BellaSugar

Three Ways to Get Some Clarity (In Your Hair)

BellaSugar — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 11:00:00 PDT

If you've got buildup from chlorine or styling products, or perhaps your hair is looking a little lackluster, I've got a few solutions. Just head to the pantry, grab a few ingredients, and stir up your own homemade brew.

Do you need some clarity? Then perhaps it's time for a little DIY action. Keep in mind that for color-treated hair, it's probably best to use a clarifying shampoo specifically formulated to protect your color from stripping out. Check out three of my tips after the jump.

Easy Tips on Preventing Product Buildup

BellaSugar — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 07:00:07 PST

Some - but not all - low-priced products give your hair that silky feeling and light-reflecting gloss by coating the shaft with a wax, which doesn't always wash off completely. The result is a buildup that can keep hair from absorbing color or holding styles, dandruff, and breakage. During this time of year, piling on serum, spray, gel, cream, and mousse to protect hair from the wind and dry air can actually make it even drier.

According to New York City stylist Antonio Prieto, a common cause is using a larger quantity of styling products than recommended, especially if the product has alcohol high on its ingredient list. His solution? Use a clarifying shampoo and higher-quality stylers, especially ones with water soluble ingredients. Try washing hair with Bumble & bumble Sunday Shampoo ($18 for eight ounces), which removes residue, hard water minerals (another cause of dullness), and pollutants, or Frederic Fekkai Apple Cider Clarifying Shampoo ($23 for eight ounces), which rinses out buildup while nourishing with apple, verbena, rosemary, and kukui nut oil. Those with color-treated hair might stick to an even more natural shampoo, since it probably won't include stripping sulfates, like EO Clarifying French Lavender Shampoo ($6.59 for eight ounces).

Beauty Marked! Deep-Cleansing Shampoos

BellaSugar — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 22:53:26 PDT

Last week I asked you to suggest your favorite cleansing shampoos, and you definitely found some good ones!

Marcella loves Lush's Big shampoo: "It's by far the best cleansing shampoo for people who use a ton of styling products (like me)!" I agree-this stuff lathers like crazy, smells amazing and leaves hair looking shiny and bouncy.

Then there's Rachelattack, who suggests using good old-fashioned baking soda! She says that adding a bit to a regular shampoo transforms it into a cleansing shampoo. I might have to try this.

Leeluvfashion and Bigestivediscuit both rave about Neutrogena Anti-Residue Shampoo, which takes me back to junior high. Come to think of it, my hair did look good and shiny back then-aside from the (gulp) spiral perm.

I've assembled everyone's suggestions in this handy widget. Browse through it and get some great ideas!

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Mmm Mmm Good: Fruit Flavored Shampoos

BellaSugar — Mon, 08 Jan 2007 08:23:40 PST

Fruit flavored shampoos can instantly turn your shower experience into an aromatherapy pleasure zone! Clarifying shampoos are intended to remove dirt, residue and unwanted oily waxy buildup that has been left in your hair from the use of daily styling products. They are safe for chemically treated or color treated hair since they have been carefully pH balanced to neutralize your hair and scalp. Combine the two and you get these yummy clarifying shampoos:

Fresh Soda Shampoo, $24, bubbles up and fizzes just like soda does! It feels really cool and invigorating on your scalp as you work it into a frothy lather. This shampoo adds volume to your hair while removing residue.

Made from mint, lavender, and grapefruit your hair will be revitalized, vibrant and oil free! Great for all hair types. It is also available in a travel size for $10.

Frederic Fekkai Apple Cider Clarifying Shampoo, $19.50, is made from an old french recipe with an apple cider base. This shampoo smells deee-licious. It will remove nasty product buildup that's been weighing down your hair and will leave you with unbelievable shine and bounce.

For one more,

read more Naani's Naturals Cucumber Lime Clarifying Shampoo, $12.99, contains natural coconut oil cleansers, cucumber, aloe, lime, green tea, ginseng & rosemary. I am sure you can imagine just how mmm, mmm good this shampoo smells! It helps to renew dull lifeless hair while softening and making your hair feel more manageable, clean and full of body.

Three Secrets of Shiny Hair

Brittney Stephens — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 13:07:07 PDT

Katie Holmes hit the red carpet for last night's Women in Film Crystal + Lucy Awards - and we were promptly blinded by her impeccably shiny hair. Though we don't know Katie's exact secret, we're betting that her lustrous locks are the result of a few easy healthy-hair moves. For three ways to get lustrous, shiny hair, just keep reading.

The FDA's New Sunscreen Rules: What They Mean For You

Jaime Richards — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 12:02:42 PDT

It's been a long time coming, and after 33 years with no major updates on sunscreen labeling, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is cracking down. Starting next year, manufacturers will be required to eliminate SPF confusion by making it clearer as to what level and type of protection sunscreens provide. "These changes will help people make better-informed decisions about how to use sunscreens and allow them to more effectively protect themselves and their families," the FDA's Janet Woodcock said. To see the main highlights of the FDA's modernized rules, just keep reading.

6 Simple Steps to Glossy (Not Greasy!) Hair

Jaime Richards — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 04:00:54 PDT

Many women long for shiny hair, and with good reason. Not only does a lustrous sheen make the color of the hair look more rich, but it also imparts a healthy glow to your appearance. However, there's a fine line between beautifully glossy and terribly greasy. "The best way to have a glossy, nongreasy look for your hair is to have healthy hair," explains Lavette Slater, the key hairstylist on The View. To start, wash and condition your hair as you normally would, and follow the rest of Slater's shine-enhancing tips when you read more.

Stinky Strands: How to Get Rid of Smelly Summer Hair

Jaime Richards — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 03:05:31 PDT

Much as it stinks to say it, sometimes hair can smell not-so-fresh. "The more oily your hair, the more prone it is to picking up environmental pollutants, such as smoke, cooking odors, and other strong scents, that will make it smell," Glenn Lyons of the Philip Kingsley Trichological Clinic explained to the Daily Mail. And while the cause of smelly hair can be attributed to many factors - from actually having dirty hair to fungus infections to changes in hormone levels - there are a few ways you can get your hair smelling sweet this Summer. Find out various ways you can take the stench out of your strands when you read more.