hair care Archives - Persevering Momma

Preventing Breakage With Desert Essence Anti-Breakage Products

July 12, 2018 by Ashley Leave a Comment

I received Desert Essence products for free from Moms Meet to use and post my honest opinions.

Moms Meet reached out to me as a Blogger for them to see if I would be interested in reviewing Desert Essence Anti-Breakage Shampoo, Conditioner, and Hair Mask, and while I am not in need of a product like this, my hubby desperately was in need of a good anti-breakage shampoo to help bring his hair back to life. The two of us love dying our hair wild colors and sometimes when you do it too often you really can hurt your hair.

My hubby made a mistake and bleached/dyed his hair one too many times and fried off his ends. We have since trimmed up his long hair and have been working on regrowing and revitalizing his hair. No matter what we have done his hair has looked dull and he has suffered from some serious breakage even after we cut off the hair that was severely damaged from the bleach and hair dye.

His Desert Essence Journey

He was very excited to start his Desert Essence journey with the new trio. We didn’t see much of a difference at first, but we assumed it would take time for his hair to adjust to the new regimen. After about a week of use we started to notice his hair looking a lot more vibrant. It was no longer appearing stringy and was not forming little sections of their own when dry and not pulled back in a ponytail. This was a huge improvement as his hair had been close to forming dreads if he didn’t constantly brush it.

During this journey my hubby has not used a hair dryer, hair straightener, or straightening brush so as to not wreck more havoc on his hair from heat. We are unable to say if just the shampoo and conditioner would do the trick for someone, but using them with the hair mask is definitely working for him.

His Commentary

My hubby can be a pretty humorous individual and he said he does love the way his hair smells using the shampoo and conditioner. However I may have doubled over from laughter the first time he used the Desert Essence Anti-Breakage Hair Mask. The reason for this is because he was not a fan of the smell of the hair mask. I never did figure out if it was stinky or over powering, but listening to him was pretty funny. Despite the smell he has continued to use the Hair Mask because it really seems to be working with his hair. It no longer looks fried and is getting its wavy/curly texture back to it that I had been missing for quite some time.

Overall Feelings

The Desert Essence Anti-Breakage products are a definite hit in our home. I don’t think my hubby will go back to salon products and will stick with using these products on his hair for the foreseeable future. He is loving it and it is working to restore his hair to its former glory and that is exactly what he wanted.

Save the Big Bucks Today!

You can take 20% off Desert Essence Anti-Breakage and Smoothing Hair Care Products
on desertessence.com with the promo code DELovesMomsMeet.

My Bonus Desert Essence Products

Desert Essence was kind enough to also send me a set of their Smoothing Hair Care Treatments. This set I knew was for me and not for my hubby. This was the type of product I needed for my hair. I am adding this little tidbit because I want you to know that even if you don’t need Anti-Breakage shampoo they do have other great products out there for all different hair types and problems out there.

Get Your Best Hair Yet By Knowing Your Hair Type

January 29, 2016 by Ashley Leave a Comment

This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.

I have always tried to figure out exactly what type of hair I have because I feel like it is important to know. The basics are simple for me, but I know nothing beyond the fact that my hair is straight. I was pretty excited to start doing some research about hair types and learned some very interesting things that I want to share with you all.

Knowing your hair type will help you better understand what kind of styling techniques, hair color, and hair care will work the best for your locks. Check out these guides from Madison Reed for expert tips to make the most of each:

How to figure out your hair type:

Leave it free of products and let it air dry next time you wash your hair. If it dries completely straight, you have straight hair. If there’s a natural wave but doesn’t curl up, you have wavy hair. Larger curls mean you have curly hair, while very tight curls signify coily hair.

How to figure out your hair’s texture and why it matters:

Many people don’t think of texture (a.k.a. thickness) as a separate factor from hair type, but it strongly affects how well your hair will hold styles and color. Here are the three main textures:

Thick hair has the largest circumference and is slower to absorb color, which means that it usually requires more processing time. It can also be resistant to chemical treatments like perming and straightening.

Medium hair is the middle-range of circumference, so it doesn’t have any special considerations for how much color to apply or adjustments to processing time

Fine hair will usually process quickly and lightens very easily. Because of that, it runs the risk of getting over-processed and is susceptible to damage from chemical treatments. Less is more if this is your texture.

Learn more hair tips and tricks on Madison Reed’s Blog.

Find your perfect hair color now for a fresh look today!

Winter Hair Care Tips for Straight Hair

January 20, 2015 by Ashley 1 Comment

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.

Hair care varies according to your hair type, the condition of your hair, and outside factors like weather. If you are like me and have straight hair than maybe you feel my pain. I am always seeing tips for all sorts of hair types, but when it comes to your basic straight hair I find that hair care tips are a lot harder to find. These tips from Madison Reed help take the guesswork out of what’s right for you!

Don’t Freeze Up

Water is water, and it freezes in low temperatures. The same holds true for water when it’s in your hair. When you wash your hair, the water doesn’t just sit on top; it gets absorbed into each hair shaft. One thing we learned from Dr. Jan Hansen is that wet hair is temporarily weaker and more prone to damage. Now imagine your wet hair, weaker and more vulnerable to breakage, outside in the cold. The water inside each strand will freeze up if the temperature is low enough, and turn your hair into brittle icicles that could snap and break.

Make sure you dry your hair before leaving the house. Better yet, wash your hair at night before and give it time to dry naturally to avoid excessive heat styling.

On the Subject of Heat Styling…

Less is more for straight hair in the winter. Indoor heating during colder months contributes to the dryness that leads to flyaways and static. Instead of a flat iron, use smoothing products that also moisturize your hair. Instead of a hot curling iron, use spiral curlers while allowing hair to dry naturally. If you blow dry, invest in a ionizing dryer that helps lock moisture into your hair.

Of course, you’ll need less time and effort to style hair if you wash it less.

Shampoo Less

There are a lot of tips about washing straight hair less, but a common complaint is that the roots get oily when following this advice. Luckily, there’s a wide range of dry shampoos available. Make the most of your hair’s natural oils by gently combing down to distribute to lengths and ends. Then spot treat the roots with dry shampoo to absorb excess oil and add volume. If you color your hair, Madison Reed’s Root Touch Up acts as a dry shampoo with the added benefit of matching any roots or grays to your overall hair color.

If you don’t want to change how often you wash your hair, we have a few tweaks to improve your routine. Skip the shampoo entirely every other time you wash hair. Just use conditioner, focusing on the lengths and ends that dry out easily, and use a wide-toothed comb in the shower to detangle. This will help maintain and disperse your hair’s natural oils, which will keep your hair moisturized in a more even way.

Brush Less & in the Morning

Many of us grew up with the adage to brush our hair 100 times before going to bed, but we’ve learned a lot more about hair since then. Now we know that your hair’s natural oils accumulate on the roots while you’re sleeping at night. To distribute those oils to the rest of your hair, comb through your hair in the morning… but not 100 times!

Excessive brushing can break fine and damaged hair, and winter weather compounds those effects. Use a wide-toothed comb to gently ease out tangles, and then style your hair with your fingers. Smooth in a leave-in conditioner, thermal shield, or daily damage defense spray to finish.

When the Wind Blows…

A harsh, whipping wind can break or tangle straight hair. Keep it safe in a smooth ponytail or braids. If you want to leave your hair loose, cover your head while outside. A chic wide-brimmed hat or trendy knit cap is a great way to retain your body heat and protect your hair. Don’t worry about hair static, we have advice for that!

Zap Static

In the winter, static reaches shocking levels because the colder, drier air allows items around the home to build up an electric charge. If you’ve ever rubbed a balloon on your hair or touched an electricity ball, you’ve experienced how hair-raising that buildup can be!

Stop static scientifically. We’re already advocating combs over brushes, so maximize your benefits by using metal combs. Because metal conducts electricity, it will help dissipate static charge building up in your hair. You can also keep a dryer sheet in your bag and rub it gently over the top of your hair to stop static on the go. At night, rub a dryer sheet over your pillow to prevent static from building up while you snooze. Tossing extra dryer sheets into laundry will also reduce the static generated by your sweaters and jackets.

Micro Trims

Regular haircuts are a must to keep straight hair healthy any time of year, but they are even more important in wintertime. Dry hair is more prone to split ends. The longer that split ends are allowed to go un-cut, the further they split up the hair shaft, causing extreme damage.

Ask your stylist to cut a quarter inch every six weeks. This may sound like a lot if you are growing your hair out, but it’s actually setting you up for lush, healthy hair that can grow longer. Worried about putting a dent in your wallet? Ask your salon or stylist if they offer complimentary trims between regular haircuts. Many places do, especially if you’re a regular. Just remember to tip your stylist for his or her time. It’s money well spent!

Find your perfect hair color now at Madison Reed!

5 Hair Health Tips for New Moms

December 16, 2014 by Ashley Leave a Comment

Disclosure – this post contains affiliate links.

I might not be a new mom, but I certainly know many new moms out there. I am hoping that this will be helpful for them because these days, it’s easy to find information about hair care. The challenge is how to sort fact from fiction. Thankfully Madison Reed is here to help with some great hair health tips! Keep on reading and let me know if anything rings true for you.

Dr. Jan Hansen, a board certified OB/GYN, explains the science behind common questions and popular hair tips so we can all make better decisions for our hair and health.

Five Fun Hair Health Tips

1. Can I color my hair while pregnant?

It’s interesting to note that the American College of OB/GYN has no recommendations about coloring hair during pregnancy, yet many women are concerned. I chose to color my hair in all three trimesters with all four of my children. I wish that Madison Reed had been available back then. I would have been much more comfortable using Madison Reed Radiant Color Kit instead of the traditional smelly, harsh dyes.

Everyone’s pregnancy is different, so always consult with your personal physician. I feel Madison Reed products provide a better option and a better experience.

2. Why do some new moms lose so much hair?

Don’t worry, this is normal. Hair grows, rests, and sheds in cycles. During pregnancy, higher estrogen levels alter the hair cycles. The hair continues to grow, while the resting and shedding phases are paused. That’s why hair is longer, thicker, and fuller while pregnant.

After you deliver, the shedding and resting phases resume. All of the hair that would have been shed during the pregnancy can be shed all at once. It can be quite alarming losing clumps of hair! This is normal and within a few months, the hair will return to a normal cycle.

3. Is it true that hair can stretch 30% longer when wet?

Yes! Hair is made of 90% proteins that are held together by chemical bonds. When wet, these bonds are temporarily broken, allowing the hair to stretch and weaken. The bonds reform when dry and shrink back to normal.

4. How can I prevent damage to wet hair?

Because the bonds that hold strands together are temporarily broken, wet hair is vulnerable to damage. Follow these three simple rules to protect your hair. Use a wide-tooth comb or detangling wet brush. Avoid a tight ponytail while your hair is wet. When the hair dries and shrinks back, the ponytail could cause breakage. Wait until your hair is 80-90% dry before styling it.

5. Why do some people grow longer hair than others?

There is a limit to how long each person’s hair can grow, called the terminal length. The terminal length depends on a predetermined growing cycle. It usually is 3-5 years but can be as long as 10! The longer your growing cycle, the longer your hair can get. Considering hair typically grows 6 inches per year, 10 years of growing is really long hair!

While you can’t change genetics, you can protect your long hair by keeping it healthy and strong. Take care when you style your hair and use healthier hair products that can help prevent and repair damage to the hair.

Find your perfect hair color now from Madison Reed and get hair color that is healthy for your hair.

5 Hair Damaging Chemicals in Hair Color

October 3, 2014 by Ashley Leave a Comment

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links

If you are like myself and many of my friends who dye their hair regularly you will want to know the affects that it plays on your hair. There are a few chemicals that are used in many, but not all hair dyes that are damaging your hair. Yes, there really could be hair damaging chemicals in your hair dye! Why would you want something like that in your hair when you are trying to make it look great!? You wouldn’t!

In the world of hair color there are quite a few choices, but not many of them good. It’s as if the drugstore box colors and other online brands have dropped the “care” from hair care. Focusing instead on making the least expensive product that fries your hair and doesn’t take your health in consideration at all.

Five Hair Damaging Chemicals in Hair Dye:

1. Ammonia / Ammonium Hydroxide:

From our inception we created a formula that does not need ammonia. Other colors use it to increase shelf life, add hair pH, and blast open the hair shaft so their color can penetrate the cuticle.

Ammonia is harsh on hair leaving it dull and limp
Responsible for the pungent smell of most hair dyes
Increases hair porosity, which weakens hair causing frizz and split ends, and leads to color fading
Exposure to ammonia fumes can irritate skin, eyes, throat, and lungs, causing watery eyes, itchy scalps, coughing, and burning

2. Resorcinol:

A common ingredient in many hair colors, resorcinol is used as a dye. Our formula doesn’t need resorcinol.

Resorcinol is frequent cause of allergic reactions to hair dye
Can be toxic to the immune system

3. PPD (para-phenylenediamine):

A pigment used to create darker shades. We’ve eliminated PPD from all of our colors and instead use a safer alternative to create our rich, dark shades.

A high skin sensitizer, PPD is proven to trigger allergic reactions to hair dye which can result in severe dermatitis, swelling, eye irritation, and tearing
The EPA warns that long-term exposure can lead to asthma, gastritis, renal failure, vertigo, tremors, convulsions, and coma in humans

4. Ethanol Alcohol (isopropyl alcohol):

Known as Alcohol Denat, it’s used in the dye absorption process. We’ve replaced this alcohol with a naturally derived alternative that doesn’t dry hair the way ethanol does.

Ethanol Alcohol is often the cause of dried out hair after dyeing

5. Parabens:

Known to be a controversial preservative, parabens are said to prevent the growth of bacteria and fungi. We don’t add parabens to our formulas.

Parabens have little evidence to support their effectiveness

We care what we put in your hair, that’s why Madison Reed has eliminated these ingredients from our hair color formula.

We re-engineered hair color by replacing harsh ingredients that are traditionally used in the coloring process with ingredients that are gentler on your hair and leave it healthier with longer lasting, salon-quality results.

What are you waiting for? Now is the perfect time to try Madison Reed’s healthier for you color! Happy October! Take $10 off your first purchase of Madison Reed hair color – just use the offer code OCTOBERLOVE at checkout.