It's the healthy curls for us! Healthy hair is the goal around here, and we are sharing four things to avoid... so that you can achieve healthy, happy hair, and have your curls living their best life.
Here's what to AVOID:
1. Avoid Excessive Heat
Excessive heat can damage curls by ruining the curls natural pattern. Exposure to high heat (anything over 300°F) can damage the hair's keratin , which leads to loss in elasticity and is prone to more damage. Using heat everyday is not recommended even if your hair is in a healthy state.
Bonus tip: DO NOT use high heat on damp, or wet hair! Be sure hair is fully dry before using heat.
2. Avoid Excessive Bleach
Bleach is a lightening agent, and when applied to the hair, it penetrates the hair's cortex and breaks down the hair's melanin or natural hair pigmentation. This chemical process strips hair of its color and leaves the cuticle (outer layer of your hair) open, which increases porosity and leaves hair prone to damage and dryness.
Bonus tip: Avoid using bleach on damaged hair, as it will likely cause more damage and/or break off
3. Avoid Raw Oils and Butters
Go back and read that again - we said RAW oils and butters. You can still use oils and butters that have been properly formulated into hair products. What this is taking about is the raw, unformulated shea butter blocks and raw oils. The molecules of these butters and oils are simply too big for your hair to absorb, so instead, the products sit on top of your hair and scalp and can cause buildup without proper cleansing - which leads to dry hair since moisture is being repelled from the hair and unable to penetrate your strands.
Bonus tip: Try avoiding using RAW oils and butters for 30 days to see best results.
4. Avoid Harsh Ingredients
Unfortunately, many cosmetic and hair products contain harsh chemicals and ingredients that are toxic, and are still being sold in stores and salons. Rules and regulations of the cosmetic and beauty industry and seriously lacking. Even products labeled as "natural" or "formaldehyde-free" may still have harmful affects since legally when formaldehyde is used to formulate other compounds, it does not have to be listed on the ingredients. This is why it is important to advocate change in the cosmetic/beauty industry for safer regulations and full transparency.
Bonus tip: For starters avoid ingredients such as sulfates, mineral oils, parabens, formaldehyde, synthetic frangrances, silicones, and phthalates.
Check out these resources for more:
CLEARYA - app that notifies you of harmful ingredients in personal care and other products, and offers safe alternatives
EWG HEALTHY LIVING APP - app that gives you a rating based on research and backed by science
CROWN ACT - Sign The Crown Act petition to ban discrimination against natural hairstyles in schools and the workplace (www.thecrownact.com)
SAFER BEAUTY BILL PACKAGE - 4 bills that will make beauty and personal care products safer for everyone by getting the toxic chemicals out, reducing unsafe chemical exposures for the most vulnerable, and making ingredient transparency the new industry standard. (https://www.bcpp.org/resource/safer-beauty-bill-package-2021)
Ready to have your happiest, healthiest hair yet?