My Beauty Regimen Part 3-Haircare & Styling Products

Step 3...Do your hair

Mousse-
My hair is long (see picture at right), and thin and straight.  You have to be careful with long, thin, straight hair.  If you're not careful, you can be one long-denim-skirt-away from someone asking you if you homeschool and raise goats.  I have nothing against homeschooling OR raising goats (or horses, or chickens or rabbits), but you don't want to LOOK like you do...you know what I mean?

The answer is mousse.  It creates body and is the foundation of a good style.  I use Aveda Phomollient Styling Foam.  It is a non-aerosol liquid that goes through this really cool pump that aerates it and makes it foamy.  

Another product that I use that creates volume is Aveda Pure Abundance Style Prep Spray.  I use it before mousse sometimes to create more volume.  And I spritz a bit on my roots on "day 3" (let's be honest...sometimes it's day 4) after washing.  Spraying on roots and blowing it dry is the next best thing to a dry shampoo...and it smells wonderful!

Here's where I'm going to pause for a moment to keep it real.  I color my hair.  There.  I said it.  I feel like I'm holding a cup of coffee in a neighborhood church at 7:00 pm on Tuesday night... "Hi.  My name is Melanie and I color my hair."  I have dishwater blonde/brown hair.  And did I mention that it's thin and straight?  If I were a purist, I would not let hair color come within a mile of me, but, alas, sometimes beauty comes before my passion to lead a toxin-free life.  Jessica Alba colors her hair too.  She asks her stylist to keep the color off her scalp.  I do not.  Sigh.

Hairspray-
After teasing the living crap out of my roots, I finish with hairspray.  My choice is Giovanni L.A. Hold Hair Spritz.  It's not aerosol...that was an adjustment.  But now I like it better than my old aerosol (aka Shaper) hairspray.  Giovanni also makes shampoo and conditioner.  I tried it for a while and liked it, but then I noticed that I could no longer push it to that 4th day without washing....ha!  My hair was slightly weighed down and I think it was because of the shampoo & conditioner.  I do still use the Smooth As Silk Deeper Moisture Shampoo and Conditioner on one of my daughters who is African American.  I also use the Smooth as Silk Xtreme Protein Hair Infusion on her under a cap every other week.

If you cannot live without your aerosol (aka Shaper) hairspray, at least try Salon Graphix Professional Unscented Shaping Hairspray.  It is unscented, so you're using less chemicals than other aerosol hairsprays.

Shine Potion-
When you have long hair, you get split ends easily.  Arizona is super dry and my ends take a beating.  I use three squirts of Aveda Light Elements Smoothing Fluid on my ends after I'm done styling.  This creates that sleek shiny look and makes your hair look amazingly healthy even though you tease it and color it and blow it dry.  You can also use Rice Bran Oil or Jojoba Oil.

Hair Oil-
I'd like to take just a minute to address hair oil.  I do not use it, but my African American daughter does.  I prefer pure coconut oil for this.  Blend in sections into hair and onto scalp...wet or dry.  Ladies, I have not seen a more toxin-laden group of products than those created for ethnic hair. Please learn to read labels.  Download a cosmetic guide at http://www.ewg.org/skindeep and keep it in your wallet...you white ladies need this tool too!  Many people love the smell of coconut oil.  I am not a huge fan, so I buy coconut oil that has a neutral taste & smell, like the Jarrow Coconut Oil that says "Neutral Taste, Neutral Flavor" on the label.  If you purchase extra virgin coconut oil, it is less processed and still has that lovely coconut smell.

The Giovanni products as well as the coconut oil are all available at Sprouts.  Just so you know, I include links to every product I recommend.  This is not necessarily because I recommend those particular websites.  It's just because I want you to be able to see and read about the product yourself.  I encourage you to shop around if you decide to purchase any of the products I recommend.  And, if possible, purchase them locally.  Sprouts has a money back guarantee (save your receipt) and is a great place to purchase products for the first time.  If you don't like them, you can always return them!  AND...if you don't like something that I recommend, write me and let me know why.  I've tried lots of products, and just because I didn't care for it doesn't mean you won't like it.  For example, I have very dry skin, so if I tried a moisturizer that is super light, I may not have liked it, but I would be happy to tell YOU about it!

And lastly...don't send me any nasty letters about the homeschooling comment.  I have homeschooled off and on throughout my 14 years of parenting 4 children.  And, we have a rabbit, a dog, a tortoise and are looking into getting chickens and horses.  Together with a partner I run a full-time business that has nothing to do with beauty products or toxin-free living.  It's just my part-time hobby...and I am passionate about it!  If you are too, I invite you to Follow My Detox!  And if you like what I have to say, tell a friend!


Signing off,

Melanie