Restore dry summer hair with Cream Silk

DEAR RISSA,

After spending my summer vacation at the beach and pool parties, my hair has become so damaged and dry. I apply conditioner, but it just makes my hair so limp and lifeless. What am I doing wrong and what’s the right product I should use?                    ANNA LISA

Beauty fact: Hair is also susceptible to UV damage! I myself was not able to enjoy the beach or pool this summer and yet my hair has become so dry all because of everyday exposure to the sun. So I can just imagine how much more damaged your hair must be from the intense summer sun, drying salt water and chlorine-filled pool water! 

In a recent Unilever Personal Care Summit held at the beautiful Pangulusian Island in El Nido, hair and skin experts were flown in together with selected members of the media. One entire day was devoted to hair care and innovation where guests learned about the power of Cream Silk’s Hair Reborn Technology to restore damaged hair to a state that’s even better than virgin, untreated hair. “Cream Silk can detect even the smallest imperfection in your hair,” explains Andrea Sorze, Personal Care Research & Development director for Unilever Brazil. She further explains that Cream Silk conditioners work hard to effectively replenish and nourish hair — Cream Silk doesn’t stop at the surface but penetrates deep within.

Conditioner is a huge part of my beauty routine. I condition my hair every single day and no bath is complete without it. To me, conditioners are a big beauty essential. Just the same way I moisturize my face, I diligently moisturize and care for my hair with conditioners. And yes, the right conditioner can make a huge difference to your hair  — and even to how beautiful you feel! I highly recommend you try Cream Silk Daily Treatment Conditioner (available at leading supermarkets, drugstores, and personal care stores nationwide). Unlike other conditioners that merely condition, this combines hair conditioner and treatment in one fantastic product. You no longer need to make a monthly trip to the salon for special hair treatments because you can care for your hair every day with this daily treatment conditioner. Cream Silk has always been a staple in my bathroom shelf, but I’m so in love with this latest product of theirs! You’ll really see the difference one wash can give to your hair.

Another highlight at the Unilever Personal Care Summit was when expert hairstylist and Unilever Brand Council member Lourd Ramos broke down some hair care myths and shared the correct way we should condition hair. “Some women complain that a product isn’t nice or it doesn’t work for them, but it actually boils down to how we apply it,” explains Lourd. Yes, you may be conditioning your hair, but doing it improperly may be the cause of your limp and lifeless hair. Hair expert Lourd Ramos explains it all.

 We often pile on conditioner and slather it on our heads. How much should we really be applying? “A spoonful is all you really need,” explains Lourd. “Treatment will go where it’s needed.”

Should we be applying conditioner on the scalp? “No,” he answers. “You only apply conditioner to the scalp if it’s an anti-hair fall treatment. Otherwise, it will make your scalp unnecessarily oily.” An oily scalp weighs down hair at the roots, making hair look limp and heavy.

The correct way to condition: “Twist the bottom half of your hair at the nape of your neck. Apply conditioner on the twisted hair. Then with a wide-toothed wooden or plastic comb, comb out your hair and product,” explains Lourd Ramos. I tried this at home as soon as he explained it and it immediately made a fantastic difference to how my hair felt! Conditioner really penetrates better with the correct application and will not weigh hair down. Best of all, I noticed less hair fall with this proper application.

How many minutes to leave on conditioner while in the shower? “One minute is enough for busy women,” he says of Cream Silk’s new Daily Treatment Conditioner. For an intensive treatment, he recommends leaving it on for 15 minutes once a week.

“Never wash hair with hot water after a treatment. It washes off the treatment and that’s just money down the drain,” hair expert Lourd Ramos reveals. The proper way to rinse off conditioner?  “Use cold water!”

RISSA

* * *

Bye-Bye, Dry lips

DEAR LUCY,

My lips are so thin and I notice that they’re always cracked. I make an effort to apply lip balm, but results are fleeting. I am so tempted to have them plumped up with fillers, but I might look like a gold fish. What do you suggest?

JOY

First off, your attitude towards lip care should be like that of taking a shower or brushing  your teeth — it is definitely something you do more than just once a day. It is something you commit to, especially on those days when you do not have to wear makeup. Maybe you have not found the perfect lip balm?

I am very happy with the three that I alternate — Smith’s Rosebud Salve, Malin + Goetz, and Kiehl’s. When your lips are always moisturized, they look supple and plump. Dry lips will make them appear thinner, on the other hand. Slather lip balm on in excess, especially at night, you will be rewarded in the morning with lovely kissers. Use lip color with a creamy formulation, Tom Ford and Dior have some of the best formulations. There is this product that I am really loving, you may want to try it. Mesoestetic’s Stem Cell Nanofiller Lip Contour is the first filler based on vegetable stem cells and hyaluronic acid. It is especially designed for the lip contour area, which is the most delicate on the face. Apparently, because our lips have no sebaceous glands, they are particularly dry and vulnerable to factors such as too much sun, wind, and even air-conditioning. This product promises a dual effect: restructuring (the vegetable stem cell will stimulate the production of collagen and elastin) and filling (hyaluronic acid will fill the most delicate areas to lend support to the stimulated cells). I use it morning and night, and to prep my lips before I apply color. I always carry one in my kikay kit.

LUCY

* * *

Send e-mail to Lucy Torres-Gomez at ltg@pldtdsl.com. E-mail Rissa Trillo at stylesos_rissa@yahoo.com or follow her on Twitter @RissaMananquil. Send Regina Belmonte your questions at vivatregina.tumblr@gmail.com or tweet her @vivatregina.