Five Ways to Make a Blowout Last For Days—the Natural Way
This one goes out to all my curly, frizzy, wavy, fro-y friends out there.
I’ve been meaning to write this post for some time now and, inspired by my buddy’s piece yesterday, I decided to get all listy on it. Obviously you guys know that what got us in trouble in the first place was a fated chem-filled Brazilian Blowout. And as such we like to encourage women to generally embrace what they were born with, rather than fight their looks at every turn—especially with toxins.
But let’s be real about things too. There will always be women with curly hair who try to make it straight. And just because we want you to love and accept yourself does not at all mean that we don’t strongly advocate mixing sh*t up sometimes. When I get a blowout it’s like a new lease on life! I don’t do it often but when I do, a whole other gal comes out to play: She’s a little more sophisticated than me, this blowout character, a little more polished. I’ll never be her year-round, but I like her style.
But here’s the big surprise, ladies: Going natural—and I mean really natural—is the best thing you can do for your blowout. Consider this a guide to the anti-Brazilian blowout.
1. Stop washing your hair. If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times: Not washing my hair is the best thing I ever did for this (now less) dry, curly mane of mine. It’s made it more manageable and actually much easier to style. Thanks to the natural oils in there I no longer look like someone who’s been electrocuted when I get my hair blown out. Sure, my ends are still a little ragged but overall my hair looks much healthier than it once did straightened. Also—and this is the clincher—when your scalp is used to not being washed you can keep a blowout for days (and days, and days) without it turning to a greasy mess. It’s like you’ve pre-trained it for the blowout. I kept my last one for over a week easy—and I could have gone longer.
2. Show up with a wet head. Critical if you’re doing it at a salon, otherwise the stylist will force you to wash your hair. Trust me on this one. And even if they don’t they will still use chemy products in there that you don’t want. Which takes me to…
3. Avoid leave-ins. I’m not talking about a little bit of argan oil on the ends here, but if you leave crap in your hair (even of the more natural variety like my new favorite curl cream) you run the risk of your hair getting weighed down and dull looking after a day or two. Even worse, your scalp could start itching. On the contrary, your natural oils will add shine and not weigh your hair down (except maybe at the root, but there’s a solution for that). So keep your hair dirty-clean, yeah?
4. Ask for a loose wave rather than the pin-straight look. I know us curly-haired girls dream of nothing more than shiny, stick-straight locks. But the truth is, no matter how healthy our hair is, most of us are still going to have broken ends that look rough when they’re super straight. It’s just the nature of the curly beast. As dumb luck would have it, the last blowout I had I asked for loose waves because I wanted to wear it in a pony for my friend’s wedding. I’ll never ask for anything else. Having the ends fall into big curls was the perfect camouflage (see picture above for inspiration) The waves also actually got better as the days passed.
5. Use dry shampoo to keep it alive. As mentioned, depending just how used to not washing your scalp is, the top can get a little greasy or flat after a few days. Meet your new best friend, dry shampoo. Siobhan has written about this stuff in the past but for some reason I’d never tried it. Probably because it’s called shampoo—but it’s really nothing like it. The added volume dry shampoo can give you at the root makes it feel more like a styling product to me than anything else. Yes it gets rid of the grease, but also, holy height! (Again, see above pic for inspiration because dry shampoo can do that depending how thick your hair is.) I’ve been using this All Nighter Styling Powder (couldn’t look less natural, but it’s made from rice tapioca and colored with mineral pigments) and I love it. I even use it here and there when my hair’s curly just to get that extra boost on top.
So, who here likes to get a blowout now and again? Got any tips to add?
Alexandra- i know you have said it a thousand times, but I have looked and looked on your blogs and I cannot find answers to theses questions…. how exactly do you clean your hair? okay maybe you dont care about it getting oily..but what if you were to go to a bondfire and needed to get the smell out?
I am interested in not washing my hair anymore, because i have wavy, very dry hair. But I just don’t know how! Are there step-by-step directions you can give me?
Kate
Glad you posted about All Nighter. I had been interested in this in the past but wasn’t sure it was really clean (and I did not like the DIY mixes I’ve tried). Plus, it has silk powder and I’m vegan. But based on your link I discovered “cruelty free silk powder,” which I’d never heard of before. I do still have concerns about my general sensitivity – I stay away from animal proteins in food and products. Has anyone with sensitivities tried All Nighter??
Since we’re asking hair questions: what natural options are there for people with dandruff? I rotate my natural shampoos in and out with my dandruff one (head and shoulders, I know, I know, but I haven’t been able to find any natural dandruff alternatives).
i co wash my hair i have to wash it evey three days or i get dreads lol i guess it depends on the hair type and my hair is very very dry i need leave ins to keep it moisturized and soft instead of feeling like a brilo pad
oh and i love to blow dry my hair. i dont do it too often though it usually last for a week if i take care of it i do a black tea rinse with john masters lavender/ avocado dc. i put the intellegient nutrients leave in on my hair before i blow dry it because it gives my hair amazing shine. :D
Uh, has ANYONE with fine, straight, Scandinavian hair tried the whole not-washing thing? I use natural shampoos (Alaffia is amazing!) and wash 2 or 3 times a week, but on the 3rd or 4th day my hair is seriously greasy and clump together – could it be that this just doesn’t work for non-curly types?
Oh, and can anyone recommend a good dermatologist in NYC who’ll be open to clean cosmetics etc? I think something weird might be going on with my scalp, I keep losing hair. Sigh.
I think John masters zinc and sage combined with their deep scalp follicle treatment is the best for dandruff. I’m curious about the black tea that someone mentioned using in their hair, is that as a replacement for shampoo? I’m intrigued. I do wash my hair before a blow out but I like to precondition it with coconut oil beforehand and then deep condition with j.m.’s lavender and avocado. I use a heat protectant that is basically a bunch if oils emulsified and this keeps my dry hair and dry scalp doing well fir at least 3-4 days in a blow out.
i use black tea rinses because it helps lessen shedding i have big curly hair that sheds alot and i believe it has helped me out tremendously, it gives my hair an amazing shine and gives my hair a darker tint with natural highlights. i also use a cat nip rinse to prevent split ends because we all know curly hair is more prone to split ends :D.
i have long, natural (never been colored) blonde hair, and i have gotten it down to a weekly washing. when i got it trimmed recently, the hairdresser was amazed that it hadn’t been washed in 2 weeks (including two airline flights and a week in LA!).
for dandruff control, the absolutely best thing i’ve found is to make my own rinse: 1/2 cup of apple cider vinegar, 1/2 cup fresh chopped mint leaves, 1 cup boiling water. let it steep; cool; strain; bottle. i find that it lasts about 4 doses in the shower: squirt it around your scalp *after* shampooing, rub it in and leave it for a few minutes. rinse it out and then use conditioner. the most expensive aspect of this rinse is the cost of the mint; i grow my own.
i used nasty tar shampoo for years, and this home-made rinse works so much better.
Anyone have any tips on having a blow out not completely frizz as soon as you walk into humid temperatures? The hot, humid weather in DC is making me miss my Brazilian Blowout. I have a ponytail/fro every day :(
Deanna,
People SWEAR by this for dandruff, sebhoric dermatitis and scalp eczema. Seriously.
http://www.spiritbeautylounge.com/ctonics-tantra.html
Rebecca,
Vegan, organic alternative to All-Nighter: http://www.spiritbeautylounge.com/lulu-organics-lavender-clary-sage-hair-powder.html
Even on the darkest hair, it doesn’t show – just sops up dirt n oil.
I get curly-to-straight blowouts. In my case, humidity is the enemy. Since oil and water don’t mix, finishing the hair with the right oils can be a great alternative to using ‘cones. When my hair was drier and thicker, I could use heavier oils directly in my hair but now that it’s fine and thin, I have to use the lightest oils possible to coat and humidity-proof my blowout, without weighing it down.
@Spirit Do you recommend all the C tonics for people with scalp issues, or that one in partic?
@Siobhan Ctonics Tantra and Pulse are the scalp specialists. Tantra smells like pine tar so beware – it is a real “treatment” but people with severe scalp issues swear it’s the only thing that works, even over the Rx stuff. Pulse is not for severe scalp issues, just for minor ones, like scalp buildup, dry scalp, tight scalp, and oily scalp. Some people will alternate, doing a Tantra treatment once or twice a week, and using the Pulse on other days.
I tried a sample of the Lulu Organics dry shampoo powder and loved it, but I didn’t want to spend that much, so I made my own based on their ingredients. I just mixed cornstarch, baking soda, white clay (from bulk health food store), and horsetail powder (bought online) into a shaker container. I have very dark Asian hair, and somehow this doesn’t look powdery white in my hair, even though the Pssst! aerosol stuff looked very chalky.
I condition my hair with a special mix of herbs and oils from India. It is supposed to be what the locals use in the countryside to keep their hair healthy. I know it has a base of coconut oil, but I am not sure what else. I also know the guys go crazy for the slight aroma it gives my hair.
I want to try some of the ideas I see here, though. Especially the black tea rinse.
@Alix could you give more specifics on your dry shampoo recipe? Measurments and more details would be much appreciated! Thank you =]]
First of all, i love the community y’all have built, here…
@ eva- dear Dog, me too girl! I have SUPER duper fine thin blonde Scandinavian hair (my whole pony tail of ALL my hair is about as thick as two of my fingers put together!! if that!!) I want to stop washing SO BAD but the 2 times I tried I broke down in shame w/in 2 weeks… baking soda & water makes my hair still greasy yet grimy and dry… and I’ve tried from a dime sized amt to a handfull mixed w/ h2o! I do love the vinegar rinse but just something about all this just makes everything grimy and dank yet frizzy and dry…
@ Cynthia- do you have lists of all of your hair washing homemades? Do you have any ideas specifically for super thin hair?
@ spirit- what do you use, now that your hair is fine, for oils? Everything seems too heavy for my hair and I’m on a super tight budget…
I REALLY want to stop washing my hair but there seems little hope for thin haired blondes! I am in a job, now, where my looks are not so important… Also, I need to figure out some ways to “wrap” my hair, or something, while it balances. I am REALLY sick of ponytails every day! Besides, they are just damaging my hair more. Also, do you suppose that dyed hair is harder to “acclimate” to no ‘poo? I would assume it would be harder for the hair to use the natural oils to be happy w/ itself. …
@Siobhan and @ Alexandra … I think y’all should write a follow-up book that features home remedies/recipes for beauty fixes! I know I would love to get more ideas/specifics for how to (not) wash my hair and make homemade dry shampoo…among many other things.
Thanks @Spirit! Gonna put that one on my SBL wishlist. Any comment on how strong the scent is? I like lavender, but I’m not fond of too strong a scent in products.
I’m with Kate on this question. Alexandra, what exactly is your routine for not washing your hair? I am interesting in pursuing that route, however I can’t bring myself at this point to ditch my leave in conditioner (..maybe when the jar is done ;)) because I have really frizzy, curly hair without some sort of product. Oiliness is definitely NOT a problem for me…my hair tends to run on the dry side.
Thanks!
Dry shampoo (or natural baby powder) is my best friend! I don’t like to shower excessively, and it makes it so I don’t have to wash my hair too often. I also find that it gives my hair tons of volume, and I get more compliments than when it’s freshly washed.
Has anyone tried the “Pre Game” product from All Nighter? It is suppose to create beach toussled waves in your hair. I have always wanted that beachy, mermaid hair. My hair is medium thick but not curly, however, if I scrunch it, it can get some texture in it. Looking for a product that can do this.
@rebecca, the scent is subtle – my sensitive bf uses it and he doesn’t smell it. the Jasmine is actually more popular, though.
@reese my hair is dry and ethnic but also baby fine and silky. the absolute lightest humidity lock-out I’ve found is this: http://www.spiritbeautylounge.com/yarok-feed-your-shine.html but I’ve heard you can use pure sesame as well.
I don’t like making things, like my own beauty products, although I have – I prefer someone else to do it for me. I always find that sourcing all the organic ingredients – even to make an organic body scrub, for example, is way more expensive to buy ingredients at whole foods and too time consuming and messy for my life!
@ reese – thanks for you tips. Baking soda was a disaster for me too! Perhaps it simply works better if you have masses and masses of thick, lustrous, curly hair…sigh.
I DO have a couple of tips to slow down the buildup between washings..I LOVE Alaffia’s Neem oil shampoo for scalp issues, it really does seem to take care of any itching/burning/flaking – and it gives great volume for fine hair!.
Instead of washing the old-fashioned way of lathering up directly on your scalp and massaging (which I don’t think people with my/your hair type even need to do), try mixing a little bit of shampoo in a glass of warm water and then pouring that over your head, creating basically a shampoo rinse. If you want to, you can always gently massage, but I don’t find that it’s needed.
I use the Neem conditioner directly on my scalp too, and it seems to make the stripping of oils much less of a problem and balance the scalp nicely. I figure that if have to wash my hair, I might as well do it in the least invasive way.
@Eva, I’m with you! Very fine and not-too-much-of-it shoulder length hair. What’s worse, is that I’m a brunette, so any grease will show up immediately. I do use shampoo, and I have absolutely no plans to stop. I take a break every couple days (usually on the weekends) and only use dry shampoo. Have you tried Lulu Organic’s hair powder? The jasmine hardly has a scent, really does work to pick up excess oil, and even gives my roots a little oomph (so much so, that I use a teeny bit every day, even when my hair is clean). If I’m going to skip a day, I usually put my hair in a top knot before going to sleep–I don’t know why that helps, but it does. Then, the next day, I dry powder my hair and put a few waves in with a curling iron. I do have to wear it in a pony tail, but it is thicker-looking this way and not noticeably dirty at all. I hope that will help you, though it really doesn’t answer your questions, does it? Also, every so often, I do use a little vinegar rinse if my hair starts to feel heavy.
To your next point, about hair loss, oh boy. Isn’t that a terrible feeling? I have been there–twice. I don’t know what your situation is, but both times mine was related to anxiety (lovely!). I did visit an integrative wellness doctor this last time, and he thought maybe it could have something to do with a low thyroid. I got that checked out and everything seemed to be fine.
My advice? Find an integrative health and wellness doctor in New York and have him or her look at you holistically. You’ll have a much better chance of getting to the ROOT of the problem than you would with a traditional derm just slapping prescriptions on you. My thoughts, anyway.
Something to comfort you: I remember reading that most female hairloss is reversible in 3-6 months.
Good luck to you!
Victoria – I agree on the sequel! It would be a clean cosmetics bible! Alexandra, can you do a post on tips for going no-poo, specifically for those of us who would like to last at least two months but have panic attacks after two days? What products should we use? Are there different methods for different hair types? Do the oils effect your face once you’ve eliminated the A+ chemistry project residue from your mane? A post would be SO helpful for the fearful over here!
As for blowouts, i make it last by styling my hair in a different way each day until it has to go into a pony tail. Use bobby pins, barrettes, clips, headbands… I have thick hair that doesn’t get too oily until the third or fourth day, so this simple little method works for me.
Kerapure is the safe way to smooth! It is guaranteed to cut your blow drying time in half.
Any idea how to keep your hair smooth and untangled before blow drying without using a leave in conditioner??
I think it depends on what products you’re using! Alexandra uses rich conditioner and rinses it out but not all the way. I rinse mine out all the way but I don’t towel my hair much so that the oils say put. Try that!
i had hair past my bottom for years and this is what i would do:
day 1:
- shampoo with ultra moisturizing type shampoo. i wouldn’t use a lot.
- condition – leave in for at least 5 mins.
- occasional extra treatments include warmed oils, avocados, bananas, and especially coconut water solids not the coconut juice, but the whole puree’d coconut you buy in the cooking needs aisle. scoop off the solids, use the liquid for a rinse). air dry (with hair that long it straightened itself mostly).
*hair worn down
day 2:
brush and go
*hair worn down
day 3:
brush and go
*hair worn half up (hides the starting to get oily roots)
day 4:
brush and go
*hair worn up
day 5:
apply a combo of baby powder and *cake* brand hair powder. this powder is tinted so that it hides better and keeps the white residue to a minimum since i’m cheap and thin it out. i apply with a large puff, either sprinkling or tapping some gently on problem areas
*hair worn up or down depending on how well i applied powder.
**hint- after applying the powder passage your scalp by rubbing your finger tips in tiny circles- voila, voluminous hair.
day 6:
brush and go
*hair up
day 7:
brush and go
*hair up with a scarf or other hair piece.
repeat cycle.
if you want to give up washing your hair, give it several weeks for your scalp to adjust. if i would cheat on my schedule above my hair would grease up so much more quickly than normal. it would take at least 2 or 3 weeks for it to go back to ‘normal’
if you do blow your hair out, put a touch of oil on the ends, then wash your hands before blowing the rest of your hair out so the oils don’t get transferred to your scalp.
on frizzy days (and in my climate unless it’s winter (8 months of the year) it’s uber humid, i will wash my hands and then put a dot of oil on them. rub my hands together until the oil ‘disappears’ and then run my hands over my hair, then retouch the style with a brush. frizz will stay down. the trick to avoiding frizz is to avoid split or broken ends- they’re what’s frizzing!
day
Hi! I’ve been straightening my hair for years, I’ve never gotten a professional blowout but I hate having to stand there every morning with the iron. I used to do it every other day with good results but I started going to the gym every morning before work and I sweat like a beast. Is the dry shampoo enough to sop up the scourge of my hairline? Or should I rinse with something like black tea instead and re-iron?
I have super fine hair and have been able to get my washes down from every single day to 2 days a week by simply scrubbing my scalp with my knuckles under water with no shampoo on my non wash days. I use dry shampoo 1-2 days a week, though even on those days I do rinse my hair with just water and put some conditioner in the ends. My hair has had more body (except for when it starts to get oily around the scalp) and it has been waaaay more shiny. I tried the no ‘poo thing before but it didn’t work for me because I didn’t try rinsing my hair in between washes to keep it somewhat fresh. Right now I am using up the last of my John Frieda dry shampoo but will be looking to create my own recipe as most dry shampoos are expensive and I’m not a fan of the weird chemicals in the cheaper brands. I am starting a blog keeping track of my progress as I try different dry shampoo recipes and introduce exercise and hopefully further reduce washes. It is geared towards people with finer hair like myself. http://finehaircare.blogspot.com/
whats the best natural heat protector to put in your hair before blow drying/ironing??? Are oils a good choice?
I just noticed that someone asked for my recipe for the hair powder. Like I said, I just use the ingredients listed on the Lulu Organics Hair Powder, using more of the ingredients listed first and less of those listed later. In order of quantity (most to least), I used corn starch from my pantry, white clay from bulk section of health food store, rice powder from Whole Foods bulk section, horsetail powder from Mountain Rose Herbs, and a few drops of lavender essential oil.
I mixed it all in a bowl and then poured it into a cardboard shaker container (also ordered from Mountain Rose Herbs) and I just open the spout the tiniest bit and shake onto my hair. The rice powder from Whole Foods isn’t as finely ground as it could be, and the horsetail powder is actually greenish (like the plant), but once the ingredients are all mixed together, there’s no noticeable color whatsoever. I highly recommend!
I’ve gotten really cheap and lazy lately. There are only so many ways to trim your budget, right? So I started looking for some alternatives to my favorite organic products. Instead of John masters hair serum before a blowout, I use organic coconut oil. The John masters main ingredient is jojoba oil, but you get the same results for a fraction of the price. You can get 1 pound of organic extra virgin coconut oil for less than $16, and use it for your dry skin, and dandruffy scalp, and frizzy hair, as well as cooking, while the John masters is 1 OZ for $16. Plus shipping. As for dry shampoo, I love lulu organics, but i found that some flour, cornmeal, and unsweetened cocoa powder (I’m a brunette, so all the white powder is a negative) works exactly the same. If you want it scented, add a couple drops of essential oil. I mix mine in a ziplock bag and keep it fresh that way. I’ve also just used flour and cocoa powder, with really good results. The best part of all these organic alternatives? You can be CHEAP and LAZY and still look good.