- Jas
Long Hair, Don't Care
As you can see, I have long hair. It's long for a few reasons.
1. I like to grow it out so that when I donate it, it's not too short. I once had it short and I hated the way I looked.
2. I like to hide behind it. It makes me feel pretty, but also I tend to put my hands through it a lot when I'm nervous. My hair is somewhat a security blanket.
3. As a Sikh, I am not supposed to cut my hair. This has not stopped me from getting it trimmed, trying out bangs, or donating it; I clearly have some shallow ties to my hair as noted in No. 2. But the reason to not cut your hair in Sikhi is that it is a gift from God, and should not be cut and tossed aside in order to fall in line with what society dictates is beautiful. And though I do think there should be some balance between religious practices and a sense of individuality and expression, I think it's a beautiful reminder that this hair is a gift. And whenever I go to donate 6 inches or more, I remember that my long thick hair is also a sign of good health, which I am blessed to have.
Long, thick hair also requires quite a bit of maintenance though.
One thing about my hair care routine is that I do not subject my hair to heat; straighteners, curlers, or blow dryers. Whenever I wash my hair, I let it air dry, which can take a long time since it's thick, but I learned a long time ago that hair this thick requires a lot of heat. And that level of heat would cause more damage to my hair than it was worth to straighten it, or get those bouncy curls.
Instead I let it air dry, or throw it up in a messy bun and when I let it down I have some waves in my hair.
There are some hair products that I absolutely love and wanted to share!
1. Ouai Hair Treatment Mask
I originally came across this in one of my play boxes from Sephora. I have since cancelled my subscription, as I was getting overwhelmed with samples, and I'm not one to use a lot of products. I try to keep my beauty routines fairly simple. This, however, was a favorite, and I have picked it up multiple times since then.
The mask is very simple to use. Just work into your scalp and hair, and leave in for about 10 minutes. Rinse out in the shower. I love massaging it in, cleaning up my room or tidying up my space while I wait, and then hopping into a nice hot shower. I use it every couple of weeks, and my hair feels luxurious when I get out of the shower. It's soft, and has this natural shine, and my scalp feels hydrated.
You can get it at your local Sephora store or here for $32.
2. Hot Oil Hair Treatment from Lush Cosmetics
I love Lush cosmetics because they don't engage in animal testing for their products, and they try to keep their practices eco-friendly, down to the packaging of their products. Just take a look at the hot oil hair treatment pictured above, it's all recyclable. I can't speak to their bath bombs which is one of their larger product lines, but I've always enjoyed their face masks. I was excited to learn a bit about their hair treatments.
This hair treatment requires more effort than the Ouai mask, but if you're looking for something cheaper, eco-friendly, and cruelty free, then it's worth the extra effort.
3. Hang out for 20 minutes while you wait. You could read, clean, paint your nails, wash the bowl the goop was in, do a little dance, pace around and get your steps in. Whatever you want, really, this is you time.
Yes, that picture has a snapchat filter. I was feeling really cute and having fun after doing the hot oil hair treatment. Lush also has different hair treatments for different types of hair. I picked this one because I was worried about the dryness in my scalp. They also have hair treatments specifically for blonde hair or curly hair. I would recommend stopping by and talking to one of the sales reps if you're not sure which one you should try. It's been my experience that they're always really knowledgeable about the products and willing to help.
You can get this at your local Lush store or here for $10.95.
3. Scalp Massaging Shampoo Brush from Vitagoods
This is my most recent purchase and I can't stop raving about it. No matter what shampoo or hair mask you're using, I highly recommend it.
Something I struggle with is dandruff, and having a dry scalp. Regardless of the shampoo I would use, I would find that I would get out of the shower and there would be product or dead skin kind of stuck to my hair. I know it sounds gross and it is. It would feel like no matter how much I lathered and rinsed, I would end up with flakes in my hair, and against my black hair it was incredibly noticeable. It's like it couldn't make it's way through my jungle of hair.
So what does this shampoo brush do? First of all, it's a vibrating scalp massager as well. With just one AA battery, the shampoo brush vibrates and massages your scalp as you shampoo and wash your hair. Imagine all those head massages your Punjabi mom gave you growing up as she worked almond oil into your hair. It's not the same, but it's the closest you will get as an adult living in their own home.
Second, I've found that all the ridges on the shampoo brush help shake up and lift dead skin and any product build up, much better than my fingers ever could. So you may not have dandruff like me, but if you use a lot of product in your hair, like styling products or even dry shampoo, this is a great way to really scrub your scalp. Not scientifically proven, but I imaging that without all that product build up on your head, your likely to have healthier hair growth as well. Besides all that, it's just a really nice clean feeling.
You can order this from a number of outlets including Amazon, Target, or Vitagoods directly.
I think my favorite part of all of these products is it feels like a little me time. It's a part of you hair care routine that can be relaxing.
If you try any of these I'd love to know what you think as well!