So I was noodling around on the net researching hair stuff (as usual) and I came across another great glossary of ingredients list that I thought it would be useful to share with Curlista readers.  As stated in a previous post, it’s a really good exercise to go through the ingredient list of your fave hair care prods to see what they are doing to your hair. When I get some time, I will update my original list and include these terms as well

Glossary of Ingredients

Acetamide MEA – Water soluble conditioning agent compatible with anionic and nonanionic systems as opposed to quaternary surfactants compatible only with cationics, adds shine.
Alcohol – A general term for organic ingredients that contain the OH (hydroxyl) group. Alcohols differ substantially in their properties ranging from water soluble solvents like isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol, ethyl alcohol (used by breweries, the only drinkable alcohol) through moisturizing agents like glycerine or propylene glycol to fatty alcohols like cetyl alcohol and sugars (multi alcohols).
Algae Extract – Extracted from seaweed and pondscum, rich in minerals, algae extract is claimed to prevent wrinkles, very moisturizing.
Algal Polysaccharides – Extract from red marine algae gathered off the Hawaiian coast known for its moisturizing potential and lubricity.
Allantoin – Water soluble crystal known for its ability to help heal wounds and skin ulcers and to stimulate the growth of healthy tissue.
AMP (Aminoethyl Propanol) – An organic pH adjuster used to maximize the effects of styling products.
Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate – The ammonium salt of lauryl sulfate derived from the natural coconut alcohols, it is a mild anionic surfactant widely used at acidic (mild) pH values.
Amphoteric Surfactants – Those in which the active molecule bears both positive and negative charges. Their properties depend upon th pH of the system and they may behave like anionics or cationics. Some of the finest amphoterics are used in shampoo systems formulated for dry or chemically treated hair due to their mildness and light conditioning properties.
Annatto Extract – A food grade vegetable dye from a tropical tree, yellow to orange.
Annionic Surfactants – Those in which the active molecule bears a negative electric charge. These surfactants are primarily used as cleansing agents in relatively mild shampoos for oily or normal to oily hair.
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There are tons and tons of hair care products on the line – but as you know what might work for some – may not work for others.  Understanding what type of you hair you have is an excellent way to discover the way your hair will respond to the elements and various products.  I’ve introduced the LOIS hair typing system on Curlista a few weeks back.  I will be posting on Oprah’s mane man Andre Walker’s popular classification soon.  But before that, I wanted to introduce Fia’s Hairtyping System.  Like all other systems it relies on a system of classifiers to identify hair type that will tell the amount of curl or wave, the strand thickness and the thickness of the hair put together.  Try it…
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To understand you hair, you need to understand your hair type.  Oprah’s mane man Andre Walker created a hair typing system that is popularly used amongst curlies (more on that later).  However, the peeps at OurHair have created the LOIS system to not only identify what type of hair you have, but to help promote a healthy mindset when it comes to hair.  The system takes into account the hair pattern, strand size and texture.  Look at the descriptions below and discover what you are…

YOUR PATTERN

L

You are daughter L if…

Hair bends

Has right angles

Has little to no curve

O

You are a daughter O if…

Hair resembles an O or several O’s when rolled up

I

You are a daughter I if…

Hair lies mostly flat

Does not have a distinctive curves or bends

S

You are daughter S if…

Hair strands resemble a wavy line

Has hills and valleys

Your hair may not belong exclusively to one type and may be a combination of the various categories, ie. LO, IL or OS, etc.

YOUR STRAND SIZE

Compare a strand of your hair to a frayed piece of thread – which is considered medium size strand of hair.

• If your hair is thicker, you have thick hair

• If you hair is thinner, you have thin hair

YOUR TEXTURE

Sheen is dull light reflection

Shine is sharp light reflection

Cottony

• Low sheen
• High shine if hair is taught
• Lots of frizz
• Absorbs water quickly

Silky

• Low sheen
• Very High sheen
• Varying degrees of frizziness
• Easily wet with water

Spongy

• High sheen
• Low shine
• Compacted frizz
• Needs to absorb water thoroughly before it gets wet

Thready

• Low sheen
• High shine if hair is taught
• Low frizz
• Wets easily with water
• Dries relatively quickly

Wiry

• Sparkle like sheen
• Low shine
• Low frizz
• Water droplets bead up when wet with water

I think i’m SO, med/thick hair – but I’m sure if I am spongy or silky.

Since this site is dedicated to hair, I think its important understand how hair grows.  I’ve done some research and this is what I’ve found.  If you are an adult – you have approximately 100 000 individual strands of hair; therefore losing 100 every day is no big deal! Hair grows in cycles and is comprised of three different phases…find out exactly when your hair is growing and whe it has stopped.

Hair Growth Phases

Phase 1 – Anagen

The anagen phase is the growth phase that usually lasts about 1, 000 days or 2-6 years. During this phase there is rapid cell growth – where the hair shaft is produced from the follicle. Your hair length is determined by how long you remain in the anagen phase of hair growth.

Phase 2 – Catagen

The catagen phase is the transitional phase that lasts for about 1-2 weeks. Your hair stops growing and the hair follicle shrinks and begins to die.

Phase 3 – Telogen

The telogen phase is the final resting stage. When the follicle becomes active again and new hair begins in the anagen phase, it will force the telogen hair out. This is the hair that you see in your hair brush, etc.

Most peoples hair are in the anagen phase about 90% of the time and are in the telogen phase for the remaining 10%.  Now that I understand when my hair is growing, I need to find out how to make it stay in the anagen phase as long possible.