by theglamscientist | | Amino acids, cosmeceuticals, hair cycle, hair growth, health food, healthy hair, proteins |
I’m going to tell you ladies a secret… are you ready? Here it goes: One night while I was asleep, my son decided to rest his bottle in my hair. I woke up with a mane full of formula! I know what you’re thinking… “That is so gross!” “I hope you washed your hair immediately” The answers– “Not really all that gross.” “I washed my hair, eventually.”
Allow me to explain. My son suffers from multiple food allergies– milk and soy included. So instead of drinking the typical milk based formula, cow’s milk or soy milk, he drinks a hypoallergenic formula made solely of amino acids. It comes in powder form and I mix it with water. In essence, I had a fantastic conditioning treatment in my hair! Plus it’s tropical flavor, so it smells good too. If you’ll recall from your high school science classes, amino acids are the building blocks of proteins… and hair is made of a fibrous protein better known as keratin. Put simply, amino acids are hair food.
Amino acids combine to form proteins that will strengthen the hair and possibly help promote hair growth. Keep in mind, everyone’s hair growth cycle is different. You can’t grow waist length hair if that’s not in your DNA. See previous post Long, Luxurious Hair: The Science. Fortunately, you don’t have to have a formula incident to reap the benefits of amino acids and/or proteins. The claim to fame for those mayonnaise and egg kitchen conditioning treatments is the fact that they are rich in proteins, thus also rich in amino acids.
These days, cosmeceuticals are growing in popularity. They are no more than a collection of vitamins, minerals, etc that can be taken in pill form or have been packed into special beauty drinks. I’m all for cosmeceuticals– anything to keep it pretty. Just remember that you can add the same vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids, etc to your diet just by incorporating the right foods. Amino acids are included in the list of beauty must haves that you can get find in your foods. Out of 22 amino acids, our bodies can produce 13. The remaining 9 need to be supplemented and are referred to as essential amino acids. Foods such as milk and meat contain all 9 essential amino acids. Remember the tagline for milk? “–it does a body good.” Add to that “–it gives you strong, healthy, pretty hair.” What woman doesn’t want great hair?! Other foods that contain essential amino acids are nuts, beans, soy, peas, rice, wheat and other grains. Alone these sources don’t contain all the essential amino acids, but combined you will get all that you need.
The next time you’re in the beauty supply, you can be confident in picking up products with amino acids listed in the ingredients. Until then, make sure your diet is giving you all the beauty food you need.
Here’s to the Glam Life!
by theglamscientist | | hair care, hair damage, hair growth, health food, humectant |
In the previous posts for the Long, Luxurious Hair Series, we discussed the science behind hair growth and factors that negatively affect the growth process. Armed with that information, we are now able to investigate ways to optimize individual hair growth cycles. The key is to protect the hair from extensive damage and breakage.
The very best way to promote healthy hair growth is from the inside out. Incorporating foods that aid in hair growth and strength is a healthy and safe way to reach the ultimate goal. Hair is made primarily of a strong protein called keratin which is also found in skin and nails. Variations in the amino acids found in keratin account for the differences in texture with some being soft and/flexible and some being hard. Since hair is made of protein, eating foods that are high in protein will be beneficial to the condition of the hair. Iron, B Vitamins, Essential Fatty Acids, Vitamin E and sulfur are also good additions to a healthy hair diet. Adding more of the following foods will be a good start: fish, eggs, leafy green vegetables, yogurt and nuts. Experimenting with different recipes that include these foods is a fun way to change your diet. Stear clear of hair growth supplements, they are potentially dangerous and unnecessary.
Aside from altering your eating habits, there are some topical hair treatments that will help to repair and prevent damage. Moisture is a must for healthy hair. Dry hair is often brittle and easily broken. It is important to note that hair oil products are not moisturizing products. Good moisturizing products will infuse moisture (water) in the hair shaft which hydrates the cuticle layer helping to create shine and prevent breakage and/or split ends. Use shampoos and conditioners that have humectants in the ingredients list. Humectants draw moisture to the hair and hold it there. Some humectants are glycerin, honey, sugar cane, hydrolyzed wheat starch, sodium PCA, panthenol, sorbitol, propylene glycol, butylene glycol and acetamide MEA. Also be sure to avoid of sulfates and alcohol which strip the hair of its natural oils.
Heat styling can cause damage to the hair shaft when used in excess. In addition to minimizing the use of heat, you should invest in thermal styling hair products which help to protect the hair from permanent damage and usually have other nutritive properties.
Finally, having your ends trimmed on a regular basis is your hair’s very best friend. Split ends are not only unsightly, but they spread. Ragged ends easily get tangled with other strands of hair and cause breakage when the hair is combed or brushed. Uncontrolled split ends continue to split, higher and higher up the hair shaft causing frizzy, dry, damaged looking hair. When this sort of damage is finally addressed, the hair has to be cut much more than it would had it been dealt with early. Most stylists recommend a scheduled trim every six weeks.
In the final post of the series, we will discuss a technique to maintaining healthy hair for optimal hair growth.
by theglamscientist | | collagen, health food, natural skin care, skin care, vitamins |
If a poll was taken of all my friends and family, it would reveal that I like to eat just as much as I like to ‘get pretty’. Why not make it a package deal? I’ve found that certain staples in my diet actually work wonders for my skin. Here’s why:
First and most important… I stay away from fast food. Of course I grab a burger every once in awhile, but home cooking has greater appeal to my appetite. Besides its more economical to cook, the money I save on food can be used to buy clothes and shoes. 😉 Whole foods (fruits, vegetables, nuts and berries) are rich in vitamins and minerals, many of which your body does not produce on its own.
Vitamin A prevents dry, flaky skin and helps maintain epithelial tissue (covers organs/organisms- your skin). Cantaloupe, Papaya and other citrus fruits contain Vitamin A. Pro-vitamin A (beta-carotene) protects your skin from sun damage and prevents wrinkling and age spots. Its like sunscreen from the inside out! Dark skin on fruits and vegetables is an indication of the presence of beta-carotene.
The same foods that have a high content of Vitamin A usually have a good amount of Vitamin C as well. Vitamin C is not just good for your immune system; it works wonders for your skin too! It is an anti-oxidant that improves skin cell turnover (younger cells=younger skin) and the formation of collagen. Collagen is responsible for skin elasticity and firmness which results in a more youthful appearance. Similarly, Vitamin E reduces the production of collagenase (anti-collagen) which causes skin sagging and wrinkles. Nuts and leafy green vegetables are a good source of Vitamin E. Add some fish and whole grains to your diet to aid in normal oil production thanks to the Vitamin B they contain. And for you notorious tea sippers; switch to green tea which speeds up the skin cycle and reverses aging.
So my suggested pretty eating plan is– have a fruit salad for breakfast (use fruit that is in season) Organic is good too I guess… I’m not an organic fanatic. For a snack, pop some nuts and have a cup of green tea. Have a green salad for lunch. And finally have fish for dinner a couple times a week— try salmon, trout and tuna… but be careful too much fish can lead to mercury poisoning.
While I love playing in my makeup on occasion, natural beauty is very important to me… so here’s to eating pretty!!! Tell me how it works for you.
