I've been wanting to know this for ages. I had a shampoo that would make my hair silky smooth until it wouldn't anymore and I've always wanted to know why
And for me shampoos usually stop working after one bottle and I had to switch them all the time. Recently found one that has been good for 3 bottles straight
Would absolutely love more hair videos! I feel like the skincare community is becoming properly educated, however there is SO much misinformation out there regarding hair and hair care products. Excellent video as always! 💜
Don't forget sea water! I spend the summers swimming 6 hours a day in the ocean instead of the pool, and I need a ton more conditioning or I can't even get a comb through it.
Would love to see your opinion on people who have stopped using shampoo and prefer "natural ingredients", and how such prohibitions affect the scalp. It's very interesting to learn more about shampooing, especially after Mike Hanna's controversial video
oh my gosh I moved to a new town about 30 min from our old home and just that small distance has resulted in the hard water in our new town absolutely DESTROYING my hair. we installed filters (on the main water line and on our shower heads too) and now my hair's slowly starting to recover. but god my skin and hair have been suffering 😭
@@flowergirl8887 In my experience, over the counter water filters for shower heads really don't work well. The best thing is to buy or rent a full house water softener. The upfront cost is expensive, but it will save your skin, hair and pipes!
Has anyone else had their hair colour/texture permanently change after chemotherapy? Mine changed dramatically immediately following treatment, but it never truly went back to the way it was. It does not even lay in the same direction and shines a very vivid unnatural red in sunlight - I assume that is the underlying pigment showing through? I even have some hairs that are not blonde or white but genuinely see-through.
I have a family member who has had cancer twice (chemo both times), and even though the hair did return to normal after a few years for them, they did gain some seriously curly texture and red/copper tones for a while until it grew out all the way.
So I have had chemo, radiation and surgery. Where I had radiation, my hair is a tighter curl pattern than before. The other half of my head is my typical curl pattern. That's years after treatment. My hair came our very wire like and thin when it first came in, but after some time it went back to normal, although still curlier than before. I have the natural red highlights and some pure white hairs in there now too. I've seen some people go from straight to curly and some go from curly to straight. Chemo works on each person differently, just like not everyone gets exactly the same side effects.
Would LOVE to see your explaination of how henna works on hair and long term effects of it. People are raving about it and it has been used for so long in Asia and Africa.
I’m Asian and have used henna for my hair many times and know literally dozens of people who have used it pretty much a majority of their adult lives. If you use actual henna powder, I know there aren’t any bad long-term effects that you *see*. I can’t speak to the chemical changes, but, in my experience, there isn’t damage from it. The henna we use has a reddish-brown colour than the darker varieties in other parts of Asia and in Africa, so most of the people I know use it for its dyeing properties. The plant apparently also has anti-fungal and anti-oxidative properties so some people also use it to help treat scalp irritation and dandruff. If you have sensitive skin, I can imagine that it might cause irritation and redness, but I personally don’t know anybody who has experienced that. I have seen social media videos of people using the ready-made henna tattoo paste (the ones available in cones) on their face or hair, with unpleasant results, but that is most likely because of the additional dyes and stabilising chemicals that are added to the paste. I’ve only ever used pure henna powder mixed with hibiscus flower powder, rose water, Fuller’s earth clay (Multani mitti) or coconut oil as a hair mask and it always made my hair super shiny and soft and gave my black hair a reddish-brown tinge.
@@ExothermicRxnThank you for making this comment! 🥰 I’ve been using henna on my hair for over a decade and have had no issues no matter in what state my hair was (chemically relaxed or natural). I also use pure henna. Unfortunately there’s also a rise in the black communities that say henna damages hair. 🥲
I've used henna for years and it definitely made my hear look and behave better and healthier. When you use henna you need an acid and heat to activate it, the acid in the mixture could also have beneficial effects like hair smoothing. I have wavy fine hair and eventually quit using it, because it does dye your hair red. After the first few days it does fade/oxidize to a more natural tone. If you have very dark hair you may not have a huge difference in color but it does become redder
Absolutely love your videos! I majored in chemistry and WISH we did more cosmetic chemistry 🥲 I would love to see a video about hair porosity and products for each or what to do if you have mixed hair porosity (like myself)
Using different oils and conditioners on a different parts of Your hairs depends on porosity. You can always try to cut the part with a different one (if it was bleached for example and wento into high porosity) but that can be painfull. There is also a way to use herb dye for hairs henna (red) and cassia (no color/yellow shades) are staying on hairs, getting into the sheels and changing structure of hair. Cassia can wash out after 6-8 washes, henna stays in your hairs permanently and you can remove it only with bleaching. I have fall down from very high porosity to middle in half of a year after around 11 layers of henna (put on hairs around 1 or 2 times in a month, not too much, as this is a high humectant treatment, and my hairs preffers proteins and oils) :) On my dark brown natural hairs it gived red shades in sunlight, and make them a bit closer to black when not outside buildings.
I use clarifying shampoos because I wash my hair once a week. They do tend to be drying so I squish conditioner into my hair before detangling. I have coarse, thick curly hair.
I recently did balayage on my curly hair and couldn't figure out why none of my pricey shampoos and conditioners weren't working (Pureology), therefore I'm so glad that you made this video, Michelle. Thanks a million from someone whose hair currently looks like a bird's nest ❤
@@debpalm8667same!!! I literally just went out and bought a different conditioner to wash my hair and it already looks and feels so much better 😭 Michelle is an angel and must be protected at all costs
I have mixed afro-caucasian hair naturally (about a 2c-3a) and when I started doing keratin treatments and balayage I had to change my ENTIRE hair routine. it also didn’t help that I was previously using lots of sheamoisture and rich oil/butter products and actually I realised that my hair needs more protein than fat to feel healthy (hence the keratin!)
This is super interesting. What happens to me is, having really oily hair, I try something new (say a sample), and suddenly my hair stays clean for a couple extra days. I run to buy the full size but after a bit my hair is back to feeling oily the day after washing. Having being told hair doesn’t “get used to” shampoos, I never knew what was up with that 😅. Now there’s an explanation. Thank you.
Oh, I’ve been told hair does “get use to” shampoo and conditioner. That’s why you should, supposedly, change your products every 4-6 months or so. I’ve just recently been told that so I haven’t proven it yet 🙈
Yeah that’s so interesting! Why does some shampoo and conditioners leave the hair feeling clean for 3 days vs some others. I’d love going to the salon cuz their products left my hair fresh for days!
Hi Michelle! Off topic, but have you ever done a blog post or video about testing pH of skincare products? As someone who doesn’t know a lot about pH or even testing it, I’d LOVE to hear your thoughts about all those people using those little test strips at home and if it even does anything.
Yes, product ingredients can change and the brands don't even have to say. Some might even stop making the product because the cost for ingredients/shipping have gone up or they can no longer source a particular ingredient. Annoying when you find something you like and works for you.
It’s crazy how I don’t really care that much about skincare or makeup or anything, yet I can’t stop watching this channel. You just make it that interesting lol
This is a very timely video because I have been "researching" about frizzy/flyaway hair. I have been trying a bunch of products and nothing is working. I have these flyaway hair that makes me look like I have been electrocuted. I even tried CGM but I barely have any waves (straight Asian hair). I used to have a very minimal hair routine (just shampoo, conditioner, and air dry) and silky smooth hair. After watching the video, I now think it is probably because I moved to a place with hard water and I also started swimming last year. I would also be interested in the science of flyaway hair.
I had no idea that hard water can accelerate oxidation damage! I live in a pretty harsh desert climate, so the UV is pretty much always intense (around an index level of 10) and I've always wondered how large of a part the UV damage plays in why the top half of my hair is way less curly. We also have horrendously hard water here, so now I know what I need to do to try and fix it and will probably try olaplex as well to see if it helps haha.
Interesting, I think then I now now I need to sun tan my problem area where the bald part of me curls Matt up like Velcro. It also explains why my front hair is straighter and easier to detangle
I never knew about this. I usually have 2-3 shampoos on rotation, where I alternate them between washes. I use Olaplex and Amika, and sometimes pureology, tsubaki and Redken. Olaplex makes my hair the smoothest and softest so it's my favourite one. I live in a soft water area in the UK, but when I visit London which is hard water, I notice a difference in my hair.
This is so fascinating. Please keep giving us hair content!! Skincare content is starting to get easier to find reliable sources online these days, but I have so few sources on haircare.
THANK YOU! I'm so glad the UA-cam algorithm lead me to this video as you've literally saved my knee length hair! For months it has felt like conditioner no longer works - whether it has silicones or is silicone free. Moving to products with amodimethicone have stopped me from doing a drastic cut. It's so wonderful to have hair again that isn't fighting against me!
Im growing out a buzzcut pixie so i feel like my hair type changes dramatically from week to week as my ends get further & further from my scalp. It's been interesting trying to adjust my routine...
@@LabMuffinBeautyScience Hi Michelle, quick question, is hydroxyethylpiperazine Ethane Sulfonic Acid is for your skin? I heard it causes free radical and wanted to know if it's true?
Really helpful. My biggest takeaways are that a shampoo may be only really cleaning some things from hair but leaving others behind which then accumulate until the point it's noticeable. But because it wasn't all at once it's not obvious the shampoo simply needs to be rotated with one that cleans the holdover ingredient better. Also I've long known hard water was a problem, but never knew the problem was compounded by using fatty acids in hair products. I've liked fatty acids in general for my hair but may need to rethink that.
Since I moved and the water changed from medium to hard tap water, my hair can't take soap (which I loved before), not even apple cider vinegar rinse is working anymore. My scalp started becoming very sensitive and itches really bad sometimes. Very frustrating. And the shower heads you mentioned are not that cheao, unfortunately :/
My first pregnancy (20 years ago when I had a shoulder length bob): about 4 months in, over the space of 3 days, my hair went from thin and fine but manageable to stiff straw. Even my hairdresser hadn't seen as big a change before mine. A couple of weeks of trialing different products led us to the treatments for permed hair giving me (almost) normal hair again. It was expensive. I'm not one for fussy hair care, I don't even have a hair dryer. After bubs was born, my hair went greasy, so I was able to go back to old faithful! Funnily enough, my second pregnancy didn't seem to shock my hair at all; although I still had major "Morning" sickness with both.
@@madamedex5989 I suppose it makes sense; I'm now at the other end and going through peri-menopause and have been finding the odd whisker where I don't want 😔
it's hard for me to find anything on this, mostly i keep getting marketing articles shilling for dry shampoo, which isn't what i'm looking for. my questions are: what's the science between hair being better/easier to style on day 2 or 3? what's our natural oil, and how does it compare with oils in hair products? my hair has become so dry & frizzy.
I love all this hair care content lately! I'd be super interested to hear about hair care (and skincare) for frequent swimming in chlorinated pools. I've heard that vitamin C can neutralise chlorine. I've heard that you can just use a clarifying shampoo, but others say you should use a shampoo specifically designed for swimming (which is just impossible to find where I'm at). There's a lot of noise and its hard to figure out what to listen to
I'm planning to go swimming regularly during the colder months, so I would be interested in that, too. I'm pretty happy with my hair, right now and don't want to ruin it 😅
There are a few chelating shampoos that might work for you, like Malibu C Un doo goo, Malibu C Hard Water wellness and Bumble and Bumble Sunday shampoo.
Vitamin C does neutralize chlorine. I was a competitive swimmer growing up and just had damaged hair and itchy dry skin for years, and as an adult I learned about using vitamin C/ascorbic acid to neutralize chlorine, and I can’t go back now that I know. You can make it yourself pretty cheaply using vitamin C crystals you can buy at a health food store. Comes in pretty large containers, and you don’t need a lot for a bottle of homebrew swim spray.
I have very bleached sections of my hair (I wanted grey streaks and under layer) and my hair is very thin, fine, and brittle usually because i get too depressed to care for it sometimes. I soak my hair through and then coat it gently in coconut oil or my hair oil that I hadon hand at the time, it's cocoa and honey hair and scalp oil from uhhh I forget. But it's a pink bottle. And I stayed in the pool all day in a loose braid and was too tired to rinse my hair after, and I was still not damaged after a lot of swimming days. So I think that helps, just have water in your hair already and a good oil blend. I think an oil that can soak into the hair and one that stays on the surface helps. I also go easy on shampoo unless I've been in the pool to give my hair a break and just conditioner wash in the summer.
So add a showe filter, use clarifying shampoo once in a while, use humidity resistant products if necessary , make sure your shampoos and conditioners complement each other at least for me.
How can I choose a good humidity resistant product? Which ingredients do I have to look for? I really struggle with this problem. My hair are flat iron straight and then I go out, 30 minutes and hair became a wavy mess. And i have fine hair too.
That was super interesting. My hair is behaving itself really well, atm, but I love learning about this stuff. I've definitely struggled with this in the past. My hair is thick and dense and wavy, but not really damaged. In the end, it was conditioner for 'fine' hair, that ended up working for me. And no leave in or such, although that is always recommended, for wavy/curly hair. Turns out, my hair just doesn't need any of that and will turn limp and straight, if I overwhelm it with conditioning ingredients. Especially any kind of oil does not agree with it. Less is more for me, apparently 🙂
I literally have 4 different shampoos (5 because I have one for after pool/ocean swimming) in my shower that I basically rotate through 🤦🏾♀️ and I've started to use a filter for my shower head everytime I move because the water has been killing my hair 🫠
You’re fantastic! Educated and knowledgeable. What’s the hurry?? You have value able info to share with people who want to hear what you have to say. Please…sloooow dowwwn. It becomes a little stressful after a while. Thank you!
I want your opinion on oiling your hair. Is it actually worth doing? What types of oil? I saw your rosemary video but I see all these oiling hair videos and honestly their hair looks amazing but I just question everything now.
Whenever I go to south Europe (I live in the north where the water is soft) where the water is hard my hair becomes so damn silky smooth, I wish it was always like this
“water softening shower head”. if only it were that simple! filter shower heads are more like the brita filters. they can remove chlorine and some other particles or chemicals, but they don’t soften water! the only one i have found out about that does is the WaterStick brand. it’s often recommended to get a whole house softener instead (not possible for me in a condo with shared water between units). The softened water is still an alkaline ph, and the shower filter tupe heads may make water even MORE alkaline than it was without the filter! i haven’t tried one yet, but my best plan for hard water is to use a shampoo designed for hard water, that chelates.
Oh man. Do you have a video on how to deal with TOO SOFT water (my city oversoftens the water)? My curls are almost non-existent since moving here. So many products and so much information on hard water, but basically nothing on overly softened water. 😤😭
Thank you for being the first person to validate & explain why I need to constantly rotate my shampoos-if I don't, I slowly get buildup of just...gunk, no matter how often I shampoo 🧡
I don't know why, but the Elseve Extraordinary Oil works wonderfully on my hair; all the products have been working for years. Besides the scent I love, I never became bored.
I’d love to see your take on rice or enzyme powder exfoliating cleansers, ones from brand like Good Molecules, Juno & Co, and By Wishtrend. When I was younger I used to scrub my face with an exfoliating glove (super abrasive I know 😭😭) but it really helped me with skin brightening for my discoloration and my skin texture I since then have stopped but now that these have been making rounds on Tiktok I’d like to see a cosmetic chemist view on their Ingredients and how they work.
Excellent video! 😯😍 Can you please make a video about what surfactants in formulations work less effective against hard water? It would help so much and maybe I wouldn’t need to clarify more often if I don’t own shower filters?
Thank you for a great explanation! I have a very weird reaction to hard water, and my face improved dramatically when I started washing my face with bottled soft water (I've been doing this for about 10 years now). Just one question: do softening shower heads really work? I used to think that only a full-sized softening system for your home (membrane columns) can significantly change the water hardness.
I recently moved to a different city and the water is really hard and it has iron. Washing clothes, hair, myself, everything is a nightmare. My hair is frizzy, puffy, rough, and hard. Idk what to do. How to improve and/or repair my hair?
During 6:16, you mentioned that plant oils won't have any problem if there's no hydroxide base. Are olive oil and coconut oil considered as plant oils?
@@SweetStuffOnMonarchLane the ingredients list will have one of these ingredients: lye, potassium hydroxide, sodium hydroxide or say saponified oils of …. This is assuming that the ingredients list is a proper one.
I've been needing this video. I did a big chop and almost all of my treated hair is gone, and now my hair is reacting differently to things that were fine before hand . It's common sense but I needed some extra input lol
hi! I was wondering if you would ever do a video about retinal. I often see it in cosmetics with concentration simmilar to tretinoin rather than retinol. I see an explanation that retinal is one conversion less to trerinoin than retinol, but I dont get the fact that is is still used in such low concentrstions. I've also read that retinal gives people less iritation than retinol, which conserns me a bit since both of them theoretically should work the same and just give the same end product which is known for its irritancy. I cant find any satisfying data about retinal and im really curious if it is really so potent that it is used in 10 times less concentration than standard retinol products while having less side effects. Great video as always ❤️
this is so helpful, thank you! would you consider doing a video on skincare products that change consistency when applied to skin (eg balm-to-oil, or cream-to- powder)? I've noticed a trend and i'm curious how it works!
could you do a video on lamellar water please? I tried L'oreal's wonder water and it made my hair less frizzy immediately! I whether it is beneficial to use long term. thank you!
please talk about how to care for scalp, i have always had super oily, gunk y scalp and i haven’t found a clarifying shampoo or scalp serum that has helped, it gets oily again really fast and doesn’t leave it clean
I only use conditioner on my hair, have only shampooed my hair a handful of times in about 15 years, I find I need to change my conditioner as well. Shampoo felt like it stripped all the oil from my hair and it was always poofy and fly away.
Getting a filter for my shower was the biggest difference I noticed. I live in a desert type environment and the water is hard af. I used high quality products already, and just changing that has helped me grow out my hair longer and I notice much less breakage and frizzed ends.
Me: oh no, i cant use volume conditioner Oh. Coarse and poofy you say? Sign me up for the toni & guy! I am well stocked on hair care rn, with several "charged" options, but i cannot wait to run out and start checking the cheap aisles for the good ingredients! Between this channel and Dr Dray, us frugal folks are SET!
I live in a very hard water community, so we got a whole-house water softener which I know uses regular salt. A quick googling says that hard positively charged ions (mg2+, ca2+, etc) get exchanged for Na+ from the salt. Sodium ions are less massive and have half the charge, but can I expect a similar effect as hard water? Do you have any insights of that interplay with hair?
I live in an area with hard water and I did notice a big impact in my hair and skin. Is there any shower head softener that you recommend? I have difficulty identifying one that is legitimate and will indeed work. Thanks! 😊
This video was so helpful! I have a question/request. What are some good scalp-hydrating products to use regularly after shampooing? (preferably lightweight!) Are the ingredients to look for or avoid? I have scalp problems, I have minor psoriasis, used to have yeast problems, am allergic to sulfates, the list goes on. I've found recommendations online that using good scalp hydrating products and after shampooing can be a good step to hydrate and protect the scalp skin after washing. (Like adding adding lotion after washing your face, important to keep the skin healthy.) I've found most conditioners are not really made for this, and leave the scalp feeling a bit icky. "scalp lotion" doesn't seem to exist. What can I use?
Michelle, I would love to know your thoughts on shower filters in general. I'm looking into getting one and I'm so confused. Thanks for another amazing video :)
I'll watch this in a moment. Discovered you via Nebula and would prefer to watch you there. However the vid that caught me was the one on shampoo. At the end you asked if this was of interest. I have grey/white hair now at one time I had curly to nearly an afro dark brown/black and red hair. So the top of my hair is sort of straight the parts below are curly/wavey. Shampoo and CONDITIONer seem to be important Oh it's also shoulder length. So definitely want on Nebula another episode or more? Thanks
The Queen returns
Fr
I know right?!
Love the presence and am here for it. 👑
I feel like a proud organic chemistry phd student whenever I watch her videos.
I've been wanting to know this for ages. I had a shampoo that would make my hair silky smooth until it wouldn't anymore and I've always wanted to know why
And for me shampoos usually stop working after one bottle and I had to switch them all the time. Recently found one that has been good for 3 bottles straight
Would absolutely love more hair videos! I feel like the skincare community is becoming properly educated, however there is SO much misinformation out there regarding hair and hair care products. Excellent video as always! 💜
Don't forget sea water! I spend the summers swimming 6 hours a day in the ocean instead of the pool, and I need a ton more conditioning or I can't even get a comb through it.
Wow that would make a big difference!
Would love to see your opinion on people who have stopped using shampoo and prefer "natural ingredients", and how such prohibitions affect the scalp.
It's very interesting to learn more about shampooing, especially after Mike Hanna's controversial video
oh my gosh I moved to a new town about 30 min from our old home and just that small distance has resulted in the hard water in our new town absolutely DESTROYING my hair. we installed filters (on the main water line and on our shower heads too) and now my hair's slowly starting to recover. but god my skin and hair have been suffering 😭
Hi what shower head filter are you using? I am having the same problem. Thank you
@@flowergirl8887 In my experience, over the counter water filters for shower heads really don't work well. The best thing is to buy or rent a full house water softener. The upfront cost is expensive, but it will save your skin, hair and pipes!
Would love a video explaining how to balance protein vs moisture in my hair shampoo / conditioner products.
Has anyone else had their hair colour/texture permanently change after chemotherapy?
Mine changed dramatically immediately following treatment, but it never truly went back to the way it was.
It does not even lay in the same direction and shines a very vivid unnatural red in sunlight - I assume that is the underlying pigment showing through? I even have some hairs that are not blonde or white but genuinely see-through.
I have a family member who has had cancer twice (chemo both times), and even though the hair did return to normal after a few years for them, they did gain some seriously curly texture and red/copper tones for a while until it grew out all the way.
So I have had chemo, radiation and surgery. Where I had radiation, my hair is a tighter curl pattern than before. The other half of my head is my typical curl pattern. That's years after treatment. My hair came our very wire like and thin when it first came in, but after some time it went back to normal, although still curlier than before. I have the natural red highlights and some pure white hairs in there now too. I've seen some people go from straight to curly and some go from curly to straight. Chemo works on each person differently, just like not everyone gets exactly the same side effects.
I hadn't realized you got your PhD! Congrats Dr. Michelle!
Thank you! I actually got it almost exactly 10 years ago, but "Dr Wong" is still very weird to me 😅
Would LOVE to see your explaination of how henna works on hair and long term effects of it. People are raving about it and it has been used for so long in Asia and Africa.
I’m Asian and have used henna for my hair many times and know literally dozens of people who have used it pretty much a majority of their adult lives. If you use actual henna powder, I know there aren’t any bad long-term effects that you *see*. I can’t speak to the chemical changes, but, in my experience, there isn’t damage from it. The henna we use has a reddish-brown colour than the darker varieties in other parts of Asia and in Africa, so most of the people I know use it for its dyeing properties. The plant apparently also has anti-fungal and anti-oxidative properties so some people also use it to help treat scalp irritation and dandruff.
If you have sensitive skin, I can imagine that it might cause irritation and redness, but I personally don’t know anybody who has experienced that. I have seen social media videos of people using the ready-made henna tattoo paste (the ones available in cones) on their face or hair, with unpleasant results, but that is most likely because of the additional dyes and stabilising chemicals that are added to the paste. I’ve only ever used pure henna powder mixed with hibiscus flower powder, rose water, Fuller’s earth clay (Multani mitti) or coconut oil as a hair mask and it always made my hair super shiny and soft and gave my black hair a reddish-brown tinge.
@@ExothermicRxnThank you for making this comment! 🥰 I’ve been using henna on my hair for over a decade and have had no issues no matter in what state my hair was (chemically relaxed or natural). I also use pure henna. Unfortunately there’s also a rise in the black communities that say henna damages hair. 🥲
I've used henna for years and it definitely made my hear look and behave better and healthier. When you use henna you need an acid and heat to activate it, the acid in the mixture could also have beneficial effects like hair smoothing. I have wavy fine hair and eventually quit using it, because it does dye your hair red. After the first few days it does fade/oxidize to a more natural tone. If you have very dark hair you may not have a huge difference in color but it does become redder
Absolutely love your videos! I majored in chemistry and WISH we did more cosmetic chemistry 🥲 I would love to see a video about hair porosity and products for each or what to do if you have mixed hair porosity (like myself)
Same here, with mixed porosity!
@@standdownrobots_ihaveoldglory would be great to know what to do cos my hair is wild😂
Using different oils and conditioners on a different parts of Your hairs depends on porosity. You can always try to cut the part with a different one (if it was bleached for example and wento into high porosity) but that can be painfull. There is also a way to use herb dye for hairs henna (red) and cassia (no color/yellow shades) are staying on hairs, getting into the sheels and changing structure of hair. Cassia can wash out after 6-8 washes, henna stays in your hairs permanently and you can remove it only with bleaching. I have fall down from very high porosity to middle in half of a year after around 11 layers of henna (put on hairs around 1 or 2 times in a month, not too much, as this is a high humectant treatment, and my hairs preffers proteins and oils) :) On my dark brown natural hairs it gived red shades in sunlight, and make them a bit closer to black when not outside buildings.
Green Beauty is a great channel for "ethnic" hair - she's a chemist!
I use clarifying shampoos because I wash my hair once a week. They do tend to be drying so I squish conditioner into my hair before detangling. I have coarse, thick curly hair.
I recently did balayage on my curly hair and couldn't figure out why none of my pricey shampoos and conditioners weren't working (Pureology), therefore I'm so glad that you made this video, Michelle. Thanks a million from someone whose hair currently looks like a bird's nest ❤
I need Michelle on speed dial!!😂
@@debpalm8667same!!! I literally just went out and bought a different conditioner to wash my hair and it already looks and feels so much better 😭 Michelle is an angel and must be protected at all costs
I have mixed afro-caucasian hair naturally (about a 2c-3a) and when I started doing keratin treatments and balayage I had to change my ENTIRE hair routine. it also didn’t help that I was previously using lots of sheamoisture and rich oil/butter products and actually I realised that my hair needs more protein than fat to feel healthy (hence the keratin!)
This is super interesting. What happens to me is, having really oily hair, I try something new (say a sample), and suddenly my hair stays clean for a couple extra days. I run to buy the full size but after a bit my hair is back to feeling oily the day after washing. Having being told hair doesn’t “get used to” shampoos, I never knew what was up with that 😅. Now there’s an explanation. Thank you.
Oh, I’ve been told hair does “get use to” shampoo and conditioner. That’s why you should, supposedly, change your products every 4-6 months or so. I’ve just recently been told that so I haven’t proven it yet 🙈
@@ivingzuniga841 omg i hope it's not true because it's hell to search for new products that work😢😢 i hope she can make a video explaining this
Yeah that’s so interesting! Why does some shampoo and conditioners leave the hair feeling clean for 3 days vs some others. I’d love going to the salon cuz their products left my hair fresh for days!
Hi Michelle! Off topic, but have you ever done a blog post or video about testing pH of skincare products? As someone who doesn’t know a lot about pH or even testing it, I’d LOVE to hear your thoughts about all those people using those little test strips at home and if it even does anything.
I've done a few IG posts and YT shorts on it but not a full YT video yet! Great idea
Yes, product ingredients can change and the brands don't even have to say. Some might even stop making the product because the cost for ingredients/shipping have gone up or they can no longer source a particular ingredient. Annoying when you find something you like and works for you.
It’s crazy how I don’t really care that much about skincare or makeup or anything, yet I can’t stop watching this channel. You just make it that interesting lol
This is a very timely video because I have been "researching" about frizzy/flyaway hair. I have been trying a bunch of products and nothing is working. I have these flyaway hair that makes me look like I have been electrocuted. I even tried CGM but I barely have any waves (straight Asian hair). I used to have a very minimal hair routine (just shampoo, conditioner, and air dry) and silky smooth hair. After watching the video, I now think it is probably because I moved to a place with hard water and I also started swimming last year. I would also be interested in the science of flyaway hair.
I had no idea that hard water can accelerate oxidation damage! I live in a pretty harsh desert climate, so the UV is pretty much always intense (around an index level of 10) and I've always wondered how large of a part the UV damage plays in why the top half of my hair is way less curly. We also have horrendously hard water here, so now I know what I need to do to try and fix it and will probably try olaplex as well to see if it helps haha.
Interesting, I think then I now now I need to sun tan my problem area where the bald part of me curls Matt up like Velcro.
It also explains why my front hair is straighter and easier to detangle
I never knew about this. I usually have 2-3 shampoos on rotation, where I alternate them between washes. I use Olaplex and Amika, and sometimes pureology, tsubaki and Redken. Olaplex makes my hair the smoothest and softest so it's my favourite one. I live in a soft water area in the UK, but when I visit London which is hard water, I notice a difference in my hair.
Would love to see science behind styling products!! For example, what ingredient provide heat protection or holding power.
Michelle how wonderful to see you. I have about six types of shampoos and use a different one every time I wash my hair.
This is so fascinating. Please keep giving us hair content!! Skincare content is starting to get easier to find reliable sources online these days, but I have so few sources on haircare.
THANK YOU!
I'm so glad the UA-cam algorithm lead me to this video as you've literally saved my knee length hair! For months it has felt like conditioner no longer works - whether it has silicones or is silicone free. Moving to products with amodimethicone have stopped me from doing a drastic cut. It's so wonderful to have hair again that isn't fighting against me!
Im growing out a buzzcut pixie so i feel like my hair type changes dramatically from week to week as my ends get further & further from my scalp. It's been interesting trying to adjust my routine...
Now I need to go apologize to my sister because thought she was just a product junkie 😂 Thanks for the info!
Hi Michelle! I love your videos, but really loving all the hair content lately ❤ PS group work truly is the worst lol
Thank you! Glad to hear you're enjoying it 😊
@@LabMuffinBeautyScience Hi Michelle, quick question, is hydroxyethylpiperazine Ethane Sulfonic Acid is for your skin? I heard it causes free radical and wanted to know if it's true?
Really helpful. My biggest takeaways are that a shampoo may be only really cleaning some things from hair but leaving others behind which then accumulate until the point it's noticeable. But because it wasn't all at once it's not obvious the shampoo simply needs to be rotated with one that cleans the holdover ingredient better. Also I've long known hard water was a problem, but never knew the problem was compounded by using fatty acids in hair products. I've liked fatty acids in general for my hair but may need to rethink that.
I actually rotate through 4 shampoos and 3 conditioners simply because my hair needs different things at different times.
Since I moved and the water changed from medium to hard tap water, my hair can't take soap (which I loved before), not even apple cider vinegar rinse is working anymore. My scalp started becoming very sensitive and itches really bad sometimes. Very frustrating. And the shower heads you mentioned are not that cheao, unfortunately :/
My first pregnancy (20 years ago when I had a shoulder length bob): about 4 months in, over the space of 3 days, my hair went from thin and fine but manageable to stiff straw. Even my hairdresser hadn't seen as big a change before mine. A couple of weeks of trialing different products led us to the treatments for permed hair giving me (almost) normal hair again. It was expensive. I'm not one for fussy hair care, I don't even have a hair dryer. After bubs was born, my hair went greasy, so I was able to go back to old faithful! Funnily enough, my second pregnancy didn't seem to shock my hair at all; although I still had major "Morning" sickness with both.
Hormones make some crazy changes in hair! My stylist noticed my hair lifted differently after I went off birth control.
@@madamedex5989 I suppose it makes sense; I'm now at the other end and going through peri-menopause and have been finding the odd whisker where I don't want 😔
it's hard for me to find anything on this, mostly i keep getting marketing articles shilling for dry shampoo, which isn't what i'm looking for. my questions are: what's the science between hair being better/easier to style on day 2 or 3? what's our natural oil, and how does it compare with oils in hair products? my hair has become so dry & frizzy.
I love all this hair care content lately! I'd be super interested to hear about hair care (and skincare) for frequent swimming in chlorinated pools. I've heard that vitamin C can neutralise chlorine. I've heard that you can just use a clarifying shampoo, but others say you should use a shampoo specifically designed for swimming (which is just impossible to find where I'm at). There's a lot of noise and its hard to figure out what to listen to
I'm planning to go swimming regularly during the colder months, so I would be interested in that, too.
I'm pretty happy with my hair, right now and don't want to ruin it 😅
There are a few chelating shampoos that might work for you, like Malibu C Un doo goo, Malibu C Hard Water wellness and Bumble and Bumble Sunday shampoo.
Vitamin C does neutralize chlorine. I was a competitive swimmer growing up and just had damaged hair and itchy dry skin for years, and as an adult I learned about using vitamin C/ascorbic acid to neutralize chlorine, and I can’t go back now that I know. You can make it yourself pretty cheaply using vitamin C crystals you can buy at a health food store. Comes in pretty large containers, and you don’t need a lot for a bottle of homebrew swim spray.
I have very bleached sections of my hair (I wanted grey streaks and under layer) and my hair is very thin, fine, and brittle usually because i get too depressed to care for it sometimes. I soak my hair through and then coat it gently in coconut oil or my hair oil that I hadon hand at the time, it's cocoa and honey hair and scalp oil from uhhh I forget. But it's a pink bottle. And I stayed in the pool all day in a loose braid and was too tired to rinse my hair after, and I was still not damaged after a lot of swimming days. So I think that helps, just have water in your hair already and a good oil blend. I think an oil that can soak into the hair and one that stays on the surface helps. I also go easy on shampoo unless I've been in the pool to give my hair a break and just conditioner wash in the summer.
So add a showe filter, use clarifying shampoo once in a while, use humidity resistant products if necessary , make sure your shampoos and conditioners complement each other at least for me.
How can I choose a good humidity resistant product? Which ingredients do I have to look for? I really struggle with this problem. My hair are flat iron straight and then I go out, 30 minutes and hair became a wavy mess. And i have fine hair too.
That was super interesting.
My hair is behaving itself really well, atm, but I love learning about this stuff. I've definitely struggled with this in the past.
My hair is thick and dense and wavy, but not really damaged. In the end, it was conditioner for 'fine' hair, that ended up working for me. And no leave in or such, although that is always recommended, for wavy/curly hair.
Turns out, my hair just doesn't need any of that and will turn limp and straight, if I overwhelm it with conditioning ingredients. Especially any kind of oil does not agree with it.
Less is more for me, apparently 🙂
I literally have 4 different shampoos (5 because I have one for after pool/ocean swimming) in my shower that I basically rotate through 🤦🏾♀️ and I've started to use a filter for my shower head everytime I move because the water has been killing my hair 🫠
Do you have a filter you recommend? I've been entertaining the idea but haven't found good thorough reviews.
I find your video way more informative than other videos where mindlessly recommend "Professional shampoo".
I would like to recommend hair care products review for gray hair.
Thank you so much for this! There is so much misinformation about hair products out there. Thanks for helping us learn. 💜
Glad it was helpful!
I would love to see you cover keratin treatments, nanoplasty, hair botox etc. And give us a more scientfic insight on these hair treatments.
I am SO HERE FOR THIS
How does she drop the perfect video exactly when we need it ?
You’re fantastic! Educated and knowledgeable. What’s the hurry?? You have value able info to share with people who want to hear what you have to say. Please…sloooow dowwwn. It becomes a little stressful after a while. Thank you!
I want your opinion on oiling your hair. Is it actually worth doing? What types of oil? I saw your rosemary video but I see all these oiling hair videos and honestly their hair looks amazing but I just question everything now.
Interested in that topic too!
I miss VO5 conditioner with lard!!! That stuff worked! Lol
Whenever I go to south Europe (I live in the north where the water is soft) where the water is hard my hair becomes so damn silky smooth, I wish it was always like this
“water softening shower head”. if only it were that simple! filter shower heads are more like the brita filters. they can remove chlorine and some other particles or chemicals, but they don’t soften water! the only one i have found out about that does is the WaterStick brand. it’s often recommended to get a whole house softener instead (not possible for me in a condo with shared water between units). The softened water is still an alkaline ph, and the shower filter tupe heads may make water even MORE alkaline than it was without the filter!
i haven’t tried one yet, but my best plan for hard water is to use a shampoo designed for hard water, that chelates.
Oh man. Do you have a video on how to deal with TOO SOFT water (my city oversoftens the water)? My curls are almost non-existent since moving here. So many products and so much information on hard water, but basically nothing on overly softened water. 😤😭
Thank you for being the first person to validate & explain why I need to constantly rotate my shampoos-if I don't, I slowly get buildup of just...gunk, no matter how often I shampoo 🧡
Poofy hair issues here too (like a gang of rowdy puppies). Our hard well water does a number on both my hair and skin.
I don't know why, but the Elseve Extraordinary Oil works wonderfully on my hair; all the products have been working for years. Besides the scent I love, I never became bored.
I’d love to see your take on rice or enzyme powder exfoliating cleansers, ones from brand like Good Molecules, Juno & Co, and By Wishtrend. When I was younger I used to scrub my face with an exfoliating glove (super abrasive I know 😭😭) but it really helped me with skin brightening for my discoloration and my skin texture I since then have stopped but now that these have been making rounds on Tiktok I’d like to see a cosmetic chemist view on their Ingredients and how they work.
Excellent video! 😯😍 Can you please make a video about what surfactants in formulations work less effective against hard water? It would help so much and maybe I wouldn’t need to clarify more often if I don’t own shower filters?
Thank you for a great explanation! I have a very weird reaction to hard water, and my face improved dramatically when I started washing my face with bottled soft water (I've been doing this for about 10 years now). Just one question: do softening shower heads really work? I used to think that only a full-sized softening system for your home (membrane columns) can significantly change the water hardness.
I recently moved to a different city and the water is really hard and it has iron. Washing clothes, hair, myself, everything is a nightmare.
My hair is frizzy, puffy, rough, and hard. Idk what to do. How to improve and/or repair my hair?
Thank you for this amazing content! I was wondering my whole life why my hair care stops working.
I love the dog metaphor ❤
During 6:16, you mentioned that plant oils won't have any problem if there's no hydroxide base. Are olive oil and coconut oil considered as plant oils?
Yes, they are plant oils.
@@sake9305 How do you know if the product has a hydroxide base?
@@SweetStuffOnMonarchLane the ingredients list will have one of these ingredients: lye, potassium hydroxide, sodium hydroxide or say saponified oils of …. This is assuming that the ingredients list is a proper one.
@@sake9305 Thank you so much!!
I was actually trying to find an answer to this today, so I'm so glad this got recommended.
@2:08 Does this also happen when companies sell "improved" versions of your usual shampoo?
i have found a shampoo that does not build up on my head and I can constantly use. so greatful
I've been needing this video. I did a big chop and almost all of my treated hair is gone, and now my hair is reacting differently to things that were fine before hand . It's common sense but I needed some extra input lol
hi!
I was wondering if you would ever do a video about retinal. I often see it in cosmetics with concentration simmilar to tretinoin rather than retinol. I see an explanation that retinal is one conversion less to trerinoin than retinol, but I dont get the fact that is is still used in such low concentrstions. I've also read that retinal gives people less iritation than retinol, which conserns me a bit since both of them theoretically should work the same and just give the same end product which is known for its irritancy. I cant find any satisfying data about retinal and im really curious if it is really so potent that it is used in 10 times less concentration than standard retinol products while having less side effects.
Great video as always ❤️
Can you please do a video on isopropyl alcohol in shampoos and conditioners.
this is so helpful, thank you!
would you consider doing a video on skincare products that change consistency when applied to skin (eg balm-to-oil, or cream-to- powder)? I've noticed a trend and i'm curious how it works!
could you do a video on lamellar water please? I tried L'oreal's wonder water and it made my hair less frizzy immediately! I whether it is beneficial to use long term. thank you!
please talk about how to care for scalp, i have always had super oily, gunk y scalp and i haven’t found a clarifying shampoo or scalp serum that has helped, it gets oily again really fast and doesn’t leave it clean
I only use conditioner on my hair, have only shampooed my hair a handful of times in about 15 years, I find I need to change my conditioner as well. Shampoo felt like it stripped all the oil from my hair and it was always poofy and fly away.
Getting a filter for my shower was the biggest difference I noticed. I live in a desert type environment and the water is hard af. I used high quality products already, and just changing that has helped me grow out my hair longer and I notice much less breakage and frizzed ends.
I can’t find any shampoo or conditioners with the positive charge ingredients. So I’m screwed essentially. I looked for recommendations but nothing?
Do you have any conditioners to recommend for bleached hair 😭
I follow you for the science, but I just gotta say that I love your top today!
8:45 What products for humidity resistance? - Could you add some examples?
Me: oh no, i cant use volume conditioner
Oh. Coarse and poofy you say? Sign me up for the toni & guy! I am well stocked on hair care rn, with several "charged" options, but i cannot wait to run out and start checking the cheap aisles for the good ingredients! Between this channel and Dr Dray, us frugal folks are SET!
I live in a very hard water community, so we got a whole-house water softener which I know uses regular salt. A quick googling says that hard positively charged ions (mg2+, ca2+, etc) get exchanged for Na+ from the salt. Sodium ions are less massive and have half the charge, but can I expect a similar effect as hard water? Do you have any insights of that interplay with hair?
Sodium is super soluble so it has minimal effects on hair as long as it's dilute, and it should be dilute if it's acting via ion exchange...
@@LabMuffinBeautyScience thanks a lot!
I have so many issues with this all the time, thank you for covering this
Love your content!! Great video, and I also appreciate how informative your videos are. Thank you!!
Great video! Can you talk about air drying damage in the hair?
I've talked about it before here but I might make a video! labmuffin.com/aquis-towels-work-science-review/
@@LabMuffinBeautyScience That would be very helpful. Thank you!
can you recommend completely phenoxyethanol free haircare routine?
Does she have any videos on all the “bonding” products ? K18, Olaplex 3, Epres etc ? Thanks
I live in an area with hard water and I did notice a big impact in my hair and skin. Is there any shower head softener that you recommend? I have difficulty identifying one that is legitimate and will indeed work. Thanks! 😊
please please please more hair videos!
Love your analogies. They are humorous and helpful
Does this mean we have to prefer charged agents in conditioners?
This video is worth gold.
Can you a video on “natural soaps” like Dr Bronners and fluoride in toothpaste? Pleeeeeease 🙏
Would love to see you discuss the effects of products with protein and protein masks eventually!
Oh man. 1st use or 2 hair is great. Then turns to hay and it’s a nope lol
Please consider covering beards. Should you wash them with face wash or shampoo? Best oils for them (argan vs squalane, vs coconut oil etc)?
hey just wanna ask, at 4:23 you mentioned that dimethicone is "uncharged". Does it mean that it's anionic or literally non-ionic?
Non-ionic! Anionic would be negatively changed.
@@LabMuffinBeautyScience thank you for replying! 😊
This video was so helpful!
I have a question/request. What are some good scalp-hydrating products to use regularly after shampooing? (preferably lightweight!) Are the ingredients to look for or avoid?
I have scalp problems, I have minor psoriasis, used to have yeast problems, am allergic to sulfates, the list goes on. I've found recommendations online that using good scalp hydrating products and after shampooing can be a good step to hydrate and protect the scalp skin after washing. (Like adding adding lotion after washing your face, important to keep the skin healthy.) I've found most conditioners are not really made for this, and leave the scalp feeling a bit icky. "scalp lotion" doesn't seem to exist. What can I use?
Good to see you again! That top is so cute!
My favorite gel reformulated and now I have to learn things about hair. I resent this fact.
Such a precious video! Thank you our chemistry queen ❤
Michelle, I would love to know your thoughts on shower filters in general. I'm looking into getting one and I'm so confused. Thanks for another amazing video :)
What do you think of bar shampoos and conditioners?
“Groupwork is the worst” 😂 amen to that!
how to find styling products with more humidity resistance? What ingredients am I supposed to look for?
is there a problem if i bought a shampoo and it stays in heat all day?
is it safe to use?
This was very informative! I've always wondered about this!
I love hair science, thank you for making more hair videos
I'll watch this in a moment. Discovered you via Nebula and would prefer to watch you there. However the vid that caught me was the one on shampoo. At the end you asked if this was of interest. I have grey/white hair now at one time I had curly to nearly an afro dark brown/black and red hair. So the top of my hair is sort of straight the parts below are curly/wavey. Shampoo and CONDITIONer seem to be important Oh it's also shoulder length. So definitely want on Nebula another episode or more? Thanks