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!