Fabulous, Healthy Hair - Naturally
Choosing All-Natural Products and Tools
Mass-marketed hair products may be working against the natural balance and condition of your hair. Going all-natural may be the change you need for beautiful hair.
Many hair care products on the market are actually working against your goal of strong, healthy, lustrous hair. Understanding the basics of healthy hair helps guide your decision to embrace natural hair products and forego mass-marketed products. But you don’t have to sacrifice convenience to go all-natural.
Many shampoos on the market contain harsh detergents and drying ingredients that strip the sebum from your hair. The body, when given the chance, is designed to balance itself. Follicles produce sebum to moisturize and protect the hair. When natural oils are stripped by shampoo, especially if you wash daily with harsh cleansers, the follicles compensate by producing more sebum, making your hair look and feel greasy. You often don’t realize how much your shampoo is damaging your hair, especially if you use a conditioner, which provides a quick but temporary solution.
Finding an all-natural shampoo with gentle cleansers can help restore the natural balance your hair thrives on. Look for plant-based ingredients like castile soap and vegetable glycerin. Base your purchase decisions on what’s in the product, not by what the name or packaging implies, because marketing can be deceiving. You can also make your own shampoo by selecting a gentle cleanser and adding essential oils like tea tree oil for dandruff and lavender to soothe your scalp. The consistency will be thinner than marketed shampoos, but your hair will still get clean. The simplest option is baking soda, which provides a gentle scrub for your scalp.
Cleaning isn’t just what you use, it’s also how you do it. Once your hair has balanced out after switching to all-natural ingredients, you can judge what is best for your hair. You may wash your hair every day, every other day, or maybe you can go a few days. Use your fingers or a massage tool to stimulate your scalp and help loosen debris. Gently massage your cleanser into your scalp. You may need to part and work in sections of your hair if it is thick. Squeeze the cleanser down through your hair, don’t pile it on your head as this can lead to damage or tangles. Rinse thoroughly - then wash again. The first wash will loosen debris and the second wash will further open the follicle for a more thorough cleansing. You may find, however, that you only need to cleanse once, especially if you wash your hair daily.
Rinse with cool water at the end of your cleaning, as this will close the cuticle (the layers that overlap like shingles). A little apple cider vinegar with water makes a good rinse as it balances your pH (especially if you used baking soda, an alkali). Pat dry - don’t rub - and remove tangles with a wide-toothed comb or brush when hair is damp, not wet. If you choose to use a conditioner, make sure you thoroughly rinse out the product. Leave-in conditioners that don’t add a lot of weight are another option.
Your scalp and hair follicles are delicate and you should avoid any action that scratches or pulls. Don’t use your nails during shampooing and avoid tools with sharp edges. Any tools you use should have rounded tips. A natural boar-bristle brush is gentle on your scalp, and provides more benefit that plastic can. The natural bristles stimulate the follicle, clean the scalp by loosening debris, and distribute your natural oil to the full length of your hair. Your natural sebum creates a protective coating and makes your hair shiny and strong. Natural bristle brushes range in price from expensive to affordable. Brushes can be maintained to last if cleaned regularly with a gentle soap (why not use your new all-natural shampoo?).
