taking care of your hairs - a retrospective

Hello my name is Caroline and I am recovering hair abuser. I have dyed, lightened, straightened and chopped my hair within an inch of it's life. It has been every color, texture and length and many a stylist has coiffed my tresses (from the mall to Manhattan).

Did my chameleon like hair make me happy? No. Did my hair look good? Sometimes. Was all the effort, chemical exposure and money worth it? Absolutely not.

Here is what I have learned: Let go. Let go of what the media tells you is beauty. Let go of the hair type and color you always dreamed of. Let go of investing your self worth in what is essentially a useless byproduct of evolution in our modern times.

After chopping my own hair to a pixie cut after a hair coloring binge gone bad I made a promise to myself that I would be kind to my hair (and by extension to myself). I vowed not to touch a strand for a full year. I am happy to say I have persevered. Now I have shoulder length curls in my natural brownish gold and I couldn't be happier.

If I can give you any advice it would be work with what you've got. If it takes you more than 15 minutes to do your hair in the morning (exluding a special occasion) you are spending too much of your precious life taming tresses.

Not to get all existential on you but we all die. This is a fact. If you spend 35 minutes (which is a conservative estimate for some) every morning torturing your hair that is almost 2 years of your short life devoted to hair. (Based on the assumption that you started doing your hair at 16 and live to your early 80's. "God willing", "mazel tov" or whatever else your grammy would say)

So, what is my point you ask? Be kind to your hair, treat it nicely and it will reward you with shorter prep time and 2 more years doing something much more worthwhile than hair. Take it from a recovering addict, it is worth the initial pain.

In my quest to better my hair and ultimately my life I have switched to paraben and sulfate free hair products. Do you know what this has done? Can I share with you how amazing this is? My hair is soft, strong and shiny. The nicest it has been since I was an itty bitty and I have found a new respect for the way my hair comes out of my head, just as it is.

Sulfates are the devil, and to learn about the evils of parabens read some earlier posts. Sulfates are the salt of sulfuric acid and incredibly drying. They also are what make your shampoo bubbly and foamy and generally fun, but believe me when I tell you, soft hair is better than foaming shampoo. If you have withdrawal buy a bottle of bubbles at the toy store and go wild. Alcohol is also a no no. Super drying and completely uneccsary. Check for that on bottles too.

Here are some of my faves:

Overall:

Giovanni Organic Hair Care
Organic, no animal testing and lovely styling products. From my experience this is the most user friendly organic hair care line. (It behaves like it's non-organic counterparts)

Burt's Bees
Great scents, the best smelling by far...the raspberry is so yummy!

Looking for a bargain?

Organix
Found at most drugstores. They are not USDA certified organic but are certified through a European organic certification company. As my grandpa Norty always says, you get what you pay for. Let's just say it is probably cheap for a reason but it is miles better than conventional shampoo and it is just as accessible. A great option for people like me who don't make a ton of money but don't want nasties in their hair products.


Pricey but Nicey (if you can splurge or are a trustafarian)
Pureology
This one is out of my price range, so I don't use it on a regular basis, but from my limited exposure I have been very pleased with their products. They smell lovely and you can find them at Marshall's or TJMaxx once in a while.

Textured Hair
Hair Rules
A personal fave, especially if you are a curl/kinky/wavy girl like me! The web site is a great resource for product selection and they are a small-ish salon based out of NYC. I really like their philosophy and approach. The best way to try their stuff is to buy a travel kit ($40) and play around.

And that my friends is my Hair Manifesto. I hope someday you too can make friends with your hair. It loves you, really it does... but like all friendships, if you abuse it, it will defriend you, ignore your calls and be generally unpleasant.

A hair retrospective. From curly to straight and back again.

 

pretty nails and good karma

Ah nail polish... the grand finale of any mani pedi. However, did you know the toxins in conventional nail polish are powerful enough to harm a growing fetus?!? Dibutyl phthalate, or DBP, is the name and birth defects are its game. If DBP can travel from your fingernails to your hypothetical baby bump it can travel to other vital organs too. Phtalates are not the only offender, here is an excerpt from a great article on ecoki.com:

The primary culprits are named the Toxic Trio.

Toxic Chemical 1: Toluene
Why is it in the Polish? Responsible for a nail finish that is smooth and prevents the pigment from separating from the liquid.

What is it? Clear liquid that is released into the air and can impact the Central Nervous System.

Potential Health Effects: Irritation of the eyes, throat and lungs and is a possible reproductive toxin. Low levels of exposure can cause confusion, tiredness, weakness, hearing loss, etc.

Toxic Chemical 2: Formaldehyde
Why is it in the Polish? A nail hardening agent.

What is it? Flammable, colorless gas with a pungent odor. It can evaporate into the air of a salon.

Potential Health Effects: Carcinogen (know to cause cancer). Irritation of eyes, nose, throat and skin.

Toxic Chemical 3: Dibutyl phthalate (DBP)
Why is it in the Polish? Provides flexibility to nail polish and acts as a moisturizing sheen.

What is it? Fragrance ingredient, solvent & plasticizer (added to products to increase its fluidity)

It brings up another issue I think about a lot; We are extremely susceptible to whatever we put on our skin/nails/hair, temporarily or otherwise. From hand cream to laundry detergent we absorb everything and these chemicals don't stay put. They migrate to our organs and can wreak havoc.

This is why I was thrilled when I found Karma Organic nail polish and polish remover. Not only is it better for us but biodegradable too! Conventional nail polish remover on your little cotton pad doesn't stay put when you throw it in the trash... and don't even think about tossing it in the toilet bowl! When I use Karma Organic I know that not only is my body not absorbing harsh chemicals, but the planet isn't taking a beating because I prefer my nails to be red on a Tuesday. The polish remover I have smells like lavender and the polish dries super fast! If you are craving a professional mani pedi (oh, the massages!) you can bring your own polish and remover to the nail salon (they don't mind) and I even bring paraben free moisturizer... non-toxic nail polish revolution anyone?

uncommon goods is a great site and they carry Karma Organics Polish Remover:
UncommonGoods

Karma Organics Site for a selection of polish and remover:
http://www.karmaorganicspa.com/

TOM's Wedges?!?

Wedge-RSVP

Do my eyes deceive me? Can it be true?
It is! I heard rumors that this mythic creature, also known as the TOM's wedge, was debuting this summer but I thought it was just another internet rumor... I am beside myself and here is why:
TOMS is an amazing company. They have created a culture of giving without asking customers to do anything more than buy a pair of shoes. Consumerism transforms into philanthropy in an instant, and then you are hooked. Photos of TOMS employees placing shoes on tiny feet make me melt every time.
They prove that you can have a thriving company with a positive mission, sell a great product, and inform millions. And now they sell heels. Brilliant.

Earth Friendly iPhone Cases

So, your addiction to all things electronic is not so great for the planet... I feel guilty too. The amount of electronic waste we produce is obscene, and the way we dispose of it is pretty horrible too...

At least there is an environmentally friendly option to protect your toxic gadgets. (Baby steps people!)

Grove has created iPhone cases made of Bamboo (incredibly sustainable, as we all know) which are protective and pleasing to look at. The "artist series" is my favorite but the plain are beautiful in their simplicity, or you can design your own.

You can buy them at grovemade.com directly, however they are a bit pricey.

I suppose if you already put down the cash for an iPhone and the exorbitant (and mandatory) monthly data plan AT&T charges you for, heck whats another $89! At least you are not dressing your phone is some gelatinous plastic substance made from petroleum. Hooray!

the definition of spring fashion

twentysevennames spring 2010 lookbook is everything spring fashion should be. muted, ethereal, slightly childlike and easy to wear. take a peek.

My skin is confused...

It is that strange time of year when Spring and Winter have the proverbial throw down to see who will reign the final months before Summer takes over. Winter blasts us with cold wind and Spring showers us with humidity, pollen and changeable weather. All in all, a nightmare for our poor faces that don't know which way is up.

As I was once told by park avenue skin guru Dr. Schultz, oil is not your friend if you break out or have skin congestion. So our mission is moisture that penetrates without oil. Grrrr.

In my quest to find skin care that is not only friendly to animals, the environment, and me I have had great luck with Alba. They are certified by EU dermatological standards (much more rigorous than our lovely FDA), don't test on animals, and contain no parabens (those charmers that show up in breast cancer tumors).

I have been using Alba Aloe and Green Tea oil free moisturizer the past few weeks and really love it. The only down side is no SPF :( If you wear foundation with sunscreen that will solve this problem, but only if you have limited sun exposure during the day (which most of us do on these drizzly May days).

You can find Alba all over the place (Target, Bed Bath and Beyond and most organic/green grocery stores) or check their website for stockists.

Recently the desire to refresh and revive my bedroom has sent me on a wild goose chase through design blogs and magazines for unusual and quirky ideas. I love this duvet from DwellStudio (stolen from an apt therapy post, I must admit).