HOW TO GET SMOOTH HEALTHY HAIR

After seeing Gwyeth Paltrow’s smooth, glossy mane at the Emmys on Sunday, it reminded me of all the recent controversy about carcinogens in hair-straightening products. Many women want to have beautifully straight hair like Gwyneth, (myself included), but most us (myself included,) don’t have a stylist to flat iron our hair whenever we’re seen out in public. So it’s not wonder that for a few years now thousands of women, including many celebrities, have subjected themselves to the 3-hour Brazilian Blowout Treatment.

It’s not a minute too soon that Brazilian Blowout has come under fire from the Food & Drug Administration – the FDA, the infamous government organization that is supposed to keep us safe. Unfortunately the beauty industry is, for the  most part, not  regulated at all by the FDA and so anything goes (it’s self-regulated,) but in this rather extreme case, the FDA has seen fit to step in because we’re talking about a substance, which is carcinogenic: formaldehyde is now considered to be a carcinogen and the  Brazilian Blowout system contains more than 10% formaldehyde nt it’s liquid form.

The primary means of exposure is through the mucous membranes – so exposure can cause eye, nose and throat irritation and repeated exposure can prove a much more serious risk.

I have many friends who are obsessed with straightening treatments because they tame frizz and considerably cut down styling time, however, I think most will now agree that it’s just not worth the risk.

I’ve spent a while exploring alternatives and here’s what I’ve come up with:

1. Styling products: There are now some fantastic styling products, which do an amazing job of taming frizz and assisting in straightening. I love: Philip B Drop Dead Straightening Balm, and Onesta’s Smooth & Shine Thermal Straightening Creme.

2. Good Flat Iron: Having tried a bunch of different flat irons, I’m convinced that it’s worth investing in a really top notch one if you regularly straighten your hair. The BioIonic One Pass is awesome is that it does a great job without drying out your hair at all. It also lives up to it’s name, as you really only do need to do one pass.

3. KeraGreen: The best straightening treatment that I’ve found to date is KeraGreen. It does contain a minute amount of formaldehyde, but it’s negligible, as you can see from the thorough testing it’s been through. It may not produce the immediate stick-straight results of a Keratin treatment like the Brazilian Blowout (note that many treatments are called something with the word “Keratin” in them almost always contain unsafe amounts of formaldehyde,) but it’s probably the closest you’ll get to really getting your hair straight without unsafe amounts of formaldehyde. You have to keep the treatment in your hair for about 3 days before washing it, which could also be off-putting for some. The results last for 3 months.

4. Zerran Realisse Hair Smoothing System: If you want to avoid even a trace amount of formaldehyde but you’re bothered by your frizz, you might want to try this Realisse Hair Smoothing System. I gave it a whirl just before I went on vacation to somewhere very humid and I have to say it tamed the frizz considerably. It’s won’t, however, stop your curls – but if you’ve made peace with your natural curls and just want to do away with frizz  – this might be the way to go. All the Zerran hair care products are paraben-free and get the Gorgeously Green Seal of Approval.

On a final note, this year stick-straight hair is not really in vogue. A little more volume is not only sexier, but in trend this season. So if you’re still wedded to the Gwyneth look – try some of the safer alternatives above.