About All Natural Hair Care |
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I’ve had a love-hate relationship with my hair (afro textured and non-straightened) pretty much my whole adult life up until June 2006. That was when my “sister” introduced me to a hair salon that catered exclusively to curly hair. Prior to this discovery, I had never even thought of my hair as “curly”. Thanks to this salon, though, I grew to not only love my hair, but also to enjoy taking care of it. I was so thrilled with my new discovery, shortly after my first appointment, I came home and threw out ALL hair care products that were not made by my new salon. My husband and son were sort of forced into making the switch in hair care, too, since I’m the one who does all the shopping. After about one year with my hair salon, I made the decision to go “all natural”. I began buying, using and occasionally making earth friendly, naturally derived cleansers for our home. The next switch was to all natural skin care, but I was not overly impressed with the selection of “natural products”, so I decided to make my own and Brendita’s Body Works was born. Not surprisingly, I had to reevaluate my hair care. I felt kind of silly for not having looked at the ingredients in the products I was using not only on my own hair, but also giving to my husband and son to use on theirs. When I finally took a long hard look at the ingredients in these products, I was SHOCKED to see many of the very chemicals & preservatives I had since come to avoid, with my new natural philosophy.
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Shampoo: There is a whole lot of hoopla (love that word!) over sulphates: Sodium Laureth Sulphate, and Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (SLS, Ammonium Laureth Sulphate (ALS), and Myreth Sulphate. The reason sulphates are used to manufacture not only shampoos, but pretty much anything that foams is they are an inexpensive ingredient and they make various products foam… a lot. Tons and tons of glorious bubbles. I did a lot of research and I would be less than honest if I told you that I believed sulphates are harmful. From everything I learned they don’t seem to pose a great danger to anyone’s health. However, I read enough to convince me that I’d rather not use them. There are plenty of naturally derived alternatives to sulphates that produce close to the same results, if not better. It takes some getting used to a sulphate free shampoo, but once you do, you won’t miss the extra bubbles. Relax: You’ll still get lather and bubbles, just not as many. Phat Head Shampoos offer you a natural, gentle way to clean your hair. I must “warn” you: If you have been using a shampoo that contains sulphates, you will find that your hair may feel a bit dry after you shampoo with Phat Head. This is because Phat Head gets rid of all the gunk, for lack of a better word, left behind by shampoos that contain sulphates. When a company chooses to use sulphates as a cost cutting alternative you can be pretty sure that’s not the only way they’re cutting corners. Most likely, they are also using lower levels of beneficial & nourishing ingredients, if they’re using any at all. The first few times I used Phat Head shampoo, my hair felt so dry, I was tempted to scrap the whole idea… but something told me to hang in there. I’m glad I did. All Phat Head shampoos have a low pH value (none over 5.5).
Many sulphate free shampoos on the market today are made with castile soap. I ADORE the purity of castile soap, but for the hair, it doesn’t work so well: It has a very high pH value. Shampoos with higher pH levels cause the cuticle cells of the hair to swell. When this occurs the cuticles on the hair are “pushed” outward, causing the hair to look dull and feel rough. With a very low pH value, the cuticle will not swell, but rather they will lie flat. This is very important because it means the cortex (inside the hair strand) is protected. All shampoos are drying, to a certain degree. The reason we shampoo in the first place is to cleanse the hair of dirt, grime and product build up. In the process, however, we wash away beneficial natural oils, too. This is why you must always use an “instant” conditioner immediately after shampooing, when hair is at its most fragile state. All Phat Head Instant Conditioners protect hair at its most fragile state.
No matter what the pH level of your shampoo is, after you’ve washed your hair, you have washed away not only dirt and grime, but also most of your hairs natural oils. This is one of the reasons that combo shampoos/conditioners aren’t very effective: A separate conditioner post shampoo is absolutely essential to smooth the hairs surface, restore vital moisture & nutrients. The active ingredients in all the Phat Head conditioners leave the hair smooth because they restore the proper pH balance to each strand, provide essential nutrients and greatly improve the hairs elasticity and overall health. When the cuticles on the hair lie flat, you will find that detangling your hair is much easier: Hair tangles when the cuticle layer of one hair gets caught on the cuticle layer of surrounding hair. Phat Head conditioners protect your hair with a nourishing layer of vital moisture and natural, healthy nutrients. Phat Head Restorative Deep Conditioners are an essential component of healthy hair care.
EVERYONE needs a deep conditioning treatment on a regular basis to restore, strengthen and revitalize the health of your hair. If you chemically treat your hair (color, perm, straighten, relax, etc.) the need for deep conditioning is even more vital. The perfect deep conditioning treatment is one that replenishes the strength of your hair. In order for a deep conditioning treatment to work, heat must be applied. Using heat is the only way to open the hair cuticle fully, allowing all the vital & active ingredients to fill each and every strand. For hair that is generally healthy, deep conditioning once a month is fine. For hair that is either chemically treated or heat styled (blow dried) frequently, bi-weekly or weekly deep conditioning is a MUST. I’ve used a plug in heat cap for years and years for my deep conditioning treatments.
I recently discovered the BEST heat cap EVER! It’s called the Hair Therapy Wrap and it is simply BRILLIANT! I fell in love with it the first time I used it and I am happy to announce that it is available here at Brendita’s Body Works! If is doesn’t sound like your cup of tea, that’s OK, but remember: You MUST use heat for the Deep Conditioning Treatments to work: If you have a hood style dryer, you’re already set. The active ingredients in each of the Restorative Deep Conditioners were selected for their ability to nourish, replenish and revive the hair. Detailed instructions for deep conditioning are provided with all Phat Head Restorative Deep Conditioners. Conditioning Styling Aides: This is the fun part! No matter what your hair texture, you to keep it moisturized and protected after you have shampooed and conditioned.
For the two years that I was going to my former hair salon, I used their products exclusively. Most of their styling aids were oil free. The one product that did give my hair some sheen resembled the “grease” that my mother used to use on my hair… a very long time ago. It was a thick pomade, made with petroleum: a by-product of oil refining. Petroleum does not allow the hair or skin to breathe. I could never figure out exactly why I disliked this pomade: it was the one product that I was never too crazy about, yet it was also the only product that gave my hair any real shine. Quite a conundrum. When I started using my Phat Head styling aides, with nourishing natural oils, I noticed a sheen and overall vibrancy in my hair that I hadn’t seen in a long, long time… if ever. It’s a natural sheen that only comes from truly healthy, nourished hair. I am pleased to offer you a variety of hair care products that will not only make your hair LOOK good, but will also nourish, rejuvenate and protect your treasured tresses. |
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