Hair care

Hair and body care are only two sides of the same coin. The hair consists of the visible part of it, the shaft, but its most important components: the follicle, hair root, and the sebaceous glands are beneath the skin. Just as important for our hair as they are for the maintenance of our skin, the sebaceous glands produce the sebum that protects the hair shaft and keeps it smooth and shiny. When brushing our hair, we distribute the sebum along the lengths of the hair and this is where we can tell the difference between different hairbrush qualities. A good one does so easily, and gently slides along the hair shaft carrying the sebum all the way to the ends.

Washing the hair is not so much about washing the hair shaft, but cleaning the scalp, where pollution particles and bacteria may cause infections and skin irritations. Using warm temperature water helps open the scale-like cuticle of the hair, which makes it easier to get rid of excess oil and dirt. A quick rinse with cold water after washing and conditioning closes the cuticle and adds shine. The more often we wash our hair, and strip the hair off this natural protection that the sebum provides, the more the body will try to protect itself and start to produce more of it, to make up for the dryness overly shampooing creates. The hair will start to feel dirty very quickly, leading to a vicious circle of washing and oilier hair. It is therefore important to find a good rhythm that works for your hair, without stressing it too much the situation will improve and the sebum production decrease.

People with an irritable scalp or excessive sebum production, can turn to an alternative to ordinary shampoos, and try an oil-based shampoo. It may seem a little odd at first, but these shampoos act according to the principle of “like attracts like”, and they clean the hair and scalp very gently while respecting the hydro-lipid balance of the hair, which means the natural sebum protection is kept stable.

Most of us use a conditioner to make the combing and styling of the hair easier, as it contains ingredients that have a smoothing effect on the hair. Many conventional conditioners rely on silicones to do this job, but first of all: silicones aren’t good for the nature as they are really a kind of plastic that is not broken down naturally; and secondly: using hair products containing silicone can in the long run create build-up, and make the hair dull and heavy.

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