Did you know how much our environment poses a significant threat to the health and vitality of our hair? Just think for a moment of how the air around you, especially in city and urban environments, is full of pollutants and contaminants, some of which are immediately apparent like smoke, dust, and exhaust fumes, and others such as chemicals, not so much.
It’s in this context that women need to be fully aware of the challenges they face when looking after their hair particularly as it’s so involved in reflecting their personality and self-esteem.
Airborne contaminants make our hair dry and unattractive. They weaken its structure, causing damage affecting its overall health.
One response is to be tempted to wash the hair every day using any available shampoos and conditioners. However, how often you wash and condition your hair depends on a variety of factors, including what type of hair you have, the condition of your scalp, what you do and what you consume, and of course the environment you’re living in.
Oily hair attracts and holds onto dirt, dust, and pollutants more easily and this can lead to dandruff or seborrheic dermatitis, which manifests itself in characteristic flakiness and inflammation. This buildup, combined with the excess oil, can weigh down the hair, making it feel heavy and difficult to manage. So, if you have an oily scalp and your hair appears to be greasy, lank, and lifeless, you might need to wash your hair more frequently, possibly every other day or every two days, to remove excess oil and buildup. Wash the hair with a gentle, balancing shampoo designed for your hair type helps to remove excess oil without removing too much natural moisture. You can choose from our selection of shampoos and conditioners. But be careful because washing too often can stimulate the scalp to produce excessive amounts of oil.
For those of you with normal hair and scalp, washing every two to three days is typically enough to keep the hair clean without removing the protection of natural oils. If your hair is dry and with static electricity, you could consider less frequently washing, maybe two to three times a week, to retain natural oils that provide moisture.
When washing your hair, avoid using hot water as this removes natural oils. Aim to use warm water. Use a shampoo suitable for your hair type, and to keep your hair looking great use an appropriate conditioner once or twice a week. Steer clear of products containing ingredients such as sulfates and parabens as these harsh chemicals remove moisture from your hair.
And this is important point of retaining natural moisture is often overlooked.
Natural oils, such as sebum which the scalp produces, help in preventing water loss and keeping the hair hydrated by maintaining moisture within the hair strands. Retaining moisture within the hair is vital for preventing dryness, brittleness, and split ends.
These oils act as a natural defense mechanism against environmental elements by creating a shield that protects the hair from pollutants, UV rays, and other external factors. And certain natural oils have natural conditioning properties and contain essential fatty acids, vitamins, and antioxidants that nourish the hair follicles and promote healthy hair growth. They coat the hair roots, which reduces friction between strands and this softens the hair, making it smoother and more manageable.
A healthy scalp plays a vital role in promoting healthy hair growth. Natural oils contribute to its overall health by maintaining its pH balance, keeping it moisturized which helps to prevent dryness, itching, flakiness, and dandruff.
Finally, some natural oils have restorative properties that help in repairing damaged hair by penetrating the hair cuticle resulting in stronger and healthier hair with fewer, if any, split ends.