Moroccan Oil
I was given a sample of Moroccan Oil sometime last year. It was put in a drawer and I forgot about it. Months later I had a client referred to me with extremely over processed hair. She had a bad color job and then two more on top of that in attempts to fix the problem. After I fixed her color I could still see the tattered texture in her dried out hair strands. The ends were brittle and the overall feel was very rough. I opened my drawer and that little bottle of Moroccan oil winked at me. Moments later her hair thanked me.
I now keep a large bottle of Moroccan Oil on my station. With oil in the name you would expect otherwise but It’s very lightweight, soft and not greasy at all. It provides a smooth surface which is what makes Moroccan oil an excellent product for enhancing shine. I have used it when the hair is freshly shampooed and towel dried. I have also used it at the end of styling to add just a bit of shine and luster.
I think it’s important to know that Moroccan oil is a Silicone based product. This means that the smooth shiny appearance as well as the softness in the feel of the hair is not necessarily the hair itself through a repairing of the hair shaft
but rather is the seal that the Silicone envelops around the hair shaft. I have some concerns with the use of Silicone on the hair, for more information on this visit my previous article on Silicone based products. However, used in moderation along with a regular schedule of clarifying and conditioning treatments I think that Moroccan oil is a great product.
Are Silicones In Your Products Poisons For Your Hair?
Okay, so I have done extensive research on Silicones in hair products. I have the information that I have established based on my personal experience of analyzing hair belonging to women who regularly use silicone based products. Through what I know of the purposes for using Silicones I maintain an understanding of their effects. And having read a copious amount of information about silicones, their properties, uses, and generally how they function as man-made polymer compounds I now feel confident in my assessment of their lasting effects in hair products.
Firstly It is important to understand what silicones are and how they perform so as to better understand why they are used in the formulation of many hair products. Silicones are man made polymer compounds with quite a few interesting properties and uses. They can be heat resistant which is the reason for the use of silicones in many modern cooking utensils. They also have a high electrical resistance which, along with their heat resistant properties, is why they are used in electrical products for insulation purposes. Used as sealants and caulks, as lubricants and coatings it is their properties of resistance that has made silicones so widely used in a large variety of products in many industries.
It is the hydrophobic property
(water resistance) that has made them such a staple in many hair care products. When you smooth your hair out in the morning walk out your door with shiny bouncy locks and see limp frizzy hair by the time you are leaving work this is due to the absorption of moisture from the humidity in the air around you. Which is the reason why women in drier climates get away with doing so much less to their hair to maintain style. Silicones in hair care products assist in preventing this limp frizzy disaster by creating a seal around the hair shaft; A seal that blocks the absorption of moisture thereby preventing the swelling of the hair shaft that is frizzy limp hair. It is also said that the silicones smooth and soften the hair. What I have found is that the silicones themselves are smooth and soft so it is not so much that the hair is becoming smoother and softer but rather that the seal formed around the hair shaft is soft and smooth.
Now this all sounds great. Frizz is caused by the absorption of moisture, silicones prevent the absorption of moisture. I agree, honestly I have used some of these products and been very pleased with their immediate results. However, it is the long term effects of excessive use that I intend to caution here. I liken the regular use of silicones on your hair to deciding that the air around you is not the best air you could be breathing so you tie a bag around your head. To sustain your own life you at some point will need to breathe again and a bag tied tightly around your head would make that quite difficult. Your lungs need oxygen as do your skin and hair need moisture. Winter rolls around and we all see the benefits of the moisture our humid climate provides. The cold dry air of winter brings with it chapped dry skin and dry brittle hair.
Through much hair analysis I have seen that excessive use of silicone based products lead to the hair under the seal becoming dry and weakened. I have also observed that silicone based products can and often do become difficult to wash out with a simple shampoo which leads to a further inability to absorb the necessary moisture from conditioners and natural secretions of the body. This can be taken care of with a good clarifying treatment. I recommend seeing your stylist to do this and getting a conditioning treatment at the same time. Excessive clarifying can extremely deplete the hairs moisture balance.
So I’m not screaming “Here comes Silicones! RUN!” All I am really saying is be conscientious with what you put both in and on your body. Eat your vegetables but also enjoy your wine. Just maintain a balance and take care of your body from hair to toes. Chase health and beauty will chase you -Clemente
Does Your Shampoo Have Some Dark Secrets?
Hmmm…… that’s super.
Kerastase Double Force Controle Ultime
Im generally not a big fan of hairspray, especially on longer hair. Shorter hair sometimes requires the shape to be set and held into place, sometimes. But on long hair I believe the hair should be movable, touchable, and feel soft. The problem is hairspray is often necessary as in more humid climates where my arch nemesis humidity haunts all hair types. It threatens any blowout, taunts straight hair, and down right mocks curly tresses.
“FRIZZ!” I scream waking up in a panic, its a nightmare. I’m not a fan of hairsprays, because I’m not a fan of stiff untouchable hair, but I despise frizzy hair. Luckily Kerastase makes a spray that cares: Double Force Controle Ultime. This is a wonderful product. Double Force is actually a protective spray, with its UV filter and Ceramide, as well a unique control spray. I say it’s unique because of the way that it does the job of controlling frizz and maintaining shape while not making your hair stiff or robbing your hair of its touchable soft feel.
Just as important to acknowledge is the protective benefits I mentioned. The UV filter technology protects your hair from sun damage, a very important step in maintaining beautiful hair. while ceramide is a synththetic version of a chemical by the same name naturally produced by your hair follicle to maintain the hair structure. When the hair shaft becomes damaged this is lost, synthetic Ceramide replaces the lost natural Ceramide. A genius product made by an amazing company. So, if you too are not a fan of hair spray or you just want to love your hair the way it deserves to be loved find your local Kerastase salon and pick up a can of Double Force Controle Ultime.