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I realized that I don't share some of my favorite products here! Which isn't a great loss to you because I can't use many hair and skin products due to sensitive skin and being a real grouch about fragrances. But here are some of my favorites. Some are, "Almost great, but at least they're fragrance-free" and some are, "Where has this been all my life?" I buy all these things on my own, so these are unsolicited raves (and realistic ones). 1) Free & Clear Hairspray.  Just about every hairspray I've found that says "fragrance-free" on the bottle actually contains a "masking fragrance." That's just insulting. This product has NO FRAGRANCE. It also has good humidity resistance. It is just a little stiff-ish when dry but there are 2 ways to manage that. 1) Spray at a distance from your head and move the bottle while you spray - short strokes (read the bottle, follow the instructions). Use light layers to form an invisible ne...

Blog readers, occasionally bloggers check their blog statistics - how many people are reading the blog, from which sites did they come? Where in the world are they? I research hair information and share it via this blog hoping people can benefit from it. Link to the blog if you find it helpful. Share it with people who might find it useful. Bookmark blog posts. If you don't read English, there is a Google Translate link over on the right and you can have a good laugh at how Google translates the page into whichever language you prefer. Obviously I want people to use this information and I tell you where I get my information so you can go find it yourself and make your own conclusions if you like. If I have information which isn't common knowledge or isn't taken from dozens of "hear-say" sources, I put it in the references. I don't usually do in-line citations because this is an informal blog and I think they're distracting when you want to read quickly. I ...

This is the link to the original post. I have added a chart, with some updated sorting of oils to make it easier to figure out which oils work for your hair and if you have some you like, maybe to help you predict other oils which may work also. I hope people find this helpful - it's one of the more popular posts on the blog.

Below is a list of medicated shampoos and conditioners for troubled scalps, sorted by product type and active ingredients. If you have dry scalp - see the end of this post for ideas (scroll to the end). Many of these shampoos have herbal ingredients which can either soothe, irritate (or do absolutely nothing). Proteins may soothe a dry scalp, but can also be irritating for some people. Essential oils like tea tree, rosemary, thyme, sage, ( neem oil is going in small letters because it's so stinky)  can be antifungal if used in adequate concentrations. But they can also cause sensitivity reactions or allergic reactions. Sometimes detergents in dandruff shampoos can irritate already-irritated skin, however, there are some detergent-free options in this post and there are medicated conditioners at the bottom of the page for people whose skin or hair does not tolerate detergents. You can wash your hair and scalp with medicated conditioners. Not everybody with itching will have flakes...

This is based on my Easy Humectant Curl Boosting Jelly recipe and inspired by reader comments, and by the problem some of us have with glycerin in winter or dry weather. It's a light-hold curl and wave definer. This recipe is very easy to make.  What's new? -Addition of your choice of emollient blend to make this creamy for softness and lubrication (oil+plant butter or oil+conditioner).  -Increased acacia gum to keep the definition in waves, curls and coils.  -Options for humectants for those who avoid glycerin. -Adjust the amount of emollients (oils, butters, conditioners) to suit 1) your hair's needs and 2) the amount of "hold" you want (see below) The ingredients: -Water: Solvent, dliutent -Xanthan gum: Creates a thick "gel," provides medium hold with humidity-resistance, may slow water loss. -Humectant of your choice. Glycerin(e), or hydrolyzed protein, or panthenol or Hydroxypropylrtimonium honey (honeyquat) or a combination of these: Humecta...

Cindy asks a winter inspired question from frigid Wisconsin where humectants are making the winter of 2014-2015 even more frustrating. You need to know that here in the Midwestern U.S.A. (like Wisconsin), winter tends to be very cold and very dry. So even when we see the outdoor humidity is, say, 50%, if the temperature is 10°F (-12°C), the air is still extremely dry and the dewpoint - that temperature indicating how much water the air could hold if it was fully saturated - could be below 0°F. That is desert-dry air. I zero in on glycerin because it can be a curly or wavy-haired person's dry-air nemesis. But I didn't leave many out, so read on. "Humectant" is a very broad category including salts, glycerin, plant gels like aloe vera or flax gel, algae extracts, hyaluronic acid, hydrolyzed proteins, sodium PCA, lactic acid, urea, witch hazel (without alcohol) and other ingredients that attract water. Not all humectants are "created" equal - different humectan...

This applies to white or gray, highlighted and blonde or light brown hair that may tend to become brassy or develop an unnatural color tint - yellow, red, orange or greenish. White hair has no pigment. Although sometimes that's not entirely the case as a hair turns white. And sometimes there's a dark medulla to add color. The lighter your hair overall, the more likely discoloration from any source will show. What causes yellowing of light-colored hair? Water chemistry: Hardness or natural minerals, chemicals used for water treatment, seasonal water chemistry changes all impact whether or not your water discolors your hair. For example, if your water source comes from lakes and rivers, it varies greatly (within drinkable limits) with changing seasons and the treatment needed to make the water safe to drink. Some water is high in iron which can give hair an orange, red or yellow cast. Other things in water (metals) can cause green or brown discoloration. Alkaline water can be al...