guest post: love your locks

Alright, it’s time to talk beauty. YAY!

I’m not going to lie, I’ve put my hair through hell and high-water for most of my life. I spent years washing it, blow-drying it, AND straightening it on a daily basis. Shame on me. Thankfully, I have amazing friends (like Claire!) who are much more knowledgeable about beauty than I am and aren’t afraid to whip me into shape. Since incorporating haircare advice from Claire into my routine I’ve noticed huge improvements in the look and feel of my hair. It’s thicker, shinier and much easier to manage. So, I figured you all would benefit from her blissful beauty advice as well!

Meet Claire-

Claire is a 2012 graduate from the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising with a degree in Beauty Industry Merchandising and Marketing. She currently splits her time between working in social media marketing for beauty brands and working as a riding instructor in LA. She loves a good weight lifting session, time at the barn, and laughing with friends. Follow her on Twitter, @clairehana.

Build Your Beauty: Hair Care!

Like Emily posted the other day, if there’s one thing that us women really focus on in finding happiness, it’s being happy with the way we look. Whether that means dressing well, having perfect makeup, glowing skin, lush hair, a fit body, feeling fantastic from a great diet, or simply wearing our best smile, we tend to zoom in on our looks.

But when it comes to our looks, what about looking our best AND doing what’s best for our body? I mean, when was the last time you examined the ingredients on the back of your shampoo bottle? And when you did, how many of those ingredients could you actually pronounce?

During my time at FiDM, I took a course that reviewed major ingredients in personal care products. I have the ingredient dictionary to prove it, in fact! And learned that the ingredients in many a mass brand shampoo are incredibly harsh (those of you with colored hair know, hopefully, all about SLS and SLES) and simply strip your hair of any of the natural oils it needs to stay healthy and strong!

Claire’s Healthy Hair Tips:

1.) Wash your hair every OTHER day, at most!

You do NOT need to wash your hair every day. Yes, even if you workout every day and your hair turns into this hot, sweaty mess, DO NOT put shampoo in it. And if you do, I will come and slap you.

By washing your hair every day you are stripping it of any natural oils your scalp produces in order to keep your hair looking healthy. Washing your hair every day is simply too much, and if done for a long time, can result in dry, straw-like hair, premature hair loss, hair thinning, and even changing the texture of your hair. Nooo thanks!

So now you’re like, “But Claire. That’s guh-ross.” Go pick up a bottle of dry shampoo. This will be your new best friend on non-wash days. And yes, you can still take a shower without washing your hair.

2.) Pick your product wisely!

Avoid the following ingredients at all costs:

• Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLS) and Sodium Lauryl Ether Sulfate (SLES) – detergents and foaming agents that completely strip your hair of any oil or color. This ingredient is also found in your dish soap. Yeah.
• Fragrance or Parfum (if listed in the first half of the ingredient list) – basically, this means that these artificial scents are a main ingredient in your shampoo, no bueno. A heavy dose of fragrances can be used to mask any sort of chemical odor and between 7 and 18% of all individuals may have some form of sensitivity or intolerance to fragrances. Fragrances in ANY cosmetics are also directly linked to skin allergies. Yuck.
• Parabens – the safety of parabens in cosmetics is under some serious fire right now. Parabens have been linked directly to certain forms of breast cancer. Enough said.

If you’re questioning an ingredient look it up on EWG’s Skin Deep Cosmetics Database. Just search the ingredient and it’ll tell give you data as well as a red, yellow, or green score.

3.) Switch up your part and your ponytail.

I know, I know. This one’s kind of hard. We all have our favorite part and our go-to ponytail position, but by consistently keeping your part and ponytail in the same place your hair begins to wear thin and become more damaged. So be sure to switch it up every now and then. Low ponytails and natural parts are big this spring/summer. So, technically, you’re totally on-trend.

4.) Your hair can’t handle the heat. No, seriously.

Your hair is not the heat’s biggest fan. Ha-ha. See what I did there? All puns aside, if you’re going to use heat, USE A HEAT PROTECTANT or, again, I will find you and slap you. Otherwise, try to limit your heat usage. Maybe use it only every other day. Or give yourself a blowout after you wash your hair and use dry shampoo to make it last through to the next day. If you have a pixie and feel like you need to blow dry everyday, just spritz your hair with some water and finger style.

5.) Get your fair share of Omega-3 Fatty Acids!

Your body doesn’t make these acids, which are key to hair growth, so you have to be sure that you’re eating lots of foods with them or taking a vitamin. But, I mean, who doesn’t like eating? So I recommend eating it rather than taking a vitamin. Think salmon, avocado, walnuts.

If you’re struggling with hair health, don’t get discouraged! Be consistent about these tips and you’ll start to see a difference in a month or so. Don’t believe me? Just ask Emily! Until then, don’t be insecure. Be confident and wear your biggest smile.

Love and good vibes!

• beauty
• bliss
• hair
• haircare
• health
• healthy-living