(no subject)

[catslash]

So like a week ago, I offered to take pictures of stuff. offspeed asked for a picture of me in my Joey Harrington Lions jersey. I took my time because, well, I had to get to the laundromat first.



This is a much better picture of me. Just to soothe my ego a bit.



Heh. Not so much for the smiling for the camera, apparently. I didn't do it on purpose, I swear.

Comments

[catslash.livejournal.com]

Well, first, I was blessed to inherit my mom's naturally gorgeous, thick, shiny hair. That helps. *cough* I also haven't done anything chemical to it since the last time I dyed it, months and months ago.

Second, I switched almost a year ago to using natural shampoo. I buy mine here (http://www.prairielandherbs.com/). It has none of the horrific multi-syllabic quasi-pronounceable ingredients to be found in commercial shampoo, and ESPECIALLY it has NO sodium lauryl/eth sulfate. SLS is in commercial shampoo solely to create lather, and it strips your hair dry. It is the reason you need to condition. (You'll find it in a lot of soaps, too, which is part of why they're drying, and, annoyingly, toothpaste. Hence the drymouth when you brush your teeth.) The shampoo I use lathers beautifully - the solid bar format is a bit odd at first, but easy enough to get used to, and very long lasting - and I don't condition. At all. Occasionally I'll get motivated and do a deep conditioning with this (http://oyinhandmade.com/oyin/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=15) wonderful conditioner, but I don't really need it.

However, washing your hair buggers up its natural base/acid balance, which opens the cuticles and leaves it prone to tangling. To fix this, you have to do a vinegar rinse after. I use approximately a tablespoon of vinegar to a cup of water, let it sit while I do my other shower stuff, and then rinse it. There's a slight vinegar aroma while my hair is wet, but it disappears entirely when it dries. I use apple cider vinegar, because it smells so much better in the shower. You can also play around with using various herbs; I think Prairieland has a list of what herb does what for your hair, plus they sell the herbs themselves. Just don't let 'em fool you into spending a ton on their premade rinses. You don't need them!

And that's it. Wash your hair with stuff that's good for it. My hair has never looked so good as it has since I changed what I use on it. Everyone's hair is different, obviously, so you may want to play around with which shampoo you use, the strength of your vinegar rinse, whether you deep condition regularly, etc. Just make sure it's natural - the more of the ingredients you can pronounce without effort, the better - and NO SLS. EVER.