4 African American Hair Care Errors
- Over Shampooing
Black hair should not be shampooed every day, or every other day for that matter. Instead, shampoo your hair every 5-7 days. I know this may confuse those who shampoo daily; however, you must remember that Black hair needs oil, and because it distributes less sebum, frequent shampooing can dry out the hair and scalp.
Tip for getting through “shampoo-less” days:
Rinse hair with warm water, apply conditioner, and rinse well. This will give you a clean start and provide added conditioning and moisture without stripping away protective oils.
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When water isn’t such a good thing…
Moisture, moisture, moisture. I can never stress it enough. Your hair needs it. But your home’s water may be your hair’s worst enemy.
If your hair is dry and unmanageable, it may not be your products, it may be your water. Did you know that the quality of your water can actually determine how well (or badly) your shampoo and conditioning routine works? And if your house water is chlorinated, mineralized or fluoridated, it can cause your hair to break and split.
You may not have noticed the effects of water quality when you had relaxed hair because you probably didn’t wet your hair as often and had to employ extra damage control methods anyway. But now that you’re natural, water problems may present in the form of dry, hard, tangled hair. And no amount of conditioning, deep conditioning or product application will change it.
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10 Ingredients that you should never put on your hair
Most of the commercially available hair care products today use harmful, potentially carcinogenic ingredients. In the interest of good health, I list below, what are in my opinion, the 10 worst commonly found product ingredients things you can put on your hair (and body). Check the list of ingredients on your hair products. The more of a particular ingredient you have in a product, the closer it is to the top of the list of ingredients on the bottle:
1. ISOPROPYL ALCOHOL: This is a solvent and denaturant (poisonous substance that changes another substances natural qualities). Isopropyl alcohol is found in hair color rinses, body rubs, hand lotions, after-shave lotions, fragrances and many other cosmetics. This petroleum-derived substance is also used in antifreeze and as a solvent in shellac. Natural hair reacts very badly to isoalcohol and this ingredient should be avoided at ALL costs. It will dry your hair out and break it off. According to A Consumer’s Dictionary of Cosmetic Ingredients, inhalation or ingestion of the vapor may cause headaches, flushing, dizziness, mental depression, nausea, vomiting, narcosis and even coma.
2. MINERAL OIL & PETROLATUM: The best baby oil is made from almonds. But the oil which being sold as baby oil is 100% mineral oil. Mineral oil is a derivative of crude oil (petroleum) that is used industrially as a cutting fluid and lubricating oil. This commonly used petroleum ingredient coats the skin and hair just like plastic wrap. The skin’s natural barrier is disrupted as this plastic coating inhibits its ability to breathe and absorb the Natural Moisture Factor (moisture and nutrition). The skin’s ability to release toxins and wastes is impossible through this “plastic wrap,” which can promote acne and other disorders. It further hinders normal skin respiration/transpiration by keeping oxygen out. This process slows down skin function and normal cell development causing the skin to prematurely age. Holding in large a mounts of moisture in the skin can “flood” the biology and may result in immature, unhealthy, sensitive skin that dries out easily.
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