Hello ladies! :) Today's post concerns RPWi beauty, specifically hair. On The Rules Revisted Blog, the author makes several posts concerning the importance of a women's hair to their SMV.
How shiny a woman's hair is seems to be indicative of a woman's health to men; here are my tips!
1. Figure out what kind of water you have! Hard water contains minerals which coat the hair, leaving a dull whitish-gray cast - essentially scaling on hair! To remove this scaling requires extremely harsh clarifying or cehlating shampoo, which roughens up the cuticle and strips hair of everything bad (scaling) and everything good (natural oil for shine)
HOW TO REMEDY HARD WATER
- Use a water filter to remove minerals and "soften" the water. This can be an entirely new system ($$$) a water filtering shower head attachment ($$) or the easiest way which is filling a water filter jug & rinsing with that ($)
TIP: WHEN GOING FROM HARD TO SOFT WATER it is a good idea to chelate your hair for one last time, to ensure you are starting with fresh and clean hair with your new soft water :)
2. Use sulfate free shampoo!! OMG This is going to change your life! My hair is like silk now. Here are 7 Reasons Sulfates are Bad for your Hair with a bunch of fancy shamancy research that I would other wise be copying-and-pasting here.
MY FAVORITE SULFATE FREE SHAMPOOS:
- OGX teatree & mint hydrating shampoo (I think everything in the line is sulfate free and available at most drugstores!) - $6
- L'Oreal Ever Line (available at drugstores) - $6-$10
3. Disguise your existing hair's damage with a hair glaze. Heat tools and environmental conditions can cause wear and tear on the cuticle hair shaft, causing it to break, weaken, and split in spots, leading to a dull appearance. This is happening all the time and there really isn't anything you can do to stop it; it is a con of having long hair. his is where a hair glaze or gloss comes in! Essentially the hair you have now is akin to an unpaved road, bumpy all over. The hair gloss fills in the bumps and smooths and even things out. By smoothing the cuticle, the surface reflects more light!
HAIR GLAZE vs. GLOSS
hair glaze = temporary, lasts a week, can be done at home hair gloss = fancy term for clear hair color, semi-permanent and lasts 3-4 weeks, can be done a home or at a salon
Here is article that recommends great hair glazes or glosses, depending on how often and how much you want to spend.
MY RECOMMENDED PRODUCT IS THE JOHN FRIEDA HAIR GLAZE BECAUSE IT IS READILY AVAILABLE AND YOU CAN GET IT IN CLEAR IF YOU DON'T WANT TO USE A COLOR!!
EDIT: OMG I CAN'T BELIEVE I FORGOT THIS PART
4. Use a glossing serum/mist! I see in the comments people have mentioned there use of oils, which I LOVEEEE but using a specific glossing serum is my favorite. This is great for people with dry ends, and glossing mist is essentially a shiny hairspray so it's great for ponytails (If you need more hold just spray your hairspray, wait a few minutes, then spray the glossing spray to add back the shine). For glossing mist I like Frederick Fekkai Sheer Shine Mist (I also like the Glossing Creme) and Kenra Silkening Mist. Please note: I spend I quite a bit more on products I leave on my hair and skin, rather than spending on products that I am essentially washing out/off. PM if you need more budget friendly options :)
Which brings me to my next point: THE SECRET OF MAN CRACK a/k/a Kenra Silkening Gloss. PLEASE NOTE THIS IS A HAIR SERUM MEANT TO BE USED EVERY DAY, IT IS NOT A GLAZE/GLOSS EVEN THOUGH IT HAS GLOSS IN THE NAME LOL It is a bit pricy ($20) but a little goes a long way and one bottle usually lasts me 9 months. This is a special hair serum I have found that 9/10 will have every man, woman and child (but especially the men) around you asking what you put on your hair. Basically, it makes your hair smell like STRAWBERRIES, UNICORNS AND MAGIC. I have had men follow me form checkout lines to ask what it is, make me write it down so they can buy it for their wives/GFs THIS STUFF IS A GRENADE OF MAN CANDY, use it with caution!
EDIT: Some more tips I found. Essentially the smoother your hair cuticle, the more light it will reflect.
5. Rinse with freezing cold water. The cold temperature blasts your hair cuticle and closes it, making it the smoothest surface possible.
6. Use a microfiber towel or old tshirt to dry your hair. A regular towel's rough fibers roughs up the cuticle you have just closed and made smooth from the shower.
7. After any heat styling, blast your hair with the cool setting on your blow dryer Frizz = not shiny hair. Frizz can be caused by a variety of things, two of them being heat and friction, which are involved in heat styling. The cold air (or, if you're style is complicated and will be messed up by the wind, stand in front of your freezer for a couple minutes.) will set your hair style.
8. Use a satin or silk pillowcase. Again, prevents friction roughening up the cuticle. BONUS: You skin won't be pushed up against rough cotton and you'll have less wrinkles!
**TL/DR: Get a water filter, use sulfate free shampoo, apply an at home hair glaze/gloss regularity, rinse with cold water, use a tshirt to dry your hair, use a Kenra Silkening gloss serum and Silkening mist as leave in treatment and hair spray, set hair style with cold air, sleep on a satin pillowcase.
