving your house for the day. UV rays come in through your windows (in your home AND your car) and they can and will damage your skin if it’s unprotected.  Sunscreen is especially important for skin that has hyper-pigmentation issues or if you use any alpha hydroxy acid products on skin that’s exposed to the sun (AHAs increase your skin’s sensitivity to the sun). Without the adequate protection provided by sunscreen, UV rays can and most likely will darken existing acne scars. Unprotected skin is also more likely to develop dark spots sometimes referred to as “sun spots”. Make sunscreen part of your daily routine. Make sure that your children, spouses, etc. are also applying sunscreen each and every day.

The same preventative measures apply to hair care. It only takes about 30 minutes to deep condition your hair. The WONDERFUL results are WELL worth half an hour, once a week. Healthy hair “behaves” better, looks fabulous and requires less styling products because you don’t need to mask or correct anything.  With a cordless heat cap, you don’t even have to set aside a block of time to do a proper deep conditioning treatment.

On Saturdays or Sundays, I warm up my heat cap right before I’m about to go into the shower. I rest it just outside the shower and then, after cleansing my hair and applying my deep conditioner, I put the heat cap on.  It takes about 15 minutes for my hair to get thoroughly heated, so during that time I use a pumice stone or scrub on my feet, exfoliate my whole body, shave, etc.  I remove the heat cap about five minutes before the end of my shower to let my hair cool down. Right before I’m about to step out of the shower, I turn off the overhead water flow, turn off the hot water and run cold water over my hair from the bathtub faucet to completely seal the cuticles on my hair.  You don’t have to deep condition every week, but you REALLY should do it twice a month.

EXERCISE. You’ve got to work out. I know it’s difficult to find time for exercise: work, family commitments, etc. all require precious time.  If you absolutely have no time to work out, use the time you do have to “squeeze in” some exercise: You can do sit ups, leg raises, push ups or upper body exercises using dumbbells or canned vegetables as you watch TV.  If you have a stationary bike, treadmill, etc. you can get on it as you catch up on your reading. Put ankle weights on and do rear leg lifts as you wash the dishes. Use your imagination and please, share your tips…  right HERE!

I have a very small window of time to exercise in the mornings, so I double up my lower body and upper body weight lifting exercises to speed things along.  It works out WONDERFULLY because I’m able to get & keep my heart rate in it’s target range as I do my strength training: This cuts down on the amount of time I have to spend on “straight up” cardio work (on my bike or elliptical machine).   Thanks to my Accumen Heart Rate monitor, I can monitor my cardio workout from start to finish.

For a healthy heart, everyone needs to do at least 20 minutes of aerobics (cardio vascular exercise that causes your heart to beat within its target range) 4 days a week.  Aerobic exercise will also force your body to burn fat for energy. In addition, your body will continue to burn fat for several hours after your workout is over. Here’s more good news about exercise: Working out with weights build lean muscle. When you increase your muscle mass and decrease your body fat percentage, your body burn calories (fat) even when you’re not working out! Please know that increased muscle mass does NOT mean you’ll get bigger or become muscle bound. It’s actually the opposite: Muscle takes up less room than fat, so there’s a good chance that you’ll see a decrease in your overall size (your weight will most likely stay the same & could possibly increase).

Making time every day for proper skin & hair care will have many benefits; much more than I can even list!  Find the time to take care of yourself and the rewards will be well worth the effort!

How to Prevent Damage from Heated Styling Tools

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Many “protective” hair styling products promise to keep hair safe from the high temperatures of heated styling tools. If the product contains a liquid with a low boiling point (water, aloe juice) you risk making a bad situation worse: Not only are you subjecting your hair to high heat from the styling tool, but the liquid in the product can easily reach boiling temperatures, causing stress, damage and possibly breakage.

For the the highest protection against heat damage, use an oil based product. It will form a truly protective barrier on the surface of your hair without creating an even hotter & potentially damaging environment. Apply a small amount of styling oil to each section as you go along, as opposed to applying a lot of product to your entire head. This will ensure that every strand is protected.

You should also be certain that your hair is completely dry before you use any heated styling tools. When you clamp down or close your flat or curling iron, you shouldn’t hear any sizzling, hissing or crackling: If you do hear any such noise, that’s the excess moisture AND your hair… BOILING.

If you’re going to blow your hair straight, it’s safest & most effective to work in small sections, applying a small amount of oil to each section before you begin. If you try to dry sections that are too large, the hairs on the outside of each section will get fried before the hairs on the inside have a chance to dry.

Absorb as much water as you can with your towel before you begin. You should use the lowest temperature setting on your blow dryer and always keep the nozzle about six inches away from your hair to minimize the amount of heat you’re subjecting your tresses to.  It will take a little bit longer to dry your hair, but it’s definitely less damaging.

Finally, try to position yourself in a way that allows you to direct the flow of air down at the hair: this will encourage the cuticle to lie flat & make the surface of each hair appear shinier. If your blow dryer has a “cold” blast button, use it on your entire head after your hair is completely dry: This will further seal the cuticle of the hair.

Products with silicone(s) will provide protection from heat, but they can be VERY difficult to rinse out if you use too much. If you’re going to use a silicone serum, do so in moderation, so that you won’t need a lot of shampoo when it’s time to cleanse.

Of course, air drying is always the safest method, but if you need to dry your hair in a hurry, take precautions to protect your hair from heat… and deep condition EVERY WEEK! PLEASE!