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Showing posts from July, 2011

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What's Cookin' This Week (for hair): Homemade flax seed gel

Flaxseed gel recipe

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Cationic Compounds in Cosmetics

cationic polymer cationic surfactant conditioner curls waves

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Riffing on silicones

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This is a blog, not a clinic.

The information on this blog should not be substituted for advice from a healthcare provider and is not intended to cure or treat disease

Science-y Hair Blog by WS is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

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Popular Posts

Oils – Which Ones Soak In vs. Coat the Hair?

Updated: June 2016 Plant oils are emollients used to soften hair or add “plasticity” or pliability. Pliable hair bends easily without breaking. Hair with oils applied to it lines up better with neighboring hairs thanks to the lubricating properties of oils (slip). Oils generally increase glossiness. When water is able to get inside the hair easily, it swells on the inside. But the cuticle layer on the outside cannot expand, so the cuticle scales are forced to stand up - a position in which the cuticles are easily broken and the hair is more porous. Oils which penetrate into hair make the hair proteins more hydrophobic (water-repelling). Healthy, strong hair is naturally hydrophobic. Normal and lower porosity hair is somewhat hydrophobic. Hydrophobicity (water-repelling) is a matter of balance. What we don't want is for our hair to take on too much water, too quickly . That's the problem. Hair gets dehydrated. Re-hydrating hair is a good thing. But when hair is porous, it take...

Moisturizing Low Porosity Hair

Updated January 2024 Do you need help troubleshooting your hair-care routine? Have issues with products causing problems? These pages are free resources - but you can also work with me directly on hair-care solutions for your unique hair. This link takes you to my hair analysis and consultation shop. I've worked with hundreds of clients on the same issues that brought you here. Low porosity hair is not difficult hair or problem hair. It is hair that is easily kept in a healthy condition, strong and elastic. It doesn't need a lot of help to keep its integrity, it needs gentle handling and a little personalized care. So why do people describe having a hard time moisturizing low porosity hair? What are we missing? Why does oil and conditioner seem to sit on top of your low porosity hair, but soak in for everybody else? We will cover : What low porosity hair is, how hydration with water and moisture-loving humectants is so important, why you might need some extra tricks ...

Protein 101 - Lots of Basic Information About Using Protein in Hair Products

Do not copy this post. If you cite a small portion, include, "Based on a work at www.science-yhairblog.blogspot.com." I have some more in-depth information about using hydrolyzed protein in your hair on this blog - like here and here . Science-y Hair Blog 2015 Hydrolyzed proteins have been used in hair products for decades. Even in small amounts (0.5% to 1%) hydrolyzed proteins can create a noticeable difference in hair care products. You can tell how much protein is in the product by where it is listed on the ingredient list. If there is protein in the first 5 or 6 ingredients listed, this is a higher-protein product or a protein treatment. If it is near the bottom with fragrances, it is a lower-protein product. High-protein, protein treatments might be in the 5-6% protein range. ©Science-y Hair Blog 2015 Hydrolyzed proteins are not whole, intact proteins like those in foods. They have been broken into smaller pieces - smaller molecules - through treatment with acid...

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WS: This is a science-based informational blog about hair care, (sensitive) skin and allergies and anything else that comes up. I have an MS in Ecology, I studied social science and environmental science before that. I have a hair analysis business, helping people find individualized, practical, budget-friendly hair-care solutions. I prefer having good questions to knowing all the answers. So I edit my posts when I find new information.

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acid
air drying damage
Air drying hair
alcohol hair spray hairspray
alkaline
Allergens in hair
allergies and hair
aloe
aloe hair gel
Amino acids

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