Honestly, my hair has ALWAYS been long (ever since I can remember) so I am just programmed to take care of it properly. Well I’m assuming what I do is “proper” considering it stays in pretty good health all year round So considering I have never had hair above my shoulders, I can’t really compare what it’s like caring for long vs. short. But I would imagine that the way you care for your hair depends more on the TYPE of hair you have rather than length. Obviously if you have chin-length, super curly tendrils all over your head that is far more work that having ass-length straight hair.

SO… onward to my list of hair tricks and tips that has kept my very long hair in very healthy condition over the years!

1. Avoid sulfates!!!!!! I can’t stress enough the importance of using sulfate-free shampoo! I have been sulfate-free for about three years now and my hair has never looked better. Sulfates are a harsh detergent chemical that can cause hair thinning, folicle damage and even CANCER. Look for Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Sodium Laureth Sulfate or Sodium Ammonium Sulfate (anything that says Sulfate) on the top of the ingredients list on your shampoo bottle. You can get sulfate-free shampoo anywhere these days… Walgreens, Walmart, CVS and of course beauty stores. Some of my favorite brands are RenPure and Organix.
2. Immediately follow your shampoo with your conditioner, but don’t rinse. Massage the conditioner in from root to tip for a couple minutes, use a little water to help you distribute the conditioner, and leave it in for the remainder of your shower. The very LAST step before you get out should be to rinse. This allows the conditioner enough time to penetrate the hair shaft. If you are worried about getting conditioner in your eyes, pickup some shower caps from the dollar store and wear it over your conditioned head while you finish your shower.
3. Don’t wash your hair with super hot water. I know it’s tempting because it feels so good, but your hair will do much better in cooler water. The cooler the water, the shinier and less frizzy the hair shaft
4. Always use a leave-in conditioner, at least on your ends. I have fine hair so it doesn’t take much product to make my hair look greasy, so I’ve mastered the technique of leave-in conditioner. Start with towel dried hair. I use a quarter-sized glob and work from the bottom up. Make sure your ends are really saturated and then move up your length. Whatever conditioner I have remaining on my hands (which usually isn’t much) by the time I get to my scalp, is what I use for the top of my hair. I like to make sure I get my part where the frizzies pop up. I like all of Wen’s cleansing conditioners as leave-ins (but I don’t really like them as a shampoo/conditioner substitute… just as a leave-in) and SunSilk makes pretty nice leave-ins too.
5. If you can, air dry. I have naturally straight hair so skipping the blow dryer isn’t a problem for me. But if you have waves or curls, work with your natural texture and skip the hot tools 3 or 4 times a week, your hair will thank you for it.
6. Again, if you can, only wash your hair every other day. The natural oils that your scalp produces are really good for your hair shaft. I personally have to wash my hair pretty much every day because it’s fine and blonde, so you can really notice when it’s dirty. But if you have darker hair and can pull off a pony tail, go for it!

That’s all I’ve got. I hope this was a useful read for you and your hair Feel free to leave your hair tips in the comments!

Today I feel compelled to post about my love for salads. I have recently discovered the yummiest, healthiest, phytonutrientest salad ever! What are phytonutrients you ask? Well I just discovered them recently myself. And I figure that anything that starts with a “PH” must be awesome. Basically, they are nutrients derived straight from plants.. so thank you mother nature! Having a phytonutrient rich diet can beef up your immune system, prevent yucky diseases, and even keep your eyes working at top-notch performance.

Phytolife.com is an informative (and cute) little website which explains how awesome phytonutrients are. Phytolife.com also has some really deelish salad recipes based on the FreshExpress bagged salad you can buy at the grocery store. They are super-packed with phytonutrients! My favorite is the “sweet tender greens” drizzled with balsamic. Tonight I am going to make the red greens, watermelon, and feta cheese salad.. mmmmm. It sounds promising, right? So jump on the phyto bandwagon with me and go to Phytolife.com to get yourself phyto-educated 8)