Frizzy hair science: a tale of attraction and repulsion

Hair is very important – it’s an easy body part to change, and can dramatically alter your appearance, but if you wake up with bad hair, your day is automatically terrible. Luckily, it’s also very interesting, scientifically speaking, since we throw a lot of chemicals at it every day. Today’s post will be on electrostatic forces though – tiny changes …

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Original & Mineral shampoo and conditioner review

I’m still on the quest to find my perfect shampoo, and in the last few weeks I’ve been road-testing these three from the Sydney-based Original & Mineral range. When I first saw these three products, I wasn’t expecting much – would everything-free be anywhere near strong enough to combat my super oily scalp? (For the record, by “everything-free” I specifically …

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Shampoo and Conditioner Road Test: Moroccanoil, Yuko, Dove and Aldi

I’ve always had trouble finding a good shampoo. I’ve had a nice run with conditioners, but good shampoos have always eluded me. No matter which shampoo I use, my scalp is always an itchy, oily mess by the end of the day. For two months I tried washing my hair every second day, on the advice of many people on …

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How does hair straightening (and perming) work?

Scientifically blonde. How does hair straightening work? There are a few different procedures for hair straightening, and different types of hair are better suited to different ones. They all work on similar principles though, and it’s actually the same as for perming. It’s not too complex, and you should believe me on this one because Elle Woods agrees. So there. …

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What’s in hair conditioner, and how does it work?

The right hair conditioner can make your hair glossy and bouncy, but the wrong one can instantly make it lifeless and lank. What’s in them that make them so different? Monik Markus pH and hair The most important thing about hair conditioner is that it’s acidic (pH < 7). Hair is made up of three major layers – the innermost …

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How to curl thick Asian hair with a hair straightener

I love romantic curly hair, but I’m scared of my curling iron – too much exposed metal! I recently discovered that you can curl hair quite well using a hair straightener, which is a lot less scary for a butterfingers like me to use on the back of my head where I can’t quite see it (I’ve also been thinking …

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My hair dilemma

A few of you already know that I have a veritable mop of hair. It’s thick, it’s coarse, and I’ve been growing it from shoulder-length since 2006 because three separate hairdressers have told me that if I cut it shorter than mid-back length it will explode into an afro. You have to love brutally honest Asian hairdressers! Artist’s impression: I …

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Review: Davroe Moisture Senses Argan Oil

Davroe Moisture Senses Argan Oil was included as part of the Lust Have It! Ozsale introductory pack, which contained some of the most popular items from previous packs. It contains argan oil, which comes from argan trees which are native to Morocco, and it’s the “moroccan oil” component of cult hair fave Moroccanoil. It comes in a handy little pump …

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