Salon hair care products, others in pharmacies, essential oils for moisturizing, I’ve tried them all. And none have really worked. Should I be drinking more water? Washing my hair less frequently? Continue my odyssey of sampling? But then again, what does one look for?
That was the question posed to Jon Bresler, the very knowledgeable Founder/President of LAFCO and Santa Maria Novella USA, the latter a Florence-based luxury articles and fragrance company, with an outpost at Bal Harbour Shops . The company is doing exciting things, using knowledge from its 400 year old traditions with a botanical base, and updating with new ingredients based on the latest research. He shared these tips which will change how I buy hair care products forever.
First, in the way of background. Inexpensive hair products (and even some that are not cheap) tend to be loaded with silicon, a petroleum derivate that, in large quantities and mixed with certain ingredients, is bad for the hair as it leaves residue. That equates to buildup, heaviness, and less shine. It’s used because it helps the lather, and lessens hair tangling. Do not buy products with SLS. That’s the worst of the lot.
Every shampoo has some sulfates which are cleansing agents. You want them because they clean, but you don’t want stripping of the essential oils in the hair. Look for those with natural sulfates which have some intrinsic value. Corn sugar is acceptable though not the best because of genetic engineering. Better are yucca and beet sugars.
The best oils for hair are those with omega 3 oils. And the best of the omega 3s are (in order of quality): rose hip (which some people don’t like because of the fragrance), olive oil, almond oil. Check the label about the percentage of the oil in the product. It should be at the top of the list which means a high percentage; the last ingredients listed are ones with a “minority position”.
Honey is very good as it has vitamins and is enzymatic, meaning it will penetrate the hair. Santa Maria da Novella’s honey hair cream is a super conditioner (just tried it and it’s my new favorite). These oils are expensive which is the reason why they’re in very small quantities in mass produced shampoos.
Ideally, shampoo once a week and only use a dab of shampoo, about the size of a dime. Lather is for cosmetic purposes (it makes one feel like the shampoo is doing its job) but in actuality, the more lather, the more chemicals.
Santa Maria Novella’s hair care products include shampoos for dry and oily hair in a choice of fragrances, a conditioner for regular use, and the honey hair cream which you leave on for at least 10 minutes so it can penetrate. Products are sold online as well. Shampoos are $55- $60 and the honey conditioner is $45.
