Hello Everyone,
In Mumbai, January is often colder than December. The air dries out your skin and hair. Most of us go heavy on lotions and cream to protect our skin. However, our hair is often neglected. It's a great idea to cover your head with a scarf or hat while travelling but it's not enough. So here are few tips to keep your hair well-nourished and healthy.
1.Cover your hair while travelling.
The wind and dust dry out not just your hair but scalp as well. A dry scalp is an itchy scalp, scratching your scalp releases sebum to moisten the dry skin. This leads to your scalp getting more greasy and makes it easier for dust and dirt to stick to your hair. This makes you shampoo your hair more often.
2.Tie it up
Tying your hair up is also a good idea while travelling. While it might feel great to leave your hair open and feel the wind in it. Your hair will most likely be flying into someone's face. Apart from annoying fellow passengers, your hair is getting tangled. Combing out tangles leads to breakage, frizz and often just plain frustrating.
3.Space out your shampoo days
Most of us don't get the chance to wash our hair often due to busy schedules. Those who go to the gym or play sports regularly should use a very mild shampoo. Most shampoos contain harsh chemicals that strip your hair of natural oils and moisture. This makes your hair dry, brittle and dull and your scalp dry and itchy. Conditioners help to restore some amount of moisture but this is often short-lived. Washing your hair no more than twice a week and keeping it two days apart helps the scalp restore balance and it's less stressful for your hair.
4.Use baking soda instead of shampoo
The no-poo method has been around for awhile now. If you haven't tried it yet I'd recommend giving it a shot. It might seem strange but it is effective. You can either moisten your scalp and hair or do this before you wet your hair. Personally, I prefer to use this method on my hair while it's still dry as it's easier to apply. So instead of your shampoo, take a couple of spoonfuls of baking soda (depending on the density of your hair). Take a large pinch and apply it on your scalp starting from one side and move to other. Moisten your fingers and massage your scalp and run it through your hair as well then rinse out.
5.Don't let it dry out
Try to towel dry your hair as gently as possible after you was it. The friction with the towel can cause hair to frizz and at times break. It's best to simply wrap your hair in the towel and let it dry gradually. When your hair is almost dry i.e. damp take few drops (2/3) of light hair oil such as sweet almond, avocado or coconut. Rub it between your palms and apply to the ends of your hair and finger comb from root to tip. Your hair shouldn't be oily. This method allows a very light coat of oil that prevents your hair from drying out and locks in moisture. Please ensure that you use an oil that suits your hair but nothing heavy or sticky as this will make your hair look greasy once it's completely dry.
6.Avoid using plastic combs and brushes
Plastic combs and brushes generate static and make your hair frizzy and look untidy. There are some combs and brushes that don't get static and will specifically mention it. If you're looking for a good detangling brush consider the Tangle-teaser collection.
7.Hair-spa
We all delight in that wonderful feeling of being pampered but that comes at a price. Hair-spas don't come cheap and those that do, are probably too good to be true. You might get lucky and come across a great deal. But here is an affordable hair-spa that you can do for yourself or anyone in your family with things you have at home. Kitchen recipes are great but they are often a real pain to wash out. My hair is of medium density and it's really difficult to get out pieces of fruit or scrambled egg when it's wet. Hence, this recipe requires no fruit or veggies.
Choose a conditioner that suits your hair(you can try this with different conditioners and see which works best or even use a combination of conditioners). I'd purchased the Garnier oil-in-cream a long time ago and it never quite worked for me as an after shower treatment. However, it works well in this recipe to add some more moisture. Similarly, you can use any conditioner or serum that doesn't quite work on its own to boost the effectiveness of this mixture.
Method:
Take a couple of large spoonfuls of conditioner in a bowl depending on the length of your hair. I use about 3 large tablespoons for my shoulder-length hair. You can always add more before applying it. Add your favourite hair oils to the bowl. You can try various proportions until you find one you like. I put about equal amounts of each oil i.e. a teaspoon or so. I've used coconut, almond, avocado and argan these are very moisturising and nourishing. Stir the mixture until it is smooth and shiny. When you stir it initially the mixture might appear curdled as the oils take some time to blend with the conditioner. Divide your hair into sections and apply a little at a time, cover with a shower cap and leave on for at least 30 minutes. Wash as usual.
You may have read or heard of some of these before. Let me know if you'd like to see more of these tips. I'd love to know your feedback if you try them.
In Mumbai, January is often colder than December. The air dries out your skin and hair. Most of us go heavy on lotions and cream to protect our skin. However, our hair is often neglected. It's a great idea to cover your head with a scarf or hat while travelling but it's not enough. So here are few tips to keep your hair well-nourished and healthy.
1.Cover your hair while travelling.
2.Tie it up
Tying your hair up is also a good idea while travelling. While it might feel great to leave your hair open and feel the wind in it. Your hair will most likely be flying into someone's face. Apart from annoying fellow passengers, your hair is getting tangled. Combing out tangles leads to breakage, frizz and often just plain frustrating.
3.Space out your shampoo days
Most of us don't get the chance to wash our hair often due to busy schedules. Those who go to the gym or play sports regularly should use a very mild shampoo. Most shampoos contain harsh chemicals that strip your hair of natural oils and moisture. This makes your hair dry, brittle and dull and your scalp dry and itchy. Conditioners help to restore some amount of moisture but this is often short-lived. Washing your hair no more than twice a week and keeping it two days apart helps the scalp restore balance and it's less stressful for your hair.4.Use baking soda instead of shampoo
The no-poo method has been around for awhile now. If you haven't tried it yet I'd recommend giving it a shot. It might seem strange but it is effective. You can either moisten your scalp and hair or do this before you wet your hair. Personally, I prefer to use this method on my hair while it's still dry as it's easier to apply. So instead of your shampoo, take a couple of spoonfuls of baking soda (depending on the density of your hair). Take a large pinch and apply it on your scalp starting from one side and move to other. Moisten your fingers and massage your scalp and run it through your hair as well then rinse out.
5.Don't let it dry out
6.Avoid using plastic combs and brushes
Plastic combs and brushes generate static and make your hair frizzy and look untidy. There are some combs and brushes that don't get static and will specifically mention it. If you're looking for a good detangling brush consider the Tangle-teaser collection.
7.Hair-spa
We all delight in that wonderful feeling of being pampered but that comes at a price. Hair-spas don't come cheap and those that do, are probably too good to be true. You might get lucky and come across a great deal. But here is an affordable hair-spa that you can do for yourself or anyone in your family with things you have at home. Kitchen recipes are great but they are often a real pain to wash out. My hair is of medium density and it's really difficult to get out pieces of fruit or scrambled egg when it's wet. Hence, this recipe requires no fruit or veggies.
What you'll need:
Hair Conditioner
Coconut oil, Sweet Almond Oil, Avocado oil, Argan Oil
Method:
Take a couple of large spoonfuls of conditioner in a bowl depending on the length of your hair. I use about 3 large tablespoons for my shoulder-length hair. You can always add more before applying it. Add your favourite hair oils to the bowl. You can try various proportions until you find one you like. I put about equal amounts of each oil i.e. a teaspoon or so. I've used coconut, almond, avocado and argan these are very moisturising and nourishing. Stir the mixture until it is smooth and shiny. When you stir it initially the mixture might appear curdled as the oils take some time to blend with the conditioner. Divide your hair into sections and apply a little at a time, cover with a shower cap and leave on for at least 30 minutes. Wash as usual.
You may have read or heard of some of these before. Let me know if you'd like to see more of these tips. I'd love to know your feedback if you try them.
