These hair products are to dye for!

Dear Rissa,

I read your column last week about a reader with colored hair and if she should color her eyebrows. My question is also related to colored hair. I always color my hair, but the color easily fades and gets washed out. I’m looking for a hair product designed for colored hair that is sulfate-free. I’ve read that sulfate-free products are better for keeping the vibrant color of dyed hair. Can you recommend any you’ve tried?

Andi M.

Most of the shampoos we use contain sulfate. If you check the ingredients, they’re listed as sodium laureth sulfate (SLES) and sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS). These ingredients are cheap but effective foaming agents found in products like soap, shampoo, and toothpaste. Although these are responsible for the bubbles as we wash our hair and lather up, they’re in fact harsh to your personal health and your hair’s health. At increased concentrations, they’re known to cause eye and skin irritation and when you use shampoos that contain these ingredients, they can be easily absorbed through the skin. My kikay best friend brought up the dangers of sulfate to me many years ago. My curiosity prompted me to look it up further in the web. I remember reading articles that explain how some products containing SLES and SLS have been found to contain low levels of carcinogens. Apart from that, sulfates are said to be drying by stripping the scalp of essential oils and can damage follicles, leading to hair loss. For those who spend a lot to color their hair, sulfate causes the color to fade more quickly. For those who care about the environment, these compounds pollute the water and are toxic to aquatic organisms.

 A recent discovery is Pureology, a line of color care products consisting of shampoos, conditioners, and hair masques which are 100-percent vegan with zero sulfate. The range consists of three variants: Hydrate, which addresses dry color-treated hair; Pure Volume, which is for fine color-treated hair; and Essential Repair, which is best for distressed color-treated hair. Because I had dry colored hair, I tried the Pureology Hydracure treatment at Studio Fix by Alex Carbonell. (The Pureology treatments and products are available at Studio Fix Salon by Alex Carbonell, located at the 4th floor, Greenbelt 5, Ayala Center, Makati. Contact numbers are (02) 501-3062 and 501-3064.)

 The multi-sensorial Pureology hair treatment at Studio Fix by Alex Carbonell starts at the chair station. A soft terry cloth robe envelopes you with pure comfort as you choose your own ambient scent from aromatherapy oils designed to relax, calm, and rejuvenate. The client is also offered tea of his or her choice — a variety of flavors that is also found in the Pureology range. My hair was first shampooed with the lavander scented Pureology Hydrate shampoo. As I sat back in my chair, the healing music in the background, combined with the scent of my chosen lavender aromatherapy oil, put me in a state of pure bliss. They began to apply the Pureology Hydracure treatment and it was mesmerizing to watch how they do it — application was like an art! Here, they concentrate on areas of the strands where we do the most damage. Then instead of using the typical steamer for hair treatments, a ceramic flat iron was used so the product could better penetrate into the hair. As I was sipping on my Ceylon cinnamon tea, I was initially alarmed to hear a crackling popcorn sound as the ceramic iron went through my hair. Alex explained that the crackling sound happened each time there was an open cortex along the strand. The ceramic iron, coupled with the Pureology Hydracure treatment, was smoothening it out. Think of it as vitamins being infused into your hair!

As part of an exclusive detox protocol, the treatment was followed by a 30-minute upper body massage which felt insanely good — they hit all the right spots on my back better than most spas I’ve tried. As if that wasn’t enough, the treatment was capped off by rinsing off with the Pureology Hydrate conditioner together with a glorious scalp massage. I could almost hear my hair and scalp singing hallelujah. When my hair was finally blow-dried, I saw my hair shine like it never did before. The color was at its most vibrant ever and it was indescribably soft and manageable. I felt like I had the hair of a child.

It was the ultimate pampering experience and I couldn’t go home without Pureology’s Hydrate shampoo and conditioner. Apart from the benefits of 100-percent vegan and sulfate-free products, I wanted to bring home the experience. I was pleasantly surprised. After using the Pureology products, my hair and scalp never felt cleaner. My hair was so soft, sometimes I would even skip the conditioner. But what amazed me the most was how significantly less hair fall there was each day. I could only imagine how horrible my sulfate-infused shampoos used to be! I’m now a convert. I can’t think of using anything else anymore for my hair.

 One last word of advice: Just be careful when buying products. Just because a product is labeled “natural” doesn’t mean it’s free from SLS or SLES. Most common brands of “natural” or “herbal” shampoos still use these harmful chemicals in their ingredients. Check your labels.

Rissa

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Oh, what a peeling!

Dear Lucy,

I desperately need new skin. Although I have no pimples/acne — just a few clogged pores here and there (I’m guessing that is why I have white heads) — and my skin is smooth, it is somewhat dull. I am 43 years old and I could use some miracle cream. I tried Obagi before and it worked, but the number of steps involved in the daily and nightly application just plain exhausts me. Thinking about it pa lang makes me tired na. What are my options?

Kara

I have a pretty good option for you. I just tried this new facial peel (which is what I think you need/want, given that you are complaining of “dull” skin) that rendered excellent results. Downtime is not so bad, too, just about two weeks of peeling and redness after which baby skin shines through. What joy! The effect is lovely. It is called Cosmelan and I really like it.

I remember the doctor applying some brown cream (Cosmelan 1) that you have to leave on for about 10 hours. Do not schedule any social function that day as your face will look like it has been painted on with iodine — either that or it will look like you fell face down on some muddy path and left the mess to dry and cake on your face. After 10 hours (not more than that), you are allowed to rinse it off and the next day, you start applying a very thin layer of the small pot of cream (Cosmelan 2) that you go home with. The doctor may ask you to apply it once or twice a day.

The peeling and redness is not exactly a happy thing to have for two weeks, but that is a small price to pay for smooth, tight skin.

I had my Cosmelan facial treatment done at the Greenhills branch of the Belo Medical Group. I asked Dr. Guada Santos Capiz who is assigned there what Cosmelan exactly is and this is what she said: Cosmelan is a depigmentation agent which acts at different stages of melanogenesis (pigment formation). It is a mixture of chemical and plant-based cosmetic active ingedients that have a high tyrosinase inhibitory potency. It also enhances the skin’s radiance and texture.

Cosmelan 1 (peel) contains an exfoliating agent that accelerates the peeling process of the stratum corneum (top layer of the skin) and therefore the elimination of melanin.

Cosmelan 2 (maintenance cream) contains a mixture of physical and organic filters. First, it acts as a photoprotective barrier against solar radiation and second, it absorbs UBV radiation, thus counteracting unwanted skin hyperpigmentation .

I hope this information helps and proves to be beneficial to you. I think it would be best if you go for a consultation first so that you can assess for yourself if it is something you would want to try.

Wishing you the best.

Lucy

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The Heart — and Sole — of the Matter

Dear Tingting,

When is the best time to buy a new pair of shoes? I have this thinking that it’s okay to fit shoes in the morning than in the evening when your feet are already tired from a day’s toil? And how do I match my shoes with my clothes?

Ms. Shoe Buff

It’s no secret that most women love shoes. They’re good not just for the sole but for the soul, too. When you are blue, buying a new pair is an instant mood lifter. When you feel great, you make a trip to the shoe store to celebrate. And on special occasions, your feet must have something special to wear.

The truth is, morning or evening is a good time to fit shoes; what really matters is your mood and your budget.

Consider these tips when you buy a new pair of shoes, anytime of the day:

• Even if you love a pair, if you can’t walk in them, don’t buy them. Limping around is decidedly ungraceful.

• Dare to wear contrasting colored shoes. Electric blue shoes can match a green dress and a red pair, a black dress. Match a pair of white or khaki shoes with a pastel colored dress.

• Wear what’s appropriate — not open-toed sandals for a conservative suit. Flats may be too casual for a cocktail frock, but I dare do that. Keep your sneakers relegated to gym clothes or casual jeans. When in doubt, it’s hard to go wrong with a classic black pump.

• Make a statement. A spindly stiletto sandal is all about looking sexy, a flat shoe moves toward cuteness. Know what look you’re going for, and go fill it out.

• During the day, choose a closed-toed or peep-toed pump and pedicure your toe nails. Japanese slippers with dirty feet and toes are yucky.

• Pair sky-high shoes with either long or short skirts.  When going for major air, keep your hemlines at the knee level or below the knees. But when wearing a short skirt or dress, wear a lower heel or flat — it will balance you out and keep you from showing altogether too much leg.

• For flats, a trouser leg should fall at or above the ankle, while skirts or dresses should end above the knee.

• Think about balancing your appearance. A thicker-heeled shoe is for tailored straight skirts and trousers. When wearing a wispy frock, a thin-strapped sandal is an appropriate match.

Tingting

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Send e-mail to tingtingcojuangco@yahoo.com, ltg@pldtdsl.com, and stylesos_rissa@yahoo.com.