The PRODUCT Blog - Pure Ingredients for Gorgeous Hair

Kid Tested, Mother Approved

Another appreciative mother has extolled the benefits of LIL PRODUCT, hair pomade for young people!

This time the good news comes from the blog "for those passionate about beauty and fitness" - BeFlossy. Contributor Stephanie writes about both her curly-haired daughter's and her own responses to LIL PRODUCT in her guest review.  Though a bit dubious at first, Stephanie was super pleased with the results, sharing that after using LIL PRODUCT her little girl's hair held its curls, was shinier, and was soft and completely 'crunch-free' - for days after the first application!  And when it was time for a hair brushing she got another pleasant surprise - no tangles!  There are 'before' and 'after' photos in Stephanie's review - but here's an 'after,' apparently taken following a full day at the beach:

With its 100% natural, organic ingredients, LIL PRODUCT really does nourish, style, shine and protect - and we thank Stephanie, her darling daughter and BeFlossy for giving it a whirl! 

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 ... 

Not-So-Secret Ingredients

The foundation of PRODUCT's effectiveness is the proven benefits of its ingredients - each one serves a purpose, with nothing superfluous included.  PRODUCT's main component, Shea Butter, for example, is rich in essential fatty acids that protect and revitalize hair (and skin!), is highly emollient, easily absorbed, and non-comedogenic (a fancy technical term that means it's not irritating and won't clog your pores).  Shea butter is our base ingredient because it's such a personal care powerhouse.

Another of our ingredients, Aloe Vera, has an abundance of assets as well.  Though we use a different form of the succulent in PRODUCT's recipe, it turns out that Aloe gel (specifically, stabilized gel from the center of the plant) is incredibly effective for soothing gums and teeth, and also obliterates cavity-causing bacteria.  We included Aloe in PRODUCT because its calming properties pacify stressed strands, but weren't even aware that it's prowess extended to dental care!  We came across this juicy bit of health info in last week's Daily Beauty newsletter, courtesy of New Beauty Magazine. 

Just goes to show there's a natural alternative for just about every synthetic, chemically composed product out there ...

A Family Affair

We were delighted to hear from Karissa, the eco-passionate author of the blog Prissy Green, that she reviewed PRODUCT at the beginning of this month!

In her review, Karissa described how her significant other, Craig, has taken a liking to PRODUCT pomade for hair.  Specifically, she wrote that it was the "FIRST one that he actually tried, put away, then got back out of the drawer himself and has been using for several weeks."  Love it!

You see, PRODUCT was developed by a man who had been disappointed by every hair styling pomade, gel, wax, paste, etc. that he tried.  And to hear Karissa tell it, Craig had much the same experience - his gel lost its hold in wet weather, other pomades left a mess on his pillow ... Hopefully he's found his styling soul mate with PRODUCT, thanks to his green-blogging sweetie!

So all you men out there, take heart, your hair styling woes could be a thing of the past.  In addition to providing simple, effective styling, PRODUCT is completely free of chemicals and composed entirely of natural ingredients that nourish and moisturize hair, improving its condition and texture. 

And for the ladies, the Prissy Green review also describes how Karissa herself has been using PRODUCT, with lovely results.  She wrote that it works perfectly to smooth the "baby hairs" along her hairline, and emphasized how a little bit of PRODUCT goes a long way - so our 1.5 ounce jar gives a lot of bang for your buck (no pun intended!). 

Our thanks go out to Prissy Green and all its readers who entered the giveaway - Good Luck!

Junebuggin

June is a dramatic time of year - schools let out & vacation begins, or there's a graduation ... and we can't forget prom!  Then there's summer camps, or family vacations and travel, etc.  I hope to make at least some of my summer days 'lazy.'  We'll see how that goes ...

June is a notable month, too, because our hair pomade for young people, LIL PRODUCT, received it's first online review, from mom & superdumb supervillain blogger Naomi Shapiro. 

Naomi, along with her daughter Roo and her son Jasper, gave PRODUCT and LIL PRODUCT a whirl in May and she shared the results of their experience with her audience earlier this week.  The best part of her post for me was definitely the photos - pretty sweet both of them! - but we also appreciated her positive feedback.  Happy kids, happy parents, happy hair - we like!

Speaking of happy, I wanted to share this article about the biological proof that happy is healthy ...

Bon weekend!

Hair of the Dog

The debate continues ... and no, I'm not referring to the dueling national security speeches given by President Obama and Cheney yesterday.  I'm talking about the 'no-poo' debate.  Can a person really, truly cut out shampooing and achieve healthy, manageable hair?  And does quitting the suds cold turkey actually lead to better-conditioned, more beautiful tresses?

I'm a sparse shampoo-er to begin with, and was nearing the end of an unwashed hair week earlier this month when I read an article on MNN in which the writer raved about her shampoo-free experience and the ravishing results.  I had a head-start, I thought, and was inspired by her enthusiasm - thus my personal no-poo experiment began.  I was thrilled at the possibility of improving the condition of my hair and forgoing the eco-sins of most shampoos - sodium-laureth sulfates, plastic packaging, etc. 

Sadly, my grand experiment ended ingloriously about a week later with unmanageable, heavy, slightly malodorous, dull strands that, I kid you not, would stand straight up from my head without assistance.  I was disappointed, but glad I'd given it a shot ...

Then today I read another post on MNN, by their family blogger Jenn Savedge, that mirrored my experience in nearly every detail (I, too, was disturbed by the similarities between my dog's hair and my own toward the end of those two poo-free weeks!).  My lingering guilt is slighty assuaged ...

I have not ruled out the idea of another attempt to eschew shampoo, but for now I'm sticking to my minimal washings - and feeling a little less green, but a lot more human.

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?

April Showers (of Media Buzz)

Great news!  Seventeen magazine selected PRODUCT to be awarded to 50 fast-acting  readers this month ...To win a FREE jar of PRODUCT pomade for hair, visit seventeen.com/freebies and submit by entering your info and the Freebie Word of the Day, found in the April Issue, on newstands now (pssst - on PRODUCT's day, 4/12, it's "healthy"!).

We were excited to be chosen, and can't wait for all the young winners to experience the benefits of all-natural hair styling - no toxic chemicals, no irritating synthetics, just pure plant-derived goodness that softens and conditions while it smoothes away frizz and adds a delicate sheen!

And Seventeen isn't the only print publication that's highlighting PRODUCT pomade this month!  We're also thrilled to see that Beauty Launchpad featured PRODUCT in its potpourri of styling products on the "Hair Today" page.  We appreciate being recognized by the magazine that covers "What's Taking Off in the World of Beauty." 

Hold on, because the lovin' doesn't end there - Short Hair Magazine featured PRODUCT in their Spring/Summer issue, out now and overflowing with expert tips and the latest style trends ...

Then, the buzz about PRODUCT extended into the blogosphere this week, with a post on Cybelesays.com.  Cybele included PRODUCT in a post titled 'One Week's Worth of Hair Products,' describing her week of hair styling adventures and the products she used to get through it looking fabulous. 

Thanks to Cybele and to all the beauty editors for their support!

Rock the Boat

Dave Chameidies (Sustainable Dave) posted an article earlier this week on Care2 that got me thinking.  He explored the question of why people are often hesitant to be different, timid about standing out, or anxious about shaking up the status quo - even in small ways, tiny ways, ways that make sense and are born out of reasonable thinking ... Why are many (myself included) often so intimidated that they choose not to question conventional wisdom or practices? 

Being an entrepreneur is challenging.  Creating something of value and guiding it to its niche in the marketplace of ideas and goods - today more crowded than ever - is no small task.  Courage, commitment, persistence, many qualities and attitudes that are not easy to come by, are required. 

When sharing PRODUCT with potential retailers, or professional stylists, or beauty trend watchers, we are almost always asked to describe or declare what is different about it, what makes it unique.  Originally we would reply to such inquiries that it was the simplicity of PRODUCT's formula - just five ingredients, every single one of them natural.  How many hair styling aids have an ingredients list you can recite easily from memory, or count on one hand, or even fully understand without a chemistry degree? 

As time went on and more people started using PRODUCT, they shared their feedback and we learned of some of its other unique attributes.  People were using it in ways we hadn't foreseen or intended.  How exciting!  PRODUCT's been used as a lip and eye balm, a cuticle softener, an irritated skin soother ... And parents told us they loved using it on their kids because of its organic, paraben-free formula - which led to the development of LIL PRODUCT. 

So, the questions Dave brought up are excellent, and timely ones to consider.  At the moment, the world and many of its institutions are in the midst of great change, and each one of us is being challenged to do and think about things differently in order to create a brighter future.  

To dare is to lose one's footing momentarily. Not to dare is to lose oneself. - Soren Kierkegaard

Have a daring week!