Olaplex Hair Treatment

As I’ve gotten older, my hair has gotten drier and more fragile and even though I’ve found a tried and true shampoo and conditioner combination which works beautifully (more on that later), it’s in my DNA to try five thousand other shampoos and conditioners to see if I’m missing out on something better.

I’ve been with the same stylist for about 14 years or so – I love her. She has saved my hair from my bad choices more times than I can count. After a particularly hair melting home coloring adventure, I made the decision to never ever touch my hair again and to just leave everything in her capable hands. Her name is Ciria, she’s at Hair People (in Denver), and she is my Hair Angel. Actually, in pinches I’ve had a couple of the other stylists sub in when I needed to come in on her day off; they are all amazing and talented. But, of course, she’s my girl.

Blonde hair is especially difficult to preserve and protect because it’s more porous, fragile, and dry than darker hair. Coloring takes its toll quickly and upkeep is pretty much a nightmare (unless you have a Hair Angel). As I’ve researched and tried dozens upon dozens of different shampoos, conditioners, oils, conditioning masks, leave-in conditioners, supplements, dietary options, etc. (seriously – you name it, I’ve tried it), I keep hoping I’ll find the Holy Grail – the one thing that will save my hair and bring it back to life. Well, as fate would have it, I stumbled across this new thing called Olaplex a couple of weeks ago.  From their website:

We started by finding two of the world’s leading PHD’s in Materials and Chemistry that had never worked on hair products before, Dr. Eric Pressly and Dr. Craig Hawker. With this fresh outlook, this dream team invented a single ingredient chemistry, that is free of silicone or oils, that links broken bonds in the hair during and after chemical services making them stronger than they were before.

I started researching researched Olaplex like crazy (looking for pictures and testimonials, was it environmentally safe/friendly, was it a long or short term fix, etc.) and was really pretty astounded by what I was finding and doubly excited to learn that it was primarily formulated to help mend blonde hair – or otherwise chemically lightened hair. I asked Ciria about it and it turns out Hair People actually offers the Olaplex treatment. Yessssssss! 

Before I go on – I need to say that my hair always looks great after Ciria is finished with it. She’s a top notch colorist and her round brush work produces amazing results because she makes me look like a Breck Girl when I leave the salon. My issue is around the dryness and how it looks after that first washing following my the appointment and the fact that I look like a freaking scarecrow if I don’t curl or straighten my hair (which, as you know, makes the hair even more dry and straw-like). I think the struggle is real here and many women feel a similar frustration.

Well, today I had my appointment (I get a partial color every five weeks), and was super excited to give this new treatment a try. It only added about an extra 20 minutes or so to my regular service with the couple of extra steps (one to bond the strands and another to seal the bond – there could have been another step, but honestly, I’m not remembering it so I’ll be sure to pay better attention next time).

The real test will come tomorrow when I wash it and see what it looks like after I blow it dry. I’ll still curl it and am super curious to see if my hair will hold a curl any better now that my strands are all happily bonded – actually, there’s a lot to see after that first washing and, quite frankly, I’m a little nervous about it because, here are my before and afters (no editing at all, BTW):

Can it please just look like that all the time? Too much to ask? I’m hoping not… like, really hoping not.

A shout out to Brittany who did my hair today – I couldn’t be happier, thank you! Ciria was off today, and I’m leaving town for week and – as you can see – not in a position to wait another week to deal with that mess up there on the left.

Stay tuned, I’ll post updates here and there after I wash and dry to see how the product holds up until my next appointment.

If you like geeking out on chemistry, lovely Lab Muffin blogger, Michelle, gives a great breakdown on the science behind Olaplex.

 

Evan Healy Green Tea Clay Mask

Clay mask are great for drawing out impurities, but there’s a right way and a wrong way to use them.

I’ve been looking around for a good clay mask and haven’t had much luck – until today. I was at Whole Foods and asked for a recommendation and the gal handling that department said that she uses the Evan Healy Green Tea Clay* mask a couple of times a week and really loves it – so I picked up a jar and gave it a whirl.

Back to the right way and wrong way – this is important – clay masks are great until they start drying out too much. Once they are dry, they begin to suck the life (and moisture) out of your skin, so it’s crucial to get it off your face before you start to see the mask cracking.

This particular mask requires you to add equal parts of the clay powder and water (about a teaspoon) to create the paste and, once on, it dries very quickly so you may only have it on for a couple of minutes before rinsing it off with warm water. The Evan Healy website advises leaving on for 10-15 minutes – I personally think that’s way too long. Since everyone’s skin is a little different, you’ll know what’s best for you – when you feel it tighten up, it’s time.

Let the water loosen the clay from your skin gently as you rinse – better yet, apply the mask just before getting into the shower and let the shower do the work. Never use a wash cloth to remove a clay mask, it will cause a lot of unwanted damage.

My skin feels very soft, but I think I left it on a bit longer than I should have (taking that silly picture) because it gobbled up my moisturizer in no time. It’s the first mask I’ve used in a while that I could actually feel working. And, bonus, you can also use a little dab of the paste on blemishes to help clear up hormonal break outs.

Now, I’ve only used it once, so this isn’t a complete review. I’ll continue to use it once or twice a week and provide an update on this post.

Note the dark circles under my eyes – no sleep last night and not enough water today; it shows, yikes! “)

*This is not a paid review; just my two cents. 

Beauty From the Inside Out

It’s not true what they say about beauty being only skin deep. I think for any woman (or man) to look and feel their best, the process starts with making sure our insides are as healthy as possible. Regardless of your age, it’s never too late – or too early – to start taking care of yourself.

Seems as good a time as any to bring this up, but maybe even a little more timely given the fact that a new year is upon us and most folks are feeling compelled to make some healthier choices. I’m not going to tell you what to eat – that’s up to you – but I will urge you to pay close attention to your food sources and do your research. I’m a freak when it comes to food – I’m not quite an orthorexic, but I’m pretty close. I can probably count on two hands the foods I’m willing to eat – the rest terrify me thanks to GMOs.

It’s entirely too easy to go down the food source rabbit hole, but I’m not going to get political here; instead, I prefer to keep things positive and helpful. That being said, from time to time, I might offer up a resource that I come across that I’ve found to be of interest and potentially beneficial to others.

Like the Budwig Protocol. That link will take you to a page with a bunch of information about the “diet” (it’s not really a diet – more of a protocol) and the incredible scientist, Dr. Johanna Budwig, who developed it. In short, it’s said to stop cancer and reverse it as well as prevent it altogether. This goes beyond the “drink plenty of water and get 8 hours of sleep” beauty advice typically found in blogs or magazines, I realize, but if we’re going to talk about being healthy – let’s get serious about it.

Besides – what can it hurt? A couple tablespoons of cottage cheese, a couple tablespoons of freshly ground flax seeds, and a tablespoon of flaxseed oil. Once a day. That’s it. If that’s all it takes to prevent getting cancer, I thought – why not give it a try. I just made my first serving and it was quite pleasant so I know I’ll have no problems sticking with it.

Read the article I’ve linked and any others you can find if it’s something that appeals to you. There are caveats – like, the ingredients must be organic and, if you already have cancer, you should increase the flaxseed oil to 6 or 7 tablespoons – oh, and there’s a list of foods you need to steer clear of to ensure the most beneficial results.

Over the last eight years, I’ve done extensive research on the Gerson Therapy as well (also a cancer curing protocol); the bottom line here, is that the right foods can absolutely ensure your good health and well being. Of course, yes, please drink plenty of water and get lots of rest – that goes without saying!

Ok – I just wanted to throw a post in about this since I’m giving it a go. I don’t have cancer – I am (knock wood) incredibly healthy and want to keep this machine of mine as clean and high-functioning as possible so that I can not only look my best as I’m aging, but feel good, too!

I’ll post an update in a couple of months or so; I live in Colorado where the dry weather can really wreak havoc on a girl’s skin and hair – I’m hoping the flax will help me see some improvements there.

If you have tried either the Budwig Protocol or Gerson Therapy, please feel free to share your experience in the comments section; I’m a firm believer in sharing information – especially when it comes from personal experience. “)

 

Not Going Down Without a Fight

When I turned 45, I began feeling like I was in someone else’s body; my hair was changing, my skin was changing, and – to some degree – my body was changing. My trusted beauty regimen was no longer working and, quite frankly, it was freaking me out.

Over the last three years, I’ve researched and tried hundreds of products with the hope of finding a new normal. Let me tell you – in a world where most of the health and beauty industry trains its greedy eye on 20- and 30-somethings, it’s not that easy to find products which lend themselves effectively (or realistically) to the needs of a “maturing” woman.

As I mentioned, I started noticing a difference at about 45 when my beloved foundation – the one I’d been using daily for the past 22 years – started to look garish on my skin. I went out and bought five or six new bottles and tried them all – convinced that they must have changed the formula because why else would this be happening. Of course I soon realized that it wasn’t the makeup – it was I who was changing. Or my skin. Or both.

Ok, so that particular foundation wasn’t working any more – there must be a different foundation out there for me, right? $250 later, I’d realized that my skin simply didn’t appreciate being blanketed in paint anymore so it was time for a new tack.

The foundation was really just the beginning (as it were). I’ve started this blog with the intention of providing tips, tricks, and product information to women who might also be experiencing the same discombobulation in their new skin and not quite sure what to do about it.

Not everything I use is for every woman; I’ll be sharing information about products that have (or haven’t) worked for me – take what I write here with a grain of salt and, by all means, please feel free to share your feedback and/or experiences so that others may benefit. I’ll do my best to answer any questions that are posted because I want you to succeed in your efforts to feel good about yourself. Three cheers for gender support – girl power – pip pip and all that rot!

Just a general note: I urge you to research a few different sources before purchasing any products. Sephora has a great review system, for example, but again – pay attention to the ages of the reviewers and take into consideration your own needs. Amazon also has a decent review system, though many of the products are reviewed by women who’ve been given free samples in exchange for their feedback.

Hopefully the mistakes and successes I’ve had over the last three years – and the ones I’ll continue to have from now on – will save you a lot of time and money.

Santa Fe  |  May 2015