How to repair damaged hair with hydrolates

We'd all like to have soft, silky hair, wouldn't we? Nowadays, many women and men consider hair an important and indispensable part of their personal image. And what makes it extremely attractive is a healthy, natural look.

Unfortunately, hair suffers damage that often cannot be avoided, and the result is visible damage: split ends, dullness, dryness, frizz, breakage, and lack of control are some of the symptoms of damage we can experience.

To understand how to repair, you first need to understand anatomy. Hair consists of three layers:

• the cuticle,
• the bark,
• and the marrow.

The cuticle is the most important layer of hair when it comes to hair care because it's the outermost layer responsible for protecting the hair shaft and maintaining its hydration, and it's also the one most exposed to damaging agents. The main component of hair is keratin, a protein rich in sulfur, which is why many hair care products focus on it.

There are three basic factors that cause hair to become damaged:

1. Chemicals: Dyeing, highlighting, and straightening dry out hair and alter its natural structure, which is why the damage is so profound. It then appears brittle, fragile, and dull.
2. Thermal: This is one of the types of damage that can be partially avoided, because you can regulate the temperature you apply to your hair with hair dryers or flat irons, but the sun, heat, and temperature changes cannot be controlled. Ultraviolet light from direct sunlight affects the hair cuticle, stripping it of its protective, moisture-retaining layer. The same thing happens with flat irons and hair dryers: high temperatures immediately break down the protective layer, and hair loses moisture.
3. Mechanical: This type of damage occurs when you brush, comb, and style your hair, and don't provide the basic daily care it needs. All of this causes it to become dull, lack moisture, and look damaged.

Likewise, in winter, with the cold, the activity of the sebaceous glands, which are responsible for nourishing and lubricating the hair, decreases. Therefore, hair can appear duller and lifeless during the colder months of the year.

WELCOME HYDROLATES

Plants are sources of countless substances with therapeutic properties for hair care. These substances are not directly available for use. Extracting the components that contain the properties we're interested in requires certain procedures.

One technique used to obtain natural substances present in a plant is distillation . It's an ancient technique that has regained popularity and is now being used in cosmetics. It involves exposing the plant organ where we know the compound of interest is located (which could be the leaf, stem, petals, or another) to water vapor. As the water vapor passes through the plant, it carries with it certain molecules of interest. When we condense this water vapor, we obtain essential oil, if the plant contains it, and, on the other hand, the hydrolate , also known as floral water (if the hydrolate was obtained from a flower).

Hydrolate is a highly nutritious plant product. It can contain essential oils, trace elements, minerals, and mucilages, and its properties depend on the plant from which it is obtained.

Hydrolate is highly valued in cosmetics because it is less concentrated than essential oil, and therefore less irritating and safer.

In cosmetics, water is generally the largest component in formulas. Including hydrosols allows it to be substituted, thus incorporating active ingredients.

Natura Siberica uses hand-harvested wild Siberian plants, meaning its ingredients are packed with nutrients, vitamins, and active ingredients that deliver superior hair care results.

This year, Natura Siberica relaunched its entire line of certified organic and natural hair care products, now including Siberian Flower Hydrolates.

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And a few days ago, it launched a new hair mask , which moisturizes and protects especially dry and damaged dyed hair.

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What are the benefits of using hydrolates for your hair care?

• They gently cleanse the hair and scalp.
• They give shine and softness.
• They take intense care of the scalp.
• They leave hair with a pleasant aroma.

Both the conditioners and this mask have the vegan seal awarded by “ The Vegan Society (UK) ” on their packaging, a guarantee for those who buy it that it really meets all the requirements to be Vegan.

5 TIPS TO CARE FOR AND REPAIR YOUR HAIR

Fortunately, there are tips and products developed to repair damaged hair.

1. Application: It's common to apply the mask after rinsing your hair, but that's not the way to go. For it to be truly effective, it's best to towel-dry your hair after rinsing out the shampoo to remove any excess water. Only then can you apply the mask and comb it through. Leave it on for the time indicated on the package, then rinse thoroughly with warm water and finish with a splash of cold water to close the scales, thus achieving extra shine. For it to be effective, it's recommended to apply it once a week.
2. Rinse: While washing, gently massage your hair in circular motions with your fingers to activate scalp circulation and stimulate hair growth. When you try Natura Siberica's new mask for the first time, you'll notice that rinsing it out isn't the same feeling you're used to when applying a traditional hair mask. Because it's an organic and vegan product, the feeling of softness isn't instantaneous. However, when your hair dries, it will feel repaired, shiny, and very, very soft.
3. Drying: When drying, avoid drying vigorously; frantically wiping wet hair with a towel to dry it easily tears it out. It's a good idea to press the towel and let it absorb the water without moving it over your scalp.
4. Brushing: Avoid plastic combs with closely spaced, pointed teeth; stiff brushes scratch the scalp and pull out tangled hairs.
5. Accessories: Try to reduce the amount of time you wear your hair tied up. Hair ties cause hair loss called traction alopecia.

Did you know the benefits of hydrosols? Tell us in the comments!

Biomille SA is a family-owned company based in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Since 2016, it has been offering certified organic and natural products nationwide.