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We recommend not shampooing your hair no more than once every two weeks. When you do use a sulfate free shampoo. Shampoos that have sulfate in them can be drying to the hair. If you have to shampoo your hair sooner than recommended, use the co-wash method. That is washing your hair with conditioner, instead of using shampoo.
Use a daily moisturizer, we recommended our Herbal Leave-in Moisturizer, instead of using water. This product contains moisturizer herbs and oils to keep your hair moisturize.
Oils should be part of your everyday natural routine. Oils play a key role in maintaining and ensuring that your natural hair stays healthy. Oils can be used to moisturize your hair or seal in already existing moisture. We recommend our Honey Moisture Butter, Restore Oil, or Hair & Scalp Therapy Pomade.
Get your ends trim, we recommend every six to eight weeks.
Never go to bed without a satin scarf or bonnet on. It keeps your hair from tangling and breaking while you sleep
Cosmetically Conscious
SOME INGREDIENTS THAT YOU WON'T FIND IN PRODUCTS WE PRODUCE. Cosmetics, hair and skin care industries use over 7,000 ingredients in products derived from natural or synthetic sources. As many as one-in-seven of these have harmful or toxic effects on the skin or body, ranging from minor skin irritation or contact dermatitis to carcinogenic implications. While risk factors appear to be greater with synthetic ingredients, they still exist with certain plant-derived ingredients. We refuse to use any ingredient where credible evidence casts doubt over its safety. This offers an ounce of prevention by excluding potentially harmful substances from our products and your usage. The following is our list of ingredients to avoid.
1. PARABENS (METHYL-, PROPYL-, BUTYL- etc.)
This is a group of synthetic preservatives widely used in foods and personal care products, even many that claim to be ‘natural’ or 'organic'. Parabens are used because they are antimicrobial killing a wide range of bacteria and molds that may infect products. Recent research by Darbre et al links for the first time parabens and their estrogenic properties with human breast cancer tumors. Parabens can also be allergenic and toxic and have also been linked to asthma and eczema. Methyl, propyl, butyl, and ethyl: these inhibitors are microbial growth and used to extend the shelf life of products. These chemical preservatives have been identified as estrogenic and disruptive of normal hormone functions.
2. SODIUM LAURYL or LAURETH SULFATE (SLS or SLES)
Sodium lauryl sulfate is an inexpensive and potent detergent commonly found in foaming rinse-off products such as facial cleanser, shampoo, shower gel, soft soap, shave cream, dish soap and toothpaste. Its strong degreasing action can irritate and dry the skin, hair and scalp. Sodium laureth sulfate is somewhat milder than Sodium lauryl sulfate yet either used in shampoo can lead to episodes of dandruff or a dry flaky scalp. Used on the skin, they may cause cracking of the epidermis and severe inflammation of the underlying layer. Any product containing SLS or SLES must be thoroughly rinsed off and discontinued if rash or irritation symptoms occur. Used as detergents and surfactants, those related compounds are used in car wash soaps, garage floor cleaners and engine degreasers. Both SLS and SLES are used in 90% of all shampoo and conditioners that foam. Possibly the most dangerous ingredient in all beauty products. According to the American Toxicology report SLS stays in the body up to 5 days.
3. PETROLATUM (Petroleum Jelly)
This is a heavy oil extracted from petroleum. It is comedogenic, meaning it does not absorb well into the skin, and thus can be pore clogging. This may trigger dermatitis, pimples or even acne. Furthermore petrolatum smothers skin so that it cannot breathe naturally and may cause discoloration of the skin. Frequently used in lip balms for extended durations, petrolatum provides quick moisturization effect while it gradually thins the skin of the lips, which eventually causes chapping and a "lip balm addiction".
4. MINERAL OIL
Baby oil is 100% mineral oil. This commonly used petroleum ingredient coats the skin just like plastic wrap. The skin cannot release toxins that disrupt the immune barrier. It promotes acne and premature aging.
5. PROPYLENE GLYCOL
An inexpensive substance derived from petroleum, propylene glycol is used as a humectant (moisture retainer), surfactant (spreading agent) and solvent (dissolving agent). In the motor vehicle industry it is used in antifreeze and hydraulic brake fluid! Studies have shown it can penetrate the outermost skin and carry other ingredients into the deeper layers of the epidermis where it often causes allergic and toxic reaction. As a wetting agent and solvent, this ingredient is actually the active component in antifreeze. There is no difference in the PG used in the industry and the personal care products. We can find it in some forms of make-up, hair products, lotions, and after-shaves. Because of its ability to absorb into the skin quickly the EPA wears protective gloves.
6. SYNTHENTIC COLORS AND DYES
Used to make cosmetics “pretty”. Synthetic colors are made from coal tar and contain heavy metal salts that deposit toxins into the skin causing irritation. These are synthetic compounds, made from ammonia and ethylene oxide, that are used in many skin lotions, eye gels, moisturizing creams, shaving foams, shampoos and dermatological soaps as emulsifiers or acidity regulators. DEA and TEA may contain nitrosamines that are potential carcinogens and can also cause severe facial and contact dermatitis. These ingredients are synthetic emulsifiers and / or foaming agents. They are highly acidic and can cause allergic reaction, eye irritations, and dryness of hair and skin.
7. IMIDAZOLIDINYL UREA and DIAZOLIDINYL UREA
These are commonly used antibacterial preservatives with poor anti-fungal action so are often combined with parabens for broad-spectrum activity. Both compounds can potentially cause skin sensitization and allergic reaction, especially in those sensitive to formaldehyde because under certain circumstances they can release this colorless and poisonous gas.
8. SILICONE and 'CONES
Do not confuse silicone with silica or silicon. Silicone is a synthetic compound (commonly polydimethylsiloxane) and silicon is sand (commonly silicon dioxide). Variations of silicone include dimethicone, cyclomethicone, cyclopentasiloxane and others, of which have environmental and human persistence and known bioaccumulation problems. Silicones are commonly used in commercial hair care products to coat hair for extreme shine, and in skin care products to coat the skin and make it feel velvety smooth. We aren't particularly fond of hair that looks like it's plastic.
9. ETHOXYLATED INGREDIENTS: ie PEG-, -ETH COMPOUNDSE
Thoxylated compounds have been processed with ethylene oxide which is a known human carcinogen, neurotoxin and potent skin irritant. The names of these compounds begin with PEG- or end with -eth or it may be in the middle like sodium laureth sulfate and polyethylene. In all cases, traces of ethylene oxide can remain in a product along with byproducts such as 1,4 dioxane. This is an abbreviation for polyethylene glycol that is used in making cleansers that dissolve oil and grease as well as thicken products. It is found in many cleansers and caustic oven cleaners and many personal care products. They are potentially carcinogenic.
10. IMIDAZOLIDINYL UREA
Another name for formaldehyde which irritates the respiratory system, causes skin rashes and trigger heart palpitations. Exposure may cause joint pain, allergies, dizziness and headaches. Within the last year the FDA announced that formaldehyde does cause cancer.
11. TETRASODIUM (EDTA)
A preservative that’s made from the known carcinogen formaldehyde or Sodium Cyanide. It’s also a penetration barrier meaning it breaks down your skin and heads straight to your bloodstream. Many companies claiming to be “natural” will use EDTA instead of parabens to preserve their products. EDTA is just as bad!