All About Hair: The Dry Hair Checklist

  I'm in love with this photo! Go Solange! [source]

Battling issues with dry hair can really be a pain. It can be hard to achieve your favorite hair styles, lead to breakage, and just plain frustration. Before completely scrapping your hair products and shelling out big bucks for new additions to replace old favorites, check out this dry hair checklist and see if there are any changes you can make to your hair regimen.

(1) Take A Look At Your Shampoo Regimen: How often do you clarify your hair? A lot of times our favorite shampoo's are formulated to gently cleanse, and moisturize the hair. Most shampoo's labeled "mositurizing" are not formulated to remove heavy product and mineral buildup [mineral buildup can come from the use of tap water]. If you use styling products that contain silicone's and they aren't water soluble [and most aren't], it is recommended that you clarify at least twice monthly. Silicone's are notorious for sealing the hair shaft thus preventing moisture and other nutrients from permeating the follicles. 

What this means: 

If you use products that are heavy on cone's, you may notice your moisturizing products don't work as well as they used to. Your hair may "feel" moisturized upon distributing the product, but as it dries it begins to feel hard, brittle, and dry. 

The Solution:

Check the ingredients on the back of your products [shampoo's, conditioners, and styler's], and look for these ingredients: Cyclomethicone, Dimethicone, Amodimehticone, Dimethiconol, Phenyl Trimethicone, as these are all silicone's that are NOT water soluble [water soluble cones are: Dimethicone Copolyl, PEG Modified Dimethicone]. If you use these non-water soluble silicone's it is best to clarify your hair every two weeks with your favorite clarifying shampoo [Lanza Daily Clarifyer, and Neutrogena Anti Residue Shampoo are two of my favorite clarifier's] and follow up with your normal moisturizing shampoo to replenish the moisture, as well as restore the PH level of your hair. 

Tip: Try to avoid hair polishers and serums, as a lot of the polishers and serums on the market today are comprised mostly of silicone's. Instead, opt for natural alternatives to increase sheen. Click here to read my post on natural alternatives to shine serums, and hair polishers. 

(2) Take A Look At Your Moisturizing Regimen: What are you using to moisturize your hair? In what order are you using these products? Did you know that the molecules in most oils are too big to permeate the hair shaft? What this means is that most of the oils you use on your hair, are not capable of moisturizing it. Instead they seal the hair shaft acting as a barrier to trap moisture in, and protect the hair.

What This Means: 

If you apply any type of oil prior to your conditioner, or moisturizer, it is possible that these products are unable to permeate the hair shaft because of the oil barrier. Your hair may feel moisturized initially, but the feeling quickly turns into a dull, dry, hard, greasy mass of hair after just a few hours.

The Solution:

Make sure you always apply your water-based moisturizer/conditioner prior to applying your oil-based products. For instance, apply conditioner to freshly shampooed hair, then your oil-based product to seal in the moisture, and add additional sheen. Some of my favorite water-based moisturizers are: 

Oyin's Juices & Berries

Karkady Tea Replenishing Mist 

Here are a few of my favorite water based hair creams [these can act as stylers that double as moisturizers]:

Oyin's Whipped Pudding

Qhemet Biologics Burdock Root Butter Cream 

(3) Shampoo In The Mirror: Often product buildup can occur from improper shampooing techniques. The crown, and areas a few inches behind the temples are often overlooked when shampooing, and those areas usually have the most buildup. 

The Solution:

Make sure you focus on cleansing your scalp, using your fingertips to gently exfoliate dead skin cells, and cleanse your scalp of water-soluble product buildup. Opt for shampooing in sections of four, as this makes getting the hair cleaner much easier than tackling your entire mane at once. I find that shampooing in the mirror helps, as I usually finger-part and inspect the roots of my hair looking for any areas that are sticky, or covered in film. 

Other issues that can cause dry hair:

Porosity - Usually caused by chemical treatments, as well as improper thermal practices. When the hair is overly porous, it is filled with holes along the hair shaft, in which the moisture escapes. - Click here to read my post on porosity. 

Mineral Buildup - This is a problem I experienced early on in my hair journey. I have very hard water which left mineral deposits on my hair. The mineral deposits also can act the same way as silicone's in that they create a barrier along the hair shaft which keeps moisture out! In order to combat issues with mineral buildup, clarify twice weekly, or implement a weekly Apple Cider Vinegar rinse in your hair care regimen. The Apple Cider Vinegar acts as a gentle clarifier to remove product buildup, as well as mineral buildup.

Here's the mixture for the rinse:

2 Tablespoons of Apple Cider Vinegar [found in the vinegar section of your local supermarket] mixed with 2 cups of Spring Water. Rinse out your conditioner as usual, then pour this mixture over your head, and gently towel dry. It may have a slight odor [due to the vinegar], but it will dissipate over time. 

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Interview with Jane Carter of The Jane Carter Solution

Recently I had the pleasure of interviewing Jane Carter, creator of the Jane Carter Solution. Jane's down to earth demeanor was like a breath of fresh air in this superficial industry; and her extensive knowledge of hair, and product formulation was impressive to say the least. Jane definitely knows her stuff, as she is a veteran stylist who immersed herself in numerous formulation chemistry classes, and stands by her philosophy that we shouldn't over complicate hair care.



MTM: What inspired you to start the Jane Carter Line?
JC: There were two reasons; I started the line about ten years ago while I was working as a stylist. I owned my own salon at the time, and I was also doing the hair show circuit as a Color Educator almost every weekend. During that time, I was also a Director of Education over at Avlon [they make relaxer]. Due to working around hair care products regularly, I developed an allergy. It was from that point that I couldn't work around any products that contained alcohol, dimethicone, petroleum, and mineral oil. Those four ingredients were in every single product line that I used.

My clients ran the full gamut from high-lift blonds, to clients with locks, extremely curly hair, and everything in between. Because of my diverse clientele, I could never find a product line that addressed the needs of every consumer. I would find myself taking two products from this line, and one product from another line, just to give my clients an at-home regimen.

I took an Essential Oil course, and from that point I developed my first product, which was the Hair Nourishing Serum. This product was made from vitamins and pure essential oils, and I as well as my clients was mesmerized at how well those natural ingredients worked [which led to them requesting to purchase the serum]. Even my clients that had extremely coarse hair, or hair that couldn't go a week beyond when they were supposed to relax without experiencing breakage, had instant results. All of a sudden it was almost like different hair, this was the first time I used a product that produced those types of results on extremely coarse hair. I knew other finishing products were needed [leave-ins, sculpting lotions etc], and a full product line seemed like the next step.

"Ultimately, we really wanted to create a product line for everyone that was completely plant derived, and wasn't harmful to your body"

MTM: What is the philosophy behind The Jane Carter Solution?


JC: We feel we have a social responsibility to put products on the market that perform well with really good ingredients. One of the tag lines that we use is 'Hair Care for Humanity', meaning you should really be able prescribe 4-6 of the same products to anyone who walks through your door no matter their hair type. I really oppose the fact that we fit into a category, because we don't. I believe that hair is hair, and it isn't really that complicated. Ultimately, we really wanted to create a product line for everyone that was completely plant derived, and wasn't harmful to your body.

"The number one reason for hair loss in women is inflammation. If you have a dry, itching, or flaking scalp, that is inflammation and there is a potential for some hair loss."

JANE ON THE USE OF PETROLEUM: The residual effects of using petroleum regularly on your scalp is pretty scary. Petroleum has a large molecule, and it creates somewhat of a moisture barrier. So if you use products that contain petroleum on your scalp, [especially one that is dry or flaking] and you perspire, you now have a moisture barrier with dead skin, which is a prime breeding ground for bacteria. The number one reason for hair loss in women is inflammation. If you have a dry, itching, or flaking scalp, that is inflammation and there is a potential for some hair loss.
I formulated a product called Scalp Renew which is a pre shampoo treatment formulated with pure vitamins and essential oils that helps cleanse, and exfoliate the scalp. Scalp Renew contains Lavender Oil, which soothes the scalp, eliminates dead skin, and gently cleanses the follicle of sebum. A pre shampoo is necessary because shampoo is water-soluble, therefore shampoo will not melt sebum or dislodge toxins from your follicle. I sent my clients whom had scalp conditions home with Scalp Renew, as well as our Revitalizing Leave-In to moisturize their scalp twice daily, and their scalp conditions disappeared. Scalp Renew is also good for people who have eczema as well! Instead of using synthetic products to cover up problematic issues, we really need to deal with them holistically.

MTM: What tips do you have for women who are transitioning out of a relaxer, and what products from Jane Carter do you recommend?

JC: Our Hair Nourishing Cream is a good product to use on your regrowth if you are going to continue to flat iron your hair during the transition process. Hair Nourishing Cream can also be used as a good detangler post conditioner, which is also important because hair is very fragile near the line of demarcation, so having a good detangler on hand is essential.
Misting the Revitalizing Leave-In a few times during flat ironing is also good for women who are transitioning, because it cuts down on the amount of heat needed to get the hair straight. A lot of times women experience hair that has been "relaxed" due to excessive heat from flat ironing.

MTM: What do you think about the "natural hair movement"? Do you think natural hair is more of a trend or a lifestyle?

JC: I don't think it is a trend; I feel that once you wear your hair natural, you will never relax your hair again. You have the ease of being able to wear it smooth, or wear it natural, so I think it is the best of both worlds. As you evolve, and use more natural things on your body and on your hair, then you start to read labels a little bit more and you start to pay attention; it is definitely a lifestyle. Natural products have a higher vibration than synthetic products, so ultimately you feel better when you put natural things on, and in your body.


JANE ON NATURAL INGREDIENTS: I truly think the molecule in natural ingredients were all designed in perfect order, and I believe that there are vitamins, herbs, and oils really have the ability to heal. I think that with being designed in perfect order, that the natural place for us to look would be the earth. To me it just seems like a given, we don't have to man-make things, as there is a reason why natural products are more effective. They're just more expensive which is why most cosmetic companies tend to formulate with synthetic ingredients.

MTM: I hear Jane Carter will soon be available in Target stores, can you tell me more about that?
JC: We are taking part in a 90-day test with Target, and it is a really big deal for us because it really increases our distribution power by giving us the opportunity to get our products to more consumers.

JANE ON THE NEW CURL DEFINING CREAM: The product is designed to reduce shrinkage, lock in the curl, and it won't take your hair forever to dry. This curl cream is formulated with essential oils, more importantly there aren't plastic polymers in this product so it doesn't flake, and it dries really clean. We work very closely with Certified Organic Essential Oil Labs, which ensures that we don't get a grower that uses pesticides, because that is very important.

MTM: What can we expect from the Jane Carter line in the future?

JANE: Well, I want to continue to serve my purpose here. I really like the idea of being able to be a resource, dispel myths, and just be available in my community. I went to Atlanta a few weeks ago to meet with a Facebook Group, and it was about 80 of us on a Sunday having a dialogue on natural hair. I am not really a foo-foo kind of girl so it really took me a while to find my space as a product manufacturer, but I prefer that type of environment over that of the shallow stuffy department store cosmetic counters -

To find out more about The Jane Carter Solution, click here! -

Review of Jane Carter's products coming soon :-)