Say WEN!

ok readers, i know i was absent for two days before today so i'm making it up to you with a double post! the picture i have included above for your viewing pleasure is a collection of WEN Cleansing Conditioners created by hairstylist to the stars Chaz Dean. what is a Cleansing Conditioner you ask? it's your shampoo, conditioner, and styling product in ONE convenient bottle. it is free of the sulfates and detergents that are found in (almost) every other brand of shampoo, and because of this it never strips your hair of it's essential oils, moisture, or color. have you ever noticed after dying your hair that when you shampoo you can actually see some of your color being rinsed away in the suds? or maybe you haven't, but you've definitely noticed that after a month or two the brilliant auburn or golden chestnut brown color that you paid an arm and a leg for at the salon has faded into something more along the lines of "blah". well this is because the detergents and sulfates in shampoo (the ingredients that give you the suds and foam) are stripping the bejesus out of your hair!

so what's the solution? WEN of course! each of the 5 Cleansing Conditioners cleanses your hair without any detergents or sulfates, instead using natural astringent properties that leave your hair soft, healthy, shiny, bouncy, and undamaged. skeptical? i certainly was, i must have watched Chaz's demonstrations on QVC atleast 500 times before i decided to give it a try (30 day money back guarantee, how can you not love the Q?!) because i just couldn't imagine getting my hair clean without shampoo. i was wrong! i didn't even have to go through an adjustment period of figuring out how to use it correctly (probably because of the aforementioned thousands of times i watched Chaz do it), it was so easy i got fab results the first time.

so how to do it? it's actually fun! what you do is hop in the shower, rinse your hair out really thoroughly under the hot water, and then wring it out so it's damp but not sopping wet. then you take about 5-10 pumps of the Cleansing Conditioner and apply it to the left front of your scalp, then the right, then the crown, then the back/bottom, etc. after you get your scalp covered (using 5-10 pumps for each section), you wet your hands and then massage your scalp really well (just like you would while shampooing) for about 2-3 minutes, concentrating on covering each inch of it with gentle, circular motions. you won't get any suds, but the product will kind of foam up a little bit. i use the Fig Cleansing Conditioner, and i loooooove how it's minty and super invigorating and while you're massaging it in, your whole scalp is tingling and smelling amazing! after your massage (which can help to stimulate hair growth, btw), you take another 5-15 pumps (depending on how long or thick your hair is) and work it through the length of your hair and the ends. after that, take a wide-toothed plastic comb and comb it all through, securing it on top of your head with a hairclip or elastic, and leave it until you're ready to get out of the shower! then you rinse thoroughly with warm water, then a quick cold rinse, and you're done.

you won't even believe how soft and untangled your hair is before you even towel dry it! not only do you shampoo and condition with WEN, you can then add another 2-3 pumps to damp hair to leave in as a styling creme or leave-in conditioner. you can also use WEN to wash your body with, or to shave your legs with, or even to wash your pets with, although at $28 for 16 ounces, i'll be saving it for my hair. although the price is steep, it does last for quite a while, and the results are amazing! super soft, shiny, bouncy hair, not the least bit weighed down or gross. i was pretty shocked by how completely clean it got my hair, and if you can believe this, my hair seemed to stay cleaner for longer when washing with WEN compared to using regular shampoo and conditioner. weird, huh? i just ordered another bottle of the Fig Cleansing Conditioner, which is a much better deal when you're getting 32 ounces for $44, and i can't wait until it arrives! Fig is formulated for dry, damaged or ethnic hair, but there's a formula out there for everyone! Cucumber Aloe, Sweet Almond Mint and Lavendar are suitable for all hair types (especially fine to medium hair), while Tea Tree works wonders on sensitive scalps that suffer from irritation and flakes. i would definitely give these Cleansing Conditoners my Pretty Kitty Stamp Of Approval, and i hope you'll have the pleasure of trying them out soon!

interested in doing more research? you can find WEN products at QVC and Chaz Dean's website.

hair scare!

i'm going to go out on a limb here and guess that you, like me, have had more than a few horrendous hair moments. it doesn't matter what kind of hair you were born with, it will rebel against you and go crazy at some of the most crucial times! i'm not going to promise you a sure-fire solution to these hair mutinies, but i will share with you some must-have products for any hairy situation that might pop up.

is your hair feeling greasy, limp, and just generally misbehaving? you probably have some product build-up. if you use serums, cremes, gels or any other styling products, they can build up on your hair shaft and kill volume and shine. my favorite (and super wallet-friendly) solution? Suave Daily Clarifying Shampoo, which removes build-up GENTLY without zapping your hair of moisture. it's even safe for color treated hair! i have used this on my hair when it's been long and highlighted blonde, mid-length and natural colored, and short and dyed dark reddish-brown, and it performs beautifully every time. it leaves your hair soft, bouncy, shiny and deeply cleansed without drying it out. i generally use this about once every 2 weeks and it does the trick! afterwards, i always follow up with a rich deep-conditioning treatment to restore moisture to my newly clean hair slate.

is your hair feeling dry, fuzzy, flyaway and rough? you're likely in need of a serious dose of moisture! many things can dry out your mane, some of them being heat-styling with blow dryers and flat irons, washing too frequently or using styling products that contain alcohol. to give your hair a hardcore drink of water, try using a deep conditioning treatment formulated for dry, damaged hair. i'm currently using Kerastase Masquintense twice a week and it's working really well, but if you're looking for something a little less expensive, Neutrogena Triple Moisture Deep Recovery Hair Mask works just as well at restoring some softness and shine to your hair. if you're really broke and need a quick fix, a hot oil treatment always works wonders. you can buy a two pack at the drugstore for around $3 and you're all set! i've had good luck with the Queen Helene brand myself.

are you experiencing embarrassing dandruff flakes?! eeeeeek! don't worry, it happens to almost all of us at some point. i recently had a case of dry flakies on my scalp after a dye job went awry and since i'd never dealt with that particular affliction before, i was at a loss! i used every deep-conditioning treatment i could find and even slept overnight with Ojon Restorative Treatment on, but no relief. as a last ditch effort at freeing myself from those snowflakes, i grabbed my boyfriend's Head & Shoulders Dry Scalp Care Shampoo and lathered up! i was terrified using a dandruff shampoo would suck every bit of color out of my hair but desperate times call for desperate measures, right? well, after two washings with the Head & Shoulders Shampoo (followed up by the Neutrogena Triple Moisture Mask), i was flake free! those flakes disappeared and haven't been back, since. and not only that, but using the H&S shampoo gave my hair surprising volume and bounce! i wouldn't hesitate to use this shampoo again if my hair was feeling less than stellar.

i know i haven't covered all the hair woes that exist, but i'll get to those in another post, and hopefully these ones can be of some help. just remember, if all else fails, you can always channel Britney and shave it all off or don a hot pink wig!