For Soft, Touchable Tresses...
If there is one thing I have learned from being a blonde by choice for so many years is that caring for my tresses is crucial. Depending on how you take care if it, chemical blonde hair can either look great or trashed and it is a very fine line between the two.
Lightening hair from dark to pale is a perilous, damaging process. I don't care what products you use, whether you do it at home or have it done in a salon, the procedure is the same: The natural pigment must be stripped from the hair with bleach and peroxide then a new tone deposited onto the hair. This is a harsh and hostile thing to do to your hair, making it prone to stretching, split ends and breakage. It also dulls the shine and can make it feel rough to the touch.
As a chemical blonde, I struggle with the side effects of the things I have to do to my hair to have my chosen colour. What do I do to keep my blonde hair healthier looking, shinier and touchably soft? I have an arsenal of hair care products at my fingertips but one of the most effective techniques I practice is the simplest. I oil it!
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I like to oil my hair both before and after I wash it. My pre wash oil treatment is always an overnight process. One oil I love to use is Derm Organic Pure Argan Oil. I also enjoy coconut oil; my personal favorite is Spectrum Organic Unrefined Coconut Oil. I also really dig Jojoba Oil. Which is not really an oil but is a natural plant wax. Not only is jojoba great for your hair, it is fantastic for skin and cuticles, as well.
To deep oil my hair, I brush it smooth then put a small pool of oil in the palm of my hand (if I am using coconut oil, I melt a marble sized ball between my palms), rub my hands gently together then work the oil through my hair, concentrating on my length and ends but not neglecting my crown, roots and scalp. If I need a little more oil, I get more, work it in until my hair is evenly coated but not saturated or dripping. Then I brush or comb my hair, gather it on top of my head in a coiled bun anchored with a couple of little jaw claws. (When my hair is longer, I braid it.) I lay a soft cloth over my pillowcase to keep it clean, then I sleep with the oil in my hair.
In the morning, I wash, doing one good shampoo. As long as I didn't over oil, one shampooing is all that is necessary and doesn't strip my hair, negating the benefits of the oil treatment. I then condition as normal, add a little leave in, blot my hair and...
Oil it, again!
For my post wash oiling I use either my usual natural oil or I'll grab an oil/silicone mix hair treatment like One 'N Only Argan Oil Treatment or Moroccan Oil (the two are basically the same thing) or something similar and put a small amount in the palm of my hand, rub my hands together and work it through my damp length and ends. If I have any left on my hands, I'll smooth it over my crown and roots. If you have oily hair, you can skip that last part. Comb, dry and style. Or wet bun it and let the oil and moisture deeply infuse my strands. As long as I don't overdo it, my hair never looks or feels "greasy" but it feels soft and shinier and better conditioned when I use oils consistently.
If you haven't tried oiling your hair, I encourage you to give it a go. You don't have to go out and buy a bunch of spendy, specialty oils to start. Just look in your kitchen cabinet! Do you have a bottle of olive oil? Some walnut or other light nut oil? A jar of coconut oil? Even a good, light weight vegetable oil will work. Grab that bad boy, pour a little out into a non breakable container with a tight fitting lid and take it into the bathroom and experiment. Even if you overdo it or it turns out that you don't like oiling your hair, no harm. All you have to do it wash it! And, you never know... You may really love it. And then go buy a bunch of oils just for your hair.
Do you oil your hair? Do you have any favorite oils that you like to use on a regular basis? If you haven't oiled your hair, before do you think that you'd like to try it? Please share. And if you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask, I'll help if I can. ::press sample:: :affiliate links::
I like to oil my hair both before and after I wash it. My pre wash oil treatment is always an overnight process. One oil I love to use is Derm Organic Pure Argan Oil. I also enjoy coconut oil; my personal favorite is Spectrum Organic Unrefined Coconut Oil. I also really dig Jojoba Oil. Which is not really an oil but is a natural plant wax. Not only is jojoba great for your hair, it is fantastic for skin and cuticles, as well.
To deep oil my hair, I brush it smooth then put a small pool of oil in the palm of my hand (if I am using coconut oil, I melt a marble sized ball between my palms), rub my hands gently together then work the oil through my hair, concentrating on my length and ends but not neglecting my crown, roots and scalp. If I need a little more oil, I get more, work it in until my hair is evenly coated but not saturated or dripping. Then I brush or comb my hair, gather it on top of my head in a coiled bun anchored with a couple of little jaw claws. (When my hair is longer, I braid it.) I lay a soft cloth over my pillowcase to keep it clean, then I sleep with the oil in my hair.
In the morning, I wash, doing one good shampoo. As long as I didn't over oil, one shampooing is all that is necessary and doesn't strip my hair, negating the benefits of the oil treatment. I then condition as normal, add a little leave in, blot my hair and...
Oil it, again!
For my post wash oiling I use either my usual natural oil or I'll grab an oil/silicone mix hair treatment like One 'N Only Argan Oil Treatment or Moroccan Oil (the two are basically the same thing) or something similar and put a small amount in the palm of my hand, rub my hands together and work it through my damp length and ends. If I have any left on my hands, I'll smooth it over my crown and roots. If you have oily hair, you can skip that last part. Comb, dry and style. Or wet bun it and let the oil and moisture deeply infuse my strands. As long as I don't overdo it, my hair never looks or feels "greasy" but it feels soft and shinier and better conditioned when I use oils consistently.
If you haven't tried oiling your hair, I encourage you to give it a go. You don't have to go out and buy a bunch of spendy, specialty oils to start. Just look in your kitchen cabinet! Do you have a bottle of olive oil? Some walnut or other light nut oil? A jar of coconut oil? Even a good, light weight vegetable oil will work. Grab that bad boy, pour a little out into a non breakable container with a tight fitting lid and take it into the bathroom and experiment. Even if you overdo it or it turns out that you don't like oiling your hair, no harm. All you have to do it wash it! And, you never know... You may really love it. And then go buy a bunch of oils just for your hair.
Do you oil your hair? Do you have any favorite oils that you like to use on a regular basis? If you haven't oiled your hair, before do you think that you'd like to try it? Please share. And if you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask, I'll help if I can. ::press sample:: :affiliate links::
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