Beauty’s Worst Eco-Offenders (And Best Bets) for Brazilian-Straight Hair
by Siobhan O’Connor and Alexandra Spunt, authors of No More Dirty Looks
For the reasons mentioned previously—goggles, fumes, potentially dangerous side effects—we strongly advise against getting a Brazilian blowout. Even if you think the formaldehyde exposure [link to big list] is worth it, the effects of repeat treatments can include serious scalp irritation, and even hair loss. Hair loss! Are you really willing to sacrifice strands for straight? And don’t be fooled by claims around “formaldehyde-free” either—some things really are just too good to be true.
But don’t despair: Just because you don’t wake up with salon-styled hair every morning doesn’t mean you can’t have a gorgeous mane free of flyaways!
First, let’s get down to basics: One of the worse culprits for curly, dry, damaged or over-styled hair is conventional shampoo. The sudsors strip away all of our natural oils, while actually signaling sebaceous glands to overproduce. The result? Dry hair that’s also greasy at the root, which is awesome, because then you have to wash it again—yay! This clever trick that gets us to use more and more products: Shampoo necessitates conditioners and leave-ins, which leave deposits that also necessitate more shampoos. You get bad hair and hair care companies get rich.
What if we broke that cycle? We’re not saying you have to go entirely no-poo. But using gentler natural shampoos that don’t strip is a great place to start. Even better: Try dry shampooing. The benefits of using dry shampoo are multi-fold: It’s a great way of making a standard blowout last longer; it’s gentle and non-stripping (meaning you get healthier, less broken hair); it tames fuzz and flyaways; and maybe best of all, it will help wean you off the daily shampoo sauce.
One of our favorite natural dry shampoos is The All Nighter Styling Powder. First off, we love the kitschy packaging and that their tag line is: “Scrunch. Zhuzh. Floss. Tease. Have Fun!” (We don’t know what zhuzh is but we’re dying to try it.) The powder contains eco-friendly ingredients like tapioca and corn starch (no talc here), scalp-stimulating essential oils and mineral pigments that allow you to color match.
Using it is simple too: Sprinkle it on your scalp and hair, get in there with your fingers, shake it around and you’re done. We like to apply upside down, followed by a vigorous brushing to work the product from roots to ends. Especially if you’re using one of the tinted versions, try sprinkling in the shower (without water of course) for easy cleanup. Oh and p.s. if you’re already straight-haired by nature, dry shampoo is the perfect body-building boost&and you don’t even have to wash first. Genius!
The All Nighter Styling Powder ($18)
WEEK OF 9.12.11 SIX ECOSTILETTO SUBSCRIBERS WILL EACH WIN AN $18 ALL NIGHTER STYLING POWDER!
Okay, now for the philosophical part. If you’re a curly girl, we strongly encourage you to embrace your hair. A big part of the Brazilian blowout’s success is our culture’s obsession with a kind of stick-straight hair that’s just not realistic for many women—be it due to ethnic heritage or just the genetic draw. All of our dry-shampoo advice also applies to curly heads, but especially for them it’s crucial to find a clean conditioner that’s thick and nourishing enough for your mane too.
Alexandra can especially speak to the benefits of a can-do conditioner—seriously, have you seen her gorgeous mane?—and her hands-down fave is from Rare Elements, which is formulated with phulwara butter, abyssinian seed oil, macadamia seed oil, and, um, wasabi. (Hey, whatever works!)
This stuff is so rich and luxurious that you really only need a tiny amount—which is good because that luxury comes at a price. Plus, it’s ylang-ylang infused scent is right up there with our favorite natural perfumes (sometimes Alex even leaves a tiny bit on her ends to prolong its’ olfactory effects).
Rare Elements Conditioner ($44)
Oh, and p.s. about clean products and price. Yes, sometimes natural can be more expensive than conventional, but because switching to clean often means cutting out unnecessary products (example: neither of us require leave-ins anymore for frizz) we’ve found that we actually spend less money than we once did. Added bonus: We like our products more, and actually finish them now. Plus, in a pinch we could probably eat them.
Siobhan O’Connor and Alexandra Spunt are the coauthors of No More Dirty Looks: The Truth About Your Beauty Products, and the Ultimate Guide to Safe and Clean Cosmetics.
