Showing posts with label ingredient. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ingredient. Show all posts
Sunday, July 17, 2016
Ingredient Investigation: PVP (Polyvinyl Pyrolidone)
Hey, beautiful people!
Lately, I have been using Krystal Eco Styler Gel, instead of my favorite
Pink Eco Styler Gel, to see if it gives me a better hold. The Krystal has a 10 hold rating on the jar,
while the Pink has an 8. The Krystal
does have a little better hold, but I have also noticed that I sometimes get
white or light brown flakes, or it leaves white residue in my hair. This did not happen with the Pink. In looking at the ingredients in the Pink vs.
Krystal, the difference is that the Krystal has PVP, and the Pink does
not. It made me curious enough to go
hunting to find out more about PVP.
According to Truth In Aging,
PVP is used in cosmetics and beauty products as
a thickening agent, binder, film former, emulsion stabilizer, suspending agent
and hair fixative. In other words, it is
great at holding things together. For
hair, it creates a thin film that bonds to the hair and holds it in place.
According to Wikipedia,
when dry, PVP is a light, flaky hydroscopic (water-absorbing) powder. It can absorb 40% of its weight in water from
the atmosphere. Perhaps the dry form is
why I sometimes have visible flakes.
It also seems safe to
use. The Environmental Working Group has
rated it as a 1 on its health hazard rating scale,
which is the lowest ranking. While it
has been linked to cancer in some studies, it is not likely to be a human
carcinogen. Indeed, the FDA has approved
its use in pharmaceutical tablets because of its ability to pass through the
body when ingested or absorbed. Citrus
fruits are also sometimes coated with PVP.
As another random fact, it was initially used as a blood plasma
substitute.
In other words, don’t freak
out if you see PVP in your products, but beware that it might cause flakes,
depending on what it is paired with and the weather.
Sunday, April 3, 2016
Ingredient Investigation: The Coconuts (Coconut Oil vs Coconut Milk)
Hey,
beautiful people. It has been an awhile
since I did an ingredient investigation, but I’ve had a burning question for a while
now that I wanted to look into. If you
have read my blog for any period of time, you know that my hair does not really
like coconut oil in stylers. It leaves my hair
feeling coated and hard. That being
said, my hair loves leave-ins with coconut milk, coconut cream and coconut fruit, like My Honey Child Coconut Hair Milk, Silk Dreams Mocha Silk Hair Milk and Aubrey Organics Island Replenishing Conditioner. So, I decided to
investigate the different types of coconut products, and how they are
made. Below is a summary of what I found.
A green
coconut (young coconut) starts off with coconut water and soft, gel-like meat. As the coconut ages, the coconut has less
water and the meat becomes more firm. Coconut
fruit is the “meat” inside the coconut. Coconut milk is extracted from coconut fruit (frequently using water as part of the process), and coconut oil is extracted from coconut milk. Thus, coconut oil has the least amount of water of the three.
One way to make coconut milk/oil is through a process called "wet-milling fermentation". Freshly grated coconut is blended with water to make coconut milk. The milk then sits for hours (sometimes overnight) so that it separates into a liquid and coconut cream/butter. The coconut cream is scooped out, and boiled until the coconut solids fall to the bottom and turn brown. Then, the oil is filtered, and Voila!
In case you are curious (I was), from what I've read, heating the milk to create the oil is actually good. This particular wet-milling fermentation process produces the highest level of antioxidants in the coconut oil. Both the oil and the anti-oxidants are thermally stable, so heating doesn't break them down. In fact, simmering the cream for a long time at a high temperature dissolves more anti-oxidants into the oil! Who knew.
Based on my research, I think the difference for me is that coconut oil is a purer concentration from the coconut, as opposed to coconut milk and coconut fruit, which have water. Also, this explains why my hair likes co-washes and conditioners with coconut oil -- because I'm using them in the shower. In essence, my hair only seems to like coconut when it is with a lot of water, probably to counteract the protein-like properties and because my hair generally loves things that have high water content.
If you want to know more, I found a few great Youtube videos that show how coconut fruit is used to make coconut milk and coconut oil:
One way to make coconut milk/oil is through a process called "wet-milling fermentation". Freshly grated coconut is blended with water to make coconut milk. The milk then sits for hours (sometimes overnight) so that it separates into a liquid and coconut cream/butter. The coconut cream is scooped out, and boiled until the coconut solids fall to the bottom and turn brown. Then, the oil is filtered, and Voila!
In case you are curious (I was), from what I've read, heating the milk to create the oil is actually good. This particular wet-milling fermentation process produces the highest level of antioxidants in the coconut oil. Both the oil and the anti-oxidants are thermally stable, so heating doesn't break them down. In fact, simmering the cream for a long time at a high temperature dissolves more anti-oxidants into the oil! Who knew.
Based on my research, I think the difference for me is that coconut oil is a purer concentration from the coconut, as opposed to coconut milk and coconut fruit, which have water. Also, this explains why my hair likes co-washes and conditioners with coconut oil -- because I'm using them in the shower. In essence, my hair only seems to like coconut when it is with a lot of water, probably to counteract the protein-like properties and because my hair generally loves things that have high water content.
If you want to know more, I found a few great Youtube videos that show how coconut fruit is used to make coconut milk and coconut oil:
Sunday, November 16, 2014
Ingredient Investigation: Limonene
Hey, beautiful people!
As I mentioned in a previous post, I picked up some As I Am products
during an early sale. While looking through the ingredients, I
noticed that a lot of them have Limonene listed as the last ingredient, which I
assumed was a preservative. However, I
decided to dig a little deeper.
Limonene is made from citrus fruits (d-limonene), pine trees and certain mint plants (l-limonene). For cosmetic purposes, it is usually used as
a fragrance. It is also used in medicines,
botanical insecticides,
household and other cleaners as a solvent,
and water-free hand cleansers.
In terms of risk, while some research indicates that
limonene can be used to treat cancer, other research indicates that it could promote
the growth of tumors. The biggest issue,
however, is that limonene can be a contact allergen. In other words, it can cause skin irritation or respiratory irritation in some people. Additionally,
it can enhance side effects of other skin irritants, such as alcohol. As a result of the limonene’s irritant aspects,
the European Union has put certain restrictions on its use in cosmetics. It is one of the contact allergens found in
fragrances that must be listed if it exceeds 0.001% in leave-in products and
0.01% in rinse-off products. However,
just because limonene is listed in an ingredient list, doesn’t mean it meets
this threshold amount. Some consumer-conscious
companies list it as an ingredient to notify their customers that they may have
a potential allergic reaction.
Additionally, just because a product doesn’t list limonene doesn't mean
that the product doesn’t contain limonene, especially if there is a generic
reference to “fragrance” and the product has a lemon or orange scent.
Based on what I’ve read, I’m fine with using products with limonene because I don’t seem to have an allergic reaction to it. I use a lot of products with lemon or orange
oil, which are high in limonene, and I haven’t had an issue. I’ve also used As I Am products without
issue.
As a final note, limonene should not be confused
with Lemonene (also known as Biphenyl), which comes from coal tar, crude oil, and natural gas,
and is used as a preservative to preserve citrus fruits during transport. Lemonene is mildly toxic.
Saturday, August 2, 2014
Ingredient Investigation: DMDM Hydantoin
Hey, beautiful people! I’m still continuing my investigation of suspect ingredients. Another suspect ingredient that I frequently
see in drugstore products is DMDM Hydantoin.
DMDM hydantoin is used in some
products as a preservative to prevent microbes (i.e., bacteria, mold and mildew)
from growing in the product. The main
issue with this ingredient is that it is a formaldehyde releaser. Yes, the same stuff used to preserve dead
bodies. In fact, it works so well as a preservative
because the released formaldehyde makes the environment less favorable to the microorganisms.
While DMDM hydantoin only
releases formaldehyde in low amounts, this can be an issue for people with
sensitive skin or allergies because formaldehyde can be an irritant to the skin, eyes and lungs. It may also create a formaldehyde allergy.
Formaldehyde-releasing preservatives in a product that also
includes amines, such as triethanolamine (TEA), diethanolamine (DEA), or
monoethanolamine (MEA), can create a carcinogenic substance, called a nitrosamine,
that can potentially penetrate skin.
For now, while pregnant, I’m staying away from any product
with DMDM hydantoin; but, after pregnancy, I may be ok with DMDM hydantoin
products, as long as the product doesn’t also contain an amine. I've been wanting to try TRESemme Heat Tamer Spray, but it has DMDM hydantoin and TEA, among other suspect ingredients, so I'm avoiding it. Call me overly cautious.
Do you use products with DMDM hydantoin? Which ones?
Saturday, June 21, 2014
Ingredient Investigation: Dimethicone and Other Silicones
Hey, beautiful people!
As I mentioned in a previous post,
I’m going to take a few posts and investigate some of the more suspect
ingredients in commercial rinse out conditioners. This is my first one.
If you have been in the natural hair community for awhile,
then you probably know by now that silicones have gotten a bad rap. From what I know, it seems like most of that
bad rap stems from the Curly Girl method created by Lorraine Massey. As a result, many people, including me at one
point, have just accepted that silicones are either good or bad without knowing
why. However, the science geek in me
can’t just stick with assumptions.
As you may recall from my toolbox post,
one purpose of a rinse out conditioner is to coat the hair to make it easier to
detangle. Silicones are great for this
purpose because they coat the hair, creating an effective lubricant for
detangling. They also provide protection
for thermal styling.
The reason why silicones can be bad for you is that they coat
the hair and can cause buildup, preventing good things, like moisture from
getting to your hair. Silicones usually
end in "cone," "col," "conol" or
"zane." There are four types
-- water soluble, non-soluble that evaporate, non-soluble that resist buildup,
and the rest.
Water soluble silicones can be washed away with water, so if
you wet your hair frequently, then water soluble silicones should not be a
problem. Non-soluble silicones that evaporate
won’t wash away with water, but they completely evaporate from your hair
anywhere from 10 minutes to a few hours after application, so there’s no worry
about build up or moisture lock out with these.
Other non-soluble silicones may need sulfates or another cleanser to be
washed away. If you are a regular
shampoo user, like me, or clarify periodically, then even non-soluble silicones
should not cause a problem. Here is a
great chart from Chemist Tonya McKay that shows what cleansers will remove what silicones.
The reason why non-soluble silicones are not good for people
on the Curly Girl method is that the Curly Girl method discourages the use of
sulfate shampoos. Obviously, if you are
avoiding stronger cleansers, then it is probably a good idea to avoid
non-soluble silicones that don’t evaporate.
So, with that in mind, here is the list of silicones that I have been
able to nail down into a category:
Water Soluble
- Dimethicone Copolyol
- Lauryl Methicone Copolyol
- Hydrolyzed wheat protein (Hydroxypropyl Polysiloxane)
- Any silicone with PEG as a prefix
Non-Soluble That Evaporate
- Cyclo-XXX-siloxane, like Cyclopentasiloxane
- Cyclomethicone
- Decamethylcyclotetrasiloxane
- Hexamethylcyclotrisiloxane
- Hexamethyldisiloxane
- Octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane
Build-Up Resistant Non-Soluble
- Amodimethicone
- Bis-aminopropyl dimethicone
- Aminopropyl Dimethicone
- Dimethicone crosspolymer
- Vinyldimethicone Crosspolymer
Other Non-Soluble (hard to wash out)
- Dimethicone (when paired with cationic ingredient, like a such as a bromide, chloride or polyquaternium)
- Bis-Phenylpropyl Dimethicone
- Behenoxy dimethicone
- Cetyl Dimethicone
- Cetearyl Methicone
- Dimethiconol
- Stearoxy dimethicone
- Stearyl dimethicone
- Stearyl methicone
- Propoxytetramethyl piperidinyl dimethicone
- Polysilicone-18 Cetyl Phosphate
- Trimethylsiylamodimethicone
Based on this, I am ok with testing out rinse out
conditioners with silicones, with a preference for water soluble, evaporative
or build-up resistant. Maybe,
one day, I’ll even go back to dimethicone -- GASP!
Do you use conditioners with silicones? If so, which ones and how do you avoid
buildup?
Saturday, February 15, 2014
Cleansing Agents Part 2
Hey, HHJs! In my last post, I talked about the three types of surfactants usually used in
cleansers: anionic surfactants (negative
charge), zwitterionic / amphoteric surfactants (hybrid charge), and nonionic
surfactants (no charge).
This post is about some of the cleansing agents in these
three categories to look for. Based on
what I’ve read, here is a list of some cleansing agents to look for in a
cleansing conditioner or a shampoo:
Anionic surfactant-based products include:
- Castile Soap
- African Black Soap
- Sodium lauryl sulfate aka Sodium dodecyl sulfate / SLS (harsh)
- Sodium lauryl ether sulfate aka Sodium laureth sulfate (less harsh than SLS)
- Ammonium lauryl sulfate (harsh)
- Ammonium laureth sulfate (less harsh than ALS)
- Sodium olefin sulfonate (used in Trader Joe’s Tea Tree Tingle Shampoo and Kinky Curly Come Clean, can be as harsh as SLS)
- Sodium cocoyl sulfate (very similar in structure to SLS)
- Sodium cocoyl isethionate (used in Aubrey Organics White Camellia Shampoo and Jessicurl Hair Cleansing Cream)
- Disodium laureth sulfosuccinate aka docusate sodium
Zwitterionic / Amphoteric surfactant-based products include:
- Cocamidopropyl betaine aka cocobetaine or cocabetaine (used in Burts Bees Baby Shampoo and Jessicurl Hair Cleansing Cream)
- Sodium lauroamphoacetate (used in Ouidad Curl Co-wash)
Nonionic surfactant-based products:
- Decyl glucoside (used in Aubrey Organics White Camellia Shampoo and Burts Bees Baby Shampoo)
- PEG-40 Castor Oil (used in As I Am Co-wash and Hairveda Amala Cream Rinse)
- Cetearyl alcohol aka Cetostearyl alcohol and cetylstearyl alcohol (it has minimal cleansing power, so it is more of a conditioner than a cleanser)
Some cleansing products may also contain citrus fruits, such as lemon or orange extract, or contain apple cider vinegar, which break up oil. Also, some cleansing products may contain plant-based ingredients that are high in saponins. For example, SheScentIt’s Blueberry Co-wash Conditioner contains yucca root. Wikipedia has a long list of plant-based soap substitutes, which can be found here. I know that yucca root is a surfactant, but I’m not sure what kind. I’ve seen some articles refer to it as anionic and some refer to it as non-ionic.
Finally, some cleansing conditioners may contain clays that
have cleansing properties, such as kaolin, bentonite, rhassoul (also called ghassoul),
or green clay. While it is not marketed
as a cleansing conditioner, I’ve found that Shea Moisture’s Purification Mask feels
like it cleanses my hair. It contains
both African black soap and kaolin clay.
Based on personal experience, I can’t use shampoos
containing sodium laurel sulfate, olefin sulfate or sodium lauroamphoacetate. These cleansers are too harsh for my hair, so
I avoid them. Thus far, my hair seems to
like sodium cocoyl isethionate; cocamidopropyl betaine; decyl glucoside; and PEG-40
castor oil, which are all mild cleansers.
If you can’t figure out the cleansers in your product, look
for the INCI name, which may give you a clue.
SwiftCraftMonkey also has a wonderful chart of surfactants and a 17-page document walking through some of the key ones.
What are some of your favorite surfactants for cleansing
your hair?
Saturday, February 8, 2014
Cleansing Agents In Shampoos And Cleansing Conditioners
Hey fellow HHJs! I
recently finished up all of the shampoo that I have in my stash, but I still
have a number of cleansing conditioners.
Since I’m on a no buy challenge,
my dilemma has been whether to borrow some of my hubby’s stripping shampoo or
just stick to these cleansing conditioners.
My concern with cleansing conditioner has always been whether it would
be cleansing enough. I have always loved
the As I Am Coconut Co-wash, which feels like it cleanses. I also tried the Ouidad Curl Co-wash, which
was a little too stripping for my hair.
However, I've heard rumors that some of the other co-washes are
basically the same as regular conditioner.
So, I decided to do a little research to figure out what makes a
cleansing conditioner different from a regular, rinse out conditioner. To avoid making the post on my research too
long, I’m going to break it out into two parts.
This part will talk foundation for what makes a great cleanser. The second part will talk about specific
cleansing ingredients to look for.
First off, let’s start with two basic concepts. The purpose of a shampoo is to cleanse, which
includes binding to dirt and oil to remove it.
The purpose of a rinse out conditioner is to balance ph levels and coat
the hair cuticles to make it easier to detangle the hair. In other words, while shampoo binds to oil,
conditioner binds to hair. I assume that
the goal of an effective co-wash / cleansing conditioner is be a hybrid of the
two. With that in mind, I’m not as
concerned with the conditioning portion of a cleansing conditioner, as I am
about the cleansing portion.
In terms of cleansers, the active ingredient for removing
dirt and oil from the hair is a surfactant.
Surfactants are great for two reasons.
First, they are great because they have two parts, one part that is water
loving (hydrophilic) and one part that loves fat (lipophilic) and fears water (hydrophobic). The fat-loving part is what binds to oil to
remove it. If you really want to know
more about the structure of surfactants, the Natural Haven has two really great
articles on this (here and here),
so I’m not going to get more complex than that.
The important thing to know, for purposes of finding a proper cleanser,
is that surfactants bind to oil and carry it away.
The second reason that surfactants are great is that many of
them have a negative charge, which means that hair strands repel them,
rather than holding on to them, because hair also has a slightly negative
charge. Remember that old saying that
opposites attract? It applies to hair
too.
Thus, there are three types of surfactants usually used in
cleansers: anionic surfactants (negative
charge), zwitterionic / amphoteric surfactants (hybrid charge), and nonionic
surfactants (no charge). The stronger
the negative charge, the better for cleansing hair. Thus, anionic surfactants are the strongest
cleansers, followed by zwitterionic, and then nonionic. Positively charged (cationic) surfactants are
almost never used as cleansers because they bind to the hair, rather than being
repelled. Have you guessed yet what kind
of surfactant the conditioning agent BTMS contains?
HAPPY CLEANSING!!
Thursday, December 26, 2013
Avoiding Heat Damage
Hey, HHJs! Since I
went natural, I have had a fear of heat damage.
As a result, I avoided heat straightening my hair altogether. However, this summer I figured that my fear
was silly and that I simply needed to get over it. It has taken me a good 6 months, but I am
finally straightening my hair.
As with anything else, I immediately started to research the
best tips to prevent heat damage. Here
is some of what I already knew from healthy hair journey and what I’ve learned:
- Moisturize and your hair before applying any heat. This may seem counterintuitive because water reverts straightened hair, but it is important to keep the hair moisturized because using heat will evaporate water from your cuticle. When too much moisture evaporates from the hair or if the moisture evaporates too quickly, it can cause the hair to become brittle and crack. Moisture also helps absorb and dissipate heat through the hair. Thus, a good moisturizing conditioner is important.
- Strengthen your hair before applying heat. Use protein to reinforce your hair strands. Heat damage comes from a loss of structural integrity to the hair strand, which is made up of protein.
- Make sure your hair is thoroughly clean before applying heat. You would not want to bake in any dirt that is sitting on your hair. Also, clean hair heats more slowly than dirty hair.
- Buy Reputable Heat Tools. It is good to be frugal, but don’t be so cheap that you burn all of your hair off in the process. Your flat iron should have a temperature gauge on it so that you can adjust it to the proper setting. Your blow dryer should have multiple settings, including low and cool.
- Use heat tools on the lowest setting possible. If your hair is unhealthy you should not be using heat; but, even if it is healthy, you have to be careful. Healthy hair normally burns at about 450 degrees, but damage and scorching can occur at lower temperatures. This risk is increased if you have fine strands. JC of The Natural Haven has an interesting article on what happens to the hair at various temperatures. Based on her article, the hair's structure begins to change at 320-347 degrees, well before burning.
- Minimize the amount of heat used. If possible, do not use a blow dryer and a flat iron. Rather, airdry first, then use a flat iron. Blow dryers “flash dry” the hair, which can make the hair dry, brittle and more prone to cracking. Doubling up on heat also increases the risk of heat damage. Also, limit the amount of passes that you do with the flat iron and try not to keep the flat iron on your hair for more than 3-4 seconds. I’m sure you’ve seen the Youtube video of the girl, who did not know this lesson (if not, here it is).
- Use heat protectant. Christina of The Mane Objective has an article with a good list of heat protectant ingredients. Beauty Brains also talks about what to look for in a heat protectant for blow drying vs. a heat protectant for flat ironing. For blow drying, look for glycerin and propylene glycol because they slow water evaporation, and hydrolyzed wheat protein polysiloxane copolymer (a protein-silicone hybrid) because it decreases the risk of cracking. For flat ironing, look for conditioners that can penetrate the hair strand, like cetrimonium chloride.
- Take Your Time. Thoroughly detangle beforehand, which will make straightening easier and it will ensure that you do not rip your strands if using a comb attachment. Make sure your hair is dry before using the flat iron so that you do not boil your strands from the inside.
Sunday, December 8, 2013
Avocado Oil
In case I have not mentioned it before, Avocado Oil is my
favorite oil. I personally think that it
is underrated by the natural hair community, which frequently only talks about
olive oil and coconut oil when discussing oils that penetrate the hair
strand. Avocado Oil is also
easily absorbed into the hair strand and, to me, it feels like an amped up
olive oil. It is high in monounsaturated fats,
antioxidants like Vitamin E,
and other nutrients. While avocadoes
themselves can be a source of protein, the oil is not usually a significant source
of protein. Due to its nutrients, Avocado Oil is great
for deep conditioning, moisturizing, strengthening, smoothing, and creating
shine. It also has some sunscreen
properties, but the SPF measured by labs varies from 4-15.
Have you tried Avocado Oil? What do you think?
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
Cold Pressed Castor Oil (Drugstore) vs Jamaican Black Castor Oil (JBCO)
Currently, if I use castor oil at all, I use Tropic Isle Living Jamaican Black Castor Oil
(JBCO) because I heard JBCO is good for the hair and scalp, and because Tropic Isle is one of the few brands that I have found to be pure JBCO without any cheap fillers. I also love that purchasing Tropic Isle's castor oil contributes to the Jamaican economy, which is where my dad is from. However, I recently started thinking about whether I need to go through the added expense of getting JBCO or if I can just use drugstore castor oil for the same benefits. My sister uses drugstore castor oil and loves it.
Castor oil is a vegetable oil obtained from the castor seed (aka castor bean). You will sometimes see it referred to in an ingredients list as "Ricinus communis". There are five types of castor oil that I've found in my research:
What is your castor oil preference?
HAPPY OILING!!
(JBCO) because I heard JBCO is good for the hair and scalp, and because Tropic Isle is one of the few brands that I have found to be pure JBCO without any cheap fillers. I also love that purchasing Tropic Isle's castor oil contributes to the Jamaican economy, which is where my dad is from. However, I recently started thinking about whether I need to go through the added expense of getting JBCO or if I can just use drugstore castor oil for the same benefits. My sister uses drugstore castor oil and loves it.Castor oil is a vegetable oil obtained from the castor seed (aka castor bean). You will sometimes see it referred to in an ingredients list as "Ricinus communis". There are five types of castor oil that I've found in my research:
- Extra Virgin Cold-Pressed - The fresh castor seeds are pressed. This castor oil is usually pale yellow to clear, depending on whether it was filtered to lower the iodine content. Here is a Youtube video of castor beans being cold pressed - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQIaPRCgU-E#t=12.
- Refined - The fresh castor seeds are still pressed, but then they go through a refinement process.
- Jamaican Black Castor Oil (JBCO) - The castor seed is roasted, beaten with a mortar, boiled and then pressed. That castor oil is usually brown to black, depending on the level of ash in the oil.
- Haitian Black Castor Oil (HBCO) - I did not find a ton of information on this type, but it appears to be very similar to JBCO.
- Chemically Extracted - In addition to all of the pressed versions, some companies use chemical solvents to extract the castor oil because it is a faster process than the press.
What is your castor oil preference?
HAPPY OILING!!
Saturday, November 16, 2013
Behentrimonium Methosulfate and BTMS - The Products, The Myths, The Legacy
Hey fellow HHJs (healthy hair journeyers)! I am sorry the
frequency of my postings have been a bit unpredictable lately. I have been travelling a lot. Over the past two weeks, I’ve only spent four nights in my own bed. I’m so happy to
finally be back home again.
As I indicated in a prior post,
Behentrimonium Methosulfate appears to be a good ingredient for my leave-in
conditioners and moisturizers, so I decided to do a little research.
For any vegetarians, don’t worry. Behentrimonium Methosulfate is derived from colza oil that is taken from the European colza plant,
which is often confused with the plant used for rapeseed oil (aka Canadian oil
or canola oil)
because they are in the same plant family.
Despite its oil origin, Behentrimonium Methosulfate is water
soluble. Also, although it is
technically a sulfate, it is not a cleansing (aka hair stripping) sulfate. Not all sulfates are bad. Without getting too technical, a “sulfate” just means something is a salt of sulfuric acid.
Behentrimonium Methosulfate is usually used as an emulsifying
conditioner. It is a great conditioner
because of its ability to bind to the surface of your hair and coat it,
though not in a bad way. This reduces
friction, which can cause damage to the hair strand. It also reduces static. In my products, it is usually paired with cetearyl
alcohol, but sometimes it is paired with cetyl alcohol and butylene glycol (a humectant). For simplicity, I’m just going to call the
combinations BTMS, which is how they are usually identified. The “BTMS” is frequently followed by a number
to indicate how much BTMS is actually in the combination (ex: BTMS-50 is 50% Behentrimonium Methosulfate). The
cetaryl or cetyl alcohol assists in keeping the BTMS on your hair. Swift Craft Monkey has a great article on how
this works - http://swiftcraftymonkey.blogspot.ca/2010/05/chemistry-of-your-hair-adsorbing-and.html.
As an emulsifier, BTMS is usually used to help keep a mix of oil and water (an emulsion)
together. Thus, you will usually see it
in creams or lotions, which makes it great for my hair. BTMS is also a favorite ingredient for baby products because
it is extremely mild,
so it is also safe to leave on your skin.
I even found an article that went so far as to call it “the mildest conditioning and detangling
ingredient available.”
If you want to know of other products that contain BTMS, Environmental
Working Group’s Skin Deep Cosmetics Database has a list - http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ingredient/700658/BEHENTRIMONIUM_METHOSULFATE/ (click products). I discovered at least one new product from
this list that I think I now want to try -- Alba Botanica Leave-in Conditioner. Has anybody tried this?
Thursday, October 31, 2013
The Hunt For Good Leave-in And Moisturizer Ingredients
Now that I have figured out what works for me in a protein conditioner and I have a staple protein conditioner, I wanted to work on figuring out what to look for in a leave-in and cream moisturizer. Like my protein analysis process, I put the ingredients for 6 leave-ins and moisturizers and 2 twisting butters that I know work for me into a chart, and ranked them. I also included 3 products that I know do not work for me and 1 iffy product. I paid particular attention to the first 5 ingredients of each product, but I listed out all of the ingredients to see if there were commonalities. Here is what I learned:
- Three of the twelve products I examined had water as the first ingredient. One of the exceptions was my twisting butter, which had almond milk as the first ingredient and water as the second ingredient. The second is my bottom ranked like, and has aloe vera gel as the second ingredient and allantoin as the fourth. The third is a dislike that works for my hair if I cut it with an equal amount of water (thanks to someone on LHCF for suggesting this!).
- Eight of the twelve products had BTMS (Behentrimonium Methosulfate and Cetearyl Alcohol) within the first five ingredients. My top leave-in has it as the second ingredient, right behind water. My top moisturizer has it as the third ingredient. I'll do another post on BTMS after I have more info.
- Oils were the other common ingredient in my likes, though no product had the exact same combination of oils. Jojoba and Avocado oil showed up the most (3 likes each), and the following showed up in two likes each- castor, olive, coconut, and wheat germ. The higher ranked likes had the oils listed further down on the list, usually after the top 5.
- Shea butter was a top five ingredient in two of my three dislikes (the third dislike is the one I have to cut with water), and in my iffy product. It was only in one of my likes and it was the bottom ranked like.
- Cupuacu butter was in my iffy product and my second lowest ranked moisturizer.
Based on these observations, I am going to do some more research into the ingredients in my products to see if I can figure out other similarities. However, in the meantime, I will look for products with water as the #1 ingredient, and with BTMS somewhere in the first five ingredients. I will also look for jojoba or avocado oil after the first 5 ingredients. I will likely limit my use of shea or cupuacu butter. I would limit my use of all butters, but murumuru butter is the second ingredient in my favorite moisturizer, so butters are not automatically bad.
HAPPY MOISTURIZING!!
Saturday, October 26, 2013
Deciphering Glycerin
Now that winter is basically here, I was trying to
decide whether I want to try using my glycerin based products in the winter time. Based on my research, I don't. Glycerin (also called glycerol or glycerine) has two common uses in hair care -- as a lubricant and as a humectant. For hair purposes, that means it can improve
the smoothness of the hair strand; and it can draw moisture to it and slow down the rate at which water is evaporated from it. Glycerin is water soluble, which means that
it mixes well with water.
There are two reasons to be careful when using glycerin. First, like any humectant, pure glycerin can
be drying because it may pull water from the lower layers of skin onto the
surface where the water can easily be evaporated into the air or rubbed off (i.e., with
a hat or scarf). It can also be
sticky if you use too much. Thus, it is
important to always dilute it. When
making my own water spritz, I usually mix about 2 tablespoons of glycerin to 4
oz. of water.
Second, the effects of glycerin can vary by the humidity in
the air. This is a sister point to the
first one. Because glycerin likes to
draw water to it, in humid weather, this means that it is pulling water from
the air. This can be beneficial because
it helps to moisturize your hair.
However, if you find that your hair is getting frizzy in humid weather,
you may need to cut back on glycerin. In
dry / arid weather, glycerin may pull water from your hair and skin because it
cannot pull it from the air. Thus, if
you are going to use glycerin in a dry climate, make sure that the
glycerin-containing product also contains water. If it does not, you could do the baggy method
or take a steamy shower to infuse water into the glycerin before it hits the
dry air. You could also try using a sealant,
like an oil, to keep the water from leaving your hair when it is pulled to the
surface.
To determine the humidity in the air, it is best to look at
the dew point, rather than the humidity.
When the weather channel mentions humidity, however, they are usually
talking about “relative humidity”,
which is the amount of water vapor in the air compared to what could be in the
air at the current temperature. The dew
point is a specific measurement of the amount of water vapor in the air. A dew point above 60o F is usually
considered humid,
and a dew point below 40o F is usually considered dry.
As a disclaimer, I don’t plan to check the weather channel every
morning before doing my hair. I just go
based on feel. Optimally, I would use glycerin mixed with water and styling products with
glycerin high on the list in medium dew point temperatures (40o-60o). However, because my hair is low porosity, my hair does
not frizz easily in high humidity, so I’m less concerned than others might be in the summer, but I still don’t want to overdo it. Thus, I will probably use glycerin more freely in the spring, summer and early fall; and I would avoid using glycerin-based stylers
and moisturizers in late fall and all of winter, though it is still okay to use
glycerin-based conditioners. Of course,
where glycerin is low on the product ingredient list, then these rules of thumb
are less important.
Saturday, October 12, 2013
Protein Types
As I mentioned in my previous protein conditioner post, the science geek in me started doing research to see what
types of protein are out there. That
way, I can do a more educated job of figuring out what protein conditioners are
right for my hair. Here is what I have learned
so far in my research.
Proteins have different origins. It appears that are
usually either animal derived (such as milk,
silk, glycoprotein, placental, natural keratin, collagen,
or elastin); plant derived (such blue-green
algae, corn, soy, rice, oat, coconut milk, or wheat); or synthetic (such as man-made keratin or silk). My previous post indicated that it is best
to avoid animal proteins because they can coat the hair, causing build-up. However, on further research, I don't think that is true for all animal proteins. Instead, I agree with Natural Maven. I think it is more important to look at where the protein is on the ingredient list, and the size of the protein. Hydrolyzed proteins are proteins that have been broken down into smaller proteins or individual amino acids (proteins are long chains of linked amino acids).
If your hair needs a strong protein, then keratin is a good one. Your hair, skin and nails are all made from keratin, but you will still need keratin in a protein conditioner to be hydrolyzed for it to be properly absorbed into the hair strand. One of my favorite protein conditioners contains both hydrolyzed keratin and keratin amino acids. However, be very careful in reading bottles when looking for keratin so that you do not accidentally pick up a straightening system, which also contains keratin. Look for words like "reconstructor" or "conditioner". Blue-green algae is another source of strong protein. For example, aphanizomenon flos aquae and spirulina are both over 50% protein. I've personally found this protein source is too strong for my hair.
Hydrolyzed wheat and oat proteins strengthen, increase elasticity and help your hair hold on to and retain moisture. Silk amino acids are also a great strengthener for the hair, but they are somewhat controversial because of how natural silk amino acids are obtained.
It is also important to look out for ingredients that act like a protein. For example, while henna and coconut oil are not proteins, some people say that these products act like protein. They bond to the hair shaft and help the hair retain proteins. I've never tried henna, but coconut oil seems to act like a protein for my hair. I do not use it unless it is diluted.
HAPPY STRENGTHENING!!
Saturday, September 28, 2013
Finding A Good Protein Conditioner
Because of my low porosity hair, it was difficult to find a good protein conditioner that my hair would accept, but I need one for my finer strands and to maintain my moisture/protein balance. At first, I tried protein conditioners that other people recommended. Two worked (Curl Junkie Repair Me! and Aubrey Organics Island Replenishing Conditioner) and two did not (Aubrey Organics GPB and Aubrey Organics Blue Green Algae Conditioning Hair Mask). The science geek in me decided to investigate further; so, I analyzed the ingredients from the four, along with one from my relaxed days (Aphogee 2 Minute Reconstructor), by putting the ingredients into a chart. I looked at the similarities and differences in the top 10 ingredients, along with all of the proteins. In doing so, I noticed that the two conditioners that worked had hydrolyzed proteins and amino acids, as did the one from my relaxed days.
Next, I went to the internet for some hearty research. Here is some of what I've learned:
1. People with low porosity hair should usually look for smaller proteins, like hydrolyzed
rice, silk and wheat protein. A hydrolyzed protein is a protein that has been broken down into smaller proteins or individual amino acids (proteins are long chains of linked amino acids).
2. Stay away from oat,
animal, keratin or corn proteins because they tend to be too large for
use on low porosity hair.
3. Keratin amino acids may also be great because they can penetrate the hair strand, unlike regular keratin.
I plan to keep researching, and I will probably do another post on the different types of protein that are out there.
HAPPY CONDITIONING!!
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