Deep Conditioner Myth and Fact

I was asked to comment on the following opinion piece and want you to check it out!

What they say-

   A deep moisturizing treatment at a salon is a rather expensive service. On average the cost of this service is between $60 to $100. This depends greatly on the salon and the individual performing the treatment. Ironically, this is not a difficult task to perform. 

Brilliant Blondes

How to Moisturize Your Hair Like a Hair Salon Does:

Step 1: Wash your hair with a moisturizing shampoo. Clear Moisture shampoo is one option. This product adds moisture without making your hair greasy. 

Step 2: Squirt a generous amount of conditioner into your hand. Cake as much conditioner into your hair as possible. Ensure that all of your hair is completely covered. Redken Clear Moisture conditioner works as well as the shampoo. But you can use any conditioner or shampoo you wish. 

Step 3: Place a shower cap over your conditioner coated hair. Turn your hair dryer on low. Simply use the hair dryer to blow hot air onto the shower cap, like you would when blow drying your hair. Do this for at least thirty minutes. 

Step 4: Rinse the conditioner out of your hair. Style your hair as desired.

(Ha!)

Ravishing Reds

What I say-

The above procedure sounds okay, but in reality it does not "deep" condition the hair at all, but rather "coats" the outside layer without giving the interior any nutritive value or chemical re-bonding my true "Salon Deep Conditioning."  (Note: Even some salons aren't giving you a "real" deep conditioning service. Be proactive! Check the knowledge of the hairdresser by asking questions!)

Here's the real deal-

The conditioner must be able to penetrate into the cortex layer to be deeply effective. The molecule size of a "conditioner" varies and a regular conditioner can not perform that function due to it's large and long molecular size that is designed to attach and seal the outside layer of the hair.

The hair must be prepared to accept the conditioner, ie: swollen with the "fish scale like" cuticle layer raised and open. Using a conditioning shampoo will actually fill the cuticle with molecules that prohibit the penetration of deep conditioning molecules.

Exquisite Ebony

I use conditioners that are specifically designed to perform chemical changes in the cortex, or middle layer of the hair shaft. These conditioners are only available to a licensed cosmetologist because of the complexity of the chemical make-up and the unusually high pH that can actually damage the hair if used incorrectly.

While we all like to do things at home to "save money," sometimes you really do need the help of a true and knowledgeable hair professional to get the desired result. But if you want to get the best deep conditioning result at home you will need to do the following:

1. Use a clarifying shampoo, build into a lather and leave on for 5 minutes to raise the pH and open the cuticle.

2. Towel dry hair VERY WELL. Water will dilute the conditioner and change the pH and chemical makeup.

3. Apply a professional "Deep Penetrating Conditioner."

4. Place the towel you used to dry your hair and in the microwave for 2-3 minutes until hot. Carefully wrap the hot towel around your head and secure with a hair clip. Allow towel to cool completely!!!!

Dynamic Dimension

5. Rinse your hair with "cool" water.

6. Treat as if a chemical treatment (ie: color or perm) and do not shampoo or get hair wet for at least 48 hours.

Repeating this procedure depends on the hair. Some examples are: course- every four weeks, very damaged- every week, colored- every color service and every haircut.

Hopefully this will clarify deep conditioning for you! When you have questions about your hair, skin or other beauty issues just email me!   Sincerely, Tia

Red's Rockin' Shore's Red

Hey Everyone, I just had to include this fabulously fun color that I did today at Tia'Spa in the Belle Isle Inn.

The owner of this color, her name is Red, is fabulously fun herself so the color fits her to a t! We change the colors up with each color to keep things fresh.

5 generous sections were pre-lightened with bleach to a level 10, separated by papers.

The pre-lightened hair got a semi-permanent magenta color and were again separated by papers.

On the rest of the hair I use a combination of three bold, low-ammonia reds to give Cabernet depth, cranberry brightness and copper flash and believe me, the pictures don't do the color a bit of justice.

Not every color has to "jump out at you" but every color needs to work for the client's needs and remain healthy and shiny. Low ammonia color, like the one I use, allows the hair to remain healthy during deposit and is only productive for use when the color company's molecules are extremely tiny and able to fit within the cortex after the cuticle has been opened. Chemistry...

Anyway, visit Red and her husband at Red's Rockin' Shore Pub for great fun, food, friends and music. Red even plays her guitar on a regular basis.

I love Macaroons

So I got up this morning before my hubby. Sunday morning, the only morning to sleep in in a looooooong time, and I'm up at 6:00 am. Seriously... So I make some amaretto coffee, check my farm (one of my clients needed a neighbor, Cindy, and now she's way back in the dust)and realize that I'm pretty darned hungry. I celebrated my Green Bay's Tia'Spa expansion with hubby last night. Had some Caberaz, my own decanted blend of Cabernet and Shiraz, and my killer guacamole, but forgot to have dinner.

Getting back to hungry! Hmmm, what should I make? It's one of those mornings; nothing that I see looks good. So I want to just "make something up." Great ideas seem to come to me when I wake up in the middle of the night or when I'm hungry and can't find anything I want to eat!

I scrounged around the cupboards and the only thing I saw that tripped my trigger was coconut. It mad me think of macaroons. But what, at 6:30 am, can you make with coconut, to eat for breakfast?

But of course...Macaroon Bread Pudding!

I got to mixing up the ingredients as follows

Place into a small oven-safe bowl
4 slices of whole wheat bread torn into small chunks
1/2 cup of sweetened coconut

Place into a microwave-safe bowl
2 cups of milk
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons butter
Microwave the following until the butter is melted stirring often

Beat together
2 jumbo or 3 medium eggs
1 teaspoon almond extract

Pour the egg mixture into the milk mixture, stir well, then pour over the bread and coconut.

I popped the dish in the toaster oven on convection at 350 for 30 minutes (yes the toaster oven.) The smell of almonds and coconut filled the entire Inn, waking up my husband.

I decided to make a Rum glaze and put into my Pampered Chef sauce pan
1/4 Cup Sailor Jerry spiced rum
1 1/2 teaspoon corn starch
2 Tablespoons butter
Bring to a boil, stir until thickened and clear then pour over the bread pudding.

I figured this recipe would serve 4 but it was so good it only served two. We sure enjoyed it and I hope you do too!! I can hardly wait to serve it to the guests at the Belle Isle Inn!