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Hair and Skin JUNC Update

17 May

I have sold and given away samples of Hair and Skin JUNC products to various salons and people to get feedback and comments to help improve the products. The overwhelming product favorite, for both men and women, is the Lavender Mint Hair Masque. It works  very well for processed hair as well as natural hair. Those with naturally thick or curly hair reported they had to use a bit more product to get desired results . The Hair Masque is made with over 89% organic ingredient and based on reviews, the scent is  “heavenly” and “relaxing.” I am contemplating adding a sulfate free Lavender Shampoo to go with the Hair Masque.

Other products such as the Sulfate Free Citrus Shampoo and the Herbal Oat and Citrus Conditioner have also been very well received, one person described it as “washing her hair while running naked in an orchard,” (I’m still trying to figure out the logistics.)
Hair and Skin JUNC Elixirs and nourishing butters*, while effective, have been described  as having a “medicinal” “herbaceous” and “earthy” scent. While working on these products, my primary goal was to include only oils and butters shown to offer certain benefits to hair and skin. For example, tea tree essential oil for its reputed anti-fungal properties, cedar-wood essential oil for dandruff and dermatitis control, argan oil because its rich in vitamin E, antioxidants, carotenes and essential fatty acids. I chose shea butter because it is an excellent emollient that adds superior moisture to both hair and skin. Shea butter is the main ingredient in the nourishing butters, sometimes constituting up to 70% of the finished product. However, natural unrefined shea butter has a very distinctive and earthy smell that is rather difficult to disguise using only essential oils. I am considering incorporating other butters to reduce the overpowering scent of shea butter.

While the efficacy of the oils and butters is not being questioned, the finished products containing these ingredients need a more appealing scent. I am in the process of incorporating oils and butters that will blend well with the existing formulas but also offer a more pleasing scent.  One stylist said, “People will buy anything, as long as it smells good.” I was working from another perspective, “People will buy anything, as long as it is effective.” I know the products are effective, my goal now is to deliver that winning scent.

*Nourishing Butters are only available in sample sizes and are not yet available for sale.

The Truth About Ingredients: Preservatives

30 Apr

The Truth About Ingredients presents ingredient information in a non-biased way. I will attempt to explain (in simple English) what the ingredient is and how it works and direct you to read safety information from an independent source. It will be up to you, the consumer, to make an informed decision about ingredients and by extension, what products to select.

I started Hair and Skin JUNC as a way to educate myself and others about ingredients that for years have been overlooked, or substituted for cheaper more easily mass produced ingredients. While I can proudly say all Hair and Skin JUNC products have natural and sometimes organic ingredients at their base, there are still ingredients that one cannot get away from when manufacturing hair and skin care products. To completely avoid certain products, like preservatives, would be to risk product contamination and the harmful effects of using those products. All Hair and Skin JUNC products that are either oil-in-water or water-in-oil emulsions contain preservatives. Facial cleansers and shampoos also contain preservatives. Basically, all products that contain water or a water based substance, will contain one or more preservative.

The cremes that I use at home can be made without the use of chemical preservatives because I will use all the product within one, to two weeks, I will use a spatula to dispense product that are in jars and I can store the product in the refrigerator. Using the product over a short time period limits the amount of time the bacteria has to grow.  Using a spatula to dispense the products  (stored in jars) reduces the risk of introducing bacteria into the product with hands. Refrigerating the product also helps to create a somewhat hostile environment for bacteria, thereby slowing down the growth rate.   To completely avoid the use of preservatives in oil-in-water and water-in-oil emulsions, as well as other products containing water; one would have to buy these items the same way they purchase fresh milk – in the refrigerated section of the store, every seven to ten days. Does that sound like fun? Not for me, so I opt for the preservatives.

Preservatives

Phenoxyethanol

Phenoxyethanol is an organic chemical compound used as a preservative. It provides broad spectrum antimicrobial coverage for gram-positive and gram negative-bacteria, mold and yeast. In short, it is used to kill bacteria and stabilize formulations. Phenoxyethanol can be derived synthetically as well as from purely organic matter. For more information on Phenoxyethanol, go here.

Tetrasodium EDTA

Tetrasodium EDTA is used as a chelating agent and preservative. Chelating agents are chemicals that combine with metal ions and remove them from their “sphere of action.” Cleansing solutions such as body washes, facial cleanser, shampoos, etc., contain tetrasodium EDTA because they work in conjunction with the surfactant*. The surfactant pulls the dirt and oil away from the surface of hair or skin and the tetrasodium EDTA neutralizes the ion molecules that are attracted to the water and the surfactant, allowing them to be washed away. “The binding of metal ions also helps to prevent spoilage of cosmetics and other personal care products. It helps to maintain clarity, protect fragrance compounds, and prevent rancidity.” For more information on Tetrasodium EDTA, go here.

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*Surfactant (Definition copied from here)
A shortened form of “surface-active agent”, a surfactant is a chemical that stabilizes mixtures of oil and water by reducing the surface tension at the interface between the oil and water molecules. Because water and oil do not dissolve in each other a surfactant has to be added to the mixture to keep it from separating into layers. Surfactants in cosmetics provide one or more of six functions:

  1. Detergents – for cleansing
  2. Wetting agents – in perms
  3. Foaming agents – for shampoos
  4. Emulsifiers – in creams and lotions
  5. Conditioning agents – in skin and hair-care products
  6. Solubilizers – for perfumes and flavors

A closer look at our Hair and Skin Care Products

25 Apr

Hair Care Products

Once hair has been chemically enhanced, either by perms, relaxers or color, one major problem faced is that of moisture loss and strength. Our products are designed to gently cleanse, moisturize, condition and strengthen hair that has been chemically processed. Shampoos and conditioners are SLS free, therefore, gentle enough for use on color treated hair.
Hair that is in its natural state may be prone to breakage due to actions such as excessive blow drying and over use of products that lock moisture out of the hair. We have products that will detangle, moisturize, soften and add sheen to natural hair. Our elixirs are designed for direct application to the scalp but can be used, in small amounts, to add sheen to hair.
Beeswax combined with natural butters and essential oils makes an incredible pomade for those wishing to start and maintain locs, naturally. The pomade also provides moderate hold for most hair types and does not contain alcohol and other harsh substances, therefore, it will not dry out the hair.

Skin Care Products

Skin goes through many stages of change, with each change, it is imperative that skin remains adequately moisturized.
All moisturizers contain a mix of emollients, humectants, preservatives and fragrances. The quantity of the first three depend on a number of factors, including, skin type, skin sensitivity and age. In addition to those basic ingredients, there may be other vitamins, minerals and extracts added to boost the effectiveness of the above mentioned ingredients, as well as to further tailor them to suit various skin types. We use natural and naturally derived emollients and humectants with preservatives. There are no synthetic fragrances added to our products. If fragrances are detected, it is as a result of one or a combination of essential oils.
Facial cleaners differ based on the skin for which they are designed. For those people with sensitive, dry or normal skin, we have non-foaming creme cleansers designed to gently lift away surface dirt without stripping the skin of its natural moisture. We also use SLS free surfactants that provide mild foaming action and offer a deeper clean for those with oily or combination skin. Toners, cremes and serums work in conjunction with cleaners and help to round out our skin care line.

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