The first thing to do is to go online and Google for lists of ingredients commonly found in hair products. You’ll be surprised how many that we see everyday on labels are of animal origin. For example, acetate can be produced from egg yolks or fish liver oils and is found in hair dyes. Casein is produced from the protein found in milk, and is often found as an ingredient in many different hair products.

Even products marked ‘natural’ on the label may still contain some animal based ingredients. One particular example would be a hair brush with natural bristles. These are most likely the bristles from a wild or domestic pig. The best thing to do to be sure you are avoiding purchasing any hair products with animal derived ingredients is to print out a list of such ingredients and take it with you when you next go shopping. You can check the labels of any products you’re interested in, and safely purchase only the truly vegan ones.

The next thing to do is to learn which ingredients which really are natural and vegan are used by the manufacturers of hair products to substitute for the non vegan alternatives. For instance, various vegetable proteins, including those extracted from soy beans, can be substituted for the hydrolyzed animal proteins that are found in many cosmetics and other personal care items. Rosemary and nettle are two vegan, natural substitutes for keratin, a very common ingredient in a wide variety of hair care products which gives body to the hair. In this case, many believe that the vegan ingredients work better than the animal derived one!

As you can see, you can’t just settle for the ‘no animal testing’ sticker on the next hair care products you buy. That’s only the beginning of your commitment to a fully vegan lifestyle.

Photo: djtutusaus

One of the problems with curly hair is that it is often fine or very fine. Fine hair is more easily damaged and tangles more easily, especially when it’s trying to curl as you comb it!  There are many hair products which can strengthen your hair and make it more manageable. Look for products that offer more body and also with conditioning agents that can protect your hair against damage.

Another problem with curly hair is that it reacts to moisture in the air by becoming frizzy. There are gel hair products which you can use to protect your hair from dampness and to control the frizz. Some shampoos and conditioners also offer benefits here. If you want easier to manage curly hair, you might want to keep it shorter rather than longer. Long hairstyles will pull the curl out with the weight of the hair. You can still have curly hair if it’s long, the curl just won’t be as tight. And for very long, thick hair, it might pull into a soft wave. To keep it curly (or get it curly if you plan to perm it) you’ll have to spend a lot more time working with it.

One source of these problems involves the cuticle (protective outside covering of each hair), which covers the hair in a series of scales. In curly hair, these scales cannot lie flat along the shaft of the hair, and are always open. This is the main reason why hair products which work for straight hair don’t give you the same results. Colors fade sooner than when they’re used on straight hair. Often, the color also starts out darker than you had wanted or the manufacturer indicated. Your hair seems to have come out dryer, too, and more brittle than your friend’s straight hair when she used the same product. On top of all that, the color doesn’t appear the same closer to your scalp than it does toward the ends of your hair!

The reason for this is that the cuticle cannot protect the hair as well as it can in straight hair. This allows the hairs to become dryer, more brittle, and to not take or keep color as well. Hair products made for curly hair address these problems. There are conditioners for use before you color your hair, to get it at its most moisturized and strongest so that it can take color better. If you have problems with your hair or it’s damaged at all, considering some flattering short haircuts until your hair is in a better shape, too. It will make any damage far less noticeable. There are also temporary coloring products and natural ones, too, that work better for curly hair.

Look for products that are made specifically for curly hair, then sit back as the compliments roll in!

Photo: slideshow bob

It’s really fun and interesting to make your own hair care products. You can decide what you really want in, say, a shampoo, and create one made exactly for your own needs. You can choose ingredients that will help oily or dry hair, give more volume to fine hair, brighten or lightly tint your hair, even control dandruff and address that slight thinning you’ve been noticing!  You can create other hair products, too. Conditioners, rinses, gels, styling cremes, bleaches, and conditioning dressings are all easily made at home, and you can tailor each one to your personal preferences. Even the scent!

Once you decided what exact qualities you need in your hair products (control for oily hair that needs body and just a hint of color to make your dark tresses shine, for example), you have a couple more decisions to make. When you go online to research hair products you can make yourself, you’ll find that some of them contain ingredients (for example, rubbing alcohol, borax, ammonia, and or different gums) that are or could be considered chemical or unnatural, and have to be purchased at the pharmacy. There are natural ingredients that can be used to substitute for these, but the effects they have may be different.

Another decision is whether you want to use any animal derived ingredients in your homemade hair products. Lanolin, beeswax, glycerin, keratin; these all come from animal sources and are standard in many hair care products. You can instead use various vegetable derived ingredients for these with similar results. Looking online for lists of vegan products will lead you to substitutes for these ingredients.

One of the really great things about making your own hair products at home is that you can make small batches and keep experimenting until you find the perfect combination of ingredients that work for you and your hair.

Photo: Vola Vale

One important thing to remember about gray hair is that it can be much more dry and fragile than when it was more highly colored. This means you have to be sure to use moisturizing hair products to keep your hair soft and healthy. You also need to treat it more gently when combing or brushing, not subject it to frequent chemical treatments like permanents or dyes, and avoid many types of hair ornaments, as these can break your now more fragile hair. You’ll also want to look for products that can keep your scalp healthy, to stimulate blood flow to your follicles to ensure stronger hair as well. Gentle scalp massages can be very helpful and enjoyable!

Another great idea is to look for hair products that provide deep conditioning for your hair. It’s a good idea to do this regularly at home (even weekly), and you may decide to go to your local beauty salon to have it done there occasionally. This is very important to revitalize your hair and to keep it shiny, healthy, and well cared for.

You may decide to use hair products with violet or bluing agents in them to counteract the tendency some light gray or white hair has to become yellowed. If you do, proceed with a great deal of caution. After choosing which of these shampoos you want to use, choose another that will give you excellent moisturizing qualities. Then mix just a very small amount of the bluing shampoo into the other and try it for a while. You have to proceed slowly, as you want the color to enhance your natural gray, not turn your hair bright blue!

Photo: Loop o

There are many methods of forming dreads, but the one that seems to work the best is backcombing. This is a process that can take hours, depending on how long your hair is, and for which you need hair products like combs that are strong enough to allow you to form tight dreads. Dread wax is used during the formation phase and also to maintain your dreads as they grow. Using a wax that is formulated to moisturize your hair while helping to keep the dreads neat is very important to your overall look and enjoyment of your new hair style. Wax is especially helpful for those with straight hair, but if you have very curly hair you may just need a creme. There are also cremes for helping detangle dreads if you want to change styles.

Shampoos and conditioners for dreadlocks are also specifically formulated. You need to use hair products that are very low residue so that the dreads stay very clean. Contrary to popular belief among people who know little about this style, cleanliness is important when you’ve got dreads; unclean hair will not make really good dreadlocks and will promote poor scalp and hair health. It’s a good idea to look for shampoos and other hair care products that will not have a drying effect on your hair or scalp as that will lead to itchiness and dried-out looking dreads. If you do experience itchiness and drying, there are hair products you can use to spray on your scalp and dreads to remoisturize them and to provide relief. These are often scented, as well, so you need to be sure they are low residue.

Salons and the internet are excellent sources of these and other products you’ll need, as well as product reviews and lots of advice for starting your hair adventure!

Photo: r. s. m. b. Sees