Mischo Beauty: cuticle

Showing posts with label cuticle. Show all posts

Mischo Beauty School: Hair Porosity 101

I've received a few emails asking me to discuss the reason(s) why hair becomes damaged and dry after certain chemical services. Well, there could quite possibly be hundreds of answers to those questions depending on the history of services performed on the hair, and the home care regimen. I will say that if your hair is damaged and overly dry, then your hair's porosity has probably been compromised.

So, what is porosity? Porosity is simply the ability of the hair to absorb and retain moisture and is used to describe the condition of hair. Generally, it falls into the following categories:

a. Very porous
b. Porous
c. Normal
d. Resistant

A “normal” porosity will mean that the cuticle (outermost layer of the hair shaft) is closed and smooth. Healthy hair will usually have a normal to resistant cuticle, depending on the texture. ”Porous” to “very porous” hair will have a roughened cuticle meaning that the hair is probably damaged. It usually loses moisture very easy and is easily damaged.

To determine the porosity of your hair, feel it - both when it's wet and dry. If it feels like straw and it's rough when it's dry, or if it feels gummy or slightly rubbery when it's wet, then you probably have a problem with porous to very porous hair. You should definitely talk to your stylist before receiving any chemical services in order to prevent further damage. Haircolor, perms and relaxers will process much faster on porous to very porous hair and may cause even more damage.

Porous to very porous hair can be caused by:

1. Over coloring
2. Bleaching
3. Permanent Waving
4. Relaxing
5. Flat/curling irons
6. Improper blow-drying
7. Environment (sun, salt/chlorinated water)

I hope this gives everyone a little more insight into the hair's porosity. Please feel free to e-mail me with more questions! Love your hair.

Mischo Beauty School: Nail Shape 101

I'll be the first to admit that while I loved the bright, neon and pastel nail colors for the spring/summer, I couldn't wait to start wearing chocolate, burgundy and deep blue & green nail shades for the fall/winter. With that said, let's discuss how to choose a nail shape before your manicure appointment.

Here are a few things to consider:

1. The shape of your hands
2. The length of your fingers
3. The shape of your cuticles
4. The type of work you do

I was always taught (well I learned this in cosmetology school, during the nail curriculum!) that the shape of your nail should mirror the shape of your cuticles. This will ensure the most natural look, which in turn compliments your hands. And believe it or not- here are the most requested shapes:

1. Square Nail
2. Round Nail
3. Oval Nail
4. Squoval Nail
5. Pointed Nail

Keep in mind that an unusual shape will definitely draw attention to your nails and hands. And, if you work with your hands, you should definitely choose a shape that will allow for a shorter nail length in order to avoid breakage.

Questions? What's your nail shape and why? Love your nails.

Mischo Beauty School: Nail Shape 101

I'll be the first to admit that while I loved the chocolate, burgundy and deep blues & green nail colors for the fall/winter, I can't wait to start wearing the bright, neon and pastel colors for the spring/summer. With that said, let's discuss how to choose a nail shape before your manicure appointment.

Here are a few things to consider:

1. The shape of your hands
2. The length of your fingers
3. The shape of your cuticles
4. The type of work you do

I was always taught (well I learned this in cosmetology school, during the nail curriculum!) that the shape of your nail should mirror the shape of your cuticles. This will ensure the most natural look, which in turn compliments your hands. And believe it or not- here are the most requested shapes:

1. Square Nail
2. Round Nail
3. Oval Nail
4. Squoval Nail
5. Pointed Nail

Keep in mind that an unusual shape will definitely draw attention to your nails and hands. And, if you work with your hands, you should definitely choose a shape that will allow for a shorter nail length in order to avoid breakage.

Questions? What's your nail shape and why? Love your nails.

Mischo Beauty Loves Jurlique's Jasmine Body Care Lotion & Love Balm

If you follow me on Twitter, then you know that I send beauty tips out daily. One of my favorites happens to be: "After bathing, apply a bath oil/moisturizer to damp skin, which will ensure maximum absorption of product into the skin", and that's exactly what I've been doing with Jurlique's Jasmine Body Care Lotion. It's lightweight, so I definitely see myself using this more in the spring/summer, and the smell, well it's to die for! Seriously.

What I have been using consistently during this dry, cold winter is Jurlique's Love Balm. I'm not sure what's been going on with my cuticles lately, but they've been so dry, almost to the point of being cracked- and we know that's not comfortable. So I've been using the balm (which can be used anywhere your skin needs it) before bed to moisturize my cuticles. It's made with vitamin E, olive, soybean and safflower oil, and I love that it pretty much works instantly on me.

How's your skin been holding up this winter season?

Disclosure: Products in this post were provided for consideration by the company. For more information, please see my disclosure.

Mischo Beauty School: Hair Porosity 101

Mischo Beauty Pick: Sundari's Neem and Coconut Hair Treatment Oil

I'm dedicating this post to all the lovers of coconut oil (DE--> I'm talking to you!) and to those who've always wanted to try it- but haven't yet. Now I'll be the first to admit that when I started this blog I thought jojoba oil was the absolute best. But since then, I've learned about the greatness of coconut oil!

You see the hair is made up of three layers- the cuticle, cortex and medulla. Most oils only coat the cuticle layer, barely penetrating it. It's been proven that coconut oil penetrates the hair shaft, so it passes through the cuticle and cortex layers (most of us don't have the medulla layer) and this means that the protective oils that were stripped away due to shampooing, chemicals and heat styling- are replenished, while strengthening and nourishing the hair.

This new treatment oil, by Sundari, combines both coconut oil and neem oil (which has been used in India for centuries for its healing properties; and used here to promote scalp health), and is recommended as a pre-shampooing treatment (massaging it into the hair and scalp, and leaving on for 30 minutes prior to shampooing).

So based on all that I know and what I've recently learned- I'm excited about this product! What do you think, ladies?