Living Proof: a timeline (it's hair, not Liz Phair)

A little background: I realize how odd the title must sound. I am a huge Liz Phair fan, circa Exile in Guyville and Whipsmart. I liked her EPs during the era, and I even liked Whitechocolatespaceegg. After that, I can't defend her.

I was a huge fan of Living Proof when the brand debuted in 2007.

Read on for my (sort of internet research based, but certainly not 100% correct) timeline!

Bad Hair Day: SVU. Episode 1: Hard Water

If haircare was like crime solving, those of us with curly hair would definitely belong in the special victims' unit.

dun dun! (mallet noise)

I am a problem solver. If something is wrong, and I don't know why, I can not just accept it and move on. I need to know what the cause of the problem is and how I can fix it. Because everything is fixable, right?
Maybe.

So, with a little help from the scientific method, and various hair care boards, I bring you my (flexible and adjustable) bad hair day solutions:

Do you ever feel like your hair has been looking bad for a few weeks, even though you haven't changed your routine at all, and the weather hasn't changed drastically? I do. Here are some various symptoms, and my solutions. Please be aware, this is just for my 3c, fine, thin, henna'ed and bkt'ed hair!

Newest problem first!

1. Dull, limp, dirty (but not greasy) looking hair with brittle, breaking ends:

Living Proof PHD review: Murphy Brown Lied to Us

I'm quoting Tina Fey (or Liz Lemon), "Murphy Brown lied to us." Murphy Brown made Liz Lemon believe she could have it all: a career and kids.

Living Proof lied to us. Living Proof said we could have it all (or at least 7 miracle hair benefits and a product that sounds like an advanced academic degree).

Do I smell a copycat? Haircare brand It's a 10 must be angry that its puffery is being so seamlessly mimicked. Pureology Color Fanatic: you're just kind of lame and late to the party. Bigger is not better: "21 benefits" just sounds like it was invented by a wish granting hair genie. I digress.

Living Proof has recently unveiled its newest, greatest, hair saving miracle, that does.....something.

What does it do?

According to Living Proof (via Sephora):

Living Proof's Perfect Hair Day (PHD) 5-in-1 Styling Treatment is powered by our award winning, patented molecules, OFPMA & PBAE, to provide the 5 styling & treatment benefits you need for beautiful, healthy hair in one simple step—smoothness, volume, conditioning, strength & polish. 

What it does: 
Provides a genius balance of styling & treatment benefits 
Provides 5 benefits needed for beautiful, healthy hair: 
- Smoothness 
- Volume 
- Conditioning 
- Strength 
- Polish 
- Heat Protection 
- UV Protection 
- Static Control 
Oil-free & silicone-free.

Read on for my review!

Product Review: Kinky Curly Curling Custard aka KCCC

Here's what Kinky Curly has to say:

"Kinky-Curly custard gel is a herbal conditioner that's suitable for all hair types. It smoothes the cuticle and easily detangles hair. Made from natural ingredients, this moisturizing hair gel nourishes and strengthens hair. It's infused with agave nectar's humectant properties to define your curls, give them weight, smooth frizz and offer long-lasting hold. The gel also adds a healthy shine without making your hair look greasy. This alcohol-free hair gel can be used as a leave-on conditioner for thick or curly hair. It's free of parabens and sodium lauryl sulfate."

Ingredients: 

botanical infusion of water, horsetail, chamomile, nettle and marshmallow, organic aloe vera juice, agave nectar extract, tocopheryl acetate (vitamin e), pectic, citric acid, potassium sorbate and natural fragrance

Read on for my review!

Humectant /hjuːˈmɛktənt/ - how to sound smart at parties, part II

This is an older post that relates to a later post about glycerin.

from wikipedia:
A humectant is a substance that is used to keep things moist. It is the opposite of a desiccant, whose purpose is to keep things dry.

A humectant attracts and retains the moisture in the air by absorption, allowing the water to be used by other substances or by plants. It differs from a desiccant which also attracts moisture but adsorbs it instead of absorbing it i.e. condenses the water onto the surface as a layer of film.

When used as a food additive, the humectant has the effect of keeping the foodstuff moist. Humectants are sometimes used as a component of antistatic coatings for plastics. Humectants are also found in many cosmetic products where moisturization is desired, including treatments such as moisturizing hair conditioners and also commonly used in body lotions.

Examples of humectants include:
propylene glycol (E1520) as well as hexylene glycol and butylene glycol
glyceryl triacetate (E1518)
vinyl alcohol
neoagarobiose
sugar polyols such as glycerol, sorbitol (E420), xylitol and maltitol (E965)
polymeric polyols like polydextrose (E1200)
quillaia (E999)
lactic acid
urea
glycerin
aloe vera gel
MP Diol
alpha hydroxy acids
honey


Remember how I hinted at adsorption and absorption before? I will address everything in part three, I promise!

Surfactants & adsorbtion A.K.A. how to impress people at parties PART I

Surfactants? Adsorption? Do I mean surfectants and absorption? No, I do not.

Ahem (cue scholarly voice), there are some hair terms you may want to wrap your head around.

Surfactant (from Wikipedia): "Surfactants are compounds that lower the surface tension (or interfacial tension) between two liquids or between a liquid and a solid. Surfactants may act as detergents, wetting agents, emulsifiers, foaming agents, and dispersants."

Surfactants, essentially, help get your hair clean. If you want to know more, read on!

Big move! New climate! Back to back henna/BKT! pics!

I just made a permanent (ish) move. I will be attending school in Colorado for the next two years. In Chicago, summers are brutal. There is no such thing as heat without humidity in Chicago. There is no such thing as a good hair day. There are only slightly-less-than-terrible hair days.

Not anymore! Glorious, dry, Colorado heat to the rescue. My hair-life is changing. I did something bold. Crazy, even.

I did a back to back henna/BKT. Ok, maybe it's not THAT crazy.

I guess I just don't know why the thought hadn't occurred to me before. It's genius.

I did a 1/2 cup cassia, 1/3 cup henna mix. I cowashed it out. I waited for my hair to dry, then I did the BKT.

For photos and a bunch of me babbling, read on!

Product Review: DevaCurl - Ultra Defining Gel

Description (via Sephora): A ultradefining and moisturizing gel dissolves instantly when applied to wet hair and dries forming a moisture-protective case to enhance curls.

Read on for my review!

Product Review: L.A. Looks nutra-CURL

Edit 3/23: I don't use this in Colorado, as dries out my hair, and the small amount of buildup isn't worth it. For some reason I thought it was glycerin free, but I was wrong. Way to go, me :( It sits, sadly, under my sink. This review, however, was written in the humid Chicago summer.

On to the review:

Penetrating oils? coconut oil, palm oil, palm kernal oil, Ojon, and the internet.

a very recent beauty brains post. an older beauty brains post.

What gives, beauty brains?

info from the natural haven.

I have been a loyal coconut oil user for years. I put it on my ends after every shower, every morning and every night, without fail, and without any worries about greasy hair. My ends are dry enough that the coconut oil absorbs quickly and readily.

I have tried Ojon's restorative treatment, as well as the new, improved, and "less fragranced formula".

I tried the newer formula based on the older beauty brains post. I hated the original formula (smells terrible, does nothing for hair), but I liked the new formula. I didn't like it more than cocnut oil, but it seemed to work on par.

looks like I will be bidding adieu to Ojon..........

So, to be clear, no oils other than coconut should have penetrating properties? Or, palm kernel oil might possibly have some?

The internet needs to get its act together.

What true love looks like.

In case you were wondering.

Brazilian keratin treatments: a short (yet hopefully helpful) comparison list (UPDATED 8/23)

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but there is next to no information on the interwebs about current BKT products.  Any well known name brank BKT solutions (that contain some level of formaldehyde) have been banned from ebay.

I preface the rest of this post with a warning;

If you are not familiar with styling hair or doing extensive treatments, don't consider this an option. Formaldehyde is an extremely strong chemical in large doses, and you need to have the wherewithal to know how to execute this procedure, while staying away from your scalp.

I say that only because the following list might make you want to BKT, if you were ever curious. But please, tread lightly in the vast world of keratin treatments.

Read on for some of my experiences with BKT Brands:

Review: Living Proof Amp Instant Texture Volumizer

Here's what Living Proof says (via Sephora):
"Bring some life to your style. Get touchable texture plus amplified volume and flexible hold for that perfectly imperfect look. This texturizer works on dry hair so it’s instantly gratifying –and revivable for 48 hours. Bring instant life and energy to dry hair without the tradeoffs, and save time."

Read on for my review!

some more recent shots.

I took some pictures of my curls tonight. I did a henna/cassia mix this morning. I used 50g of cassia and 25g of henna, mixed with lemon juice and chamomile tea. When it was time for application, I added in 1/4 cup of honey and 1/8cup coconut oil.

After rinsing/co-washing, I applied the Marc Anthony Easy-Lites to air dried (top 3/4 of my hair) and blow dried. I applied BKT solution to the 1 inch new growth and blow dried/flat ironed it (yes, I can just blow dry and flat iron 1 inch). I applied KCCC to the lengths of my hair. I applied Living Proof mousse to the majority of my hair, and applied Living Proof Amp to select individual strands for definition. Seven hours later: not too bad, given our strange cold weather and high humidity.

here are photos of my hair after a days work, in the florescent lighting:

Read on for more photos!

Lightening henna'ed hair Part II

I lightened my henna'ed hair and lived to tell.

I had to take a head on shot for my graduate school ID:

My henna ritual

I used to do a pretty standard henna preparation, but now I do a henna/cassia mix to avoid my hair from getting too dark.

- I use 1/2 cup cassia (bought from HennaSooq) and 1/3 cup BAQ Henna (Dulhan or Jamila).

- I use about a cup (or 8 oz) of hot/warm chamomile tea. I use chamomile due to its natural staining ability. If you are not concerned with toning down redness, you can use any tea.

- I also use the juice of 1/4 a lemon, if I have it on hand. This is another hair lightening modification, although if you add in lemon juice to any henna mix, the dye will release faster, due to the high acidic content.

1. I combine the henna, tea, and lemon juice in a bowl.
2. I whisk until my mixture resembles cake batter.
3. I seal the container. I have been using Glad Press n' Seal, but saran wrap works the same way.
4. I wait 12 hours.
5. I add in some coconut oil and honey. Henna can be drying on its own, and lemon juice can be especially drying. I also oil my ends with coconut oil before applying the henna. From my experience, so long as these things are added after the dye has released, they pose no threat. Honey is a natural humectant, so odds are it will only benefit your henna experience.
6. I apply the henna to my entire head, making sure to fully saturate the roots.
7. I leave the henna in my hair for at least 1 1/2 hours but always less than 4 hours.
8. I rinse/co-wash with a silicone free conditioner as many times as needed. Afterwards, I condition my hair normally.

I have previously experimented with other acids in the past. My first few henna treatments were done with coconut milk as the acid. I know other women have had success with it, but I never got the great result that I have gotten using teas. My experience with warm water was the same.

With regards to Amla, I don't use it. It is supposed to aid in curl retention and give a darker brown cast to the henna, neither of which I want.

Footnote: Henna is messy. Make sure you have plastic gloves and saran wrap. I also keep baby wipes at hand to easily remove henna when it touches areas that are hard to get to or hard to remove.

I hope this is helpful!

Lightening Henna'ed hair, Part I

Part I:

I have lightened my henna'ed hair and lived to tell.

Here is a photo of my hair color, post BKT, before my first henna

My hair was straight (post BKT during that 3 day waiting period) in the above photo. I am starting to realize that I only photograph myself when my hair is straight. That needs to stop.

Here is a more recent photo:

So this photo was taken two months ago, and the one above was taken a year ago in June. You can see the ends of my hair are basically black, with a red tint.

Honey Lightening

I found out about honey lightening on the LHCF. Basically, honey has naturally occuring peroxide, and when mixed with other peroxide boosters (cinnamon, cardamom, coconut oil, olive oil) it can have a lightening effect on hair (over the course of multiple treatments). 

I can not speak to whether honey lightening works. My skin and scalp are sensitive to cinnamon. I found out the hard way. Fiery red lines down my face that looked like chemical burns. They subsided in an hour, but I knew that I was going to need to take another approach.

To be continued............... (part two will cover some popular at home hair lighteners)

Henna

Here are some popular online Henna resources:

The Henna Page
Mehandi.com
Henna for Hair
Henna Sooq

What is henna? 

Henna is a plant (lawsonia inermis). The plant is finely ground into a powder, and when mixed with an acid, after for allowing for the appropriate amount of time, the dye molecules release. It stains skin temporarily and stains hair permanently. Lawsone, the dye molecule, has an affinity for protein in skin and hair.

Why use henna? 

There are many reasons why people use henna on their hair. Henna is a very effective dye, and people looking for a beautiful shade of red can achieve it with henna, so long as their hair is light enough in color (Lucille Ball was known to bleach her hair and then henna over it to achieve her famous red shade). Henna can effectively cover gray hair. If you have just a few grays, here and there, henna can turn them into beautiful highlights. I think it is especially pretty on people with naturally dark hair and a few grays. Henna can have "conditioning" type effects. I use quotations because some scientists argue that henna is not a "conditioner" in technical terms.

Here are the "conditioning" effects henna has on my hair:

henna binds to the keratin in hair, essentially coating the hair and adding bulk - my hair is naturally very thin - henna makes my hair appear thicker.

henna loosens my curl pattern - due to the same reason as above - more weight on the hair shaft produces an elongated curl.

henna makes my hair shiny, and it always feels smoother after a treatment. I think this is because the shaft is coated, cracks are filled in, and also because the curl, after being elongated and less kinky, reflects light better (not 100% on this one!)

What if I don't want red hair? 

Some will argue with me, but I think in order to get the full benefits of henna, you are going to have to be willing to put up with a bit of a red tint. No, you don't need to become a redhead. Indigo (a dark blue dye, also a plant) and Cassia (another plant that has a slightly staining yellow effect) can be mixed with henna to create a desired haircolor. Usually, people will henna before indigo or add an indigo mix to henna after the dye has released. It is not usually recommended to indigo first, as indigo has no conditioning benefits for hair. Cassia can be prepared with henna.

What henna should I buy? 

Always buy body art quality (BAQ) henna for use on hair. Do not buy "henna hair dyes" as they usually contain metallic salts and are not pure henna. Henna only comes in one shade: red. If you see "black henna" or "blond henna" it is not henna. It could be a indigo/henna or a cassia/henna mix, but there is no way to be sure. Don't buy it.

Where can I get BAQ Henna? 

I live near an area of town affectionately called "little India". It has the largest South Asian concentrated population in the United States. I buy my henna there. Chicagoans will know it as Devon Avenue. It is relatively easy to get BAQ (body art quality henna). Even if you don't find it in the first store, just go two stores down. My most recent purchase was a HUGE bag of Dulhan BAQ henna (1000g) for $10. I have also ordered from Henna Sooq in the past, when I was out of town or out of the country. They usually have specials on Friday, and I purchased a bunch of Cassia recently as I have been lightening my hair. Any of the links at the top of the page will have info on getting BAQ henna. I think that if you are a henna newb, online is probably your best bet. I actually purchased some non BAQ Jamila in store that was masquerading as BAQ. I could tell that it was not BAQ during the prep process, so I threw it away, but someone unfamiliar might not know what to look for.

BAQ henna will usually be:

- light green in color
- packaged in a sealed foil pouch or plastic bag
- come in a box with the sealed bag inside
- have an expiration date
- not say anything about hair dye on the box. the Jamila and Dulhan that I usually get in the store say nothing on them except "henna powder"

Thermal Reconditioning (TR) and the Brazilian Keratin treatment (BKT)

Thermal Reconditioning (AKA TR, AKA Japanese straightening):

Here is an article on NaturallyCurly.com - I would like to add my two cents. Thermal Reconditioning is a permanent straightening process that, depending on your hair type, can be less damaging than a traditional relaxer. However, if you have very curly hair, TR will not get your hair 100% straight, and multiple TR applications can be very damaging. It is a process that originated in Asia, as many Asian women have coarse (yet not curly) hair. The TR process made the naturally coarse hair much silkier, sleeker and more manageable. It was discovered that TR had a straightening effect on Caucasian hair, thus the fad was born. I TR'ed for 7 years. My 3c curls never got close to bone straight. They were slightly less curly. Here is a photo of post TR hair:

Straight? No. Less curly than before? Sure. More damaged? Yes.

I had it done when I was 18, and I did it myself after that, with much less damage than the hairdresser did. It cost about $350 the first time (I'm 30 now, so this was way back in the day), but I could buy the Bio-Ionic or Opti-Smooth stuff on Ebay and do it at home more safely and cheaply. 

BKT AKA Brazilian Keratin Treatment:

Here is an article from NaturallyCurly.com

According to Wikipedia, 

"Brazilian hair straightening treatments are a method of temporarily straightening hair by sealing a liquid keratin and a preservative solution into the hair with a hair iron in the United States. It has been banned in several countries including Canada and the European Union due to high concentrations of regulated chemicals in them."

Basically, if you dig Aphogee, you will love BKT. Keratin, or protein, is bonded with your hair by sealing it in with an aldehyde (formerly formaldehyde, although it's a bit taboo now). Protein, as we all know, can temporarily seal in gaps in damaged hair, making it appear to be in better shape than it is. BKT is basically a protein treatment on steroids - or not - really, the aldehyde is the key in the equation. Keratin, shmeratin. Formaldehyde is a preservative. A very powerful preservative that doesn't mess around. King Tut knows what I mean. As a hairdresser, it would be very unhealthy, and possibly fatal to perform BKTs on a regular basis. 

Here is a photo after my 3rd or fourth BKT:

(Here's my caveat - please read responsibly) As a consumer who has been doing TR for 7 years, BKT was life changing, and certainly not life threatening. I do BKT about every 3 or 4 months. I use an industrial grade fan (thanks, old artists roommates from the loft) in a well ventilated area, and I never get it on my scalp. Still, this is dangerous stuff. I have been cutting back a great deal, and henna-ing more (which has led to some color problems - check the henna tab!)

I think this may be to be continued.......