By: Ali Hoffberg Subject Matter Expert and Owner/Operator of Clean Hair Salon Studios
Hair is the only accessory your never take off! Summertime has always created hair challenges for our stylists: like color fading, dry scalp and split ends. Now with Covid-19 and quarantine, we are also overwhelmed with unusual amounts of new growth and unintentional color corrections. Grocery/drug store product can build up on the cuticle, causing lack of shine. Scalp breakouts and fragile broken hair can become frizzy and lose its curl. Sound familiar? Not to mentions stress related Eczema breakouts and increased hair loss and feigning self-confidence.
Here in South Texas, the combination of salt, oxygen, and water create an oxidative chemical reaction in the hair that breaks up color, proteins and lipids (natural oils) and weaken the hair structure. The use of professional products made with quality ingredients and hopefully a little UV protection, is the key to keeping your hair safe and beautiful in the summer time. Where are you going to purchase these hard to find items?
Non-Professional products that are always low priced or on sale, typically have harsher cleansing ingredients that may feel great after the first use because they can raise the hair PH high and deep clean. These conditioners have additives to prolong their shelf life that can coat the hair and scalp and mask the challenge at first, even making it feels super smooth. But over time, these products will strip the hair even further of needed proteins, shine, moisture, and yes change the texture of the hair causing lack of curl or increased frizz. Be aware of these top 7 ingredients found in shampoo, conditioners, stylers, and yes, even skincare products that are labeled natural, or even organic:
· Dimethacon
· Cyclomethicone
· Acrylates
· Copolymers
· Methylchloroisothiazolinone
· Methylisothiazolinone
· Paraffin Waxes
These ingredients are typically plastic resins, waxes, and silicones that can coat the hair and skin and suffocate it, causing damage especially when combined with heat tools like your dryer or flat irons that harden the coating on the hair, further making hair coloring difficult. So, skip the sale, and let’s get real: even when you see professional products on the local grocers shelf, it most likely is close to expiring so it is being diverted to a larger retailer at a rock bottom price with the same label you see in the salon.
As we navigate finding our new normal there is something you can do about it. Go support your local salon and licensed stylist. Ask questions! Ask what their hours are, or if they have changed or about how they are following the new guidelines laid out by Texas Department of Licensing Regulation. Ask if they are Barbicide Covid-19 certified and how they have adjusted to help keep you and your family safe. Have they been able to keep their supplies in stock with warehouses closed and now offering limited selections or are they using something new? They will thank you for the business, and so will your hair and your confidence!
