Summer Sun and Your Hair

I'm sort of recycling part of a previous post. Recycling is good though, right? ©Science-y Hair Blog 2013
Full sunlight on your hair can be bad news if you get too much.

• When hair is exposed to 200 hours of ultraviolet radiation from sunlight, the cuticle edges begin to fuse and as a result the total cuticle surface “shrinks.” As it shrinks, tiny openings are created where cuticle once was and these are known as "porosities." It's like putting a piece of plastic on a hot stove or in the oven - it shrinks as it heats and as it is assaulted by ultraviolet light.
• After 400 hours of ultraviolet light / sun exposure, porosity continues to increase with further cuticle damage.
• After 1200 hours, the cuticle becomes rigid, brittle, and may crack under stress, leading to even further increases in porosity. ©Science-y Hair Blog 2013

If your hair grows the "average" of up to 6 inches per year (15 cm) and you get sunlight for even half an hour per day, during half of the days of the year, the ends of your hair most certainly have sun damage unless you wear it very short. 

When hair is more porous, it loses moisture and becomes dehydrated more easily. It is more susceptible to damage. To protect your hair from the sun, wear a hat or use products with "UV protectants." I feel that the "UV protectant" is only half the story. When my hair is baking in the hot sun, it is being dehydrated by the high heat. All those lovely proteins and oils in the top layers of my hair are doing unknown chemical reactions with the heat and UV light. A different effect, but it's one that makes my fine hair feel drier and more fragile in summer than it does in winter when the air is cold and dry.
©Science-y Hair Blog 2013
A healthy (undamaged) or continuous cuticle holds water in, preventing dehydration. A sun-damaged cuticle has a harder time doing this. To manage sun-damaged hair, use protein-enriched or humectant-enriched conditioners or protein treatments to temporarily patch up the gaps in the cuticle. Leave-in conditioners or small amounts of oil used on damp hair to seal in moisture, slow dehydration of the hair and keep it supple. A porous cuticle patched and lightly coated with conditioners, proteins or oils also holds moisture within the hair longer. 
©Science-y Hair Blog 2013
Don't forget - if you're going out without a hat, a little sunscreen on your scalp near the part in your hair will save you from a part-burn that hurts for days and can lead to skin cancer down the road. 

Source: Chemical and Physical Behavior of Human Hair 

Robbins, 1994. 3^rd Ed. Springer-Verlag, New York

What's Cookin' - Anti-Frizz Shine Spray

Light-hold, anti-frizz shine spray.

This is a recipe for an all-natural spray that is great for your hair.
What it does:
Adds shine and softness
Light hold
Reduces frizz
Contains waves and curls (tames flyaways)
Defines waves and curls (doesn't make hair curlier)
Completely natural look and feel (dries with a bit of crunch, but you can smooth it out and even comb gently through it).
Easy to apply


Ideal for:
A "unstyled" look - for soft and natural-looking hair (basically a wash and go) but without frizz and flyaways.
Putting hair up without getting a halo of "fuzz" on humid days
Kid hair
Refreshing hair during the day
Days when you want your hair to be soft and natural (basically a wash and go) but without frizz and flyaways.

Ingredients: ©Science-y Hair Blog 2013

• Acacia senegal fiber (large pharmacies or natural foods stores or online) This is a great remedy for allergy-induced intestinal upsets, so it's handy to have around for many reasons. Forms the frizz-reducing film and adds shine. Won't thicken - so the spray is liquid and easy to distribute. Alson known as "gum arabic."
• Aloe vera juice (edible - the kind you must refrigerate)
• Oil (apricot kernel, grapeseed or canola for fine hair, coconut or olive for dry hair)
• Agave nectar or honey

Directions: 

©Science-y Hair Blog 2013

Heat 1/4 cup aloe vera juice, 1/4 cup water and 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon (heaping) acacia fiber in a pan until it boils, stirring with a whisk or fork.

Remove from heat and stir in 1/8 teaspoon agave nectar or honey, and from 2 to 6 drops oil. (More oil if your hair is dry, or if the air is very dry)

Cool and pour into a spray bottle. Refrigerate immediately. This should last about 2 weeks in the refrigerator. If you don't want to refrigerate you need to add 1% of a commercial preservative, or at the maximum recommended concentration for that preservative.

To use:

Shake well. Spray liberally on wet hair or dry hair, making sure all hair is covered. Scrunch or comb into hair with hands. When dry, scrunch out the crunchiness or smooth over hair with your hands as though you were gathering hair to make several ponytails.

©Science-y Hair Blog 2013

For dry or porous hair: This product may feel a bit drying for your hair - the acacia gum is to blame. I wouldn't use it every day and my hair is not usually dry. Use coconut oil or olive oil, at the higher amount given. If your hair reacts badly to this much aloe, switch to 1/3 cup water and 1 tablespoon aloe, or leave the aloe out completely and just use plain water or herbal tea (chamomile, nettle, rosemary, marsh mallow) instead.©Science-y Hair Blog 2013

Mineral Sunscreen Smackdown

I have rather fair skin and blonde hair. My skin burns in the sun. And I've burned it plenty or times. But I hate sunscreen as much as sunburn. Maybe more. Not just the yucky feel on my skin, but also all the things there are in there to be allergic to. I'm going to give you my, "Very sensitive skin" impression of some of the sunscreens in my stash. I use mineral sunscreens to block out UVA and UVB rays and to avoid the rashes I get from "chemical" sunscreens. Having allergies really limits your choices, so if that's you, maybe my trials will help you.©Science-y Hair Blog 2013

Price: 
Under $10 = $
Under $10-20 = $$
Greater than $20 = $$$

*** I'll keep using it and buy it again when I'm out.
**   I'll use up the bottle, if I grow to love it, I may keep some around.
*    This is destined for the trash unless I can find somebody to give it to.

***Devita Solar Body Block, SPF 30. $$ This is the one that goes with us on the road. It rubs in like a very light lotion, it is clear.

Pros: Easy to use, no fragrance, no formaldehyde preservatives, no greasy feel.

Cons: Can be a little tingly/sting the eyes. Rubs off high-friction areas like the hands. If used often, can cause or worsen acne - it's the seaweed extracts! Not very water-resistant.

***Devita Solar Protective Moisturizer (right) is a little less stinging to the eyes (I don't mean when it runs into the eyes, I mean to have on the skin under them). It's even lighter-weight and nice on the face. Not perfect, but close.

For the face

*All Terrain KidSport SPF30 Natural Sunscreen Spray- Phineas and Ferb (3- Ounce). $$

Pros: It's a spray, has no scent and SPF 30. No formaldehyde preservatives.

Cons: I burned right through this in about 2 hours. Feels slimy or oily on skin and a little tingly/burning.

I can't blame the product entirely, but it is difficult to apply enough spray to get a solid coating and then keep it in place. It has a very slippery skin-feel. The SPF may be 30 under testing conditions or hypothetically, but the reality was much different, and I have the very red arm and peeling neck to prove it. 

*Smart Girls Who Surf 30+ SPF Sunblock. $ to $$©Science-y Hair Blog 2013

Pros: Smells like orange blossoms (or "black locust" blossoms). Rubs in like a lotion, mostly clear. Seems to resist rinsing/sweating off. No formaldehyde preservatives.

Cons: Stings/burns. Like some mineral sunscreens, when you begin to sweat (even just tiny beads of sweat on your arms) it begins to feel very hot, heavy and occlusive. I couldn't get this one washed off fast enough. It was difficult to wash off - so that's also a "pro."

**BurnOut Eco-Sensitive Zinc Oxide Sunscreen SPF 32. $$

Pros: Easy to spread on the skin, very clear - like the name says - clean and clear. Resists rinsing off, no formaldehyde preservatives. Doesn't seem to sting - yet, anyhow. No fragrance.

Cons: Rather expensive for a smallish bottle. It is difficult to wash off (which is, of course, also a "pro").

***Colorescience Pro - Sunforgettable SPF 30 Mini Orb. $$

I've had this one for a while - it's tricky to use.

Pros: It really covers and stays in place - but is best for small areas like the face or hands. Resists rubbing and washing off. No formaldehyde preservatives, no fragrance.

Cons: It's a powder, so you need a cosmetic brush to apply (the little puff it comes with gets lost easily and doesn't work very well). It's likely to get into the eyes unless you're very careful. It must be applied to skin after a good lotion. This mineral powder will suck every molecule of water out of your epidermis, so you need a barrier of skin lotion, even if your skin isn't dry or chapped.

This stuff is great for the nose, the cheekbones and hands - places where sunscreen tends to rub off or that get a lot more sun than other parts of the body. It's fun to apply and comes in various tints to match your skin tone, including sparkly tints - though I didn't think husband would go for that. It's a bit hard to remove and though it has no fragrance, I can smell the "zinc oxide" smell unless I wash it off really well. Again, that is also a "pro" but for the sensitive noses.

Gave this one away.

A sunscreens that was just too awful to use again, even though it worked: California Baby ($$). No sting, great coverage and water resistance, but everything I touched, leaned against (cars, clothes) was permanently marked with a semi-greasy, white residue. Nasty.

You can still find me in my wide-brimmed hat and long sleeves/pants if I'm out very long. That's how much I hate sunscreen.