Put the Spring Back in Your Hair

If you find your locks slightly ravaged after the winter months, you are not alone! My hair definitely needs some revamping after being subjected to numerous assaults by wind, snow, central heating, processed comfort foods and hurried morning high-heat drying. And let’s not forget the rather too many and too large glasses of warming wine- a common scalp offender. Here are my top tips for restoring bounce to your hair this spring.

Trim Time!

After this winter, chances are your hair is in need of a good trim. Split-ends, brittle fringes and lacklustre roots are never in vogue – and perhaps you’ve taken less trips to your hairdresser than usual in the colder weather? Again, I am guilty of this too. Trimming your hair will make it look thicker throughout the lengths and also prevent any damage from spreading further up your hair shaft. You don’t have to chop loads off – just an inch or so to even it out and freshen it up. If you’re looking to grow your hair longer throughout the spring and into summer, help keep your ends healthy with a weekly pre-shampoo conditioning treatment. I sleep with Philip Kingsley Elasticizer in my hair at least once a week. Originally formulated for Audrey Hepburn, it really helps to restore hydration, shine and strength.

Vitamin D Delight

It’s extremely common for your body’s Vitamin D levels to drop during the winter and this can really take a toll on hair health – not to mention your skin and general energy level. 80-90% of your Vitamin D intake needs to be synthesised from sunlight. You may want to visit your doctor to run blood tests to check your levels – and while he/she is at it, suggest running a full blood profile to look at your iron, ferritin (stored iron) and Vitamins B6 and B12, too. The best Vitamin D rich foods are oily fish, egg yolks, avocado and liver, but sitting in the sun is really your best option! Which brings me to my next point…

White Hats On

The sun can be both beneficial and detrimental to our wellbeing. While it provides us with much needed Vitamin D, it can also lead to very destructive free radical damage. Luckily, you still obtain Vitamin D benefits from the sun while wearing sun protection. The same logic applies to your hair, which, just like your skin, can burn and become damaged. I always carry a tube of Philip Kingsley Swimcap, which was originally formulated for the U.S. Olympic Synchronized Swim Team, with me in warm weather. It not only guards hair against the sun, but also chlorinated and salt water and gives your hair a super-moisturizing treatment at the same time. Alternately, bring your wide-brimmed white summer hats out of hibernation.

Dietary Dos

If you, like me, have found yourself reaching for convenient foods during the winter, spring is a great time to make a change. Fast and processed foods have very little nutritional benefit, as additives and preservatives degrade the vitamins and minerals within them. Plan a weekly trip to your local farmers market to take advantage of the new fresh foods coming into season. Artichokes, for instance, are high in antioxidants, potassium, folate, Vitamins C and K, and fibre. Fresh spinach is another hair booster, containing good amounts of iron as well as Vitamin C, which helps your body absorb the iron.

Go Dry

It’s all too easy to reach for an extra glass of red wine, or a warming spirit during the winter. Now that spring is in full bloom, make a concerted effort to cut your alcohol consumption and revitalise your body. A tipple here and there is fine, but drinking too much alcohol tends to dehydrate your scalp and flare-up itching and flaking. It can also deplete your body of electrolytes and vitamins. Either find a signature non-alcoholic cocktail (my favourite is lemon juice, elderflower, fresh mint, sugar syrup and soda water), or make your order a spritzer and keep it to one or two!

We have been raving about Philip Kingsley’s Elasticizer for months. It has not only won numerous awards, but also is the go-to hair hero for celebrities, stylists, beauty editors and The Travel Beauty Team! Elasticizer was developed in the 70s by Philip Kingsley for iconic actress Audrey Hepburn. Audrey sought Philip’s help as her hair had taken a beating due to years of on-set over-processing. Audrey’s condition prompted Philip to formulate Elasticizer, which recently celebrated its 40th birthday.

Intensive Moisturizing Hair Treatment

This pre-shampoo, intensive moisturizing treatment is magic! It delivers elasticity, bounce and shine to all hair types.

Elasticizer has been a life saver for the highlight-loving Travel Beauty Team. We wanted to share a quick how-to guide, as we have received many questions about how to apply Elasticizer at home. (Though if you can get to Philip’s Trichological Clinic in New York City or London- definitely do!)

Step-by-Step How-To-Guide

• Lightly dampen hair with hands
• Apply Elasticizer in sections, smoothing on the top of your hair and then working it into hair in sections with your whole hand
  • Fine & medium textured hair apply sparingly through mid lengths and ends – two to three times a month
  • Coarse, wavy, curly or frizzy hair use more generously through entire hair length – once or twice a week
• Leave in for 10-20 minutes…or longer
  • We have gone to the gym and played golf with Elasticizer on- just put hair in a bun after you apply the product and be on your way
  • It’s safe to leave Elasticizer in all day or sleep with it overnight under a shower cap
• Rinse well and follow with appropriate shampoo, conditioner and scalp toner

When to Use on Processed Hair

• Fine & medium textured hair – use once a week
• Coarse, wavy, curly or frizzy hair – use twice a week
• Wait a day or two after your color or processing treatment before applying this product

Experiment with Elasticizer

Can also be used to style hair – this is something we learned through experimentation! It gives great frizz-free definition to curls & can be used to achieve a piecey ends look on an edgy bob.

Have a kid with curly-ques? A little Elasticizer makes a great leave-in conditioner and detangler.

Have YOU conducted a successful Elasticizer experiment? Do tell, please! We would love to share your tip with the Travel Beauty community.

As the days get longer, the sun shines brighter, and outdoor activities (thankfully) return to our lives. The wool hat that limited your hairstyle options is no longer needed. The scarf that half covered your face is folded and put away.

How The Weather Affects Your Hair

After a long, cold winter, a glance in the mirror can be a shocking peek of someone else: Drab, needing a change, something to brighten, to refresh. It’s spring – the hair care routine you followed during the dry winter months of weekly deep conditioning treatments to keep your hair looking healthy may require an adjustment.

How Will Moisture Affect Your Hair?

As the weather warms up, there is increased moisture in the air. Balancing moisture, as opposed to adding it, now becomes the issue. Luckily, your hair will let you know what it needs.

Care For Frizzy, Dry Hair

If your hair is frizzy, dry and tangles easily, or if your hair feels rough to the touch, you hair is lacking moisture. You’ll need to keep up the deep conditioning treatment, and/or add a moisturizing conditioner to your hair routine, gradually transitioning to a two-week schedule.  Caretrico Moist Bounce Treatment is an ideal product for this. It can be used everyday as a conditioner and/or weekly as a deep moisturizing treatment.

Care for Limp Oily Hair

If your hair becomes limp or oily, cutting back on added moisture will rebalance your hair. Only deep condition your hair twice a month, and apply your daily conditioner by running it quickly through the bottom half of hair.

Apple Cider Vinegar

The change of seasons is a good time to rinse your hair with apple cider vinegar- like spring cleaning for your scalp!  Mix a tablespoon (make sure to use Bragg’s Apple Cider Vinegar) in a glass of water to run through your hair. Leave in for a moment and then, rinse, rinse, rinse. The apple cider vinegar removes the build up of conditioners and treatments. The acid also closes the hair cuticle making your hair shine.

Most women with curly hair seem to feel societal pressure to straighten it. It’s as if a message has been communicated- if only subtly- that straight hair is preferable. Is curly hair not good enough? I have observed this phenomenon in all types of woman: Caucasian, Afro-Caribbean, Asian, Hispanic- the list goes on.

Strong Anti-curly Cues

This message is so strong that demand has created not only straightening balms, industrial strength blow dryers and flat irons, but also more permanent solutions, like hair straightening processes – some taking 6-7 hours.

I’m OK, You’re OK

As a curly cue myself, it took me a long time to accept my curly situation. I realized I needed to commit to who I was and let my hair be. Who I was was good enough- great, even. All I needed to do was find the right products.

It’s All About the Products

Finding the right products for curls can be akin to a science experiment. You have to be patient and willing to try different combinations of products to see how they work together with your hair. I have tried so many different products in so many different categories! To some extent, I tweak my regimen depending on the weather or season and occasionally due to new product finds.

Here’s my current regimen:

Shampoo Daily

I either use Caretrico’s Type H Shampoo or Philip Kingsley’s Re-moisturising Shampoo. This shampoo can be found in PK’s Smooth & Shiny Jet Set. I recommend trying both for a period of 4 weeks each to see if one is better for your hair. If you like them both, rotate seasonally. You may find that one works better for you in colder weather, etc. Also, depending on where you live, one may react better with your water supply. Here in New York City we have hard water, which is tough on dry, curly hair. In the Caribbean, or other parts of the world where the water is soft, you may find that your hair dries nicer, softer and/or shinier.

Use a Leave-in Conditioner or Leave Your Conditioner In

This particular step is one that many hair care professionals will not advise. But if this is wrong, I don’t want to be right. It works! My favorite, absolutely can’t live without hair product is Caretrico’s Moist Bounce Treatment. Ishi introduced this product to me. It is meant to be used as a conditioner or 10-20 minute hair treatment. Since there is not enough moisture for my hair (my hair is coarse, curly and bleached), I actually leave it in, and once applied, run my Du-Boa’s Scalp Massager through my hair to distribute the product.

Use a Scalp Toner

Right out of the shower, use Philip Kingsley’s Scalp Toner. Healthy shiny hair, starts with a clean scalp.

“Priming” Products

Start with a quick spritz of Vine’s Care Water. This boosts the efficacy of all the styling products that you use subsequently. It also defrizzes and adds volume to fine hair! If its good enough for NASA, its good enough for me!

• Winter Hair Primer: This winter I have been using Philip Kingsley’s Preen Cream. It adds a little extra moisture to my hair, pre-styling product application.
• Spring & Summer Hair Primers: In the summer I substitute this product for Caretrico’s Enrich Milk, and use Arimino’s Bamboo Moisture Veil in the summer.
• After Coloring or Going to the Beach: If you have just colored your hair, or you plan on going to the beach, use Arimino’s Aqua Moisture for this step. (Yes, I am completely OCD about this entire process.)

Styling Products

I use M.O.P. Defining Cream followed by Ouidad Climate Control Heat and Humidity Drops.

Note

All these steps should be done separately and you must flip your head over and scrunch to make sure you coat every hair with product.

For a step-by-step how-to guide, please see the below video.

Nothing is better than the warm sun and fresh air after you’ve been trapped inside avoiding the extreme cold that we’ve experienced this winter. While there’s no need for all the layers of clothing on the beach, you do have to layer product to protect your hair. If you don’t, intense sun and salt water will dry your hair out.

Going to the Beach Should be Glamorous

Beyond big sunglasses, think updo or bun for longer hair, slicked back for short hair. Wet your hair and spray it with Vine Minus Ion Care Water, it works as a driver for other products, depositing them into the hair shaft. Coat your hair with conditioner like, Caretico Moist Bounce Treatment then layer it with Arimino Aqua Moisture. The silicone based Aqua Moisture acts as a sealer, locking in the treatment and keeping your hair from wicking up the salt water. S-Heart-S Scalp Brush Mini is perfect for applying products and is designed not to stress the hair, even when it’s wet. For short hair, just brush it neatly back, with or without a part. For longer hair, twist it into a chic bun after brushing.

Try Braids

You can also make braids and wrap them around your head for a more exotic look. All sorts of fun looks are possible with braids. It’s a good time to experiment with creating new styles that you can incorporate into your life back home. If you just have to have your hair blowing in the breeze…wear a hat or cap. Keeping the sun’s rays off your hair helps keep it in good condition.

Use a Gentle Shampoo

There’s little need to shampoo on a daily basis. If cleansing is needed use a gentle shampoo- Caretrico Moisture Bounce Shampoo is a really good choice. It nourishes without weighing your hair down. Use conditioner or treatment only daily. Oils work as cleaners too. Then, rinse, rinse, rinse.

Give Blow Dryers and Curling Irons a Rest

Give your hair a break from blow dryers and curling irons…let it dry naturally. Work the smallest amount of Aqua Moisture in your hands and lightly touch it throughout your hair, starting at the ends. It adds shine and tames any unruly hair.