From Winstons To Aqua Net

   Fondly I can remember accompanying my grandmother to her weekly visits to the hair salon. It was one of those salons that seemed like you had to have a membership because everyone who was anyone's nana was surely in the  know. Mildly aged yet still fashionable women being primped crimped and stuffed under scones of heated dryers. The  smog of Winston 100s, shadows of Aqua Net  and the smell of curling rods being permed to the scalp, wafting in the air. Perhaps this is where my deep seeded roots for hair care permeates. Or perhaps I have just inhaled enough lacquer and ammonium thioglycolate to set off an internal organic detox. Whatever the theory may be, I am on a mission to save the Nonies and Grannies of the future from casting away their beauty for the next faux pas of chemical irritants promising eternal youth.

- the Hair Guru

A Condition For Your Withdrawals

The first few weeks of commercial chemical withdrawals is the pits. Let's face it, you have not been properly nurturing your scalp in years. Dollop upon douse of parabens, SLS and FDA "should not be concerned" ingredients. Your pour sebaceous glands stunted to produce it's natural oils, too doped up from last nights lather to find its way to a gland; cuticles split at the ends in a wasteland of locs. There is hope young grasshopper. There is a light at the end of this dark green tunnel. Prepare yourself as I brief you on the stages which you are about to embark upon.

After leaving behind those devil bottles of name brand junk, convert to using Baking soda mix (Recipe can be found on previous post). Now that you have left the dark side of chemicals, you will notice your glands are in over drive, producing enough oils to compensate your negligence of care to the tresses. Your scalp is scoping for PH levels and needs time to balance out. This will be your most difficult challenge.

As you remain hopelessly optimistic in your scheme to come clean, let's talk about conditioning. Because no one can comb through that hot mess of junkie tress with out some mixture to eliminate tangles.  When in Rome (or in your shower) do as the Romans do. A natural vinaigrette rinse, which can be traced back to the Roman era, aids in removing scaly buildup and residue along the hair shaft and closes the cuticles. When the cuticles are closed and hair is rid of chemical buildup, the hair is smooth and luminous in shine!

Simple Vinaigrette Rinse:
1/2 Tablespoon of Apple Cider Vinegar to every 1/2 Cup of Water.

Rinse after using Baking Soda mix. Rinse well, or leave in to help with tangles. 

Vinegar helps in restoring the hairs natural PH levels. I recommend using this rinse every other day while the hair is adjusting to the new shampoo.

Herbs and essential oils may be added to the rinse. I like to add a few drops of lavender. Lavender is the one of the few oils that can be directly applied to the skin with no cause of irritation (and it calms the wafting scent of vinegar) Try experimenting with different concoctions to see what's best suitable for your needs. Herbs like rosemary are a great addition for greying hair and lemon will control dandruff.

Herb & Vinegar Rinse:

2 Tablespoons of Vinegar                                 

Herb of Choice

2 Cups Boiling Water

Boil water in small saucepan. Add vinegar and allow to steep for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and allow your infusion to cool. Strain infusion over herbs with cheesecloth or coffee filter into a fresh clean bottle. Refrigerate over night. When ready to use, dilute 1/2 to 1 Tablespoon of herbal vinegar in 1 Cup of water.

Rinse through hair after shampooing.  

  

An Intervention With Your Hair

 Welcome to your intervention.
Welcome to a blog created as a sanctuary to restore your strength, your endurance, your elasticity... your hair.  Today is the day that you will begin to love your tresses once more. And for those of you who have had a falling out with your locs from the beginning of time, today is the first day of the rest of your life.

Allow me to introduce myself, I am the Hair Guru and this is my blog "Remedies of a Hair Guru".

Now it's time to step away from those drug store shelf products you've been stocking your powder rooms with. If you could only image how much toxic waste is piled on your scalp at the moment. Let's compare your scalp to a hotel room under a black light... Got the picture? Grossed out a bit? Me too.

Sure, your ingredients are labeled on the bottle, but what about their long term effects on your scalp? Sodium lauryl sulfate, a detergent found in 90% of commercial shampoos, has been researched to have dangerous effects of the development of eye tissue in small children.SLS is used as a standard in laboratories to initiate skin irritants and long term use for fair skin is prone to be more susceptible to eczema.  Premature hair loss among men and women and thinning hair? Yes, you can account that also to SLS!

So why then are you still using those corner market products?With life as chaotic and hectic with responsibilities, school, work and the whirlwind of life in general, who has time to research what toxic little chemicals are being poured onto our scalps first thing in the morning?  By the time one gets past coffee, they're already 15 minutes behind schedule!

I have done the research. I have sourced out the products and produce necessary for you to gain back your hair ego (because we all have one!) Together we can take you back to your roots, the way Mother Nature intended.

It doesn't get any simpler than this:

Basic Shampoo

Start by mixing 1 part baking soda with 3 parts water. I have shoulder length hair and mix about 2 to 3 tablespoon of baking soda with 3 times that amount of water in a small squeeze bottle. You can adjust this depending on your hair length. 

Apply the baking soda and water mixture to dry or wet hair by starting at the roots and working to the ends.  

Let it sit for 1 - 3 minutes then rinse with warm water.