SEVERAL years ago I had my hair bleached and colored blue and purple. It was the worst thing I could’ve done to my hair, which became so dry and porous as a result. After washing my hair, it would take me an hour or two to air-dry. I stopped combing it because it had gotten so brittle, I was scared my hair would just fall out in clumps.
Thankfully, that didn’t happen but let me tell you that coloring my hair three times a year has made it weak and unhealthy. I just had an episode of extreme hair fall, which led me to include my locks in my evening prayers.
So how do you take care of damaged hair? First, you avoid using heat (blow dryer and hair iron) on it. Second, you don’t comb or brush your hair when it is wet or you risk breakage. Third, you use sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner, which can be a bit expensive (I normally use L’Oreal’s sulfate-free line or Living Proof).
I was happy to hear that Human Nature had come out with a line of hair-care products for chemically processed hair. Now, products made for color-treated, permed and rebounded hair are not something I would associate with the brand. But Human Nature has teamed up with Azta Urban Salon to offer Professional Salon Care Shampoo and Conditioner to women who have subjected their hair to harsh processes and products.
Azta Urban Salon conducted a test among men and women with color-treated hair. The study showed shampoos and conditioners with sulfate stripped the hair of color pigment in three washes. Meanwhile, those who used Human Nature Professional Salon Care’s sulfate-freeshampoos and conditioners still had vibrant hair color for up to seven washes.
The Human Nature Professional Salon Care line is also silicone-free. Instead of using silicone to smoothen hair, Human Nature has all-natural avocado oil, sunflower oil and sugar-beet extract.
The shampoos and conditioners are available in 500ml and 200ml bottles. Go to www.humannature.com/buy for more information.
Another favorite local brand, Pink Sugar has released new products, including four lip crayons (a collaboration with Liz Lanuzo of Projectvanity.com), three HD lipsticks and two brow kits.
The names of the Pink Sugar x Project Vanity These Lips Don’t Lie Matte Lip Crayons (priced at P399 each) were inspired by little white lies women love to tell. For example, “Woke Up Like This” is a cool-toned muted pink. “Nothing to Wear” is a deep plum, while “Ready in Five,” a very Liz shade, is a bright pink. “Love at First Swipe,” a peachy cocoa, is most probably dedicated to Liz’s boyfriend James, who she met on Tinder.
The crayons, which have been infused with shea butter and vitamin E, are matte but creamy. My favorite is “Woke Up Like This.”
The HD Lipsticks are priced at P299. They’re creamy and moisturizing but they last for hours. The new shades include Butter (my favorite), a creamy pink nude. Sinful is a muted rose brown and Wicked is a muted mauve.
The Honey, I’m Good Brow Kits (P399) in Perfect Taupe and Sassy Brown complement the recently released Honey, I’m Good Eyebrow Gel.
Pink Sugar products are formulated without parabens and aren’t tested on animals. The brand is part of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals’ Beauty Without Bunnies Program.
They are available at 23 locations and the online store BeautyMNL.com. Pink Sugar also recently launched Pinksugar.com.ph so people who have no access to stores can check out the products.