Category: dandruff

In Review: Shea Moisture’s Purification Masque

Posted on by Michelle

This morning I posted a video on my Youtube channel showing my first impression after using the Purification Masque by Shea Moisture.  The product claims to relieve itching from dry scalp caused by conditions like dandruff, eczema and psoriasis.  I suffer from scalp psoriasis which thankfully is a lot better after taking my vitamin supplements and eating healthy.  I still have a little bit of an itchy scalp so I thought I would try this product to see if it would help.  Check out the video to see what I thought!

MY REVIEW ON SHEA MOISTURE’S PURIFICATION MASQUE

Also, be sure to take a look at my recent posts on how I deal with my psoriasis.  It is an autoimmune disease that tends to flare up during the fall and winter.  I talk about how I cleanse my scalp without causing too much stress on my hair and also how diet and supplements help me to get my skin back
to normal.  

Scalp Psoriasis and Natural Hair

Posted on by Michelle

curlyincolorado.com scalp psoriasis natural hairThe fall and winter tends to be the time of year when we hear more about protective styling.  With the colder temperatures and drop in humidity, a lot of naturals will do this in order to protect their tresses.  I admire all of the different styles from braids to twists and pretty up dos.  However, this is usually the time when I really just want to hide my hair from view.  That is because I suffer from scalp psoriasis which tends to last over a long period, beginning in the fall and lasting into the winter.

There is plenty of information online regarding psoriasis.  In my case it shows up on my scalp and skin in small spots that spread out over time.  Years ago, I sought treatment and advice from medical professionals who unfortunately did not help me to understand the condition.  They prescribed steroid creams which led to my worst spell with psoriasis ever.  Later, I found out that psoriasis is an auto immune disease which means the immune system is out of whack somehow.  Since the digestive tract makes up about 70 percent of the immune system, I tend to focus my efforts there.  I do this by eating a diet rich in clean foods and focus on staying hydrated.  I’ll explain more on my diet and supplements in another post.

The tricky thing about having scalp psoriasis while having thick, curly, natural hair is that the flaking that develops can be hard to get rid of.  Using oils can reduce the appearance of flakes but can also increase the production of them.  This means I end up cleansing my hair and scalp more often.

I try to stay away from harsh shampoos during this time because the frequent washing is already a lot of manipulation on my hair.  Sulfate based shampoo leaves my hair feeling stripped and can lead to tangling.  When I cleanse my scalp with a sulfate shampoo I try to follow it up with a pH balanced shampoo or an apple cider vinegar rinse.  I’ll do this once a week and then use a sulfate free shampoo on other days.  I end up cleansing my hair and scalp up to three times per week in total.

As far as protective styling goes I’ve found that wearing hats and wigs are the most comfortable for me right now.  I don’t have to worry about flakes being visible when I’m out which is a boost for my confidence.  Other times, a wash and go style is my go-to because it is quick and easy.  I also don’t worry as much about the frequent washing because I usually refresh the style every two or three days.

Read Here for  How I Clear Up My Psoriasis with Diet and Supplements

Healthy Hair and Skin from the Inside

Posted on by Michelle

Recent twist and curl style

I am pretty happy with my hair recently and am feeling like things are getting back to normal.  By that I mean I was having some issues with dry, flaky scalp followed up by a month or two with heavy shedding.  Both issues are finally getting under control so I have been uploading to my YouTube channel more often with hair tutorials.  Before now though it was so frustrating to do anything with my hair because I almost felt like there was no point.  The flakes made it look so bad that I didn’t even want to go out some days.

One of the things that I think helped was that I started working on my immune system to help get my skin under control.  I have psoriasis and I have known for a while now that the inflammation in my skin is because of something not quite right with my immune system.  When the psoriasis flared up I started introducing probiotics into my system by eating a serving of Activia yogurt each day.  This helped with digestion and made it possible for my body to absorb my supplements better.  After doing that for 2-3 weeks I decided to go back to a more effective multi-vitamin formulated for women.  It costs more but has proved to be much better for my body than the usual store brands.

So happy my scalp is finally clearing up

I also added some supplements to my daily routine like garlic, super B-Complex and vitamin E.  The garlic helped with the shedding and didn’t start working right away but I can tell that I am shedding fewer hairs per wash session now.  I would say it took about a 3-4 weeks before it started to make a difference.  The B-Complex contains biotin and I can see that it is helping my nails so hopefully it’s doing something for my hair as well.  The Vitamin E is a given because it’s known for being good for the skin.  I usually try to take my multi-vitamin on its own  and then the other supplements together at another time during the day.  Both times are with a meal.  I also started drinking Green Tea for the antioxidants and increased my daily water intake.

With the Colorado climate being especially dry right now,  I hope that this regimen will get me through the winter without having anymore problems.  For now,  I’m using shea butter to moisturize my skin and staying away from heavy oils on my scalp to avoid build-up.  I’ve also started doing more finger detangling instead of using a tool to get rid of shed hairs.  

NOTE:  As with anything health related be sure and speak with a physician when considering adding vitamins and supplements to your daily routine  

Review: Clear Scalp & Hair Therapy-Ultra Shea Shampoo

Posted on by Michelle

At the beginning of the summer I was sent some products for review.  When I agreed to give my feedback,  I was not aware of which products I would be receiving in the mail.  I was very happy to see that they were from the new Clear Scalp & Hair Therapy line.  I saw this line in stores and was wondering if the products would work for my scalp.

I have scalp psoriasis which tends to show up during the drier months (usually wintertime).  For some reason though, I started seeing a lot of flaking and irritation in the spring when I was on the tail end of my Curly Girl Method trial.  When the products arrived in the mail I was primed and ready for something to relieve me of my scalp woes.  I’ll do the review in two parts for the shampoo and conditioner.  The other products were not used for long enough to make a difference in my scalps’ condition therefore I do not have an opinion on them.

Ultra Shea Cleanse & Nourish Shampoo

Ingredients

Water (Aqua), Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Dimethiconol, Glycol Distearate, Sodium Chloride, Fragrance, Carbomer, Dimethicone, Sodium Lauroyl Isethionate, Zinc Pyrithione, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, DMDM Hydantoin, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Stearic Acid, Citric Acid, Tallow Acid or Palmitic Acid, Zinc Sulfate, TEA Dodecylbenzenesulfonate, Sodium Isethionate, Poloxamer 407, Laureth 23, Laureth 4, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Triticum Vulgare (Wheat) Germ Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, PEG 9M, Hydrogenated Coconut Oil, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil, Elaeis Guineenis (Palm) Oil, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Xanthan Gum, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Methylisothiazolinone, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Mica (CI 77019), Bismuth Oxychloride (CI 77163), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77491)  

Claims

  • Proven to lock in moisture and provide long lasting nourishment for extra dry scalps
  • Gently cleanses to remove product build-up and allow scalp to breathe
  • Formulated with Nutrium 10™ Moisture Lock system, a rich blend of shea butter and natural oils, including vitamin E, sunflower, coconut, almond, soybean, argan, and palm


Upon first use I felt that the shampoo was heavenly.  The sulfate gave it a very rich, velvety lather.  My hair did not feel stripped like with other sulfate shampoos.  The sweet almond and vanilla scent reminded me of the Suave Professionals Almond and Shea products.  It did not linger on the hair although it was very fragrant while shampooing.  My initial reaction was that I would definitely think to use this product again whenever I needed to cleanse my hair and scalp.  After several washes, all weeks apart, I realized that the product was not doing anything to help with my itchy, flaky scalp.  My husband also has dry scalp but not to the same degree as my psoriasis.  He stated that he did notice some improvement while using the shampoo.  This led me to believe that the product may work for those who have mild scalp irritations.  Something like scalp psoriasis may require something stronger and more effective in treating scalp conditions.  

Overall, I do consider this a shampoo that works well with thicker textured hair like mine.  However, I did not notice any improvement with my dry scalp.   I am currently using milder shampoos that also provide cleansing without stripping.  I do not feel as if I will be purchasing this product in the future only because of the sulfate and silicones present in the ingredients list.