How To Get the Most from your Purple Shampoo

I constantly have people asking me how to keep their platinum hair bright and not yellow. I usually recommend a few of my favorite purple shampoos. However I recently saw a video by WhippyCake on YouTube that showed a new way to use the purple shampoo that is more effective. It sounded good to me, and after having a platinum client test it I know that it really works! I am thrilled to share it with you now! Before I get to the step by step I am going to address some questions about this method.

Why Does This Work Better? It does because when you apply the shampoo on wet hair the water has already filled the cuticle layer of your hair and it is harder for the shampoo to really penetrate the hair. Because there is no water in your hair the product isn't fighting and can really do it's job.

What Purple Shampoo Should I Use? In the video she uses and recommends Naissant Perlabeige Shampoo and Conditioner. I personally love and recommend the shampoo and conditioner from Joico called Color Endure Violet as well as the Sterling Silver line by AG. Joico also creates color deposit shampoos called Color Balance. These come in red, purple and blue. The blue is great for someone with more gold (orange) tones than yellow. If you see more yellow go with purple. This can be used with their red shampoo to help you make your red more vibrant.

Do I Have To Do This Every Time I Wash My Hair? No. If you do you may start to see a purple tint, and if that is what you wants that if fine, but I recommend doing this once every week or two, just depending on when you start to see your color yellowing.



and now the moment you have all been waiting for the... 
STEP BY STEP

Step 1 - Comb Your Dry HairThis will break up any product buildup and make your hair easier to work with.

Step 2 - Section Your HairYou do not have to get super fancy with the sectioning. This is really just to help you be able to get your roots better and make sure you are really getting all the hair. You don't want to miss spots!

Step 3 - Apply Purple Shampoo on the Roots of your HairI recommend you start at the place that is the most resistant and that you feel tends to pull the most yellow. For most people this is the nape (or the back of their head near the neck). This is where she starts in the video as well. You will go through and apply the shampoo using your hands (you can use a brush but it is unnecessary) through your whole head. She doesn't say in the video how long she waited before doing step 4,  but I would say wait about 5 minutes.

Step 4 - Pull the Shampoo Through to the Ends of your HairThat's right, we are now going to use a lot more shampoo to cover the rest of your hair. It is true that this method uses more shampoo than using it in the shower, however it is also more effective.

5 - Wait 5-10 MinutesIn the video she waits for a "generous 10 minutes" and I recommend doing the same. My lovely client who tested this out yesterday also waited about 12 minutes and had great results. Obviously the more toning you need done the longer you will let it sit.

6 - Rinse and ConditionHop in the shower and rinse that shampoo out. Follow it with your favorite color protecting conditioner or mask, or the conditioner that is recommended to be used with the shampoo you used.

Watch the video below! I loved watching WhippyCake! She is super cute and funny, and I felt like she didn't drone on and on forever! It was informative and I truly enjoyed watching her video.

***Warning! I have learned that the Color Balance Shampoos from Joico that I recommended can stain your hands a little. Use gloves or wash your hands immediately after using!*** 

Beauty Supplements

I have gotten A TON of questions about beauty supplements. Usually people are asking about Biotin, Prenatal vitamins and Hair Skin and Nails from ItWorks! Usually my response is that I have not done enough research to know the difference between the products and what is best for hair growth. However I got so many requests that I had to do the research. It took me a hot minute but I have answers for you now! I did a little online research as well as talking to an amazing doctor, an esthetician  and a dermatologist. This is what I learned!



Biotin is a B vitamin that is also commonly known as Vitamin B7. It plays a major role in cell growth as well as the metabolism of amino acids (which make up proteins). Most of the pills on the market do not have exclusively biotin in them, but also contain other kinds of vitamin B with similar functions.

The most popular Biotin supplement is Natures Bounty. these are 100% biotin capsules, however the capsules themselves are made of beeswax and gelatin. These are safe for consumption, but some people who are vegan may prefer a different option. The downsides to biotin specific capsules is that they are unsafe for pregnant women and children, and that they can cause acne. You MUST have a lot of water when on Biotin (since it is a water soluble vitamin). Health experts recommend 8 cups a day. However they are proven to improve hair growth, nail growth and skim elasticity.

Prenatal Vitamins are generally taken when a woman is trying to get or as soon as she finds out she is pregnant. These vitamins are filled with folic acids, vitamin B6, iron, zinc, copper, vitamin c, and other vitamins and nutrients. Basically what I found is that there is no evidence that proves that prenatal vitamins help with hair growth (unlike Biotin). Your hair may appear shiny, healthier and fuller during pregnancy but this is commonly due to higher estrogen levels than anything else.

I also learned that taking prenatal vitamins when you are not pregnant can cause some problems. A lot of the ingredients in a prenatal supplement are different form daily vitamins to make up for the blood and nutrients that go to the baby. For example the iron and folic acid in a prenatal is much higher to prevent anemia for the mother and the child and also to prevent neural tube damage. For a woman who is not pregnant getting to much iron in her diet can cause vomiting, diarrhea and constipation. While to much folic acid can mask a vitamin B12 deficiency symptoms which can have serious side effects such as dementia, memory loss and other symptoms. Experts are pretty against prenatal vitamins being for anything but pregnent women and discourage the use of them for hair growth.

Hair Skin and Nails Supplements (specifically the ones by ItWorks!) are different because unlike Biotin they have several different vitamins and supplements that directly benefit your hair, skin and nails. With vitamins like C, E, B6 and B7 (oh wait! That is biotin), as well as calcium, MSM and more, this supplement will give you healthier and longer hair as well as healthier skin. Not only is it scientifically sound, but the proof is in the pudding! Let's be honest you have a friend who sells it as has put results photos on their facebook. I don't sell ItWorks and was very skeptical, but I have seen it work first hand and after consulting with experts I can confidently say that it really does work!  If you do not know someone who sells ItWorks, here is my reps page!

What is the Best Shampoo for Oily Hair?

I was asked this gem in the comment of one of my early posts called How can I Get Rid of Grease in My Hair? First things first, I am a HIGE believer in conditioner, so I will not be recommending just shampoos, but their conditioner counterparts as well. These are the best shampoo and conditioner duos for oil hair. I am going to lay on you the best three duos to use for oily haired people, as well as three shampoos to avoid!


Living Proof Perfect Hair Day
This brand was co-founded and created by Jennifer Anniston and her stylist (Chris McMillan). They were both looking for a hair product line that was free of sulfates, parabens and silicone. While there are several sulfate free lines, finding one without silicone is hard to do. Enter Living Proof. This line is awesome! Every product in is safe for color treated hair and gentle on your hair. They boast that Living Proof product leave your hair feeling cleaning longer, and they do, especially for oily haired folk! In fact the only issue I have with the PHD (perfect hair day) line is that the lack of silicone is hard for some to adjust to. When you put on your conditioner you don't feel the immediate softness and slip you are used to so it feels as though your hair is not being conditioned. But you would be wrong, it is being nourished, and as soon as your hair is dry you will feel it (or as they say at this company, as soon as your hair dries you will become the living proof).

American Crew Anti-Dandruff + Sebum Control
American Crew is the leader is men's products. However as a stylist that works in a salon that sells American Crew, and I can tell you first hand that I know that American Crew products are loved by many women as well! This shampoo tried to address two issues that usually conflict with one another, dandruff and oily scalp. This product conditions the hair, invigorates and exfoliates the scalp and helps to control oil in one fell swoop. I do recommend using a conditioner with it though. The American Crew Daily Conditioner is a good pick, or I feel it pairs well with Redken All Soft Conditioner.

Kerastase Bain Clarifiant & Divalent System for Oily Hair
This is in my opinion the best shampoo and conditioner you could possibly get for oily hair. The Kerastase Bain Clarifiant is the shampoo and the Kerastase Bain Divalent is the conditioner. Now I know what you are thinking - Clarifiant, that sounds like a clarifying shampoo, won't that be to harsh for my hair? Well the answer is yes, it is a clarifying shampoo, but it is not to harsh for consistent use. Kerastase is the authority when it comes to high end luxury brands, and uses only the best of the best ingredients in their hair care. This clarifying treatment isn't a harsh exfoliant like most, it is a treatment for your hair. They use Lipacid and Salicylic acid to deeply cleanse the scalp and control sebum production (sebum is oil for those of your who didn't know). They also have a coolign agent to help the scalp feel refreshed as well as vitamin B6 to nourish the scalp and hair.

Things to Avoid

As promised here is a list of things to avoid when choosing 

a shampoo and conditioner for oily hair.

1- Mint and Tea Tree (or other oil bases)Things like mint and tea tree are invigorating for the scalp and help exfoliate but they also leave heavy oils and conditioners in their wake. You don't need more of that! I'd stay away from shampoos like Paul Mitchell's Tea Tree oil. Don't get me wrong I love this product, but it is not for those with oily hair. And along that same line products like the Exquisite Oils line from Biolage and Diamond Oil form Redken, are not going to work for you either. 

2- Sulfate Free ProductsNow I know that I just recommended you use Living Proof which is a sulfate free line, They key here is that it is also a silicone free line. Remember when in that same paragraph I said sulfate free products are abundant but silicone free products are few and far between? So consider Living Proof an exception to this rule. Normally sulfate free products do not strip the scalp of their natural oils and conditioners, which is a good thing, unless you have a massive excess of those oils. Two of my favorite product lines are Frizz Dismiss and Color Extend Magnetic both from Redken, both amazing, both a bad fit for oily those trying to fight oily hair and scalp.
 

3-  Cowashes and Cleansing Conditioners. 
These two in ones are best for those with heavy and thick hair, and provide heavy and thick two in one conditioning and cleaning. Not only are they sulfate free but they are heavy as all get out. I love the Pureology Cleansing Conditioners, but they are not a good fit for those with oily scalps.

Thanks to Anamika for asking this question!

Textured Braided Fauxhawk Ponytail

Fun braided fauxhawk pony tail I did on my friend tonight! I had a ton of fun!

Her hair was braided after she had showered so her hair already had some wave in it. I did 6 curls with a flat iron to break up the waves a little. Then I put some powder play from sexy hair on the roots for prep.

I proceeded to use a Redken Teasing Brush to tease a horse shoe section of her head (see the diagram on the right).


Making sure my hands were lightly covered in Living Proof Nourishing Styling Cream I took a thick section (section one in the diagram) and began to do a dutch braid (also known as an inverted braid). As I braided back I fed new hair into the middle section by taking haphazard random sections from either side of the braid.

Once I was at the back of the horse shoe I took the end of the braid and the hair from the sides of the head (the hair in front of the ears) and created a small high ponytail. After clipping this pony tail out of the way I create a second high ponytail, using all of the rest of the hair, and place it underneath the first getting them as close together as possible.

Put Wind Blow by Redken hairspray in the pony tail. Then use your hands to pull the peices of the braid out so that it is loose and full.
 DONE :)

Thanks to Jessica Allman for letting me play with her hair :)