DIY Coconut Oil Hair Masque, Science and Why It's The Perfect Treatment Pre-Bleaching

Every Blog out there has extolled the virtues of coconut oil, we all know that it is cheap, readily available and makes your hair feel soft but do you know why that is? What is it exactly that coconut oil does?

Honey + Coconut Oil Vs Peroxide

The Background

Firstly the molecules in coconut oil are really small, which means that they can penetrate the hair very easily where it can nourish from within. The early science testing that took place in 2012 suggested that the hair can and does absorb up to 20% of it's weight in coconut oil. (Reference: Quantitative measurement of the penetration of coconut oil into human hair using radio-labeled coconut oil. JSCC, 2012, Vol 63.) If heat is applied this uptake can be even greater. So now we know that the hair can absorb the oil, but what does the oil do once it gets there?

Phyto Plage Range Review - Sun, Sea and Sand Screen For Your Hair?

Having spent my summer in a significantly sunnier spot than London this year I really have noticed the sun damage to my hair. I am much drier than normal, my colour fades three times as fast and each time I re-dye my hair (no bleach involved - see here for how I do it) I end up a couple of shades lighter. I have a beautiful beach 20 minutes away from my door called Villefranche, take a peek, it's paradise for me but hell for my hair:

The Beautiful bay of Villefranhce Sur Mer.

I dutifully sit with at least my head and face under my beach brolly on our twice weekly visits but I simply can not resit the sea and despite my best efforts, my hair always ends up wet. I can't help it! The sea is just so good when it's 30 degrees plus and my poor, palest-girl-on-the-beach skin is feeling the heat. 

The Phyto Plage Range I purchased

So what does every good French girl do? Head to Le Pharmacie of course (For another post on the joys of the French Pharmacie head here). 

Affinage B Red Review - One stop to red hair for brunettes!

One thing I get asked a lot about is my hair. A year ago I had never coloured my hair and here I am now with Fire-Engine Red hair - I still haven't had a salon colour. I took a deep breath, a lot of research and DIY'd myself to red hair heaven. The photo makes me look a bit darker than I am, and boy you should see the shine on my hair in the sun!

What I use is this little beauty - Affinage B Red in Red - original name huh? Saying that there are several colours in the range in varying degrees of rouge - Magenta is supposed to be lovely too. It's a high lift colour which means that in one step you can take your so-brown-it's-almost-black unprocessed hair and 35 minutes after you have applied this magic potion you can be the little-mermaid inspired red head of your dreams with out going bleach crazy.