WHAT DO I LOOK FOR IN A SHAMPOO?

Perfect products should be both effective on the scalp and gentle on the hair. This includes the cleanser in the shampoo as well as the conditioning agents in the conditioner.

The only problem is that effectiveness and gentleness are not often paired in the same product. An effective product, e.g. a product that cleanses squeaky clean, will not necessarily be gentle. Likewise, a gentle product will not necessarily clean the hair as thoroughly as a person would like. This is one big choice that a person should make when choosing a shampoo, and it depends largely on hair type and length.

People with long hair, fine hair, color-treated hair, oily scalp, dry scalp, psoriasis or dandruff will likely need to seek gentle products. Note the second and third ingredients listed on the label. Gentle shampoos often contain Sodium Laureth Sulfate :) or any ingredient beginning with T.E.A. (the T.E.A. often followed by cocamidopropyl betaine).

The more heavy-duty products contain Sodium Lauryl Sulfate >:( (note the YL in Lauryl), Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate >:( and Ammonium Laureth Sulfate  >:((one or more of the three can be found in Suave, Pert Plus, Head and Shoulders, and other shampoos). The more heavy-duty shampoos are usually not suitable for fine hair, color-treated hair, oily scalp, dry scalp, or particularly long hair (can cause dryness on the ends of the hair, or overproduction of sebum (scalp oils) leading to oily hair). If you see any of these three above ingredients on a shampoo bottle label, exercise caution.  

All of these surfactants a.k.a. cleansers, when dissolved in water, become charged particles that "bind" to dirt/grease/other particulate matter, washing it away. Although not the most natural way possible, shampoo still seems to be the cheapest and most popular, most readily-available method to cleanse. Rotating your products will also help in the search for a "perfect" or at least "satisfactory" shampoo for your hair type.

Alternatives: CO (Conditioner-Only), CWC (Condition, wash, condition), COW-C or any variations, indian herbs, clay washing.

For more information on individual product ingredients:
http://www.cosmeticcop.com/learn/dictionary.asp?TYPE=MAIN

Brightest Blessings
Anais

Willow Lake Shampoo and Conditioner: used it for a few years, don't remember much about it besides that it smelled good.
Suave Coconut Shampoo and Conditioner: don't recall much.  


Pert Plus 2-in-1: Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate or similar, harsh and caused lots of scalp overcompensating. Now used for cleaning the bathroom.
Paul Mitchell The Shampoo: gentle Sodium Laureth Sulfate formula, smells like Down To Earth bubble bath, beautiful pearlescent color.
Finesse shampoo before reformulation:[/b] contained Sodium Laureth Sulfate (until Finesse had a redesign to officially become a "drugstore product" instead of a "salon quality product"). The later formulation has ammonium lauryl and laureth. The old formula I have smells wonderful.
Kirkland Marine Algae Shampoo: gentle Sodium Laureth Sulfate formula from Costco, salon quality, smells like pineapple, clear white gel.


Suave BioBasics Conditioner: as a final conditioner that contains silicone. S-BB contains a water-soluble cone called dimethiconol, which is a very flexible and light silicone that builds up less than other varieties.
Suave Humectant Conditioner: more heavy duty, used it for summer camping or hardcore travels.
Kirkland Lemon Gingerroot: blue silicone conditioner that is a salon quality  knockoff of Paul Mitchell's Leave-in. Blue gel, rinse out or leave in, phenyltrimethicone. A little heavy and sticky for leave-ins.
Paul Mitchell Leave-in (blue stuff in a white bottle): Too sticky for leave-in, haven't tried as rinse-out, never will.


Giovanni Direct Leave-in: Does not contain cones. I apply two drops after my regular CCC routine, when my hair is barely dry, right before sock curling for bedtime. The results for me are silkier hair.


Suave Milk&Honey Conditioner: Has been working as a pre-cone layer for CCC. And lately, as a big pre-layer but currently am working on increasing SM&H and decreasing the cone. Somewhat appropriate as a final C.
Suave Tropical Coconut Conditioner: decent, similar to SM&H
Pure-A-Teas Lotus or Pure-A-Teas Green Tea Conditioner: I bought all the PATGT because it smells like BPAL's Embalming Fluid, otherwise known as Bear's choice of deodorant. Yum! Not appropriate as a final C.
V05 Sunkissed Raspberry Conditioner: I CO'd with this one until it ran out, and I loved it very much. It's a simple, protein free, cone free conditioner that is great for "lifting" scalp gunk. Not appropriate as a final C.
V05 Tangerine Tickle Conditioner: Used it with WCC routine back in the day. Worked well. Haven't used it for other purposes. Not appropriate as a final C.



Jojoba oil: makes my hair feel like straw. I only get soft jojoba results when I do a prewash. Oftentimes I would use it anyway before braiding, just because it's a 'good' oil that absorbs well. For skin, it's a miracle liquid.
Extra Virgin olive oil(EVOO): very easy to buy, but it's too heavy an oil
Avocado oil: fresh smell, light enough for a prewash with shampoo. Stopped using.
Hempseed oil: needs refrigeration. Stopped using.
Grapeseed: light and similar to jojoba in feel. Might as well use jojoba.
Macadamia nut oil (Mac): a little heavy, I tried this in my shampoo washes but it wouldn't wash out completely unless I cut down. feels "greasy" but not "oily" when rubbed between palms. Not stickier per se, but more gel-like than jojoba. Doesn't absorb as easily.
Coconut oil: also turns my hair into straw when used dry, although the initial application turns it extremely soft (until it absorbs fully. Then I get strawness). Worked rather well as a prewash treatment. Solid and travels very well. Stopped using.
Flaxseed oil: Produced really good results to my utter surprise. I had to wait awhile though; it took lots of wooden-combing and waiting for the oil to absorb into actual soft hair. but... I really like it! The only downside is that it has to be refrigerated.
Broccoli seed oil: Produced really soft silky results at first, but I have only tried it on dry hair. I don't know what long term use will give me, haven't tried it long term. BSO is very bizarre.
Shea butter: prevents hairyness in braids, a bit sticky, makes hair clump unless worked thoroughly with a horn or wooden comb, but it doesn't have the straw effect. As a leave-in, it can make hair too greasy to wear loose, good motivation to wear contained hairdos. Travels very well. Wonderful for skin, moisturizing effects literally last more than 24 hours when using whipped shea 'cream' recipe (used as leave-in conditioner for braiding, hand salve, foot balm, general lotion, and of course, lip balm) It's shea white, shea yellow, and a small chunk (comparatively) of kokum butter for smoothness. I've also added mango butter into some mixes. NEW FAVORITE.

CO'd last night with four different conditioners just for the heck of it. Chachachacha WOW, Doing four feels great. First I did Lotus and Raspberry in dilution, then the Suave Milk and Honey combed through, then the Lemon Gingerroot combed through. The really nice thing is not rinsing out the Suave as I'm applying the Lemon Gingerroot (cones) That way, there's a little less conage... in addition, I realize I've been layering my cones over a coneless. This decreases exposure of the cuticle to the cones, so hypothetically I'd get less cone damage that way.

I was thinking of changing my hair goal to suit the length of my sword. I wanted to have hair that is as long as my sword (not measured the GM method, but measured from the top of the head) But it's behind the piano, and I'd have to check tonight. It's probably about 36 inches though, which is only slightly past tailbone. Fingertip was the original goal... Ah, well, fingertip = Golden Ratio and I guess I'll stick with that.

We have a pope now, I could hardly believe it. That was too quick. It's Cardinal Ratzinger (Opus Dei?? not sure) and he has chosen the name of Benedict 16. After the guy who invented the Benedictine monks I guess... Today's history lecture was cancelled today on account of Popage. We discussed our predictions and theories on how this "new"(?) Vatican would handle issues like contraceptives and AIDS, whether scripture should be changed to suit the needs of the time, whether tradition takes precedence over cultural change, whether the definition of tradition in general has to evolve in order to survive, whether there is even a "threat" to the survival of the Catholic faith (which I am absolutely certain CANNOT be).

Writing an article on disposable alternatives to menstrual products. Need to call sewage treatment plant tomorrow.

M from History class #3.. the one who used to have the long wavy hip length hair.. she cut it this weekend. It's about shoulderblade length now. I was a bit saddened by this, but in a way, I'm gloating. Now I have longer hair than she does.

PM'd the Maker about corset. I keep anticipating its finish but delays usually happen. I feel bad. about stringing readers along with my corset acquisition or lack thereof. Whatever readers I may have left. I keep saying, "It'salmostdoneit'salmostdone... yay yay yay, squee squee squee, yada yada yada" but so far I've delivered no cheese. Currently waiting for an answer on an estimated finish time. PM'd Maker yesterday, I wonder if the supplies have been ordered yet. Is it too soon to squee? Squeeee! Hm..

Bear called today. I ate lunch first because it was microwavable. Then we went to the art gallery and looked at the thesis exhibit. There was this amazing Inferno series we looked at for most of our time. Some really lovely ceramics- especially woodfired stoneware. Woodcut prints, oil paints, charcoal.... He loooooved the Inferno series. It was gas-fired sculpture in stoneware, of four little men "emerging" out of bricks, and being pulled down into the brick by a hand or two. Like that frozen lake in Divine Comedy.

CO'd on Wednesday, and Alias was on. I ran a bit late.

Wrote article on reusable menstrual products. I went on a outing, to ask many guys what they thought the Mooncup diagram actually represented. They said things like small toilet plunger, reception device, slingshot, stethoscope, penile implant, prophylactic.

Things I will do when I finally finish the semester:

• finish the rest of the translation project
• read Kushiel's Dart, The Elegant Universe
• organize my clip file so I don't have to do it in the fall
• launder all my socks
• make more money
• stop buying stuff I don't need
• sew the inside of my coat sleeve from winter
• call people more
• get out of the house more
• wear my long skirts

Call them "Summer's Resolutions"

Maker pm'd me about the corset yesterday. The supplies are on the way to her. Unless the supplies are from AlterYears, which she posted about not patronizing again, whose warehouse people are away on a costuming convention out of state until mid May. Anyway I'm just glad she's at least semi-up and running. This commission has taken a long time, but I have always felt that I was too hard on her during this time because of her recent loss. The supplies should arrive at her place within the week, then things should fall together nicely. I should probably have the corset by the time finals are over.

This will be totally worth it. Duke reminds me it will be totally worth it. I will be wearing it with my long and lovely skirt. And no, this is not counting my eggs before they hatch! They will definitely hatch. I have been waiting the past six months to get this corset. I'll be home to take UPS shipments for the summer. Yummmmm

My best friend called the day before yesterday (Saturday). Things are going really well for her. She is going to let me paint her car (it's not officially "hers" yet) but she got a Volkswagen Beetle in the old version. I get to paint it in wild hippie colors. Or maybe a Van Gogh painting like Starry Night! Then the other side can have the Irises, or maybe even a Vermeer. This will be a fun long term project.

My new hairsticks (the ONLY ones that stay, EVER, because they're corkscrew shaped)



This is a thingytail. don't know how this happened.

photo removed

Cool!  I'm awaiting the day I can do a figure 8 bun, I think they're so beautiful.

I've never seen hairsticks like those before.  I particularly like the cream w/red.  Very pretty!