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A SOLID FIFTEEN PERCENT of our clean beauty research involves being curious about the women we meet and the products and practices they choose to frequent. Lucky for us and you, we’re immersed in a sea of health and wellness professionals who swear by just the kind of tips and products we’re both looking for!
Last month, we asked a handful of women with hair we always notice to tell us what they do to keep it strong and healthy. As you would expect from our crowd, tips went far beyond teasing combs and a good blowout — we’re talking cod liver oil, scalp massages and more than one mention of thyroid health.
This story on advice for healthy hair may develop into a series as we have so many more women we’d love to ask about this! Here are our first seven…
7 Women in Wellness Share Advice On Healthy Hair At Home
Carson Meyer | Founder, C & The Moon (at top) I rarely ever use shampoo! Conditioner only. Lots of it. Truth be told, I don’t even know the name of my conditioner. I refill my bottle at The Well Refill in Topanga. Braids, sea salt and sleep bring out the mermaid hair for me!
Nyakio | Founder, Nyakio Beauty I put Charlotte Mensah hair oil or Bomba Curls Forbidden Oil on my scalp. It stimulates growth and keep my scalp healthy. I also sleep with a silk cap or scarf every single night to prevent breakage.I love the Lauren Napier, “I survived 2020 “ limited edition scarf. It has the perfect amount of stretch, so it stays on my head all night, and the words she chose inspire me as well.
Laurel Gallucci | Founder, Sweet Laurel Bakery My hair maintenance is simple: a 100% bamboo brush and a clean shampoo. I use Rahua. My hair tends to take up as much space as possible, and these days I don’t wear it down too much. During quarantine I turned to a daily ‘quarantine braid’ that I twist into a low bun if I need to be fancy.
Serena Poon | Chef, Nutritionist, Reiki Master Healthy hair is often about scalp health, so I make sure to get in plenty of omega-3 fatty acids. Since I am plant-based, I have avocado every day, along with plant-based sources for omega-3’s, such as flax seed.
Good, clean sources of protein are also key. Hair is primarily made up of proteins, so a diet rich in lean protein is necessary for healthy hair. Protein deficiency in hair usually results in dry, brittle or weak hair and hair loss. It’s also key to get enough zinc and vitamins A B C and D.
Less is more. I use very little styling products — it weighs my hair down and has a tendency to dry my hair out. I wash just 1-2 times a week and try to avoid high heat settings on any tools.
Ashley Neese | Author, How To Breathe Before I was pregnant, I took this amazing herbal tincture daily that supports healthy hair growth and nourishes the scalp. It’s full of hair strengthening herbs like horsetail which is loaded with silica and antioxidants as well as saw palmetto that contains a plant compound known as beta-sitosterol which reduces hair loss.
Since I am still nursing these days, I’m keeping my hair strong by eating eggs which are high in protein and biotin, two nutrients that are associated with hair growth and by taking daily cod liver oil and collagen from homemade bone broth. I do weekly scalp massages with coconut oil and aloe vera and brush it well each day to stimulate the scalp and encourage blood flow to the head, plus it’s relaxing and keeps my hair from getting super tangled.
Vanessa Fitzgerald | Holistic Health Coach, Vees Honey Most of us are very tied to our hair and fear the dreaded shed, myself included. While I was born with very thick hair, there have been years where I would watch copious amounts of my glorious mane fall to the floor and my scalp start to flake.
To be honest, there hasn’t been a topical solution or magical shampoo that has solved this dilemma. As a practitioner, when I see hair start to thin in either myself or my clients, I find that there is some heavy metal toxicity, mold buildup, or hormonal imbalance starting with the thyroid. In my personal experience, it’s what I put in my body that reflects in the luster of my locks. By incorporating various detox methods through whole food supplements while maintaining a balanced organic clean diet, my hair has not only recovered from great amounts of loss, but it has grown back to its’ original fullness. When it comes to detoxing and supplementing, I highly suggest working with a trained practitioner to help guide detox and provide organ support as when we go crazy on google we tend to do more harm than good.
Shiva Rose | Founder, Shiva Rose Beauty I try not to take hair vitamins like biotin because, though they work incredibly, once I go off of them my hair thins again. I would rather get my body to make the hair healthy factors on its own with the right food and topical oils.
About 10 years ago, I went through a period where my hair became limp and started to thin in a matter of weeks. After doing some research, and blood work, I found out my thyroid was off. When I get emails from people on my sites asking about thinning hair or eyebrows, I always ask if they’ve checked their thyroid. Secondly, I ask if they are using shampoos and conditioners without sulfates.
Now to keep my hair healthy I take bone broth daily for the natural collagen intake, plus nettle infusion or teas three times a week. Nettle leaves are also rich in minerals like iron, magnesium, and zinc, which can all give our follicles a great boost. If I really need a boost I will take liver pills for a few months and add supportive herbs like amla, rhodiola, oat straw tinctures.
I use my own luster hair oil that nourishes with supervitamin for hair and also nourishes the mind and crown chakra. Bhringrai, Amla Fruit, and Brahmi Oil have been used in India for centuries to create strong, healthy, vibrant hair growth. Jojoba hydrates the hair strands inside out, while pomegranate, moringa oils stimulate the hair follicles and feed hair shaft. I usually apply a few drops to my scalp and then will pull some through the strands once a week. I also shampoo with Danish brand Harklinikken that specializes in hair growth.
