A Guide To Hair Oils.

Trinidad is home to multiple ethnicities and races, resulting in an incredible variety of hair textures. 

 My niece (in the middle) and her friends in Trinidad and Tobago.

Despite the differences, there was one unifying hair ritual across the island. Everyone rubbed oil into hair to keep it healthy and shiny. From coconut oil to Vaseline to Crisco (well…maybe not Crisco), everyone dutifully oiled his or her hair. However, as the years passed, we realized that oil actually stifles the scalp, i.e. - it can’t breathe which results in hair loss.

The Evolution of Oil-Based Products

With the introduction of hair masks, it became common knowledge across the industry that moisture came from water-based products, not oil ones. Hair masks took the market by storm for years leaving oily treatments in the dust.

Silicone, an oil substitute, was introduced to help women fight the good fight against frizz. But once low-grade silicone products flooded the market, interest in them began to wane as over use left hair super limp. 

 When Moroccan oil products entered the market, ladies went crazy!! In Trinidad and Tobago, to this day, you can’t keep them on the shelves...

  Moroccan oil is wonderful for hair. But like anything else, if it’s overused it will have the reverse effect. (A lightweight oil is now available which helps…)

Don’t Do This…

The challenge with oil is…it’s not made to be used everyday, not even every other day. When it’s overused, the hair absorbs too much, which leaves it limp. Some people apply oil every time they style their hair with a flatiron. That's too much. Think of when you pour oil on a piece of fabric. It’s hard to remove right? Hair is similar; it holds on to oil.

The Correct Way to Apply

Always start with the smallest bit of product. Less is more. Work from the ends up, avoiding the scalp.

Last time I was in Tobago, I had my niece put Moroccan oil on her hair prior to swimming in the ocean. When she came out of the salty water, her hair was gorgeous!!

 Avoiding Build-Up

Use an oil-based product only after shampooing. When applying oil, it’s important that hair is clean. Make sure your shampoo is strong enough to remove any excess build-up. If you’re using a Moroccan oil moisture base shampoo, beware it can make the problem worse by adding more oil.

I recommend using Sunday shampoo by Bumble and Bumble about once every two weeks. This will leave the hair and scalp clean allowing you to start with a fresh canvass.

  If your hair is fine, you should be very careful. Moroccan oil is intense and may not be for you. If you have thick hair, you’ll still need to be careful. Remember the idea is for your hair to be soft and shiny with life. Not an oil slick!

Safe for Color-Treated Hair?

If you dye your hair, don’t use oil as it can remove color. I worked with a hairstylist in L.A. who only used natural oils to remove hair color…seriously!

Antonio Gonzales

Posted by Unknown at 7:40 AM - 0 comments

Yesterdays Inoa Experience.

Since its relaunch, the reviews have markedly improved! INOA Ammonia-Free Hair Color by L’Oréal is slowly winning our hearts. In the past, people complained about the smell, the stinging and the burning sensation it caused.

Today I used INOA on a client with coarse salt and pepper roots. It was her first visit. The rest of her hair was pretty dark… think of level 1N, black.

After an initial consultation, we agreed that we would like to eventually (in the next 6 months) make her hair a little lighter. Todays focus though was on perfect coverage on the roots and avoid darkening the ends. My aim is to make her roots one shade lighter to start the gradual process of going lighter.

With INOA I always go a level lighter than the actual color I want, because it tends to cover darker. I choose to use a level 4N using volume 20, which I normally would not use, fearing it may be too light. I want to achieve 3N

(this photo of a 4N swatch looks lighter than the actual swatch)

After 35 minutes, I shampooed and towel-dried her hair. I then mixed a gloss using L’Oréal Dia color. I Clear and a squirt of Iced Milk Shake at 10 volume. I avoided the roots and applied the gloss to the rest of the hair.

As mentioned her ends were dark but as we professionals know, using the right gloss with the right volume of peroxide, we can sometimes achieve a lift in dark ends. Even if it's by a half shade…

I left the gloss on for 10 minutes before washing her hair. Remember that we were not trying to achieve lighter ends today, only bumping the opaque color on her ends.

As I started drying it was obvious that the coverage was accomplished. 

 

Here's what the client had to say...

“Antonio! After I walked out of the salon, a man yelled down the street at me, ‘I want to marry you!’ I’ve never had hair that made random men profess their undying love for me! No smell or stinging, can’t wait til our next appointment.”

I'll keep you posted as I continue testing INOA to see if it stands the test of time. Remember I'm not being paid to write this. ;)

Posted by Unknown at 7:17 AM - 0 comments