The PRODUCT Blog - Pure Ingredients for Gorgeous Hair

Boos & Ghouls

Decorations, costumes, treats - the potential for a sasquatch-sized carbon footprint at Halloween is huge.  But help is no more than a mouse click away ...  here are some of the web standouts with advice on greening your fright fest: 

Planet Green put together a series of articles with ideas for how to shrink your environmental impact this year - and grow your creativity in the process!  Contributor Leslie Billera shares some alternatives to the usual confectionary suspects that don't take the fun (or deliciousness) out of the occasion ...  And Blythe Copeland has some inspired tips for making costumes and decorations, my favorite being the spooky skeleton made of socks whose partners have gone missing.  

Another great source for DIY innovation is Jenn Savedge on MNN.com - she provides instructions for how to construct some fun costumes on the fly, or in a time crunch.  And if the party's at your house this year, she also has fantastic ideas for Halloween games that will keep everyone involved and entertained, as well as help channel some of that treat-induced energy. 

Hope everyone enjoys a spirited and safe Halloween!  

Natural Wonders

Welcome to the weekend! 

Great news - PRODUCT and LIL PRODUCT recently received another glowing online review!  Ashley, on her blog Blessed Barnharts, wrote about her hair styling experiences with PRODUCT and described how her young son loves using LIL PRODUCT to groom his hair before going to preschool (though his mom actually does most of the styling - he's just happy with the results!).  Many thanks to Ashley for her interest in our all-natural, organic pomades, and for sharing their goodness with her audience.

Also wanted to spread the word that another beautiful documentary series is starting on PBS this Sunday night.  The premiere episode of a 12-hour documentary about the United States National Park system will begin an exploration of the stunning and majestic public places that the US has preserved as part of its national heritage.  It promises to be gorgeous and awe-inspiring - an enriching program that will highlight the natural wonders that exist in our part of the world.  Could be a soothing way to zen out before next work week begins ... 

Say Cheese!

School days are here again:  fresh notebooks and pencils, new schedules and teachers!  It's a tumultuous time of year, full of excitement and expectation - emotions are running high ... 

One thing that always looms large with the start of a new school year is PICTURE DAY.  This is an occasion on which LIL PRODUCT can come in handy.  A small amount of LIL PRODUCT can make a big difference in your child's class photo style.  LIL PRODUCT is wonderful at smoothing unruly strands, separating and beautifying curls, or adding texture to assist with braids.  And LIL PRODUCT is not just for girls - boys can use it too, to create direction or movement and achieve absolute adorability. 

So if you're looking for a styling aid that's simple to use, safe and natural, and designed especially with kids in mind - look no further.  You can trust that LIL PRODUCT is made only from organic ingredients that protect hair from damage and won't irritate your child's delicate scalp.  Get the school year off to a green start!

Simmer Down

Well, well - welcome to August.  July is certainly going out with a bang - there has been some intensely warm weather here along the West coast lately.  Summer's coming along quite nicely ...

I became aware this year of the amusingly large number of superfluous holidays that populate the US calendar because one of my date books seems to list every obscure and inane holiday you've never heard of or could possibly imagine.  So this sweetly enthusiastic multimedia article in Paste Magazine's online newsletter, which celebrates our abundance of occasions in the month of August (also known as "Admit You're Happy Month"), put a smile on my face ...

Some notable days:  be sure to "Wiggle Your Toes" on August 6, yuk it up on "Presidential Joke Day" (August 11), and schedule your next relationship spat for the 25th so you can properly celebrate "Kiss and Make Up Day."  And even though I didn't see "Trim Your Own Bangs" Day listed, you can do that this month, too, thanks to Daily Candy's 'Easy Does It' how-to video!

If time flies when you're having fun, hope everyone's August is like a supersonic jet. 

Pop Rocks

The man of the hour this weekend is definitely Dad.  Plus, Father's Day coincides with the first day of summer this year, so there's plenty to celebrate this Sunday ...

Recently, I was impressed by the father/daughter story behind Chris Rock's heartfelt, personal and undoubtedly funny documentary, 'Good Hair Day,' which was honored with the Special Jury Prize at this year's Sundance Film Festival.  I found it touching that Mr. Rock was inspired to make his doc after learning of his daughter's distress at not having, as she put it tearfully, "good hair."  Her strife spurred him on a quest to explore the "good hair" concept, to get enlighten himself on the subject in hopes of being of help to her, and to understand where she was coming from. What a dad!!

'Good Hair Day' apparently delves pretty deeply into African American hair culture, spending time with the general public in salons and beauty parlors, and interviewing celebrities and prominent social figures about their hair attitudes and experiences.  Rock expands his focus to include a history of and discussion about hair styling in the black community - a topic of great significance to many people individually, but rarely part of the larger discourse.  Ethnic hair care has its own world of issues, concerns, ideals and practices, and has developed as a part of African American social culture for generations ...  Who would have thought a father's concern would lead to a documentary about black womens' hair styling preferences?  Unexpected, and a delightful turn of events in my opinion ...

Enjoy your Father's Day!

Mow Betta

Spring is the season of growth.  Even in Los Angeles, where it's pretty mild all year-through, spring and summer host a lot of botanical events.  Right now the bougainvillea is brightly blooming, and the sticky jacaranda blossoms are beginning to carpet the streets and sidewalks ...

Yes, things are growing - including grass.  Which means mowing.  It turns out that even lawn mowing is being transformed by the  "green revolution."  Here in California, there's a program run by the South Coast Air Quality Management District called "Mow Down Air Pollution" that gives people a "deep discount" on battery-electric, non-polluting mowers when they trade in their gas-powered stinky ones.  And as reported in The Daily Green earlier this month, if all goes according to the plans of three Vermont Representatives, the Greener Gardens Act will give everyone a 25% tax credit on all low-emission lawnmowers.  Congressman Peter Welch, one of the sponsors of the legislation, says he hopes the Act will "incentivize smart steps toward reducing our carbon footprint."

I wonder if the legislators would be willing to incentivize the most nature-friendly lawn grooming machine of all ... the goat.  In today's tough job market, it's good to be a goat!  Increasingly, goats are being hired to trim landscapes, devour weeds and, um, fertilize the soil.  MNN relayed that Google is the latest to jump on the goat bandwagon.  It already happened here in California, when goats were hired to clear Bunker Hill in Downtown Los Angeles.  I blogged about it, I thought it was so cute!

With such adorable options, who wouldn't want to try going green with their lawn care?

Word From the Mothers

Happy Friday, and Happy Mother's Day weekend.  Hopefully all of you who are mothers will receive gushing praise, messages of love, and thoughtful gifts ... and those who are not, may you find that perfect way to say 'Thank You' to your mother - it can be challenging.  What's even more challenging than selecting the ne plus ultra present for your mom, though,  is actually being a mom. 

Moms care and nurture, they worry, and they repeatedly battle feelings of frustration and exhaustion ... How do they do it?  A million moms will tell you as many methods, but probably the most important contributing factor is love.  So thank you to all the mothers in the world, for giving so much of yourselves ...

This week I got in touch with some mothers who have tried LIL PRODUCT with their kids, to find out both parties' responses to our organic, 100% natural pomade. I was ecstatic to hear that LIL PRODUCT was a help to Rachel, who has a son with "beautiful curly hair" whose curls get too "big" sometimes.  She says, "LIL PRODUCT makes his curls tight and helps him avoid looking like Richard Simmons (sad but true)"!  Rachel also told me she "loves the smell" of LIL PRODUCT, finds it is the perfect size to carry in her purse, and thinks it's something "every curly haired child should use."

Christie has a daughter with curls that she describes as "rambunctious," and she's found that LIL PRODUCT "tamed" her daughter's hair and made it "more manageable."   She says using LIL PRODUCT has turned hairbrushing into a more enjoyable experience for them both!  Christie also uses PRODUCT on her own hair, and said her favorite thing about it is how "light" it feels and wears.

It makes me smile to know that these moms are using LIL PRODUCT with their kids - and we're glad to offer a chemical-free, organic styling option that everyone can feel good about.  Thanks to Christie & Rachel for sharing your feedback - I enjoyed hearing it.

Happy Mother's Day!

Global Gratitude

 

It's time, again, to celebrate this amazing planet we call home - Earth Day is next week!

PRODUCT has a special place in its heart for the Earth, since every one of the five ingredients in our pomade is plant-derived ... We bring the Earth's bounty to your hair, and the results are gorgeous!

PRODUCT's main component is Certified Organic Shea Butter, derived from the nuts of the Karite tree, which grows in Africa.  Shea butter is a super-rich natural fat with excellent emollient properties that also offers protection from damaging UV rays.

We combined the conditioning power of Organic Shea Butter with soothing Aloe Vera, antioxidant natural source Vitamin E and White Beeswax collected from bees that pollinate in fields of wildflowers (not a pesticide in sight!) - then added a touch of Tangerine Essential Oil for an uplifting citrus scent.

And now the next generation can enjoy the benefits and safety of organic grooming and styling as well, with LIL PRODUCT pomade for young people.  Made with the same careful attention to quality and purity we adhered to when creating PRODUCT, LIL PRODUCT combines Organic Shea Butter, Organic Aloe Vera, natural source Vitamin E and pure White Beeswax, as well as Organic Chamomile to bring out beautiful natural highlights and a few drops of Organic Cinnamon Leaf Essential Oil for a deliciously spicy natural fragrance.

Free of synthetics, parabens, and other harsh or harmful ingredients, LIL PRODUCT is a healthy way for kids & teens to develop their personal style!

Our connection to the Earth is in every jar of PRODUCT and LIL PRODUCT, and we look forward to next Wednesday's celebration of our incredible planet!

 

The Good, The Bad, and the Frizzy

Oh, the elusive "good hair day."  We strive to attain it, curse the "bad" days, and wonder when (or if) we will solve the mystery of how to get "good" hair every day.  

NPR recently ran a series of pieces exploring "best practices" for achieving a manageable mane, and also delving into the biological reasons for hair's seemingly capricious behavior. 

The first piece got to the root of common hair health and appearance issues with explanations of hair's natural self-defense mechanisms (sebaceous glands), and shampoo's effect on our protective lipid layers.  The article then helpfully breaks down the common active ingredients in shampoo, describing how they work and what to pay attention to when selecting your cleanser - a choice that hinges  on the strength of your personal lipid layer, which you can test by sprinkling drops of water on your hair.  If they rest on the surface like dewdrops, your lipid shield is intact; if your hair absorbs the water, your barrier is compromised (and your hair more vulnerable to potentially irritating or damaging detergents like sodium laureth sulfate).   The proper balance of detergents and conditioning agents is of utmost importance, and is highly individual.  This explains how we can try so many varieties of shampoo and still not find the "perfect" one. 

And then, to complicate matters, if we do find our shampoo soul mate, our hair can (and inevitably does) change!  An audio segment describes how it's completely normal for hair to go from straight to curly (or vice-versa), and for it to change texture over time.  Apparently it's the hair follicle that takes us for this roller coaster ride by changing its shape - in response to what, though, no one seems to know...

The NPR series culminated in a general recommendation to shampoo less.  They even mention the eco-minded "no-poo" movement, which is especially popular among curly-haired individuals.  In this audio segment, there are some amusing excerpts from shampoo commercials of the 1970's, when a barrage of advertising campaigns inculcated Americans to the practice of daily hair washing.  Now dermatologists and hair care professionals are pretty much across the board advocating less frequent shampooing.  An added benefit, besides improvement in your hair's condition, is that it saves shower time and, thus, water.  Great for your schedule and for resource conservation!

Speaking of conservation, tomorrow - March 28th - is World Wildlife Fund's Earth Hour.  Power down for one hour tomorrow night "to make a global statement of concern about climate change and to demonstrate commitment to finding solutions."  Light some candles, get romantic, sip some wine - all in the service of stopping global warming ...

Get Growing

Welcome to Spring, everyone!  

Today marks the Vernal Equinox, which is the beginning of Spring in the Northern hemisphere.  This is a season of renewal and rebirth - something many of us are more than ready for. 

I'm looking forward to enjoying all that nature has to offer during this time of year:  sunshine, prodigious plant life (summer fruits and vegetables - yum!) and blooming flowers.  Since we created PRODUCT and LIL PRODUCT entirely from plant-derived ingredients, we definitely appreciate the amazing array of beneficial properties plants contain. This year the onset of Spring has got me considering our (humble and highly improvised) home garden ... and according to the New York Times I'm not the only one!

In the past we've tried to produce a little food - tomatoes, strawberries, as well as fresh herbs, which make home cooking so much more flavorful ... The results have been mixed.  This year we may try our hand at growing lettuce - should be interesting!  I also have a collection of succulents under my care; these are a good option for Southern California, which is continually water supply-challenged.  Plus, I just love their unusual shapes and the fact that they're delightfully low-maintenance. 

BBC online has some helpful organic gardening tips for those just getting started.  Their site schools budding gardeners on the fundamentals and upkeep, as well as more advanced practices like composting, pest control and more.  Gardening can serve many purposes - you can plant hedges for privacy, trees for shade, ground cover as a barrier to assist in protecting your home from wildfires, or certain flora as an attraction for animals and insects (hummingbirds, butterflies).  Plant life creates a habitat and an oxygen-rich environment suffused with color and life energy.  It can be a tremendously rewarding experience, as well as an instruction in patience, to watch something grow from seed, to plant, to fruit or flower ...

So if you're thinking about getting growing, the time is ripe!