Beauty Tips and Tricks

Hair Color Ideas For 2011

2011-05-18T18:57:00.001-07:00

2011 will see some interesting hair colors applied to women's hairs and this year, it seems, funky is in. Coloring your strands is probably the fastest way ever to update your looks. Also it's much cheaper than shopping for new clothes accessories. With different hair colors everyone will notice you and many will even try to imitate your style!
So here are some of the best hair color ideas for 2011 for the modern women of today.
Vegetable colors
Vegetable colors are allowed to only contain vegetable extracts in order to create the composition. It is something like henna, however the materials are different. If you want to use such colors but don't want to leave them in forever, you can easily use these as they are fading away after about eight shampoo sessions.
Skin tones
Skin tones are perfect to compliment any skin type. For example if you are light sensitive, a dark hair style simply doesn't go so well with your type. Also a nicely tanned skin will go perfectly with chestnut or various honey tones. Always check that the color you are applying to your hair actually matches your skin tone, and you're good to go.
Red tones
Red is in again and it's quite easy to achieve that red hair look. As a matter of fact, for 2010 it was the most requested hair color type, based on the feedback of various hair stylists. It is a very sexy shade, one that commands attention right away.
Black tones
Easiest of all colors to achieve simply because the molecules in black are larger than that of other colors, so no matter your original color, black will stick to it quite nicely and for a long time. Black usually gives a quite mysterious and enigmatic look to the face that is so appealing to many.
Blond tones
Blond is usually the most difficult color to achieve, particularly if you've already had some permanent colors applied to your hair before. Especially affected by this is trying to apply very light blond tones. The reason is because strong heat as well as direct sunlight will adversely affect it by make it fade quite fast. One way to go about it is by adding at first darker shades that stick and then going lighter a few treatments later. And most of all avoid strong bleaches as they usually destroy the hair cuticles and follicles quite fast and you'll have a hard time trying to first restore your mane to its original health.

The New Frontier of Anti-Aging Hair Care

2011-05-18T18:55:00.001-07:00

When looking in the mirror, all the women in the world dread looking old. With skin looking young, beautiful, and maintained, women would be relieved to see this looking in a mirror. Women that are beauty conscious have tried delaying the aging process by buying products from cosmetic companies.
This market is very lucrative in the anti-aging industry of cosmetics. These companies have made millions. But isn't it odd to have gray hair with beautiful and young radiant skin under it? Cool Care defies anyone's age because when a person is done using their curling or flat iron, they just place it into the container while it is still hot to cool it down.
Instead of anti-aging products only for wrinkles, products that defy age are now used for hair. If a woman's hair is dull, lifeless, and turning gray or white, then she can be labeled as being old. Just by looking at the hair, age can be truly given away.
Now, women are armed with anti-aging hair products. They are becoming more popular in a woman's hair care regimen. Hair companies are racing against each other for the anti-aging or age defying hair treatments, shampoos, conditioners, and styling products. The same ingredients in anti-aging skin care products are being used in the hair care products. Even hair masks are being made, which is considered a counterpart to hair care product tools.
To protect our gorgeous locks from the sun and free radicals, hair care products now contain SPF ingredients. This is added protection from the effects of the environment and the sun itself.
Nutrition is still key for an anti-aging solution to hair care. Five servings of fresh vegetables and fruits will help hair with anti-aging. Healthy hair needs organic sulfur. So, eat garlic, broccoli, asparagus, red peppers, and onions.
A mineral called Silicon will help hair grow. So, eat cherries, apples, oranges, grapes, carrots, strawberries, cucumbers, and leafy vegetables that are green. Omega fatty acids are oils that are consumed and give your hair a glossy shine to it.
A woman has to maintain her skin the same way with nutrition. Getting eight hours of good sleep and a good exercise regimen will help to fight the signs of aging in hair. Hair will age and will need proper attention to take care of it. It will take science a while to catch up with more anti-aging products for hair to either stop the aging or try to delay the process.

Hair Care in Summer

2011-05-18T18:54:00.000-07:00

Come summer and we start taking measures to protect our skin from the sun. From stocking up sunscreens to using a pair of sunglasses while stepping out of home and drinking water to stay hydrated, we leave no stone unturned. But wait a minute... haven't we forgotten something important? What about hair care?
During summer, we tend to visit the beach and chill in the pool frequently. But more often than not, we forget paying attention to our hair and scalp. Sooner or later it can lead to dry and damaged hair. It's essential that we follow some basic steps and routine to ensure that our tresses stay healthy regardless of the weather.
Here are a few tips to take care of hair during summer:
Cover and tie it up: Use a cap or hat while stepping out in the sun but ensure that it is not too tight and that it allows proper air and blood circulation. Alternatively, you can wear a scarf. Preferably, use a light coloured cotton scarf. Tie up your hair during summers. Plaits, pony tails or a simple bun can prevent your hair from excessive sun exposure and help you stay cool as well.
Consider oil treatment: There are a wide variety of essential oils readily available in stores. The traditional coconut oil, jojoba oil and olive oil, are the best bet this season. Massage your scalp with lukewarm oil to derive maximum benefits.
Stay cool: Hot showers should be avoided. The least you want your hair to go though is a hot water shower after exposure to the scorching sun. A cool water rinse will help your hair retain its natural shimmer.
Shampoo right: Use mild shampoos that moisturize your hair as well. Do not over shampoo your hair. Let your hair absorb the natural oils.
Condition: Remember to use conditioner after you shampoo your hair. Dry your hair with towel (instead of blow dryer) and apply a leave-in conditioner evenly on your tresses. Preferably, opt for a leave-in conditional that comes with natural ingredients. Regular deep conditioning in summer season is bliss.
Say no to electric appliances: Avoid using hair dryers, rollers and curling irons. Let the hair dry and set naturally.
Forget experimentation: Do not experiment too much with your hair. Hair colours, bleaches and straighteners should be used in moderation or avoided during the hot season. Opt for natural hair products and stay away from the ones with alcohol content that result in hair dryness. Hairsprays should be a strict NO in this season. They come with ingredients that cause drying and reduce the moisture content of the hair.
Use UV protection: Save your hair and scalp from damage by applying good quality hair products with SPF when you need to be out in sun for long.
Cut, cut, cut: Trim your hair every month to avoid split and frizzy ends.
Drink well: Consume enough amount of water since good hydration also means healthy hair. Take good care of your hair in summer and see them shine and bounce when monsoon arrives!

Natural Products for Hair Care

2011-05-18T18:52:00.000-07:00

What exactly are 'natural' products for hair care?
What does the word 'natural' really mean in a shampoo or hair care product?
In my opinion, no word is abused more than 'natural' in the beauty industry (a close second would be 'low fat', abused widely by the food industry). Label after label mention this word proudly, preferably in bright, green letters. It, of course, helps to fool the buyer into believing that the product is more natural than it really is, that everything was manufactured and bottled in some quaint meadow by hand rather than some dark and grey warehouse by machines.
In the purest sense of the word, a product would be truly natural if it contained no chemicals at all. If the ingredients list of a product has no vague, chemical sounding names, then you can safely say that it is natural.
But to be perfectly honest, no product can be completely 'natural'. If it were that way, it probably wouldn't last on your shelf for more than a few days. So every shampoo, conditioner, tonic, etc. has to have certain chemicals to act as preservatives if nothing else.
A lot of Ayurveda products claim to be 'natural'. Ayurveda, which is an ancient Indian medical science that utilizes herbs, spices, fruits and other ingredients for formulating cures, is largely chemical free. You can create Ayurveda cures at home yourself, though a lot of companies are selling them online and at health stores these days. One Ayurveda hair tonic, for instance, makes use of a mixture of coconut and jasmine oil, along with extract of amla (Indian gooseberry), 'shikakai' and henna. This mixture can be made at home and is absolutely fabulous for the hair.
Ayurveda, however, is still at the fringes of the hair care industry. Few people know about it and a larger proportion still doubt its efficacy. In the mainstream hair care and beauty industry, it is impossible to find completely natural products for hair care. One of the most respected companies in the business - Aveda - which I recommend highly, freely admits that its products are largely derived from plants but refrain from using the word 'natural'. Nevertheless, the company strives to use only the bare minimum amount of chemicals, and uses only those that it deems necessary to prolong the shelf life of its products, or produce suds (consumers scarcely trust a shampoo that doesn't produce suds) and other aesthetically pleasing effects (color, smell, etc.).
What you should look out for are synthetic substances in the ingredients list. An ingredient should either be derived from natural sources, or should explicitly be a chemical. Aloe Vera and jojoba oil - two common ingredients in many hair care products - are often derived from synthetic sources but aren't credited as such in the ingredients list. So be very careful of products that promise these two ingredients.
I would also like to point out the fetishism that has come to be associated with the word 'natural'. Just because something is natural doesn't mean that it is actually good for you. Petrochemicals are completely natural, but clog up pores and are very harmful to your hair. So instead of looking explicitly for natural products for hair care, take a more holistic overview of the product. If it tries to minimize the use of chemicals, and shies away from using synthetic versions of ingredients, then you can be sure that it is a good bet.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6118315

Basic Tips and Thoughts About Hair Care

2011-05-18T18:51:00.000-07:00

When it comes to hair care, we naturally start thinking about the high-protein diet, washing techniques, various shampoo & conditioner variants and herbal remedies. For many among us, hair care starts after you see a silver strand, or when you start losing your hair a lot, or if you feel itchy about the scalp. There are many who consider hair care as a 'fashion or glamour fancy' and do not feel it as a necessary to follow in the daily routine, that's an opposite extreme. But really, how important is hair care for us, and why?
Hair should always be seen as a part of our skin, which is the largest organ of our body. Apart from providing a beautiful crown to our head, it serves many important functions. The health of our hair directly indicates our inner health harmony, and thus most of the systemic ailments do manifest their effects on the hair economy. If you are suffering with some hormonal imbalance, or get an attack of typhoid / malaria, or start losing your vitality due to a chronic gastric derangement, or have a gastric mal-absorption problem, it will be manifested on hair as well.
Hair are made up of proteins, as are muscles. Proteins also are a major component of many hormones, enzymes and immune cells. Thus if you are not eating enough proteins, the body will experience a shortage of it and thus would use the available proteins to build these more important tasks such as muscle repair, production of hormones & enzymes, and immunity. Hair will be given lower priority in case of such protein-crisis. Thus if you are not eating enough proteins and other essential minerals & vitamins, it would be manifested first on your nails, skin and hair. Hair problems, thus can turn out to be the early indicators of internal health disturbance.
Most of us take care of hair or a part of hair that is visible. Thus washing and oiling becomes their only hair care regime; but that is not all. Apart from that one should also massage your scalp every day, at least for 5 minutes. It will not only improve the blood circulation but will also induce a sound sleep, if done at bed time. This massage may or may not be with the use of oil, just doing it with fingertips is enough.
We have already discussed a lot about the protein intake, which is the most essential part of hair care apart from the supply of nutritional supplements which can include Vitamin B, Vitamin, C, Vitamin E and zinc which an excellent source of nutrients for the hair. The diet should have iron, proteins, vitamin complexes and plenty of water. Foods like fresh fruits and vegetables are usually the most ideal for the promotion of healthy hair and growth, since they provide nutrients with the essential fiber as well.
Last but not the least, mental peace. Not worrying about your hair itself can turn out to be one of the significant hair care tip you can follow.