Essential oils ...

So I've been really careful with my hair. I've gone off most shampoos because of the ingredients lists and switched to a baby shampoo so it doesn't harm my hair.

Remember, folks, -cones are (almost always) bad. Silicone, dimethicone, amodimethicone, simethicone, cyclomethicone ... there are many, many more, and they really do a number on your hair. They're harder to get out, so they end up needing harsher cleansers if you want your hair rid of them. There's also the problem of -cones going by different names to sneak under the radar--some try to sneak by as -conol, or -xane.

These are added to hair care products under the guise of helping. They detangle, they make your hair shine, and they're supposed to help stop breakage. You know why they do that? They're not water soluble, so they sit there. It's like how you were told a billion times not to stick mineral oil in your ears for earaches--if it's not immediately natural, it really shouldn't go into your body. I know, tell that to McDonald's. Those -cones will build up on your hair if you're not using the right rinses for the specific types of -cones on your hair, and it's just a mess. Just like eating too many Big Macs.

However, essential oils can do the same things, but without that lovely added non-water-solubility.

I tried a mix yesterday of rosemary, sweet grass, and olive oil for the first time, straight out of the shower.

You guys, I'm not making this up. My waist-length hair took less than a minute to brush through because rosemary detangles. Both it and sweet grass promote healthy hair growth and can possibly increase your growth--rosemary is commonly used for aches and pains because it increases blood flow, and on your head, that means hair growth. The olive oil is a carrier, but it also helps moisturise the scalp and keep hair healthy and shiny--without -cones.

I'm kind of in love with this stuff now. My head smells amazing, like rosemary and vanilla and hay, and I'm already looking into natural shampoo recipes (I've heard good things about baking soda).

But for those of you already interested in this essential oil thing ... be careful you're buying an essential oil, not a fragrance oil. Those just smell pretty but don't do anything for you. It should ideally be applied to wet hair (dry hair can just seize up and dry out further, depending on your own hair's chemistry, so why tempt fate?).

What I did was dip my finger tips in the oils and rub them along my hairline all around, working it back with my fingers up to the crown of my head and in from my nape. Once I'd done that all the way around my head, I brushed through it (I'm saving up for a wooden comb, but all the stores seem to carry is bamboo, which ... why the heck would I want a wood that splinters in my hair?), and it was awesome.

I'll keep you updated on any new developments!

How to sell your hair

So today I cut a foot of hair off--mostly scraggly ends, but it still feels weird. I mean, yeah, still hair to my waist, but it feels so short!

Anyway, I've been lazy and failing at life with meeting with Keith over how to sell his hair, so I'm gonna write it up here so that I can just point people at it from now on. :D