Haunted houses and ghost stories are sure to get our hearts racing, but nothing spells scary quite like real-life problems. The recipe to a good scare is – a hidden disguise + a panic-inducing build-up + the element of surprise. Doesn’t pollution play the same tricks on our hair health? It’s hard to see it at work + deteriorating hair health has got us panicking + the surprise that no haircare seems to fix it! These new-age stressors really does put the boo in boo-hoo, don’t they?
We’ve to you boo. To make sure that there aren’t any more scares post-Halloween, read about the treats we have for every trick that pollution tries to play. We’ll unveil how pollution plots its schemes and works its damage. We’ll then offer treats in the form of our simple fixes. It’s never too late to trick or treat besties!
pollutant Trick - Oxidative stress
The part of the hair strand that’s buried underneath the scalp is called the hair follicle. Hair follicles are hair responsible for hair growth and supplying nutrition to the root. Pollutants have a trick up their sleeves, and it’s called “oxidative stress.” Pollutants can penetrate hair follicles and increase the amount of reactive oxygen in them. Reactive oxygen is bad news because, left alone, they bounce around the hair follicles, damaging them and ultimately inducing cell death. After our scalps and hair first interaction with these free radicals, it’s like their shields are broken. Their barriers are damaged, and they become increasingly prone to damage from pollution. Therefore, scalp and hair health deteriorates over time.
haircare Treat - Antioxidants
These free oxygen radicals are bouncing from surface to surface, damaging our body’s biomolecules. Antioxidants are a real treat for your scalp and hair. Just like how the term suggests, antioxidants neutralise the oxygen radicals and therefore help prevent hair loss and improve scalp health.
To ensure that you’ve got a fix no matter what, all of our shampoo bars have an antioxidant as a major ingredient. These antioxidants are our strongest warriors:
a) Hemp seed oil – Hemp seed oil contains Vitamin E, a super potent antioxidant. It stops further oxidative stress and promotes hair growth by strengthening root shafts. It’s a solution and future protection! Pollution will never be able to creep on you ever again.
b) Blue Tea + Chamomile – Some of us have sensitive scalps, so along with damaging hair health, oxidative stress also causes scalp inflammation, itchiness, redness, and flakiness. Blue tea is an anthocyanin, which is one of the best antioxidants out there! Along with its anti-ageing properties, blue tea neutralises the free radicals and promotes blood circulation, which reverses any scalp damage that was caused along the way. Chamomile soothes irritated scalps, and it’s a powerful antioxidant too!
c) Acai berries + Onion extract – Some of us need extra love in the hair fall department. We’ve got a power duo just for you. Acai berries are the antioxidants that will ward off the evil that is oxidative stress. Onion extract is high in sulphur which is extremely beneficial in reversing thinning hair. It promotes hair regrowth and strengthens the hair follicles.
pollution Trick - Dry and brittle hair
Pollutants don’t just play tricks on your scalp and hair follicles. The part of the hair that you see, i.e. the strand, is called the hair fibre. Prolonged exposure to pollutants sucks out the life from our tresses. Common pollutants like gases, particulate matter, or dust particles come in contact with the hair fibre and penetrate the superficial cuticle layer. The cuticle is responsible for holding moisture in the hair, so once the pollutants get in, the hair becomes dry and brittle over time.
haircare treat - Natural moisturisers
Every one of our shampoo bars and conditioners has moisturisers that condition to restore that bounce in your hair. These are our most nourishing treats:
a) Hemp seed oil + kokum butter – Hemp seed oil has omega fatty acids which lock in the moisture. This helps prevent breakage, a common side effect of brittle hair. We added in kokum butter, which is the goddess of hydration. The buttery goodness moisturises the hair back to life.
b) Oat & cashew mylk + baobab protein – Remember we talked about Vitamin E’s antioxidant properties? Well, these mylks are full of it and ferulic acid – another antioxidant warrior! But since we’re here to talk about nourishment, you’ve got to get on the baobab train. It is packed with Vitamins A and B and has a healthy dose of omega fatty acids. Your hair will never be thirsty again.
c) Grapefruit extract – Some of us have an additional layer of damage because of chemically treating our hair. We’re all for expressing yourself through your hair, and pollutants shouldn’t stop you from your ideal hair aesthetic. Grapefruit extract helps you achieve it because of its high quantity of Vitamin C. Vitamin C is a natural moisturiser that exfoliates the chemical damage right off, leaving only lustrous locks behind.
There you have it, folks. A treat for every trick so that the next time pollutants stop by to scare you, you’ve got your arsenal of haircare to protect you. Honestly, your hair will be so impenetrable that you’ll be the one doing the scaring. Choose to treat yourself today!
