 Skincare specialists The Derm Review analyzed the 100 best-selling natural skincare products to establish how many of these contain synthetic ingredients. The study determined:
See the full findings from the research here: https://thedermreview.com/natural-skincare-study/ Skincare biochemists from The Derm Review analyzed the ingredient lists of the 100 best-selling skincare products containing the word “natural”. The study found that out of the 100 best-selling natural products, only 42 were truly natural. The majority (58%) of products included at least one synthetic ingredient. The average number of different synthetic ingredients used in “natural” skincare products was found to be 2.4.  The Cost of Natural Skincare Products The study found that the price of skincare products marketed as “natural” were on average 24% more expensive than skincare products that didn’t contain the word. The most expensive “natural” skincare products were facial toners. They were found to cost 479% more than “regular” toners.  Top synthetic ingredients found in natural skincare products Ethylhexylglycerin is the most commonly used synthetic ingredient and was found in 24% of all the “natural” products. It is deemed safe and is generally used in low concentrations in skincare products however, it can cause minor irritation to the skin and eyes if high concentrations are used. The second most commonly found synthetic ingredient was Phenoxyethanol which was found in 22% of the products. Like Ethylhexylglycerin, it is considered safe but can cause irritation when high concentrations are used. It is used mainly as a preservative and antimicrobial agent used to help your products last longer and prolong their safety and efficacy. Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate comes up as the third most widely used synthetic agent and was found in 13% of the “natural” products. While being a synthetic agent, it is generally safe for all skin types, and is a type of vitamin C. Products containing synthetic ingredients Out of the product types The Derm Review looked out, all of the serums contained at least one synthetic ingredient. Out of the “natural” face masks on the list, 78% contained synthetic ingredients, while 58% of moisturizers and 55% of cleaners contained synthetic agents.  Are all synthetic skincare ingredients bad? No, and not all natural products are good. Some chemical ingredients have been scientifically developed to be more gentle on our skin and more cost-effective to formulate. Other synthetic ingredients are processed to mimic bioavailable products that may be rare or threatened in the wild, and are aiming to prevent damage to biodiversity and environmental destruction. For consumers, it can be difficult to tell the difference between the “good” and “bad” when reading a skincare label. Some long chemical-sounding words can sound “scary”, and many consumers may feel that the product feels safer if they see ingredients they recognise on the list. When it comes to the synthetic versus natural skincare debate, it is not black and white. However, synthetic products are often demonized, and as a result, consumers seek out to find natural alternatives. Indeed, a 2018 survey showed that the vast majority of people (90%) believe that natural or naturally-derived beauty ingredients are better for them. It is important to remember though, that just because something is natural doesn’t mean it’s safe. Some natural ingredients, such as essential oils, could be poisonous if used incorrectly, and many natural ingredients can cause more irritation to the skin than synthetic alternatives. Elle MacLeman, Skincare Biochemist at The Derm Review says: “As we’ve established, natural is not always better, but despite that, consumers have the right to know whether the products they buy are indeed natural or not.” “Sadly many brands overuse the word “natural” in their marketing in order to sell more products, and that feels misleading and deceptive. Especially as our research found that these products tend to be priced higher while not necessarily being better, safer or more environmentally friendly.” “I think one of the problems is that the industry is pretty much unregulated when it comes to making claims. For instance, it’s common to see ‘chemical-free’ products on the shelves, but that doesn’t make any sense as even water is a chemical.” Methodology The Derm Review searched Amazon.com during July 2021 for phrases such as ‘natural skin care’, ‘natural moisturizer’ and looked at the top 100 best-selling products that came up within the search results. For pricing, we compared the $ per Fl Oz on products marketed as “natural” with the same type of skincare products that didn’t contain the word natural. from SalonToday
9/24/2021 0 Comments How to Make Shampoo Soap Bars If you've been making your own cold process soap and using it in your shower, how about using your soap as a shampoo? Many people use their cold process soap as a shampoo bar as well. But hair is different than skin, so you need to do a few things differently in order to have the best results. Most soap makers recommend:
Homemade Shampoo Recipes First, for the best results on your hair, there are a few changes you can make to your regular soap recipe that will help your soap work better on hair. Castor oil makes great shampoo, as do the softer oils like avocado, canola, and almond. Here are three recipes to get you started. Feel free to customize them or use similar oils that you may have on hand. (For example, you can easily substitute palm kernel for the coconut, or rice bran for the olive, or lard for the palm.) Included are the percentages of each ingredient to make a 2 lb. batch of soap. They can be scaled up or down according to your needs. Note: The superfat/lye discount is calculated at 6 percent for these recipes. Some people prefer a low (3 percent or so) superfat in their shampoo bars, others prefer a high (10 to 15 percent) superfat in their recipes. Give 6 percent a try and then adjust up or down depending on your preference. Be sure to always run your recipe through a lye calculator! These recipes will still all probably take at least 48 hours to harden in your soap mold. Basic, Mild Shampoo Recipe
To make a 2-lb batch:
Light Cleansing Recipe
To make a 2-lb batch:
Luxury Shampoo Recipe
To make a 2-lb batch:
To make these soaps, follow basic soap making instructions. The amount of water in these recipes are low so that they will harden quicker in the molds. The high percentage of soft oils in the recipes can make them take a while to harden in the mold. You'll want to make sure to add the salt and the sugar to the lye water. The salt helps the soap to get harder quicker and the sugar helps boost the lathering ability of the soap. Rinse Because of the high pH of cold process soap, most people use a slightly acidic rinse on their hair after using a shampoo bar. The high pH raises the cuticle of the hair follicle, making it more prone to damage. The rinse helps lay it back down. You can make the rinse out of either:
Give shampoo bars a try. Some people rave about them; some people like them, but prefer a traditional shampoo. From The Spruce Crafts For you DIYers:
Learn a practical skill, create gifts, and let your creativity run loose all at the same time by taking up the art of soap making. DIY soap is loaded with natural and aromatic products that are better for your skin and the planet. We've gathered 21 easy homemade soap recipes for beginners. 21 Creative Handmade Soap Recipes for Beginners 9/20/2021 0 Comments I miss your incredible skill in cutting my hair. You also made me feel special.I just received the most incredible phone call from a client who moved to Oregon this summer.   I started using apple cider vinegar hair rinse a few years ago when I stopped using shampoos with sulfates or harsh cleansing agents. I was looking for something natural to help clarify buildup from my scalp and hair without having to use a harsh clarifying shampoo. Using apple cider vinegar over the last few years has really helped me improve my overall hair and scalp health. Read on for all the benefits of the ACV rinse and helpful tips on how to apply one for the best hair care. Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar Hair Rinse The apple cider vinegar rinse is a really easy way to clarify your hair. It helps to remove product build-up, as well as seal the hair cuticles to prevent frizz and boost shine. Because it’s clarifying, it also helps to give your hair some volume, which is something women struggle with a lot.  Ensuring that your scalp is healthy is a really important part of growing healthy hair. Failing to clarify your scalp well can lead to scalp irritation, dandruff, and excess shedding. It can also result in your hair appearing oily more quickly between washes so that you are compelled to wash hair too frequently. Using ACV rinse every now and then clarifies product buildup and excess oils to leave your scalp refreshed. Being an acidic substance, apple cider vinegar is also beneficial for balancing the ph levels of your hair. Hair that is frizzy or dull tends to be more alkaline, so using the ACV rinse can really help to balance that out and leave you with silky, shiny hair. Clarifying curly hair with the rinse can also help you reset your curls, making some ‘proven methods’ finally work for you. How to Use ACV Rinse for Scalp and Hair Care One of my favorite aspects of the apple cider vinegar rinse is how easy it is to make one. All you need to do is mix 1 part apple cider vinegar with 2 parts water in a jar or a bottle. The amount of each is really up to you and your preferences, just stick to the 1:2 ratio. For example, if you want to use 1 cup of apple cider vinegar, you should mix it with 2 cups of water. I typically use half a cup of apple cider vinegar to one cup of water, but take your hair length and density into consideration and use what works for you.  Once you have your rinse, it’s time to hop in the shower. You can use this rinse in a few different ways:
I prefer to use it after rinsing out my shampoo. I carefully pour the rinse over my scalp and gently massage it in. Then, I pour the rest over my length and ends and let the hair rinse sit on my hair for 1-2 minutes before rinsing with water. I follow with my conditioner as usual – I find that this helps to get rid of the smell more easily. Here is what I get.  If you choose to use it as a final hair rinse, you would apply it the same way after your conditioner and not rinse it out at all. Regardless of which way you choose to use it, one important thing to remember is not to get it in your eyes! I’ve made that mistake once and it was not a great experience, to say the least. For those of you with color-treated hair, the apple cider vinegar rinse is not very acidic, so you can safely use it without stripping your hair color. Vinegar for hair can only affect its color when used more often than twice per week. Helpful Tips and Tricks The only downside of this rinse is the apple cider vinegar smell. I find that it goes away once my hair is completely dry, but if the smell bothers you a lot, I would recommend adding some flower extract or essential oils to your rinse when you make it. Some of my favorites are rosemary, lavender, and ylang ylang. Using the rinse in between your shampoo and conditioner can also help.  The ACV rinse doesn’t need to be used more than once a week. Overall, the frequency will depend on your hair type and how much build-up you experience. I personally use this about once or twice a month, but I don’t use any type of hairspray or styling products on my hair. On the rare occasion that I use dry shampoo, I might follow up with this rinse to clear it all out later. It’s also important to note that if you have low porosity or protein-sensitive hair, this rinse might make your hair feel dry and brittle. If that’s the case, use this rinse once a month at most, and dilute it with some more water. If your hair still feels dry, follow up with a hydrating hair mask on your next wash day. If this doesn’t solve the dry hair issue, try using an alternative clearing product like New Wash, which gets great reviews from those following the no-poo method. As always, listen to your hair, focus on what works best for your hair type and your hair care preferences, and ACV rinse will become the best friend for your hair and scalp.  The apple cider vinegar rinse is one of the DIY treatments that I have been using the longest throughout my hair journey. I’m always really pleased with the results, and it’s really helped me maintain scalp and hair health.
From The Right Hairstyles Curly Haired Guys: Your Epic Guide to Curly Hair as a Dude With Curls  Curly Hair for Men made simple and fuzzy-free Despite the commonality of curly hair in men, little has been published and written on the right hair care, hairstyles and haircuts for curly-haired men. The reality so far is that most curly men prefer to tame their curls by buzzing their curly manes instead of paying some attention as to what is needed to rock their tresses. My name is Kevin Arthur and I’m a barber with curly hair. It is thus that I’ve gone on to publish this CurlyHairGuys.com website with plenty of on-point advice and handy tips so as to give you all curly folks a resource with which to learn about your so-called waves, coils and kinks. You see, I too hated my hair in my teens; I have curly hair that can be labeled as coiled (you can learn more about curly hair types in this site too), so my hair has always been a very rebellious creature, so to speak!  After working the ropes of my profession for many years, I’ve gone on to establish my own barbershop and I’ve trained my staff on curly hair care for men since approximately 70% of our clients have some type of curly hair. I’ve seen and experienced the dramas of curly hair, so I’d like to now create this website so as to give you all my advice and tips on curly men’s hair straight from my years as a barber catering (mainly) to curly-haired guys. What is curly hair? Right, this is the money question: what is curly hair? I believe that it’s best that I answer this question right from the stat before you continue to browse my site since many men have curly hair yet they do not know it.  Scalp hair can only grow in two textures: straight or curly. The texture of the hair (and thus either of the two textures) is dictated by the structure of the hair shaft, which itself is manufactured inside the follicle. A follicle is a tiny hole in the skin from which a single hair strand grows. The shaft of a hair strand is the actual structure of the strand  The shaft of a hair strand is manufactured inside the follicle by laying layers of keratin on top of each other so that the hair grows in height and width. With straight hair (one of the two textures for scalp hair), the layers of keratin are laid evenly so that the straight hair strand has a symmetrically-rounded cross sectional area. On the other hand, with curly hair, the layers of keratin are laid unevenly, leading to a hair shaft that is lop-sided and asymmetric; this lop-sided manner in which the layers of the hair shaft are laid is what causes the curviness of a curly hair strand.  Curly hair is inherited, hence the degree of curviness of your own hair strands is already established in your DNA and is yours alone, which makes each individual’s curly hair unique. Curly hair can be inherited via the mother’s side, the father’s side and it can even be a blend of both sides (as is usually the case of interracial kids with a curly-haired parent and a straight-haired parent). Hair types for men So, I’ve already mentioned that the degree of curviness that you posses is yours only. However, that same degree of curviness can be categorized into several types, which makes it easier for you to choose the right men’s hairstyles and haircuts for your curly hair.  The two most famous hair-typing guides are the ones of hairstylist Andre Walker and of men’s hair expert Rogelio Samson (author of ManlyCurls.com). I used to use Andre Walker’s hair typing guide with my male clients for a good number of years, but, when Rogelio Samson’s hair type guide came out, I changed to his hair-typing guide as the latter (i.e. Rogelio Samson’s guide) is specifically tailored to male hair, whereas Andre Walker’s hair-type guide was created with female hair in mind. Using Rogelio Samson’s hair type guide, these are the four hair types for men:
Wavy hair, coiled hair and kinky curly hair are considered the three types of curly hair for men, and I personally use these types and hair-type guide to give my curly clients the best grooming results.  I will now continue below with this curly-hair guide by giving you the main tidbits of each of the three curly hair types including a reference photograph of each curl type as visual guidance. Wavy hair (also known as wavy curls) Wavy hair is curled as a wave-like pattern depicting the “S” letter of the alphabet. Wavy hair is the least curly of all hair types and it is the easiest to style for men. A male celebrity with wavy hair would be Adrian Grenier. In the picture below, you can see how wavy curly hair looks like in a male; notice how the hair curves and begins to form wave-like shapes as it has reached a medium hair length.  Coiled hair (also known as coiled curls) Coiled hair is curled in a spiral-like pattern which produces coils and ringlets. Coiled hair is a bit more difficult to style for men but it (coiled hair) enjoys a good amount of natural volume that enhances the hair’s aesthetics. A male celebrity with coiled hair would be Kenny G (a professional saxophonist). Here is (below) a picture clearly depicting how coiled curly hair looks like in a male; notice how the coils and ringlets are grouped as thick locks and how the locks preserve the well-defined coiled shape.  Kinky curly hair (also known as kinky coils or afro-textured hair) Kinky curly hair is curled as tiny spirals with sharp (instead of smooth) edges, giving kinky curls a very-compact look. While kinky curly hair is notorious for being the most difficult men’s hair type to style (within reason), it does however enjoy a natural ability to voluminize to great lengths, which makes kinky curly hair, as a hair type for men, the most voluminous hair type. A male celebrity with kinky curly hair would be Will Smith. The next picture below is a great example of how kinky curly hair looks like in a male. Notice the very-small size of the curly coils and how sharp the overall coiling pattern is.  You can find more on these curly hair types on my published hair type guide, and I highly recommend that you go through the notions of learning your hair type so as to make the most of your curly mane. Curly haircuts for men One thing that I will tell you right now as a barber is that curly hair is cut different when compared to the hair-cutting of straight hair. Curly hair has to be cut dried (and not wet, unlike straight hair) and curly hair needs to be cut with a shaping emphasis instead of with a chopping emphasis. What this means is that there are certain men’s haircuts that favor curly men’s hair, while there are other men’s haircuts that look horrible on curly men’s hair.  Unfortunately, many barbers and hairdressers cut curly hair as if it were straight hair, which almost-always leads to a catastrophic haircut. Straight hair can get away with just about any haircut, but curly hair, on the other hand, needs to be carefully cut with the right haircuts if one is to sport a good-looking mane of curls.  You can find plenty of hair-styling information on this site under my curly haircuts guides (see the menu on the top) so make sure that you browse through them so that you can learn to choose and cut the right haircut for your curls. Curly hairstyles for men Just like with the advice above on curly men’s haircuts, the same emphasis on carefulness must be said for curly men’s hairstyles. The main thing to bear in mind with curly hair is that curly hair will always have a tendency to coil back to its natural shape, hence the use of hairstyles that require your hair to be flattened or excessively combed are futile.  A great example of a bad men’s hairstyle for curly hair is the older classic slicked back hairstyle that requires the hair to be flattened backwards with pomade (this was a very-popular hairstyle with men in the 1920s). On the other hand, a good men’s hairstyle for curly hair that resembles the classic slicked-back style would be what I call the “modern” slicked back hairstyle that has the hair swept back with the fingers alone. By using the fingers to scoop and sweep the hair back, the curls are not pulled hard or flattened, while the timeless-and-elegant slicked hairstyle is maintained.  As with every curly haircuts guide on this site, you too can find lots of advice and information on the right hairstyles for your curl type in my curly hairstyles guides. For what is worth, you must always use a wide-tooth comb to style your curly hair if you want to comb it. Never (and I repeat, NEVER) use a regular men’s comb or a hair brush to comb your curly hair; by mistakenly using either of these two men’s styling tools (regular comb or hair brush) on you curly mane, you are running a very-high risk of damaging your curls and follicles as your curls are trapped and pulled hard by the comb’s teeth and brush’s bristles.  Don’t worry, there’s a lot more information on this site on styling and on products for curly hair, and I’ve made sure to include a section on this site that covers the most common mistakes of styling curly hair. Hair products for curly men Unlike what most people think, not all hair products suit curly hair. In fact, there is a specific range of hair-product types that are most useful for curly-haired guys. Likewise, there are certain hair products that you as a curly-haired dude should avoid or use the least.  One more thing that is very important to be aware of is that a curly male doesn’t just need hair-styling products. Hair-care products such as hair conditioners or deep conditioners are excellent “styling allies” for curly men. The vast majority of curly men will have no clue of what a hair conditioner is (perhaps even you aren’t aware either!), but knowing about these products and actually using them effectively will have an immensely-positive effect on the overall aesthetics and health of a male’s curly hair. Good hair products for curly men’s hair Here are the some of the best hair products for curly men:
Bad hair products for curly men’s hair Here’s now a list of some of the worst hair products for curly-haired men:
As a rule of thumb, any hair product that has a strong styling hold will be a bad product for curly hair. Men’s hair care and hair grooming for curly hair The key to maintaining an aesthetically-pleasing mane of curls is to groom your curls daily and take care of them. This isn’t difficult since you only need a couple of minutes in the morning to groom your curls and rock a great mane of waves, coils or kinks atop your head.  Grooming your curls involves getting them ready for the day: from the moment you hop in the shower to the moment that you’ve finished styling your curly mane. In itself, grooming your curls is a process and it’s a very straight-forward process too. Furthermore, taking care of your shapely tresses (i.e. hair care) is a very simple process that only needs consistency to reap the benefits of having waves, coils or kinks atop your head!  CurlyHairGuys.com as the online reference for curly men As mentioned earlier, my goal with this site is to bring you useful, trust-worthy information and tried-and-tested advice and tips on your hair so that you can get to know your curls better and thus open a new door to a world of endless hair-styling possibilities to fit to your styling taste and grooming needs. Without further ado, welcome to CurlyHairGuys.com! Curly Haired Guys
FAQ Curly hair is the most misunderstood hair type, and it gets even worst when we’re talking about curly hair for men; the vast majority of curly-haired guys are completely unaware of how to style and look after their wavy, coiled and kinky-shaped manes. In retrospect, that’s the main reason for this site: to give you all the advice, information and tips that are needed so that you can finally get for yourself a good-looking head of curls. Get answers to your questions here >>> |
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