Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Deep Clarifying

No matter how gently we take care of our curly locks, there still can come a time when a deep cleansing is necessary rather than a standard shampooing.

For example, in west-central Florida, our water is very hard and we have issues with mineral and calcium retention. I am usually an advocate for baking soda cleanses and have a recipe here on the Live Curly Live Free Home Remedies page . I recently found myself in a situation, however, where the baking soda clarification didn’t do its usual trick in restoring my shine, clumping and bounce.

For those of you who know me or hang out with us on our Facebook fan page, you know my daughter was pretty sick this summer and spent a couple of weeks in the hospital (she is doing great now, incidentally!). The whole ordeal resulted in a three-month period where I didn’t take optimal care of my hair … yep, life even happens to the Curl Whisperer.

As a result, my curls were looking pretty sad and I could feel “stuff” retained in my hair shaft. I did my usual baking soda clarification, thinking it would help—and it did—but my hair didn’t feel as optimally clean as it usually does afterward.

So, wondering what to do, my eye fell on the activated charcoal capsules I keep in my bathroom. Activated charcoal is well-documented for both external and internal use as a detoxifier—paramedics even keep it onboard their ambulances for use in the emergency treatment of certain kinds of poisons and overdoses. I use it to make a homemade face mask that detoxifies my skin, and also as an ingredient I use in a homemade whitening toothpaste.

I reasoned that if it was good for detoxing my skin and deep-cleaning my teeth, then why not my hair?

I poured about three tablespoons of shampoo in a small bowl (I use Curl Junkie Gentle Cleansing shampoo) and broke about five activated charcoal capsules into it and stirred to make a paste. Be careful with this stuff: It may not stain your teeth or your skin, but porcelain and ceramic fixtures can be susceptible to staining.

I applied to my hair, root to ends, and massaged it into my scalp and the length of my hair for several minutes, then rinsed with lukewarm water.

My initial reaction was pure fear. My hair strands were squeaky clean—I mean, SQUEAKY—and my hair almost felt like it was on the verge of balling up into a tangled mess. What, I thought in a complete panic, have I done? But I stayed calm and reached for one of my heavier conditioners (Curl Junkie’s Smoothing conditioner), then saturated my hair with it, combing it through with a large pick I keep in my shower for that purpose.

VoilĂ ! The tangles fell out immediately and I was able to comb the conditioner through with no problems. I let it sit for about five minutes, then did a cold water rinse before styling as usual. My bouncy, shiny, clumpy, beautiful curls were back!

I would not advise using this method for clarifying your curls unless you feel you are having some extreme retention issues. I would suggest trying the regular baking soda clarification first and then moving on to the activated charcoal method if you need better results.

Happy clarifying!

Sunday, March 10, 2013

What You'll Find

Our book is the ultimate guide to understanding your hair. Because once you "get it," taking care of it and uncovering your beautiful curls will be a breeze. Here is some of the topics we cover:

Weather: Why dew point and not humidity is the key to understanding how your hair reacts in certain weather, and how you can adjust your curl maintenance routine accordingly.

Product ingredients: We look at product ingredients beyond sulfates and silicones. We have an entire chapter on essential oils, humectants, fatty alcohols, petrochemicals, salts, proteins and other ingredients found in hair care products.

Putting it all together: Handy charts outline guidelines for product selection based on hair porosity, texture, climate and product ingredient suitability.

And so much more! 



Want to get in on The Secret?
Live Curly, Live Free, The e-book, is available for Kindle, iPad and Nook formats. In it, Curl Whisperer Tiffany Anderson-Taylor tells us all we need to know to have healthy, happy curls.

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Honey Hair Conditioner

Want to give your hair a treat? Our honey conditioner treatment is a quick and inexpensive way to pamper yourself. Be sure to warm the honey before using it. The antibacterial properties of honey release low levels of hydrogen peroxide, which will lighten the hair, but heating the honey negates  the effects of the peroxide. Plus warm honey will feel great on your scalp!

Combine:
1/2 cup honey, warmed in the microwave
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Massage well into hair from scalp to ends, then cover with a plastic processing cap. Process for 30 minutes at room temperature, then cleanse hair with a non-sulfate cleanser. For added penetration, sit under a warm (not hot) dryer for 20 minutes.




Want to get in on The Secret?
Live Curly, Live Free, The e-book, is available for Kindle, iPad and Nook formats. In it, Curl Whisperer Tiffany Anderson-Taylor tells us all we need to know to have healthy, happy curls.

Thursday, February 14, 2013

Apple Cider Vinegar Rinse


There is some debate on whether or not simply a rinse with apple cider vinegar, better known as ACV, 
can clarify the hair. But it does help bring the hair back into balance after an alkaline solution has come into contact with the hair and will shut the cuticle back down.

Repeated use of ACV rinses can be drying, so limit use to once or twice per month at most:



Combine:

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 cup warm water



Pour the mixture over the hair after cleansing (do not rinse out), then condition as usual. Any lingering smell will dissipate as the hair dries.




 Want to get in on The Secret?
Live Curly, Live Free, The e-book, is available for Kindle, iPad and Nook formats. In it, Curl Whisperer Tiffany Anderson-Taylor tells us all we need to know to have healthy, happy curls.

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

The Curl Whisperer, In Action




Want to get in on The Secret?
 Live Curly, Live Free, The e-book, is available for Kindle, iPad and Nook formats. In it, Curl Whisperer Tiffany Anderson-Taylor tells us all we need to know to have healthy, happy curls.

Saturday, January 5, 2013

Hair Trivia

Here are some fun facts and trivia about hair, compiled from various sources including the Los Angeles Times and The New York Times. Enjoy!
  • Hair on the head grows about half-inch per month.
  • Every day, the 5 million or so hairs on an adult's body add about 40 yards of new growth.
  • At any given moment, about 90 percent of the hairs on your head are growing and 10 percent are about to fall out.
  • You will lose about 100 hair strands every day.
  • The average person could lose tens of thousands of hairs from their scalp without even noticing it. 
  • The surface area of the hair on a typical woman's head can cover from 40 to 85 square feet.
  • Average number of hairs on the head: 100,000. But it depends on your hair color. For red hair, it's 90,000; black, 110,000; blonde, 140,000.
  • Hair grows faster in warm weather
  • The only place in your body with no hair? The soles of feet, palms of hands and lips.