First, let’s talk about what it is.

What is Broccoli Seed Oil?

So what exactly is broccoli seed oil?

Well here’s the scoop: Broccoli seed oil is a special oil obtained from broccoli seeds, which, as you probably know, is the seed responsible for creating broccoli–the fibrous vegetable that can prevent everything from heart disease to the growth of cancer cells. The oil helps concentrate broccoli’s many helpful benefits for a person’s skin and hair.

Now here’s the great part about broccoli seed oil–it contains a unique fatty acid composition that makes it similar to the silicone you’ll find in shampoos. (Hint: In case you don’t know, silicone helps make your hair look shiny.) Called erucic acid, this special omega-9 fatty acid helps give your hair a smooth, natural sheen without loading your follicles with harmful detergents or chemicals, a benefit you won’t find in most commercial shampoos or conditioners.

Now let’s move on to this oil’s hair-healthy benefits.

Benefits of Broccoli Seed Oil

Aside from containing erucic acid, broccoli seed oil has many, many benefits that can smooth out dry or frizzy hair. Here’s why it’s great for your hair:

• It contains vitamin C. When it’s not helping eliminate the free radicals that can contribute to cancer, the antioxidants in broccoli seed oil can help prevent hair loss. As a result, people who get enough vitamin C usually have thicker, healthier hair.
• It contains vitamin B6. B vitamins can help reduce stress, a factor that can contribute to hair loss. It’s also a part of a spectrum of vitamins that support physical and mental health. When those are in check, your body can support a healthy hair system.
• It also contains a powerful substance that has to power to inhibit dihydrotestosterone, or DHT. Why is DHT important? Because DHT has been correlated with hair loss and thinning hair–definitely two things you don’t want!

Now that you know about its benefits, how do you apply it? Simple–squeeze a pea-sized amount of it into your hand and distribute it throughout your hair, using your palms. Use your hands to coat your hair from root to tip. Tip: If you have dry hair, try concentrating the oil on the ends of the hair to prevent split ends or breakage.

Questions, comments?  Let me know in the comments below.

And no, I’m not talking about argan oil–this is an entirely new certified organic oil that you’ve probably never heard of it before.

It’s called monoi oil, an ancient Polynesian oil made out of pure coconut oil and Tahitian gardenia flowers.It’s been around for literally thousands of years–some experts say its origins go as far back as 2000 years ago, in the indigenous Polynesian island of Aotearoa (now called New Zealand). James Cook, a famous 18th century explorer who circumnavigated New Zealand, noted that the natives often used monoi oil cosmetically–often by applying it on their skin or hair.

So what is monoi oil, and why is it so much better than coconut oil?

What is Monoi Oil?

Since it was first created thousands of years ago, monoi island is still produced the same way today–by combining pure coconut oil with fresh Tahitian gardenia flowers, adding additional properties to the oil.

To start, the oil is created by gathering coconuts from the Polynesian island tree, which flourishes in the South Pacific. The coconuts are gathered, split, and left to dry in the sun. This is when the kernel of the coconut is harvested and left to dry until it loses almost all of its moisture. The kernel, now dried, is perfect for oil extraction.

Combining the coconut oil with the Tahitian gardenias is no easy–or quick–task. First, the dried kernel is crushed, pressed, and filtered to extract the pure oil. Once the oil is filtered, the fresh coconut oil is then stabilized with vitamin E. The stabilized oil is left to mature until it is selected to be used by prospective buyers or consumers.

Once this occurs, the monoi oil enters the final process. Tahitian gardenia flowers are placed into the coconut oil, where the natural properties of the flower are absorbed by the oil. It’s by no means a fast process–it can take two weeks for the absorption process to occur.

After the flower is properly absorbed, the oil is ready to be used, either as a hair conditioner or a hair restoration treatment.

The Benefits of Monoi Oil

As a hair conditioner, monoi oil is multifaceted and complex; although it shares many properties of coconut oil, it also contains additional oils and fats that make it a far more effective hair healer and nourisher.

Just some of monoi oil’s benefits include:

• It can reverse hair frizz. Lauric acid, a special acid you’ll only find in coconut-derived oils, such as monoi oil, is special because it actually penetrates the hair shaft, smoothing the hair follicle. In turn, it has also been shown to prevent protein loss, keeping the hair follicle strong–even when brittle or dry.
• It may prevent antioxidant damage. This is due to vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant that helps prevent free radical damage, which damages healthy cells–and may increase the risk of cancer. Some experts also believes free radical damage can accelerate the aging process, causing weak, brittle hair. Using vitamin E regularly may strengthen hair and allow it to grow faster and longer.

Better yet, here’s the best benefit of all: Monoi oil is all natural. There are no chemicals or synthetic ingredients used to create this oil–just nature and a healthy dose of vitamin E, making it safer than synthetic conditioners.

Be careful though–only certified organic Monoi oil is completely all natural. Other companies may use synthetic versions of monoi oil that are nothing more that poor quality coconut oil; to see if yours is all natural, look for the label “certified organic,” which you’ll find on quality hair ointments such as the Silktage Rejuvenating Styling Serum.

Today I’m going to introduce an oil that could literally transform your hair, called argan oil. It’s rare, but packs a good punch: this vitamin-rich oil is considered even healthier than olive oil, and has been used for centuries to improve skin and hair damage.

First, let’s talk about why this oil is so rare.

The Story Behind Argan Oil

First, let’s go over this oil’s origins.

Considered a medicinal plant in ancient times, argan oil hails from the argan tree, a prized tree of Morocco. In centuries past, the argan tree blanketed North Africa, but now is considered endangered–a consequence of high demand for the oil it produces.

In fact, argan oil is now considered one of the rarest oils in the world.  Trust me–it’s not easy to get your hands on this miracle tree ointment. People have attempted to grow the native tree elsewhere in the world, but the argan tree only truly thrives in its homeland.

Interestingly enough, argan oil isn’t harvested from the tree–it’s harvested from the fruit it bears. Harvesting the fruit is a difficult process, and days are spent harvesting the nut from the fruit, the source of this prized oil. From there, they use manual extraction methods–usually mashing the nuts into paste–to extract the oil.

Because of the labor involved in harvesting this oil, this oil is rare and expensive–bottles of argan oil sell for no less than $40 in native Morocco.

But it’s worth the price, if you knew the benefits argan oil contains.

Benefits of Argan Oil

Not sold on argan oil? Here’s what will: It’s even healthier than olive oil, one of the healthiest oils in the world. As it stands, argan oil contains numerous antioxidants and fatty acids that can prevent hair damage, including stearic, oleic and linoleic acid.

Its high fatty acid content is important for hair health. Here’s why: Some of these fatty acids are able to penetrate the hair’s cortex, which many commercial conditioners cannot do. Most conditioners simply coat the hair with moisture, whereas argan oil actually penetrates the cortex, where it heals the hair from the inside out. That’s not something you can find in a conditioner or shampoo.

As it heals the hair, the fatty acids in argan oil also help soften the hair and prevent hair damage on the outside. It may even help give you hair a soft, silky sheen. The result: Your hair becomes strong and silky, and the results are long-lasting.

Where to Buy Argan Oil

As it stands, you’d probably have to travel to Morocco to get your hands on argan oil. If you’re willing to travel, you can purchase a vial for around $40 at a specialty store. A little oil goes a long way, so you won’t run out of oil immediately.

However, more and more companies are beginning to import argan oil to use in their hair care products. Not all of them are using the purest forms of argan oil, however.

Unfortunately, as this oil becomes more and more popular, people have resorted to using mechanical methods to obtain this miracle conditioner. SILKtage is one of the few hair care products that actually contain pure, certified organic argan oil, as well as the full spectrum of beneficial hair oils from around the world.

Questions, comments? Leave a comment below. Next week we’ll cover jojoba oil, and why it’s better than any conditioner on the market.

It’s also an excellent hair moisturizer, and can help treat both untreated and colored hair.

Today I’m going to discuss why coconut oil is so beneficial for your hair, and what exactly it treats. Let’s begin.

Why Coconut Oil is So Special

Coconut oil is special for two reasons–it’s both a lubricant and a moisturizer. Most commercial hair conditioners only coat the hair with a temporary sheen, which makes it look like it’s softer, when in fact it’s just been greased down–the hair hasn’t actually been treated. But when you use coconut oil, it doesn’t simply coat the hair.

Here’s why. Coconut oil contains a special acid called lauric acid, a type of lightweight acid that can penetrate the hair shaft. This is good. In turn, coconut oil also prevents protein loss, which often occurs when your hair is damaged.

By preventing the hair from losing protein, it restores health to the hair follicle, keeping the hair smooth, strong and soft–characteristics that show hair is healthy.

What Coconut Oil Treats

Here’s the good thing about coconut oil: It can treat nearly all types of hair. It’s one reason why I use coconut oil in my SILKtage Rejuvenating Styling Serum–because it’s truly that versatile. Here’s what coconut oil can treat:

• Color-damaged hair. If you like to dye your hair, and have suffered the consequences of chemical damage, a dab of coconut oil can help restore softness and sheen.
• Dry or frizzy hair. Chances are if you have dry or frizzy hair, your hair is already damaged. Using coconut oil regularly can help reverse some of this damage while preventing further damage.
• Just-bleached hair. If you’ve just bleached your hair, your hair is probably under a lot of stress–it’s probably very dry, for example. To prevent hair breakage or split ends, use coconut oil as a leave-in conditioning treatment to restore moisture to the hair follicles. It’s natural and definitely more reliable than a slick of chemical conditioner.

These reasons are why I insist every good hair care product should contain coconut oil–it’s one of the most effective conditioners on the market, and it’s all natural.

Have any questions about coconut oil? Ask me in the comments below.

Well here’s the secret: For centuries they’ve used camellia oil to soften and strengthen their hair. Today we’re going to talk about camellia oil and discuss why it’s good for frizz-free hair care.

Camellia Oil: Its Origins

If thought the name “camellia” sounded exotic, you’re right. This all-natural “flower oil” is cultivated from the camellia japonica flower, which flourishes in Japan–more specifically around Nagasaki and Tokyo. To obtain the oil, experts use a cold-press process to extract the essential oil from camellia japonica’s seeds.

From there, the oil is often used “as is”, usually as a leave-in conditioner, hair styling product or even cooking oil. Camellia oil is remarkably similar to olive oil–it’s even been nicknamed the “Olive Oil of the East”–so it often contains the same benefits as olive oil.

Camellia Oil Benefits

If you want to improve the look, feel and texture of your hair, here’s how camellia oil can help:

1. It contains hair-penetrating lipids that keep hair healthy. You may remember me recommending coconut oil in a previous topic because it also contains these hair-penetrating lipids. Camellia oil is also rich in lipids called monounsaturated fats–those are the “good” fats–which penetrate your hair’s cortex, restoring moisture to your hair.

2. It mimics your hair’s natural moisture. Again, like coconut oil, camellia oil is also remarkably similar to your hair’s natural moisture–and that’s a good thing. If you have chronically dry or frizzy hair, camellia oil can add back some of that moisture, making hair soft, frizz-free and silky smooth.

3. Its hair-penetrating properties go further than your hair. Evidence also shows that eating the monounsaturated fats in camellia can also improve the health of your hair and skin–so eat up! Simply switching out butter or corn oil for a healthy dose of camellia during dinner can help you obtain the hair-healthy benefits of this rejuvenating oil.

So there we have it: The benefits of adding camellia oil into your hair regimen. To soften your hair, you can use camellia oil alone as a stand-alone conditioner or use hair serums containing this oil, such as my SILKtage Rejuvenating Styling Serum.

Hair Frizz: The Ingredients That Matter

As I mentioned in my previous hair frizz post, frizzy hair is caused by using harsh chemicals that strip hair of its moisture. For luxurious, healthy hair, moisture is paramount–it’s how you get silky, manageable hair. To enhance your hair’s sheen, texture and smoothness, here’s what can help:

1. Green tea. This tea isn’t just a great alternative to soda–it also helps keep your hair strong and healthy. This is because green tea contains a multitude of hair-healthy antioxidants, such as vitamin C, vitamin E and panthenol. It may interest you to know that panthenol is a common ingredient in hair conditioners due to its ability to soften and lubricate the hair shaft. Another key antioxidant, called epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), was also shown to inhibit hair loss in a study reported by the Seoul National University College of Medicine.

My recommendation: Dumping green tea on your head won’t do, but using an oil derived from green tea is a great way to soften frizzy hair. You can buy the oil separately or choose a hair product containing green tea oil, such as my SILKtage rejuvenating styling serum.

2. Coconut oil. Coconut oil is one of the few oils shown to penetrate the hair, which makes it an excellent hair restoration product. The reason: Coconut oil contains lipids that are remarkably similar to your hair’s natural lipids, which allows it to reach your hair’s cortex. Once it reaches the hair’s cortex, it helps lessen the damage caused by moisture-stripping shampoos, making your hair healthier and softer.

My thoughts: I would definitely recommend adding this oil to your frizzy hair care regimen, especially if your hair is severely damaged. Simply smooth it onto your hair as a leave-in conditioner for a softer, frizz-free mane.

3. Jojoba seed. There’s something quite intriguing about this seed–like coconut oil, its lipids are similar to those that naturally exist on your hair, which adds a layer of moisture to your hair strands. It also can do wonders for your scalp, softening the skin and soothing dry or cracked skin. As for its feel, I can definitely say jojoba isn’t greasy or too oily, so it won’t weigh down your hair, which can be a problem with some over-the-counter hair care products.

My recommendation: To repair frizzy hair, I recommend choosing a certified organic jojoba seed oil to ensure it contains no additives or chemicals. I use certified organic jojoba seed oil in my SILKtage Rejuvenating Styling Serum.

For additional conditioning, I also highly recommend other botanical oils, such as rosemary flower oil, clove bud oil and broccoli seed oil. Make sure to buy organic–some oils may contain impurities that may inhibit their ability to soften and strengthen frizzy hair.

                    What are you putting in your hair?

Hair care ingredients that cause hair frizz

To stay smooth, soft and manageable, hair needs moisture. Unfortunately, many common over-the-counter hair care products do the exact opposite — they drain hair of its moisture, causing it to become brittle and frizzy. Hair care products such as shampoos, conditioners and hair sprays can all harbor ingredients that can literally drain the life out of your hair.

To show you just how common these ingredients are, I want you to go into your bathroom and gather all of your hair care products. Yes, all of them — even your organic products. Look at the ingredient label. Then, I want you to see if you can locate any of the following ingredients:

• Ammonium laurel sulfate
• Ammonium laureth sulfate
• Sodium lauryl sulfate
• TEA laurel sulfate
• TEA laureth sulfate
• Diethanolamine
• Triethanolamine

If you found any of these ingredients in your hair care products, I have bad news for you: you’re damaging your hair. As a rule of thumb, be wary of any ingredient that contains the name “laurel sulfate” or “laureth sulfate” — these are strong detergents that can zap hair moisture, creating unmanageable hair frizz. These detergents can also irritate the scalp.

Diethanolamine and triethanolamine aren’t as irritating as these agents, but they can also cause unsightly skin reactions and dry out the skin and hair. But the biggest problem with these ingredients isn’t their moisture-zapping properties — it’s their toxicity. Over time, absorption of these chemicals can build up in the body, which has been correlated with cancer in animal-led studies. That’s scary news — and one good reason to avoid commercial, chemical hair care products.

Kick out chemicals for healthy, frizz-free hair

It’s scary to see how many chemicals are really in our hair care products — and it’s even scarier that these chemicals could even increase our risk for cancer. Unfortunately, the FDA isn’t likely to go after hair care companies for the damage they do to our hair, so here’s how you can ensure your hair care routine is 100% frizz-free:

1. Don’t buy cheap hair care products.Cheap shampoos, conditioners or hair sprays often contain chemicals as cheap “fillers” to make your hair feel soft or smooth. Ingredients such as sodium lauryl sulfate are dirt cheap, so the companies can get away with selling shampoo for a dollar or less–often at the expense of your hair.

2. Go chemical-free. Refuse to buy hair care products that contain detergents or chemical agents. Here’s a good rule of thumb: If it doesn’t exist in nature, don’t buy it. Camellia oil is a natural oil derived from the camellia flower; diethanolamine is a chemical often used in the production of herbicides.

3. Choose hair care products that utilize natural ingredients. SILKtage only contains the most nourishing, natural oils designed to de-frizz your hair; on the contrary, you’ll be hard pressed to find any natural oils in a store brand hair conditioner or styling gel.

4. Be aware of too much Silicones in your hair products. While Silicone will have the hair looking shiny, it is essentially a plastic/rubber film that adds a fake shine, but does nothing to improve the health of the hair. Products containing more than one Silicone (any ingredient ending in ‘one”) is very cheaply made and therefore is just a chemical product! Stay away from hair products with SILICONE as the first two ingredients!

To help you make even better choices about your hair care products, next week I’ll reveal the ingredients every hair care product should have to maintain natural smoothness, volume and natural, frizz-free shine. For right now, though, I want you to start looking at your hair care products and eschew the chemicals aside. This is your transition from chemicals to organic, natural products. If you really care about your hair, this is one of the best decision you can make for your hair.

Why your hair is frizzy

To understand the cause of your frizzy hair, we need to first explore what causes it in the first place. I’ll keep the scientific mumbo-jumbo to a minimum here, but this is how you create a “frizzy hair” environment:

1. Hair needs moisture to stay smooth and flat; removing this moisture can cause dry hair, a precursor to unmanageable hair frizz. There are numerous ways in which your hair’s moisture gets removed, which causes it to have a dull, dry appearance. When this occurs, the outer layer of your hair, called the cuticle, relaxes.

2. When the cuticle is relaxed, you’ve primed up an ideal environment for frizzy hair to flourish. The reason: When the cuticle is relaxed, this allows moisture to penetrate the middle part of your hair strand, called the cortex. The moisture causes the cortex to swell unevenly, which gives the hair a frizzy, unkempt appearance. It’s also bad for hair health–dry, frizzy hair is often brittle, and more suspect to split ends.

What’s causing your frizzy hair

There are many factors that can harm your hair strands and cause the swelling I just described. For example, drying your hair by rubbing your strands with a towel can damage the cuticles, giving you a head of fresh hair frizz. Befriending your hair styling device, such as the flat iron, curling iron or blow dryer, is also a recipe for disaster, especially if your hair is thin and brittle to begin with.

Scarily enough, this isn’t the biggest cause of your hair frizz. The biggest culprit? Something that’s already in your bathroom…products that you use everyday without a second thought. Next week, we’ll discuss what these products are, and how they’re destroying your hair.

Frizz to Fabulous. Are you ready to give SILKtáge a try?

Our organic and  natural hair oil serum is beneficial to all hair types. Whether you are a curly haired girl or your hair is stick straight, the pure botanical oils found in SILKtáge Rejuvenating Styling Serum prevents hair frizz and keeps hair looking healthy and fabulous all day long.

Ready to give it a try?

SILKtáge can be used on either wet hair or dry.

Here are a few general guidelines for each:

WET HAIR: 

1. Shampoo and condition hair as you normally would. Tap hair gently with a towel to remove excess water.

2. Put a couple of drops of SILKtáge in the palm of your hands and work it though your hair, using a wide tooth comb or your fingers.

3. If you are using a blow dryer be sure to put a few extra drops of SILKtáge on the dry, frizzy areas and rough ends.

4. If you allow your hair to air dry, add a few drops of SILKtáge when you hair is wet and a few more drops before it completely dries.

5. Style as usual. Add a couple more drops of SILKtáge on styled hair, if needed.

* Try SILKtáge as a Pre-Shampoo Oil Treatment for extra conditioning.

DRY HAIR: 

1. Put a couple of drops in the palm of your hands or finger tips and smooth it through your hair concentrating on the ends. Be sure to apply SILKtáge before using a flat iron, curling iron, blow dryer, to protect hair from the damaging effects of styling heat.

2. If you are going out in the sun for a long time, or going into a pool or ocean apply SILKtáge through the hair to protect your hair from the chlorine, salt or the sun.

3. Apply a couple of drops of SILKtáge daily on your dry hair to maintain luxurious brilliance, and silky, healthy frizz free shine. Concentrate on the dry, frizzy areas and rough ends.

Interested in learning more about the most effective way to prevent frizz in your hair using SILKtáge? Keep checking back!  We will be highlighting different hair types over the coming weeks and how to best use SILKtáge to your advantage.

For more information on SILKtáge or to order, visit our website at http://www.emtagehair.com .