#haircare

it has been a while since i did a #beautytalk but today’s agenda is HAIR CARE! 2019 has been a year of change for me. one of those changes included scalp attention! when you think of it, your scalp is an extension of your face so we should provide more care to it, right?! a few years ago i made the switch to sulfate-free shampoo = #lifechanger. basically, sulfates: sodium lauryl sulfate and sodium laureth sulfate are chemicals/cleaning agents that create lather. now i’m all about lather but i’ve read that they also strip away hair protein and essential oils. PLUS i’m all about the mean-green-clean-beauty. i was pretty committed to one brand but suddenly my scalp was like no. #thisis34. i’ve tried a ton of products to please the scalp and i’m happy to say things have gotten better! check out all my hair care products after the jump below! note: i consider my hair to be medium thickness and it has never been colored or treated.

side ramblings: WHEW!! y’all the last couple of weeks have been amazing. i bought a last minute ticket to #ACL and danced & sang my heart out to Lizzo, Third Eye Blind, and Robyn. so here’s to “life is short buy the ticket! or xyz” i’m normally not a festival person but i had a ridiculous amount of fun mainly due to the cooler temps that i was able to enjoy myself! OH, and i FINALLY got some picts with pumpkins!!! going to the farms and patches was so much fun. we went to @crowesnestfarm where i saw a llama and an alpaca IRL!! and @bartonhillfarms. my friends and i checked out @sugarpineatx — highly recommend the salt & pepper tofu & chicken karaage, gosh and the ice cream (they had taro)! checked out the new fall menu at @101byteahaus — i recommend the tiramisu. OH and @riceballco — oh goodness, let’s just say i’m going back this week for the grilled salmon onigiri AND MORE! stopped by the @texasfarmersmarket at Mueller during the fermenting festival and got me some @teddyvcookies (walnut CCC all the way) & @steamies_dumplings. well.. HRM. i guess all i did was eat. per usual. i’m gearing up for a busy week ahead so catch you later, thanks so much for stopping by! xx

currently on my playlist: say it by Maggie Rogers

shampoo | VIRTUE smoothing shampoo — lathers perfectly and smells great. i’m not a huge fan on smelly stuff too. this brand i discovered recently and it uses human protein, to be exact, Alpha Keratin 60ku. and thank goodness to all the hairgods for this!! hello smooth hair. hello happier scalp. i’m such a fan and went all out with the biggest bottle. not cheap but hey i’m about quality over quantity. plus only a small amount of product is needed.
conditioner | VIRTUE smoothing conditioner — just a tiny amount is needed and i mainly focus the application on my ends. it also has some sort of minty-or soothing-ish smell to it. i don’t mind it at all either!
oil | OLAPLEX no7 bonding oil — i’m a HUGE fan of hair oil. it helps smooth things out and makes my hair feel more… LUSH/less frizzy. because that TX humidity don’t play y’all. while i was pretty loyal to the Bumble & Bumble invisible oil… i’m starting to like this one more. when it arrived i was skeptical on the dispenser. but it is perfect! it’s more on the runny side. i apply this to my hair after it has been towel-dried/damp with a focus on the ends.
brush | S-Heart-S scalp brush — call me crazy but i never used to brush my hair. i didn’t own a brush. but since my scalp problems started this year i did some research and found this scalp brush with “massaging beads” at the end that is supposed to do a few things: stimulate the hair follicles & eliminate residue and flakes. you are supposed to use this in the shower during the shampoo stage. it’s also supposed to evenly distribute the shampoo on each strand. but lemme tell you what they don’t tell you. it’s not that easy to brush your hair with tons lather!! hello #armworkout. also, i’ve used it on dry hair and it feels really good, like a little head massage! this is for when you have extra money at the end of the month and want to indulge in something that isn’t totally necessary but can be useful. ya feel me? here’s one for $6 that has good amazon reviews (disclaimer: i haven’t used it). & if you’re skeptical on that one, here’s a mid-range $16 one by a real brand name, but i also haven’t used it.
towel | AQUIS lisse luxe long hair towel in cloudy berry — i can’t stress the need for a hair towel. my sis got this for me as a gift and i love it so much i’ve gifted it to my friends. when you have long hair the dry time is insane esp during the winter #aintnobodygottime. not to mention you don’t wanna soak up all that water into your regular towel (hello mold). this microfiber one helps eliminate frizz, absorbs all the water to bring that dry time down so you can get yourself out of the door faster or sleep earlier depending on when you shower! they also came out with a waffle textured version i want to try! the waffle version is supposed to have increased absorption.

other mentions not pictured:

SACHAJUAN scalp shampoo — AH, scalp relief! seriously. the last year has been filled with #scalpproblems. let’s be honest. who wants to talk about anything that itches?! no one. itchy/irritated scalp really sucks. and not that my hair is dirty, it’s just one of those aging changes i’m dealing with/embracing. this soothes my scalp but doesn’t take away my problems completely. it also doesn’t stink and i use this once a week. just a mention here that i ordered the REVERIE CAKE restorative scalp tonic and returned it without using it because holy hell i couldn’t get over the smell. (BTW, it does not smell like cake in case you were wondering.) i heard it can really solves some scalp problems but i. just. can’t. the search goes on for some sort of leave in elixir/tonic. if you have one, drop a comment below!
Christophe Robin cleansing purifying scrub with sea salt (also available in a mini size to try) — talk about feeling some exfoliation with this scrub! it always gets rave reviews and i’ve used this a few times. time to invest in the full size jar! also leaves the hair feeling super clean too.
Pureology vinegar hair rinse — yup. apple cider y’all. this was recommended by my hairdresser @elizabeth.jane.hair and is supposed to remove product build up, create more shine & hold color. i like it wayyyy more than the popular dpHUE ACV hair rinse which leaves my hair feeling SUPER SOAPY. i used to buy this at Ulta but having problems finding it online.. hope they aren’t going to discontinue it. also, the ACV smell is sooo faint.
OLAPLEX no4 bond maintenance shampoo — when this became available to the public i scooped it up and i actually had some hair growth! #hellobabyhair, i see you. i was puzzled until i came in to see my hairdresser and this was why. here is the conditioner. smells great and i use this every now and then. also, i thought i’d mention the OLAPLEX no3 perfector which is a hair mask to strengthen hair (mainly color treated hair). i haven’t used it myself but bought it for my mom who loves it.
R+Co skyline dry shampoo powder — although i’ve stopped using dry shampoo because i feel it causes build up, making my scalp more irritated. sometimes it’s needed (ahem, hello korean BBQ outing). my hairdresser @elizabeth.jane.hair introduced this to me and i really like the powder form and how it dispenses evenly. GENIUS. goodbye aerosol!! also R+Co products usually smell so good, this one is no exception. here’s a dry shampoo i used to use for my devoted aerosol users: Bumble & Bumble dryspun.
INVISIBOBBLE hair ties — i was super fascinated when i learned about these years ago before they became so popular. basically they provide uneven tension to prevent hair breakage and kinks. they also come in fun colors too for an #armparty! my friend recently introduced me to @tele_ties so i’ll have to try these sometime!

#hairgamestrong,
JD