Do you use "cones" (silicones) to get your hair more shiny and less frizzy?
Silicones come in a variety of forms, you may know them best as those droppers full of clear viscous liquid that you rub a few drops between your palms and smooth over your hair. But even if you're not using cones in this form, it's likely you're getting them in your conditioners or styling products (particularly any hair straightening balms) because they've become so popular.
Silicones are amazing - at first - because they make hair calm down and look/feel a lot less pouffy. Problem is, most silicones (especially the ones that work best) are not water soluble. So what happens is as you use them is that they build up in your hair. Over time, this means your hair actually gets dull and less manageable (and then you likely apply MORE cones to counter the effect!)
Now lots of people advocate getting rid of silicones altogether and I've taken that radical path before... but I missed my cones!! So here's a solution: periodically clarify your hair.
How to clarify? Here are a few options that I advocate (I only clarify about once a month or two, some people do it more often, but I find it unnecessary):
1. Use a homemade recipe: mix a couple teaspons of baking soda with an SLS-free shampoo (sodium laurel/laureth sulfate). [You shouldn't be using SLS on your hair anyways, I have a whole post on the evils of shampoo, read it to understand why]. Note, your hair will feel really dry after you do this, so be sure to do an extra-especially intense conditioning treatment.
2. Use an SLS-free clarifying shampoo (you can find these at a Beauty Supply Store, probably not at the pharmacy or supermarket). I get mine at GBS in Miami.
3. If you've already drunk the kool-aid and are no-longer using shampoo or SLS's, then you can probably just use a regular cheap shampoo to clarify, especially if you're not using a lot of cones.
By the way, here is a list of ingredients that are "code" for silicones:
Amodimethicone- Trimethylsilylamodimethicone-
Amodimethicone (&) C11-15 Pareth-7 (&) Laureth-9 (&) Glycerin (&) Trideceth-12
Amodimethicone (&) Trideceth-12 (&) Cetrimonium Chloride
Behenoxy Dimethicone
Bisamino PEG/PPG-41/3 Aminoethyl PG-Propyl Dimethicone
Bis-Phenylpropyl Dimethicone
C30-45 Alkyl Dimethicone
Cetearyl Methicone
Cetyl Dimethicone
Cetyl PEG/PPG-15/15 Butyl Ether Dimethicone
Cyclomethicone (&) PEG/PPG-20/15 Dimethicone
Cyclopentasiloxane- Cyclomethicone D5
Cyclopentasiloxane (&) C30-45 Alkyl Cetearyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Cyclopentasiloxane (&) Cyclohexasiloxane
Cyclopentasiloxane (&) Dimethicone
Cyclopentasiloxane (&) Dimethicone/Vinyldimethicone Crosspolymer
Cyclopentasiloxane (&) Dimethiconol
Cyclopentasiloxane (&) Trimethylsiloxysilicate
Cyclotetrasiloxane- Cyclomethicone D4
DEA PG-Propyl PEG/PPG-18/21 Dimethicone
Diisostearoyl Trimethylolpropane Siloxy Silicate
Dimethicone Copolyol
Dimethicone (&) Laureth-4 (&) Laureth-23
Dimethicone (&) Trimethylsiloxysilicate
Dimethicone (from 1 to 1,000,000 cs)
Dimethiconol (&) Sodium Dodecylbenzenesulphonate
Diphenyl Dimethicone
Disiloxane
Hydrolyzed wheat protein/hydroxypropyl polysiloxane & cystine/silicone co-polymers
Lauryl Methicone Copolyol
PCA Dimethicone
PEG/PPG-20/15 Dimethicone
PEG-12 Dimethicone
Phenyl Trimethicone
Polysilicone-18 Cetyl Phosphate
Silicone Resin Spheres (2, 5 & 6 micron)
Simethicone
Stearoxy Dimethicone
Stearyl Dimethicone
Trimethylsiloxysilicate
Trisiloxane
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Question from a Reader...
I received this question this evening:
hey michelle, im 15 years old and i need help! My hair is very thick, rough, and long. When i wash it and leave it air dry its a frizz ball and i spent a lot of time trying to find products that will make my hair look like selena gomez hair or vanessa hudgens hair but it doesn't work im just spending my time and money. Straightening it just makes it dull and look greasy and not shiny. My hair is dark brown and i love it being that color but do NOT love the frizz and it being poofy. I want wavy soft shiny hair. But idk how to get it please send me some tips on how to get it.
From a teenage girl who wants awesome hair
Dear teenage girl who wants awesome hair... I need to know more! 95% of the time, frizzy hair is the result of damage. Very few people actually have naturally frizzy hair. If you're hair is frizzy because it is damaged, there is much you can do to mask the damage and start to get back to a healthy head of hair, but that takes time. Are you patient? Dedicated? If so, then start with these tips:
1. Stop using blow dryers, irons and brushes
2. Stop using shampoo - read my 10 tips (you'll need to register at http://www.frizzytofabulous.com)
3. Stop coloring/straightening your hair
4. Start washing your hair less often and use "bunning" as a drying technique (I'm writing an article on bunning, but in the meantime, look it up at the long hair forum)
5. Start oiling your hair and massaging your scalp
Finally, send me a picture, or post one here (if you can) so I can see better what we're dealing with! You might be a good candidate for Brazilian Keratin Treatment, though I am hesitant to recommend that without knowing more about what your hair is like...
Good luck...
Mivi
hey michelle, im 15 years old and i need help! My hair is very thick, rough, and long. When i wash it and leave it air dry its a frizz ball and i spent a lot of time trying to find products that will make my hair look like selena gomez hair or vanessa hudgens hair but it doesn't work im just spending my time and money. Straightening it just makes it dull and look greasy and not shiny. My hair is dark brown and i love it being that color but do NOT love the frizz and it being poofy. I want wavy soft shiny hair. But idk how to get it please send me some tips on how to get it.
From a teenage girl who wants awesome hair
Dear teenage girl who wants awesome hair... I need to know more! 95% of the time, frizzy hair is the result of damage. Very few people actually have naturally frizzy hair. If you're hair is frizzy because it is damaged, there is much you can do to mask the damage and start to get back to a healthy head of hair, but that takes time. Are you patient? Dedicated? If so, then start with these tips:
1. Stop using blow dryers, irons and brushes
2. Stop using shampoo - read my 10 tips (you'll need to register at http://www.frizzytofabulous.com)
3. Stop coloring/straightening your hair
4. Start washing your hair less often and use "bunning" as a drying technique (I'm writing an article on bunning, but in the meantime, look it up at the long hair forum)
5. Start oiling your hair and massaging your scalp
Finally, send me a picture, or post one here (if you can) so I can see better what we're dealing with! You might be a good candidate for Brazilian Keratin Treatment, though I am hesitant to recommend that without knowing more about what your hair is like...
Good luck...
Mivi
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
It's been a bad hair month... I'm sorry
I just haven't been feeling like posting. Why? Because I have 2 inch roots and am paralyzed by fear. I lost my colorist and now I don't know what to do. I'm sooooooooooo picky about how my color is done, and I can't find anyone I trust.
So instead, I do nothing... And the roots (and the grays) just keep getting worse, and worse, and worse. I KNOW that in the grand scheme of things, this just isn't that important. Yet, somehow, it is. A great hair day is a GREAT DAY. Period.
Help!! Any great colorists out there?
Ciao for now,
Michelle
So instead, I do nothing... And the roots (and the grays) just keep getting worse, and worse, and worse. I KNOW that in the grand scheme of things, this just isn't that important. Yet, somehow, it is. A great hair day is a GREAT DAY. Period.
Help!! Any great colorists out there?
Ciao for now,
Michelle
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Synonyms for Formaldehyde in Brazilian Keratin Treatments
By the way, here are some substitutes for formaldehyde that are really the same thing:
Formalin
Formic Aldehyde
Paraform
Formol
Formalin (Methanol-free)
Fyde
Formalith
Methanal
Methyl Aldehyde
Methylene Glycol
Methylene Oxide
Tetraoxymethalene
Oxomethane
Oxymethylene
Formalin
Formic Aldehyde
Paraform
Formol
Formalin (Methanol-free)
Fyde
Formalith
Methanal
Methyl Aldehyde
Methylene Glycol
Methylene Oxide
Tetraoxymethalene
Oxomethane
Oxymethylene
The Truth About Brazilian Keratin...
I've spent almost 2 years researching "Brazilian keratin treatments" in hopes of formulating what I thought would be the "Holy Grail of Hair”: a Brazilian keratin treatment that was safe enough to be applied by consumers at home but effective enough to compete with the other treatments out there.
Two years and many research dollars later, it hasn't happened and I don’t believe it ever will. But I don’t want all of that knowledge and research to go to waste, so I’m going to give you the inside scoop on Brazilian keratin treatments. The Good, The Bad & The Ugly.
1. The Promise
2. The Problem
3. The Verdict
***
1. The Promise
“Do you want shiny, straight, healthy, gorgeous hair? Hair that you can run your fingers through and that men will long to touch?”
This was the intro for the marketing piece that I came up with for the products I would offer to the market. It sums up my hair fantasy - and if you're reading this, probably yours too.
We could spend hours examining why, but for whatever reason, millions of women want long, gorgeous movie-star hair. Instead they have coarse, frizzy, unruly hair. And there has never been an easy way to turn frizzy and fried hair to flow-y and fabulous hair without severe damage.
Traditional straightening methods, like the reverse perm and Japanese thermal reconditioning, destroy hair, especially over time. But Brazilian keratin promised to turn back the clock, to repair, and to actually make hair better, not just straighter.
No wonder I got hooked.
2. The Problem
Unfortunately, there’s a catch: Formaldehyde.
Formaldehyde is often used as a preservative. It’s found in lots of household products (like glue and nail polish). Intense exposure can be irritating and cause severe reactions (especially in the mucus membranes and respiratory system: eyes, nose, mouth & lungs). It’s also a carcinogen, though some challenge that assertion.
In Brazilian keratin treatments, the formaldehyde is the active ingredient that straightens the hair. Supposedly it is also what binds the keratin to the hair to make it feel thicker and healthier. I’ve had Brazilian keratin done, and it is true that my hair was both straighter and it felt healthier and stronger and thicker.
Problem is, the amount of formaldehyde that’s effective is a lot higher than the amount of formaldehyde that is considered safe. Though there is debate about what “safe” is.
Let’s back up a minute. The problem is that there is little or no regulation about the amount of formaldehyde in Brazilian keratin treatments. The Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel, an industry group, says that the maximum allowable concentration of formaldehyde for products that touch the skin is .2% (that's point-two-percent, not two percent, big difference by an order of 10). At .2%, formaldehyde is not effective as a straightener, effectiveness really starts at around 2%.
The convenient confusion between .2% and 2% has had at least some impact on the popularity of Brazilian keratin treatments. I know because I’ve seen it firsthand – in fact the woman who applied it on me assured me (before I knew better) that 2% was the allowable amount “by the FDA” so I shouldn’t worry about applying it...
And this is where it gets tricky – perhaps with proper precautions (fumes extractor and no skin contact), it really is possible to safely go higher than .2% concentration. Problem is, since the process is completely unregulated, there is just no way to guarantee this. I'd venture to say it's nearly impossible to apply Brazilian keratin and not touch the skin at least a little. Don’t forget that breathing in the fumes is dangerous as well.
Furthermore, the higher you go with formaldehyde, the more effective the treatment. So there is a real incentive to use higher concentrations. In fact, Brazilian keratin treatments go as high as 5%, 6% or even 8% (and that's when things get scary).
Some other interesting tidbits:
Formaldehyde substitutes: Manufacturers and distributors are getting smarter and using formaldehyde substitutes (like Urea) that are no safer or better, but that don’t have the stigma of the name.
Labeling: As long as a hair product is labeled “for Professional Use,” manufacturers are not required to list the ingredients.
Distributor tampering: Even if the product comes from Brazil without formaldehyde, I discovered – from a manufacturer that I was negotiating with – that many distributors receive shipment (i.e., get through customs and inspections) and then ADD formaldehyde HERE.
To “seal” the Brazilian keratin treatment, you’re supposed to use a 450-degree ceramic flat iron. That is ridiculously hot!!
All that said, Brazilian keratin is still booming because it works. Maybe we'll find out in 20 years that it was a terribly risk to take, but most women know it's risky, and do it anyways.
Why? Because the results are phenomenal. My hair looked great. I have no idea how much formaldehyde was in what she put on my hair (by the way, this was before I knew what I know now). My eyes did water and I did cough a lot, but when I walked out, my hair looked spectacular.
3. The Verdict
I gave up on trying to create the perfect product, but never on improving my hair. I’ve instead turned to understanding and educating about how to go "From Frizzy to Fabulous" safely, using regular products and by taking care of your hair and styling it differently. It IS possible. I'm doing it.
See, most frizz (about 80%) is NOT natural - it’s the result of damage and abuse from blow-dryers (“blow-fryers”), flatirons, chemical processing, UV exposure, improper handling, and more. Furthermore, there are ways of styling hair beautifully withOUT damaging it.
For example, do you know why your hair gets "pouffy" in humidity? What happens is that the damaged and dried out hair tries to grab needed moisture from the environment and swells up, looking frizzy. If we can get hair filled up and healthy, then it won't try to pull moisture from the air. That's just one way that we can combat frizzy hair... without putting dangerous chemicals in it.
By treating the hair differently and styling it properly, you can mask the frizz in the short-term while getting hair healthy and strong in the long-run.
And it's fun!
To learn more, sign up for my newsletter with valuable tips, tricks and information that you'll get periodically.
Sign up here:
Have a Dream Hair Day!
Michelle
Two years and many research dollars later, it hasn't happened and I don’t believe it ever will. But I don’t want all of that knowledge and research to go to waste, so I’m going to give you the inside scoop on Brazilian keratin treatments. The Good, The Bad & The Ugly.
1. The Promise
2. The Problem
3. The Verdict
***
1. The Promise
“Do you want shiny, straight, healthy, gorgeous hair? Hair that you can run your fingers through and that men will long to touch?”
This was the intro for the marketing piece that I came up with for the products I would offer to the market. It sums up my hair fantasy - and if you're reading this, probably yours too.
We could spend hours examining why, but for whatever reason, millions of women want long, gorgeous movie-star hair. Instead they have coarse, frizzy, unruly hair. And there has never been an easy way to turn frizzy and fried hair to flow-y and fabulous hair without severe damage.
Traditional straightening methods, like the reverse perm and Japanese thermal reconditioning, destroy hair, especially over time. But Brazilian keratin promised to turn back the clock, to repair, and to actually make hair better, not just straighter.
No wonder I got hooked.
2. The Problem
Unfortunately, there’s a catch: Formaldehyde.
Formaldehyde is often used as a preservative. It’s found in lots of household products (like glue and nail polish). Intense exposure can be irritating and cause severe reactions (especially in the mucus membranes and respiratory system: eyes, nose, mouth & lungs). It’s also a carcinogen, though some challenge that assertion.
In Brazilian keratin treatments, the formaldehyde is the active ingredient that straightens the hair. Supposedly it is also what binds the keratin to the hair to make it feel thicker and healthier. I’ve had Brazilian keratin done, and it is true that my hair was both straighter and it felt healthier and stronger and thicker.
Problem is, the amount of formaldehyde that’s effective is a lot higher than the amount of formaldehyde that is considered safe. Though there is debate about what “safe” is.
Let’s back up a minute. The problem is that there is little or no regulation about the amount of formaldehyde in Brazilian keratin treatments. The Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel, an industry group, says that the maximum allowable concentration of formaldehyde for products that touch the skin is .2% (that's point-two-percent, not two percent, big difference by an order of 10). At .2%, formaldehyde is not effective as a straightener, effectiveness really starts at around 2%.
The convenient confusion between .2% and 2% has had at least some impact on the popularity of Brazilian keratin treatments. I know because I’ve seen it firsthand – in fact the woman who applied it on me assured me (before I knew better) that 2% was the allowable amount “by the FDA” so I shouldn’t worry about applying it...
And this is where it gets tricky – perhaps with proper precautions (fumes extractor and no skin contact), it really is possible to safely go higher than .2% concentration. Problem is, since the process is completely unregulated, there is just no way to guarantee this. I'd venture to say it's nearly impossible to apply Brazilian keratin and not touch the skin at least a little. Don’t forget that breathing in the fumes is dangerous as well.
Furthermore, the higher you go with formaldehyde, the more effective the treatment. So there is a real incentive to use higher concentrations. In fact, Brazilian keratin treatments go as high as 5%, 6% or even 8% (and that's when things get scary).
Some other interesting tidbits:
Formaldehyde substitutes: Manufacturers and distributors are getting smarter and using formaldehyde substitutes (like Urea) that are no safer or better, but that don’t have the stigma of the name.
Labeling: As long as a hair product is labeled “for Professional Use,” manufacturers are not required to list the ingredients.
Distributor tampering: Even if the product comes from Brazil without formaldehyde, I discovered – from a manufacturer that I was negotiating with – that many distributors receive shipment (i.e., get through customs and inspections) and then ADD formaldehyde HERE.
To “seal” the Brazilian keratin treatment, you’re supposed to use a 450-degree ceramic flat iron. That is ridiculously hot!!
All that said, Brazilian keratin is still booming because it works. Maybe we'll find out in 20 years that it was a terribly risk to take, but most women know it's risky, and do it anyways.
Why? Because the results are phenomenal. My hair looked great. I have no idea how much formaldehyde was in what she put on my hair (by the way, this was before I knew what I know now). My eyes did water and I did cough a lot, but when I walked out, my hair looked spectacular.
3. The Verdict
I gave up on trying to create the perfect product, but never on improving my hair. I’ve instead turned to understanding and educating about how to go "From Frizzy to Fabulous" safely, using regular products and by taking care of your hair and styling it differently. It IS possible. I'm doing it.
See, most frizz (about 80%) is NOT natural - it’s the result of damage and abuse from blow-dryers (“blow-fryers”), flatirons, chemical processing, UV exposure, improper handling, and more. Furthermore, there are ways of styling hair beautifully withOUT damaging it.
For example, do you know why your hair gets "pouffy" in humidity? What happens is that the damaged and dried out hair tries to grab needed moisture from the environment and swells up, looking frizzy. If we can get hair filled up and healthy, then it won't try to pull moisture from the air. That's just one way that we can combat frizzy hair... without putting dangerous chemicals in it.
By treating the hair differently and styling it properly, you can mask the frizz in the short-term while getting hair healthy and strong in the long-run.
And it's fun!
To learn more, sign up for my newsletter with valuable tips, tricks and information that you'll get periodically.
Sign up here:
Have a Dream Hair Day!
Michelle
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