Healthy hair is always high on any list of important beauty assets. Correct hair-care routine is vital if it’s to look its best all the time. How can you arrive at the correct routine for your hair? First, establish your hair type — is it oily, dry, mixed or normal? Then its texture — is it fine, medium or coarse? Is it thick or thin? Curly or straight? Choose products specially formulated for your hair type.
Shampooing
You can shampoo your hair every day if you like — twice a day if necessary. The modern rule is wash whenever it looks or feels in need; the vital thing is to use a mild shampoo that is correctly formulated for your type of hair.
The key to healthy hair is a healthy scalp, which allows the hair follicles and the sebaceous glands attached to them to function efficiently. Don’t scrub as you wash; treat your hair as gently as fabric and massage the scalp as you lather. Carelessness at this stage can harm your hair. A good method is to soak your hair first in warm water, then apply the shampoo. Don’t use too much shampoo — many are very concentrated; it does no harm to dilute in a little water before applying — and make sure the shampoo is spread evenly through your hair. A good trick to ensure this is to pour it first into the palms of your hands, rub them together and then apply to your hair. You can always add more shampoo if you need it. Then rinse, rinse and rinse again — there is no point in spending hours styling your hair if it isn’t clean when you start.
If you wash your hair very frequently you probably need only one application each time — too much shampoo too often will strip the hair shaft of all the natural oils it needs to provide the luster and manageability you are looking for.
To find the right shampoo for your hair may take a little experimenting. First read the labels to find one that is designed for your kind of hair — they should tell you (apart from whether they are for oily, dry or balanced hair) whether they have a medicated ingredient for dandruff, are hypo-allergenic, have an additive to treat tinted or bleached hair, are enriched to control flyaway hair and whether they are based on natural or plant extracts. Many will refer to a pH factor — this is the measure of the liquid’s acidity or alkalinity. Hair is surrounded by a liquid mantle of atmospheric moisture, perspiration and so forth. Ideally, this liquid mantle should be slightly acidic. Many of the things we routinely do to hair, like coloring, permanent waving, and straightening, even shampooing, can leave an alkaline residue. This alkalinity can weaken the hair’s structure, making it less resilient or elastic and thus more prone to breaking and splitting. The pH products are aimed at maintaining the natural acid/alkaline balance of the hair’s moisture mantle, but should only be necessary for chemically altered hair — i.e., that which has been colored, bleached, permed or straightened.
Dry shampoos mostly come in powder form and are based on talc or cornstarch. The method is to shake a little into the hair, distribute it by rubbing gently so that it absorbs oil and dirt and then brush it out. Its best use is for people with oily hair and for fringes, which tend to become oily more quickly than the rest of the head. Alternatively, dabbing the scalp with an astringent lotion, witch hazel or eau-de-Cologne will usually do the trick.
Shampooing
You can shampoo your hair every day if you like — twice a day if necessary. The modern rule is wash whenever it looks or feels in need; the vital thing is to use a mild shampoo that is correctly formulated for your type of hair.
The key to healthy hair is a healthy scalp, which allows the hair follicles and the sebaceous glands attached to them to function efficiently. Don’t scrub as you wash; treat your hair as gently as fabric and massage the scalp as you lather. Carelessness at this stage can harm your hair. A good method is to soak your hair first in warm water, then apply the shampoo. Don’t use too much shampoo — many are very concentrated; it does no harm to dilute in a little water before applying — and make sure the shampoo is spread evenly through your hair. A good trick to ensure this is to pour it first into the palms of your hands, rub them together and then apply to your hair. You can always add more shampoo if you need it. Then rinse, rinse and rinse again — there is no point in spending hours styling your hair if it isn’t clean when you start.
If you wash your hair very frequently you probably need only one application each time — too much shampoo too often will strip the hair shaft of all the natural oils it needs to provide the luster and manageability you are looking for.
To find the right shampoo for your hair may take a little experimenting. First read the labels to find one that is designed for your kind of hair — they should tell you (apart from whether they are for oily, dry or balanced hair) whether they have a medicated ingredient for dandruff, are hypo-allergenic, have an additive to treat tinted or bleached hair, are enriched to control flyaway hair and whether they are based on natural or plant extracts. Many will refer to a pH factor — this is the measure of the liquid’s acidity or alkalinity. Hair is surrounded by a liquid mantle of atmospheric moisture, perspiration and so forth. Ideally, this liquid mantle should be slightly acidic. Many of the things we routinely do to hair, like coloring, permanent waving, and straightening, even shampooing, can leave an alkaline residue. This alkalinity can weaken the hair’s structure, making it less resilient or elastic and thus more prone to breaking and splitting. The pH products are aimed at maintaining the natural acid/alkaline balance of the hair’s moisture mantle, but should only be necessary for chemically altered hair — i.e., that which has been colored, bleached, permed or straightened.
Dry shampoos mostly come in powder form and are based on talc or cornstarch. The method is to shake a little into the hair, distribute it by rubbing gently so that it absorbs oil and dirt and then brush it out. Its best use is for people with oily hair and for fringes, which tend to become oily more quickly than the rest of the head. Alternatively, dabbing the scalp with an astringent lotion, witch hazel or eau-de-Cologne will usually do the trick.
Conditioning
A conditioner for your hair is like a moisturizer for your skin — after cleansing, you use a moisturizer, after shampooing you should use a conditioner. The purpose of a conditioner is to counteract dryness of the hair shaft, to smooth and make it manageable by making it easier to comb through and style and to help prevent split ends and breakage.
When you consider that any single strand of hair on your head can be as old as six years — which means six years of exposure to sun, the wind, water, curling, brushing, styling and probably tinting, perming or straightening, it is no wonder it is no longer in its original healthy condition and needs all the help it can get.
The moment the hair appears on the scalp and leaves its follicle beneath the skin it ceases to receive nourishment from the papilla — the only help it gets is from the oil glands attached to the follicle, which should provide enough oil to flow down the shaft and condition it. However, all abuses tend to strip the hair shaft of this natural lubrication and the ends especially become very dry and brittle.
A conditioner is, therefore, a vital part of your hair-care routine if it’s to stay healthy and glossy. There are instant conditioners and cream rinses to use each time you shampoo, and deep-penetrating conditioning treatments to use once or twice a week, if the hair is damaged or very dry; or once a month, for health maintenance.
After shampooing, hair has a negative electric charge, the degree of which depends on the humidity and the shampoo; it can be greater on some days than on others. It makes each hair strand stand away from its neighbor, causing flyaway hair, and conditioners compensate by adding a positive electric charge.
The method of applying conditioner is similar to shampooing except that you don’t need to pre-rinse as the hair is already wet and pliable from rinsing off the shampoo. Use conditioners sparingly and start by putting a small amount in the palms of your hands, rubbing them together and applying flat to your hair. Then, with your fingers, comb the conditioner through your hair and along the hair shafts and leave it on for a minute. Rinse off very thoroughly. Finish with a cold-water rinse, which helps make hair shinier because it closes the scales on the outer layer or cuticle of the hair shaft, making them all lie in one direction and thus providing a smoother surface.
Deep conditioning treatments are essential to restoring damaged or dried-out hair at the end of a summer or winter sports holiday, or if the hair has been over-bleached or tinted or badly permed. Some — particularly home-made conditioners containing olive, nut or light vegetable oils — are applied before shampooing, preferably the night before; others are applied afterward and left on between ten and thirty minutes before being rinsed out.
Recipes for Shampoos and Conditioners
Shampoo
Try the oldest shampoo of all — the herb Saponaria or soapwort. You can buy the dried root in packets (it is often used to clean old and delicate fabrics).
Put 0⋅9 oz. (25 g) of Saponaria with 1¾ pints (1 liter) of water into a non-aluminum pan, bring to the boil, then simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Let it stand until cool, then strain through muslin. Make up the liquid to 1¾ pints (1 liter) with a strong infusion of another herb such as chamomile (for fair hair), rosemary (for dark hair) or nettle (for scalp problems).
Conditioner
Mashed avocado or beaten eggs work wonders on dull lifeless hair — leave on for 15—20 minutes, then rinse well — but probably the best home hair treatment of all is warm oil.
Heat a small amount of olive oil or any good vegetable oil, to blood temperature. About ¼ pint (0⋅14 liters) should be enough. Apply it to the scalp by parting the hair in sections, until the whole head is thoroughly saturated, then comb through with a wide-toothed comb and massage the scalp. Finally, wrap the head in tin foil or a plastic cap and cover with a warm towel. Leave on overnight if possible, then wash twice with a good mild shampoo and rinse thoroughly.
Rinse
To help hair shine and keep the scalp healthy, make a final rinse from the juice of a fresh lemon diluted in really cold water — this closes the pores on the scalp and makes the overlapping scales on the hair shaft lie flat and reflect the light.
Quick pick-ups
Powdered orris root is a natural dry shampoo; the hair should be divided into sections and the powder scattered down the partings. Leave for five minutes, then brush out thoroughly. A good tip is to cover the brush with a piece of absorbent fabric (muslin, gauze or nylon) sprinkled with a mild astringent like witch hazel or eau-de-Cologne — this will help remove grease and dust and speed up the process of removing the powder.
Alternatively, the astringent alone can be massaged into the scalp down the partings — this will act as a temporary dry-clean and is useful if someone is bedridden and cannot move their head.
A conditioner for your hair is like a moisturizer for your skin — after cleansing, you use a moisturizer, after shampooing you should use a conditioner. The purpose of a conditioner is to counteract dryness of the hair shaft, to smooth and make it manageable by making it easier to comb through and style and to help prevent split ends and breakage.
When you consider that any single strand of hair on your head can be as old as six years — which means six years of exposure to sun, the wind, water, curling, brushing, styling and probably tinting, perming or straightening, it is no wonder it is no longer in its original healthy condition and needs all the help it can get.
The moment the hair appears on the scalp and leaves its follicle beneath the skin it ceases to receive nourishment from the papilla — the only help it gets is from the oil glands attached to the follicle, which should provide enough oil to flow down the shaft and condition it. However, all abuses tend to strip the hair shaft of this natural lubrication and the ends especially become very dry and brittle.
A conditioner is, therefore, a vital part of your hair-care routine if it’s to stay healthy and glossy. There are instant conditioners and cream rinses to use each time you shampoo, and deep-penetrating conditioning treatments to use once or twice a week, if the hair is damaged or very dry; or once a month, for health maintenance.
After shampooing, hair has a negative electric charge, the degree of which depends on the humidity and the shampoo; it can be greater on some days than on others. It makes each hair strand stand away from its neighbor, causing flyaway hair, and conditioners compensate by adding a positive electric charge.
The method of applying conditioner is similar to shampooing except that you don’t need to pre-rinse as the hair is already wet and pliable from rinsing off the shampoo. Use conditioners sparingly and start by putting a small amount in the palms of your hands, rubbing them together and applying flat to your hair. Then, with your fingers, comb the conditioner through your hair and along the hair shafts and leave it on for a minute. Rinse off very thoroughly. Finish with a cold-water rinse, which helps make hair shinier because it closes the scales on the outer layer or cuticle of the hair shaft, making them all lie in one direction and thus providing a smoother surface.
Deep conditioning treatments are essential to restoring damaged or dried-out hair at the end of a summer or winter sports holiday, or if the hair has been over-bleached or tinted or badly permed. Some — particularly home-made conditioners containing olive, nut or light vegetable oils — are applied before shampooing, preferably the night before; others are applied afterward and left on between ten and thirty minutes before being rinsed out.
Recipes for Shampoos and Conditioners
Shampoo
Try the oldest shampoo of all — the herb Saponaria or soapwort. You can buy the dried root in packets (it is often used to clean old and delicate fabrics).
Put 0⋅9 oz. (25 g) of Saponaria with 1¾ pints (1 liter) of water into a non-aluminum pan, bring to the boil, then simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Let it stand until cool, then strain through muslin. Make up the liquid to 1¾ pints (1 liter) with a strong infusion of another herb such as chamomile (for fair hair), rosemary (for dark hair) or nettle (for scalp problems).
Conditioner
Mashed avocado or beaten eggs work wonders on dull lifeless hair — leave on for 15—20 minutes, then rinse well — but probably the best home hair treatment of all is warm oil.
Heat a small amount of olive oil or any good vegetable oil, to blood temperature. About ¼ pint (0⋅14 liters) should be enough. Apply it to the scalp by parting the hair in sections, until the whole head is thoroughly saturated, then comb through with a wide-toothed comb and massage the scalp. Finally, wrap the head in tin foil or a plastic cap and cover with a warm towel. Leave on overnight if possible, then wash twice with a good mild shampoo and rinse thoroughly.
Rinse
To help hair shine and keep the scalp healthy, make a final rinse from the juice of a fresh lemon diluted in really cold water — this closes the pores on the scalp and makes the overlapping scales on the hair shaft lie flat and reflect the light.
Quick pick-ups
Powdered orris root is a natural dry shampoo; the hair should be divided into sections and the powder scattered down the partings. Leave for five minutes, then brush out thoroughly. A good tip is to cover the brush with a piece of absorbent fabric (muslin, gauze or nylon) sprinkled with a mild astringent like witch hazel or eau-de-Cologne — this will help remove grease and dust and speed up the process of removing the powder.
Alternatively, the astringent alone can be massaged into the scalp down the partings — this will act as a temporary dry-clean and is useful if someone is bedridden and cannot move their head.
Brushing and Combing
In the days when there were no such things as conditioners and ladies had waist-length hair, there might have been some sense in the old rule: ‘brush a hundred strokes a day’. But today excessive brushing can put such stress on hair that it splits, breaks or comes out at the roots, especially if it has been chemically altered or is very dry. Brushing also spreads scalp conditions, dirt, and debris, so if you like to do it, the brush itself must be kept absolutely clean. Only brush hair when it is absolutely dry — wet hair is particularly vulnerable to breakage from brushing.
As a general rule, combing is best, but if brushing is vital to the style, keep it to a minimum and finish putting the hair in place with a comb. Always let the hair cool before removing rollers and remove the bottom ones first to avoid tangling the hair; then brush or comb straight back, but gently, to distribute the waves evenly. Don’t drag it or you will run the risk of pulling it out by the roots or breaking the strands.
Bending over and brushing from the nape to the forehead is good for the scalp, as it stimulates circulation, and also adds fullness to the hair.
In the days when there were no such things as conditioners and ladies had waist-length hair, there might have been some sense in the old rule: ‘brush a hundred strokes a day’. But today excessive brushing can put such stress on hair that it splits, breaks or comes out at the roots, especially if it has been chemically altered or is very dry. Brushing also spreads scalp conditions, dirt, and debris, so if you like to do it, the brush itself must be kept absolutely clean. Only brush hair when it is absolutely dry — wet hair is particularly vulnerable to breakage from brushing.
As a general rule, combing is best, but if brushing is vital to the style, keep it to a minimum and finish putting the hair in place with a comb. Always let the hair cool before removing rollers and remove the bottom ones first to avoid tangling the hair; then brush or comb straight back, but gently, to distribute the waves evenly. Don’t drag it or you will run the risk of pulling it out by the roots or breaking the strands.
Bending over and brushing from the nape to the forehead is good for the scalp, as it stimulates circulation, and also adds fullness to the hair.
Drying
After shampooing and conditioning, the next step in hair care is drying. As much damage can be caused at this stage as any other and it is important to dry your hair the right way. The best way is to let it dry naturally, but many people haven’t the time for this, so this is the next best method.
First, blot out excess water with a towel. Then comb hair through using a wide-toothed comb, starting at the ends and working towards the scalp, removing tangles as you go. With another dry towel blot out any further moisture by wrapping it smoothly around your head and squeezing it around the ends. Then set and blow-dry or sit under the dryer. Don’t over-dry — if you can find the time, let the heated air cool off; then dry naturally for the last few minutes. This will prevent any danger of the hair shaft drying out and being damaged.
Blow-drying must be done with care to avoid the hair tangling and breaking off. Divide it into sections and, as you dry, lift each section of hair up and away from the scalp and wrap around a brush. Plastic ones with widely spaced, soft, elastic bristles are best. Now blow the section dry, working from the root to the end of the strands. Start at the back, at the nape of the neck (pin the rest of the hair on top of your head to get it out of the way), work around the sides, around the face and lastly dry the crown.
After shampooing and conditioning, the next step in hair care is drying. As much damage can be caused at this stage as any other and it is important to dry your hair the right way. The best way is to let it dry naturally, but many people haven’t the time for this, so this is the next best method.
First, blot out excess water with a towel. Then comb hair through using a wide-toothed comb, starting at the ends and working towards the scalp, removing tangles as you go. With another dry towel blot out any further moisture by wrapping it smoothly around your head and squeezing it around the ends. Then set and blow-dry or sit under the dryer. Don’t over-dry — if you can find the time, let the heated air cool off; then dry naturally for the last few minutes. This will prevent any danger of the hair shaft drying out and being damaged.
Blow-drying must be done with care to avoid the hair tangling and breaking off. Divide it into sections and, as you dry, lift each section of hair up and away from the scalp and wrap around a brush. Plastic ones with widely spaced, soft, elastic bristles are best. Now blow the section dry, working from the root to the end of the strands. Start at the back, at the nape of the neck (pin the rest of the hair on top of your head to get it out of the way), work around the sides, around the face and lastly dry the crown.