Thursday, July 9, 2009

Having A Bad Hair Day?

I wake up to the perfectly sculpted bed head......the wonderful cowlick that sports like a rooster tail. It is particularly beautiful today since I am recovering from one of the nastiest summer cold bugs I have had in more than 20 yrs. Not just a cowlick, but the natural wind blown look with one side plastered to my head......just lovely!

You know the one.....you sleep restlessly from body aches and your face is pressed into your pillow forcing your hair in twisted variations of punk, modified. A little spray color and I am ready for the mosh pit!

No matter how much misting of water, or combing, or blow drying you do, that sucker isn't going to shift, flatten or perform the way you want it to no matter what. You might as well resign yourself to sticking your head in the sink or showering with a whole new wash job....which in some cases excessive washing can give you drier hair and scalp.

Weather And Your Hair

It isn't any secret that as our temperature changes in the seasons so does our hair and scalp.

In the summer, our hair tends to be a bit flatter and heavier due to higher humidity and perspiration, and a hairstyle typically doesn't last as long throughout the day. Our scalp also tends to be a bit oilier.

In the winter, our hair tends to be frizzier, fights hairstyling due to the climate getting much drier as temperatures get cold to freezing, and our scalp tends to get very dry, itchy and may even flake a bit.

No matter what the weather is doing, and no matter what styling aids I use, my hair never performs the same way twice. I have days with perfection, then days I fight sections of hair that want to flip, twist or contort in such a way, I might as well go back to bed and try again tomorrow.

One thing that has remained constant, is my scalp gets annoyingly itchy, especially in the winter.

I have tried multitudes of shampoos and conditioners. Salon brands, commercial brands, generic brands, and knock off brands with little change or results. I typically have to switch from shampoo to shampoo due to it working for awhile and then it performs like all the rest.....failure! And a dry itchy scalp is not always due to weather but due to too many surfactants in the shampoo which over clean and strip scalp and hair of natural oils.

Conditioners also tend to disappoint after I use them for awhile. All of a sudden my hair will lay flatter, feel really heavy, in which case it absolutely won't style. In dealing with the dry frizzy hair, pomades and gels tend to leave it sticky or greasy feeling. Besides, all of the products I collect searching for my holy grail becomes so ridiculous that I could open up my own five and dime store.

Ah...I think I found my Holy Grail!

There are so many products today to pick from you can get lost in the shampoo and conditioner aisle sorting through the choices offered. You read labels until you're cross-eyed, trying to decide what to do and which one you think will work.....yes indeedy, it is a crap shoot. You study ingredients trying to identify and stay away from ones you are convinced are causing problems in your hair regimen.

Well, since I am always reading labels and I drive my husband to distraction whenever I do this, I pretty much have to spend a day on my own if I want to get down to the nitty gritty of finding a simple, gentle, paraben free and sulfate free product line.

In doing some research awhile back, I recently located a brand I had never seen before and of course, where might I find this mysterious brand?...... at my local Wal Mart!

It is by a company called Organix. Their products are packaged in these funky bottles that hold 13 fl. oz. and come in a wide variety of formulas. Unfortunately, Wal Mart only carried a few choices, but I found one that I just love and my hair and scalp have never been better. The line can also be found at this list of retailers. (Click for List) There should be one close to you or if not, they are also online by various e-merchants.

I have been using it for over 6 months now with excellent results. Through winter and now into summer, my scalp remains constant...no more itchiness, dryness or weird hair days. I also can shampoo the next day without worry my scalp or hair will get too dry.

The aromas are exotic and are derived from plant extracts, not from artificial fragrances. They are also sulfate free and paraben free, and possess Jojoba Oil, panthenol and silk amino acids as consistent ingredients in all the formulas. The ingredient list is without fanfare, leaving the majority of chemicals you find in other brands off their short list. In their other formulas you'll find ingredients like Avocado Oil, Whipped Yogurt, Soymilk, Olive Oil, Coconut Oil, Whipped Egg Proteins, Shea Butter and Mango Butter, only to name a few and depending on your particular desires in hair care. These last two ingredients are others in the line I am planning on trying. They have definitely created something for everyone. No head goes unkempt!

The one I have tried and enjoy very much is Revitalizing Pomegranate Green Tea shampoo and conditioner. It is designed for dry and brittle hair which I tend to have year round. It is also safe for color treated hair as is the entire line. This is a plus for me since I give my hair a color treatement periodically. They also expanded this formula into other styling products which you will see typically when a certain formula becomes very popular. Which seems to also include Vanilla Silk, Coconut Milk and Shea Butter formulas.

The shampoo smells wonderful and cleanses so gently. The conditioner penetrates well and leaves my scalp and hair moist, yet not oily or heavy. I also find I don't need to use an extra pomade (which this formula includes) for fly away hair since my hair behaves very well. If I need a bit more control, I just put a large pea size of the conditioner in the palm of my hand and massage through the ends of my hair and leave it in and style as usual. My hair shines in the sunlight beyond belief and I have had many compliments. It is left feeling soft and silky, and extremely manageable with no tangles at all. The extra bit left in the hair works great and this is a perfect money saver in the long run!

The price isn't bad either. Suggested retail is $6.99, but Wal Mart was selling it for $5.99.

With Organix having such a large variety to choose from, I will have to go to another retailer to find what I am looking for. And believe me, I am definitely going to take advantage of the variety they offer. There are of course some that I already know I won't use due to either its aroma or because it isn't the best for dry hair and scalp.

Take a peek and give them a try. I absolutely love this line of products. Let us know if you have tried Organix and what your favorite is....or if you didn't find this product worked for you at all.

Well...back to bed for some more rest and to enhance my bed head style further. At least our weather stunk the past few days so I didn't have to miss out on anymore beautiful days of our very short summers.

Cheers!

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Thursday, July 2, 2009

Some Changes Are Coming To Sterling Minerals!

It Was A Success!

This week I wanted to bring you up on some fun and exciting new changes that are coming our way!

First, let me say our 20% off sale was fantastic. We had an abundance of reorders for many who wanted to stock up, and we welcome the many new customers who joined our Sterling Minerals family during the same time frame.

Thanks to everyone who made our promotion a great success!


Some Changes Coming

I also wanted to let you know we are going to be transitioning over from our original silver lid jars to whatever jar wins our voting poll located within my Skin Care Guide. So click on the title for email recipients and in the upper right hand corner of my blog, place your vote....it is so patriotic don't you know?

The reason we are changing these is due to having some issues with the lids not fitting correctly, some squeaking, and in only a few cases getting stuck on the jars. Once is too many for me, however. Not being satisfied with the performance of these lids over the past 2 years, I have decided it is best to phase them out over time. By the way if your jars arrive to you with the lids not feeling as though they are tightened completely, this is so you do not end up with a stuck lid. They do come off if they are stuck, but only with quite a bit of work and for some who may not have the dexterity or the strength to open them, this is not acceptable or conducive to a customers need for ease of use.

Also, as of yesterday, we have just reduced our order minimums on Free Shipping which will provide additional savings when you make a purchase....along with continuing with our free bonus gifts to our customers. The new menu button is quite the eye popping statement...you won't miss it! You can take a peek at Sterling Minerals.

I am currently working on putting some new features on the site which will enhance the customers experience with us. This has been requested by many who write or call us and I finally found the time and energy to fulfill this request! This process is going to take up to several months and is to be announced later! We will work on making it happen sooner, but as we all know, "Life Happens While We Are Making Plans!"

I also am planning on doing featured promos of individual products, providing a savings to you, my customers. I haven't decided on the rotation yet, or the duration of each promo, but I feel there will always be something for everyone to take advantage of periodically.

Taking A Breather

We will be enjoying some free time for ourselves by extending our weekend into 4 days, so all orders placed between now and Monday, will not process until the middle of next week.

Well that is the latest news for Sterling Minerals.

Wishing everyone a very happy and safe 4th of July! Celebrate our Independence Day.....It's a good thing!

And I continue to hope and pray our soldiers will be home soon!

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