Warding Off Thinning Hair and Baldness with… Exfoliants?

One of the first visible signs of aging for men and women is the gradual thinning of hair. For men, this takes the form of the dreaded male pattern baldness. Despite the many cure-alls out on the market there is one thing that remains consistently healthy for the scalp no matter your age and gender – stimulation.

Studies have shown that consistent stimulation and massage of the hair follicles will increase blood flow to the scalp. Studies also show that male pattern baldness sufferers have on average 2.6 times less blood flow in the scalp than normal individuals. While results cannot be anything but anecdotal, we have found success in using an exfoliant in the hair for warding off thin hair.

The LiveStrong Foundation says to use a mix of natural oils such as Jojoba and Rosemary oil to stimulate directly into the scalp. Problem? Oils are hard to absorb directly into the skin without a carrier. This is where Dimethicone-containing products that don’t readily absorb and pure oils don’t stand a chance.

Carley’s Acne Treatment contains fine walnut powder that is perfect for massaging the scalp with. An exfoliant without Benzoyl Peroxide may work just as well for those with skin sensitivities. The after body wash has a cleaning, moisturizing effect that leaves the skin healthy. What these products all contain natural oils that others tout for their magical effects on the scalp. These products are also substitutes for washes with harsh ingredients that strip the natural oils of the hair and skin and bring dryness to the scalp such as Sulfate.

How to Massage the Scalp Properly:

  1. Gently soak your hair in the shower.
  2. Fill the palm of your hand with the exfoliant and massage gently into the skin.
  3. Massage your scalp for up about 30 seconds and while making sure to get every part of the scalp.
  4. Wash out completely using the soap or body wash. Follow the directions on lathering and washing to avoid remnants of the exfoliant that may cause staining of towels.
  5. Massage the lather into the hair to get the moisturizing effects of the soap (and to wash the exfoliant completely out).
  6. Use an anti-Dandruff product (preferably absent of harsh chemicals like Sulfate) if your scalp still produces flakes. The moisturizing effect of the soaps should help but it may take those special chemicals (like Selenium) to really get rid of flakes.

Male pattern baldness and thinning of the hair in both genders is a complex topic. What you should know is that there is little to be done to prevent some thinning and balding of the hair when genetics and hormones play so strongly a role. Rogaine and Alopecia are scientifically proven to help with holding off some balding (in men) but it’s not a cure-all and won’t work for everyone. It’s even recommended to switch on and off those routines. Consistent stimulation of the scalp is something that can be done as part of your daily routine. It not only helps with that blood flow but feels great as well!

Products Mentioned:
Carley’s Acne Treatment
Carley’s Anti-Aging Exfoliant
Carley’s Body Wash

Stop the Presses: Bar Soap is In?

According to Ad Age, the bar soap is back. Yahoo says that face wash “is so 10 minutes ago.” Thanks to trendy marketing the liquid body wash took over the world. Nothing was more convenient than pouring some soap, lathering quickly and getting out of the shower just as quick as you came in. Just as quick as they came (about a decade) marketers are seeing bar soaps as the gateway to the “natural market.”

What do these pretty much all of these liquid wash products contain? Terrible, “Frankenstein” ingredients just like many store bought cosmetics. These body washes are supposed to last three years on store shelves – what possible natural ingredient could survive that long without a ton of preservatives?

So manufacturers are going back to the old fashion way of making soap with lye, oils, waxes and long curing times – right? Not quite. The bar soaps you see on the market are more detergents than anything. Here’s some differences that these mass produced bar soaps have from the “real” thing:

Making natural liquid soap
By and large, it is a challenge for natural soap makers (think home made) to create a liquid wash. The wash separates easily with oil resting at the bottom and the rest of the good stuff to the top. You’ve found this out if you purchased Carley’s bodywash. The wash needs a good pump or two before use so you’re getting the complete benefits of the product. After about a thousand batches (really) we’ve found the right mix of natural ingredients that don’t separate but still – we won’t hold it against anyone if they make a product that separates. What’s funner than shaking a bottle before use like – like Yoo Hoo?

We’ve been making bar soaps for over a decade. The bar is functional, sleek and most importantly – the most natural way to make a cleaning product. There’s no focus group needed for us to make what you love!

Products Mentioned:
Carley’s Bar Soap

Carley’s Bar Soap (5 pack)
Carley’s Body Wash

The Healthier Alternative to Shampoo: A Body Wash?

What if I told you that you could use Carley’s Body Wash as a shampoo for your hair? You’d tell me I was crazy. Shampoo is for hair and body wash is for the body, right? Not so fast. With news reports about the damage that shampoo can actually do to your hair, we recommend to go right back to the basics. A body wash or soap works fine (and probably even better) than a shampoo ever could.

The benefits of using a shampoo go right down to the aesthetics – look, feel, smell, touch (please don’t taste it). The problem comes when you get past these aesthetics. The oily hair that people go to lengths rid themselves are doing far more damage than they could with oily hair. Hair is supposed to be naturally oily. What shampoo products usually do is strip the hair follicles of natural skin oils. This may make the hair more flowing at a major cost to the skin’s health.

Just like any skin care product you find on store shelves, you’ll find shampoos usually contain incredibly harsh ingredients. The products are pumped full of “Frankenstein” ingredients that aim to make the products last longer. These preservatives can have devastating effects for the skin. What you’ll also find is an ingredient that we do everything we can to recommend customers avoid – SLS. Sulfur is commonly found in toothpaste and skin care ingredients. Many believe that this is the ingredient that causes acne on the chin with left over toothpaste.

How to use the body wash in the hair:
While it may sound juvenile recommending how to use a product in the hair, you’ll find many get it wrong.

  1. Pour a good amount of Carley’s Body Wash in your hand and rub in the hair. The Natural Soap can also work just as well but just needs a little more effort to lather.
  2. Rub the wash in the hair for a good 10-20 seconds. If you have a dry or itchy scalp, massage the wash in your hair longer and leave in the hair for several minutes while avoiding washing it out.
  3. Once the hair is fully lathered, use your hands to distribute the lather to all parts of your body to wash. This is actually a much more efficient way to use the wash for the longest amount of time for the whole body and lets the wash set in the hair longer.
  4. Wash out completely.

Dry or itchy scalp
Depending on the environment and the person, you may experience a dry or itchy scalp without dandruff products like Head and Shoulders. Due to the lack of absorption blocking Dimethicone and presence of many natural oils and moisturizers, the body wash may actually moisturize the scalp better.

Try going without a dandruff product or minimizing the use of the products to once a week while you work in the body wash. Just like any shampoo, dandruff products contain harsh ingredients as well that may set your healthy skin and hair goals back.