Catch and Connect

Driving downtown Monday, a billboard caught my eye. October 8th is Fire Safety Day in my town.

Just last week, I read an article in the paper that caught my eye. And, then another in a magazine in the doctor's office.

Connecting the three together makes a perfect topic for today's Women and Wednesdays: the fire hazards of chemically laden hair care products.

Prior to my shifting to the hair care products I use now, my hair was truly flammable...way beyond normal.

I know this for a fact.

Several years ago, I bent near a candle and in a nanosecond, the flame caught my hair, sparking and burning a small section, smelling to high heaven and scaring me into the middle of next week. Frightening experience. I can only imagine the panic Michael Jackson felt. But, I did not in any way think I had the same types of flammable products on my hair.

Who's to say how much the products I was using contributed to that scare. For sure, my dried-out, brittle, coated-in-alcohol-and-waxy petroleum hair had some innate flammability of its own, right?

This headline from the article in our paper has me thinking:"13-year-old Helena-West Helena girl who was severely burned last year when a hot straightening comb ignited an antifrizz serum on her hair was granted permission Tuesday to withdraw her federal lawsuit against L’Oreal USA Inc." Note: She asked permission to withdraw now to refile it correctly.

And so, for those of you who are dying for gorgeous hair, please don't. Stay safe and live it up.

And listen, I feel your pain. Remember, I spend a good deal of time in humidity, especially in humidity plus wind and salty air. And rain. Did I mention rain? I used to not even empty the garbage without some sort of hair fix. Curly hair is product landmine. A bottomless powder keg. Enough is never enough. But, please, set yourself free and fight fire hazards with safe, non-flammable products!

How to be truly fire resistant? Give up the gels, sprays, creams, serums, mousses that are toxic, alcohol and petroleum-based goo (that's a hint...think how dangerous paraffin/petroleum candles are!).

I did a post a while back on hair straighteners and if you are tempted...call me. I will help you embrace your inner and outer curly. Your hair and your scalp will love you for it, too. They will be breathing easy right along with your nasal passages and your lungs. (We aren't even going to get into what inhaling the toxic fumes, random sprays, etc. does...maybe we will soon!)

You would love what I use now. The Styling Creme is amazing...soft, pretty curls. Just ask me and I will help you, too...so you can be beautiful, safe and healthy in candlelight or any light for that matter. xoxo