6 Beauty Myths to "Unlearn" to Save Time, Money and Health

Myth #1: Lots of suds mean clean hair

We've come to learn that suds and shampoos go together. When we massage our shampoo into our hair, we expect a rich lathering of white foam or otherwise we won't feel like our hair is being cleaned. In reality, suds are more for show than actual cleaning agents. They are a byproduct of a rather astringent chemical: Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS). SLS works by stripping the hair and scalp of its natural oil, sebum. And while this makes the hair look clean for a while, underneath  at the root level the hair is becoming more and more damaged, eventually resulted in hair fall. Be sure to check your ingredients label for SLS and its derivates. Watch out for: Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS), Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES),  Parabens, Fragrance and Polyethylene Glycol. For more ingredients to avoid, check out our complete list.

Myth #2: I need to go to expensive salons to look great

Salon stylists will often employ hair cutting techniques that thins the hair and makes is susceptible to breaking. Damaging techniques include shearing, layering and perms. Instead, trim your own hair using the blunt snip method. Check out our video tutorial on how to do this. For added benefit, consular our Lunar Hair Chart for the recommend days to cut. If you do decide to go to the salon , bring a 2 oz. or sample bottle of Morrocco Method shampoo.  Do not be persuaded into using synthetic hair care products common at all salons. You are jeopardizing your health and sabotaging the  progress that you started by using MM shampoos.  You may start a detox cycle all over again by interspersing chemicals with our healthy products.

Myth #3: I need to use heat to style hair

There are several safer methods of styling hair without using heat. First, if you have used the blunt snip cut method your hair is "shaped".  Simply wash your hair, allow it to dry, then bend over and brush with our Pure or Mixed Boar Bristle Brush!  The next day you will be able to get out of bed, "shake your head" and go!  Apply a dab of Blood of the Dragon gel or a spritz of Diamond Crystal Mist for added control. For additional tips on how to styling tips, read up on our 5 Easy Tips to Style Hair Without Heat. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyTcEKR0fug

Myth #4: Only chemical dyes will give me great color

Henna Hair Dye is a natural plant-based alternative to traditional chemical dyes. Whereas chemical dyes bleach the root of the hair using harsh ingredients, Henna Hair Dye works by coating the hair in a protective sheath of color. Not only that, but Henna works to nourish the strand, making it double as a conditioning agent. So not only will you have great color but also healthier, shinier hair.

Myth #5: I need to use conditioner every day

Another popular misconception: we need to condition every day in order to have clean hair. Conditioner should instead be understood as an additional treatment, meant to supply moisture, soften and tangle hair. Often times, though, over conditioning can over saturated the roots and make hair look oily. With proper brushing, it's possible that you don't need to condition every day. Boar bristle brushes help alleviate dry ends by spreading the scalp's natural oil from the roots to the ends of the hair, bringing out it's beautiful shine!  So if you have normal to fine hair you can cut down on conditioners.  Curly hair types may indeed need more hydration, try our fabulous Pearl Essence or Floating Lotus natural conditioners. Face cream woman applying skin cream under eyes. Beauty eye contour cream, wrinkle cream or anti-aging skin care cream. Beautiful young mixed race Asian Chinese / Caucasian female beauty model in her 20s isolated on white background.

Myth #6: Once I go "No-Poo," I will never need to clean my hair again

The common method of 'no-poo' involves mixing baking soda and apple cider vinegar or maybe just water.  Often times, this doesn't get mixed or distributed evenly. Dirt, debris and oils in your hair will eventually cause you to have a plugged up scalp. Areas of high acidity or sharp bases can come in contact with the hair, causing thinning. For more info on 'no-poo' versus natural shampoos, read up on our article here. A gentle natural shampoo, rotated every so often in your 'no-poo' routine, will give you and your scalp proper balance for pH. Ancient civilizations had nothing but plants available to them.  They used raw, wild ingredients found in nature, just as we use in MM products.   They were the original Paleos!

My Detox Process: 19 Days Transitioning to Natural Hair Care

Here at Morrocco Method, we are always getting questions about the Detox process.

Questions like:

- "How long does it last?" - "What is it going to feel like?" - " What can I do to speed it up?" - " How will I know when i'm done?" I recently went through my detox process shortly after starting work at Morrocco Method. I want to share to you exactly what I did, and what I went through. I kept track of days, and what shampoos I used on each day so that you could see just what the process is like.

My Detox Schedule:

Day #1 Friday (Earth Essence): No change. No detox? Day #2 Saturday  (ACV):  Definitely a detox. Oily everywhere. Hard to brush through. Day #3 Sunday (Pine Shale): No Change Day #4 Tuesday (Earth Essence) :  A little better. Top is still very oily but the bottom of my hair is normal. Day #5 Wednesday (Heavenly Essence): Same as Day #4 Day #6 Thursday (Sea Essence) : Top and ends of hair are a little less oily. Underneath by nape of neck is still a bit oily. Day #7 Friday (Pine Shale): Still a TINY bit oily, but able to wear it down half the day! Yay! Day #8 Saturday (ACV) : Day #9 Sunday (Heavenly Essence): Hair was ok for the morning, then got a little oily towards the end of the day. Day #10 Tuesday (Sea Essence): Hair was normal at the bottom and underneath but oily on the top. Day #11 Wednesday (Earth Essence): Hair is back to mostly oily. Day #12 Thursday (Pine Shale): Still a bit oily but feels very soft and is a LITTLE more volumized. Day #13 Friday (ACV): Only a tiny bit oily today! I think I can keep my hair down most of the day. Very soft and shiny! I also added Medium Brown Henna at 6pm. Day #14 Saturday (ACV at 6pm): I loooove it. The Henna helped pull the excess oil out and I went an entire day with my hair down and it looked great! Day #15 Sunday (Pine Shale): Still looking great! Was able to keep it down again all day. Day #16 Monday (Sea Essence): Super soft, a bit less volumized but still very soft!  I also cut my hair with for Thickening with the Lunar Chart around 7pm. Day #17 Wednesday (Pine Shale): Only feeling a TINY TINY bit oily. Hair is very soft and not weighed down. Wearing my hair down again. Day #18 Thursday (ACV): No detox symptoms, wore my hair down all day. Day #19 Friday (Sea Essence): No detox symptoms, wore my hair down all day. Every day I rotated between the Floating Lotus Conditioner and Sapphire Volumizer Mist. On occasion I did not use any conditioners a few times I sprayed the Diamond Crystal Mist on at night and left it in overnight and showered in the morning. As you can see, I washed my hair every day except on Mondays (due to travel and work schedule). That is not necessary, but it is ok! You may need to wash it every day in the beginning but once your detox is finished you may be able to wait 2 days, or even only wash once a week! A good rule of thumb in knowing how often to wash is to ONLY wash your hair when it feels dirty. Below are some pictures of this process...  Beware, they're not pretty! :P

Day #2: I could even wear my hair down. It was so slick, oily and flat. You can also see that it's pretty thin on the top.

     

Day #9: The first day I was able to wear my hair down for half the day. It's less oily, but still pretty flat. Towards the afternoon it was very oily again and I ended up putting it back up.

     

Day #19: Incase the pictures don't do it justice, my hair is finally full and soft! I still have to wash it daily for now but i'm able to make it through a whole day without it getting oily and flat! I love it!

    This post is definitely not about Henna, but these are some photos of my Henna session! For those of you who are nervous about trying Henna, I highly suggest it. Yes, it's messy but it's easy and  so much healthier for your hair than chemical dyes! So grab a friend, and all your supplies and have a fun Henna party! Well, there you have it! My detox process. I hope that answers some of your questions as well as give you hope that it does end and it's TOTALLY worth it! If I can do it, so can you!

Powerful Detoxification Foods and Exercises for Springtime

Spring has officially sprung!

Coming out of the introspective time of winter, when deep seeds of growth are planted into our being, springtime offers us nourishment of the sun and the cleansing of the rain. Interestingly, the emotion associated with winter is fear, but the emotion of spring is one of courage and the cleansing of old, limited beliefs. Take a look at some of the wild plants that make themselves available in spring, like the nettle plant, which invokes courage. Inspired by the renewal of spring, I have put together a few key detox strategies and ways to cleanse your body to get your detox started right.

How to Prepare Your Body for Detox

Before we start, it is helpful to remember that  cleansing should be a daily routine, done throughout the year, so that our bodies are not over stressed from the day to day toxins. Let's start with our skin. A great way to detox the skin is through dry skin brushing. It is so invigorating as it increases lymphatic flow, encouraging detoxification of the lymph fluid. This can help with weight loss, purification and circulation. Be sure to brush towards the heart and get all areas of the body. Ideally, you'll want a long-handled brush with natural bristles. Next, you can enjoy a scalp massage. This will send blood flow to the scalp allowing for stimulation, detoxification and circulation encouraging hair growth. Avoid any harsh materials by getting yourself a 100% pure rubber massager, a fabulous addition to any self care protocol. We also want to begin detoxifying our hair and scalp. For those new to Morrocco Method, the Healthy Hair Starter Package is a fabulous way to equip yourself with the tools for a radiant healthy head of hair.  The starter pack includes the entire line of shampoos and conditioners so you can rotate a different shampoo with each wash, supplying your hair with the complete range of minerals and nutrients. Included in the package is the Zen Detox, a powerful ancient clay for providing a deep cleaning on your scalp. Utilizing bentonite clay, Zen Detox works by pulling out environmental toxins, heavy metals and other contaminants. After use, follow up with a conditioning oil treatment on your scalp and hair for deep nourishment. Cellular movement is another big key to health and detoxification. Replacing the traditional "1 hour a day" exercise regime, it's better if we are active throughout the entire day. Taking periodic walks, using the stairs, doing yoga intermittently in 15 minute intervals will encourage the body to gently detox. These movements get the lymph pumping and detoxify organs. If you can start your day with just 15 minutes of stretching, rebounding, yoga or meditation you will feel so much more ready to take on your world! Getting outside in the fresh air is a huge piece of detoxification. Practicing breath work out doors is the ultimate purifier! Breathing out in nature allows you to keep your culture diversified with wild probiotics only found in nature. We truly are light beings so getting out in the gentle rays of the morning sun allows us to cleanse our bodies with light.

Lets think about all the fresh, colorful foods available to us at spring time.

Greens, like wild dandelion, nettles or other edible weeds, help to detoxify the organs and build healthy blood. They are rich in chlorophyl which helps build our blood in turn building stronger, thicker and healthier hair. Eating foods grown in your area that are full of vibrant color connects us to the land and provides medicine and nutrients to keep us strong and healthy. They grow near us for a reason, so consider getting in touch with your local farmer and finding out what grows naturally in your environment for the ultimate in food epi-genetics.

Lastly, we want to make practice meditation

This is a key factor to an enriched and powerful life. Cleansing stuck emotions is a daily detox strategy. Meditation is a brilliant practice, a time to connect with your highest self. Early morning meditation will give us access to a calm that only these hours offer us. Another option is to meditate after a good work out when the body is ready to let go, surrender and receive higher guidance from the great purifier. Spring is truly a time of expansion. The heart is opening up, and it gives us the extra inspiration to go for it! Enjoy your spring renewal! How about you? What ways do you like to assist your body in detoxing on a daily basis? Share this article if you feel it could benefit a friend and let us know your own detox strategies below in the comments section.

Is it Detox Relapse? 6 Culprits of Prolonged Hair Detox

Is it possible you are going through DETOX - again!?  You eat right, exercise and use only natural products on your hair.  You have eschewed all chemicals recently, or maybe you have not used them for many years!  Perhaps you even make your own shampoo in your kitchen.  What's going on? There are other factors at work here besides chemical hair treatments that can trigger an onset of detox symptoms.  Some are avoidable - and some sadly and very unfortunately, are not. What are the likely culprits?

1. Nature: Sun, Wind, and Cold Weather.

Prolonged exposure to the sun can damage the hair's cuticle causing fragile, thin, and brittle hair.  The result can be dry scalp and hair loss.  Windy conditions can cause static, tangles, and hair breakage.  Cold weather can dry out your hair, leaving it limp and dull.

2. Hard Water

If your house water is chlorinated, mineralized, or fluoridated, it can have a negative effect on your hair - depositing toxins!  We highly recommend that you use a good shower filter.

3. Sauna Heat

The sauna's intense heat may dry out the hair shafts, which makes them brittle and prone to breaking.

4. Chlorinated Pools

The water sucks the sebum out of your hair, causing dryness, loss of natural sheen and split ends.  Here is a helpful article on the subject.

5. Stress!

Can affect our health and well being and can cause our hair to lose its luster and to literally fall out!

6. Pollution

This is the most insidious cause of hair and skin damage of all.   We certainly do not  invite this into our lives and we often can't even see it.   Smoke, dust, toxic fumes, tainted water and pesticides are everywhere.   They can be found in our parks, public lands, and agricultural fields.  And what is in the air - is in our hair.  So, even though you are not consciously putting chemicals on your hair and scalp, harmful elements are being deposited on our hair.  AND IT CAN CAUSE DETOX! Go back to the basics!  Rotate all 5 Elements Shampoos to balance Ph again.  Morrocco Method's Zen Detox can assist in eliminating the chemicals, heavy metals, and often carcinogenic exposures of daily living.  Our Euro oil can instantly hydrate and repair dry hair.   Our Sapphire Mist can tame frizz and create lost volume.  Our restoring Elixirs work to normalize sebaceous glands while promoting scalp and hair reconstruction, revitalization and rejuvenation.  Love your hair again!