Kitchenista

Eating right is expensive. But lucky for you, I can be the bearer of good news for once! Most of those organic vegetables have more than one purpose besides looking nice on a fancy plate and making you over all healthy. From the organic tea bags for dark circles to the cucumbers and yogurt on your skin, there are even more uses for Organic Apple Cider Vinegar. The most common uses are as a hair rinse after your conditioner to close the cuticles and as a toner. Although ACV can go directly on your face, it works better if you dilute it a one to one ratio before applying for sensitive skin, a two to one ratio or less is ideal. For acne and other issues, there are different recommendations so I will let this video explain the rest. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ea8mRNfLOJo&feature=player_detailpage

Popping Your Collar

     Ah, yes. Everyone has met one. Whether in the classroom or in the salon,  the Know-it-All will make their way into everyone's life eventually; particularly in the world of cosmetology. In the salon, this can be particularly frustrating seeing as you spent several hours listening to lectures and additional hours practicing what you learned hands on. Cosmetology has yet to get the respect that it deserves, and with the average person thinking that anyone could do and that the tests are too easy for anyone to possibly fail,  there is only one way to handle  that: Poppin' Your Collar! Lol. For all of you who are unfamiliar with any hip hop songs, this is a slang term for brag about it or be proud and show off. For a professional setting, we would have to apply a variation of this.

     Know-it-alls have a tendency to feel invalidated; whether they have a look that stereotypes their intelligence or someone who is constantly telling them they are wrong, they feel the need to show how smart they actually are. I find that the best solution is to acknowledge and expand. This means that if they are right about something, tell them that they are right, and then continue with why this is so perhaps using those big words you learned in school. The more that you show your knowledge, the more that they will realize maybe several hours in school does teach you something. You could also ask them if they are familiar with a specific toxin in the shampoo, conditioner, or make-up that they use daily or recently recalled products. Product knowledge increases credibility immensely and with the average stylist lacking an in-depth knowledge in chemistry, this puts you more than a step ahead above the rest. Keep up to date with these things and more in my New Image Today Facebook group. My app on PapTap will let you have access a tap away at any time.

Why is Rad Bad?

   Nowadays, there is a lot of talk of free radicals but most people are lost as to what they are our why they should care? A free radical is a molecular species capable off existing alone that contains an unpaired election. Similar to Bad Girls Club, one is an annoying diva, several are bad news.  

   Many free radicals are highly reactive and unstable; like that person at work or school that can't stand being single and has to loudly over react and be offended by everything.  Inflammation,  too much exercise, cigarette smoke, radiation, and radiation are a few of the many favorite of these bad girls. If they bond with an electron, they become normal and stable again. Too many of these running free alone is like a school with a big bully clique; it it becomes a gang banger school. In the body, this is when things turn into a disease. Antioxidants help stop free radicals. It's like that one person that the diva will listen to when the refuse to be tamed by anyone else.  

  In cosmetology our body is our livelihood, so the less sick days, the better! Stay up to date with my blog by getting the PapTap app!  Check out my cosmetology textbook and study guide New Image Today Textbook of Cosmetology.

Ombre All the Way

 As a professional cosmetologist, make-up is going to become a part of your life. Whether you choose to work with models, clients, or just apply make-up to yourself to add to your professionalism, make-up is a must. Day spas often welcome and at times expect over the top artistic expression when it comes to make up. And with ombre being all the craze right now, it might be worth taking a look at how to apply ombre make-up. The more you know, the more you can please any client you may encounter. This video has a lot to offer as far as easy ways to apply very complicated looking make-up. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fz9dRIX2P-g&feature=player_detailpage In this video, unlike others I have seen, she does it without using foundation first. Placing foundation first gives you a blank canvas to work with as you will notice with professional make-up artist may often do. It is also important to moisturize the lip first.  The video is very easy practical wear good for a spa or a date. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dq62qExJBgk&feature=player_detailpage  Helps to make make-up a little less intimidating.

Is No Lye a Lie?

   With all the chemical free and go-green propaganda today, it's easy to wonder who is just trying to make money and who is really trying to keep you safe.

   As a stylist, we work with a lot of chemicals, unless you decided to specialize in natural hair. A commonly used product in salons is lye. Lye can also be found in soap, detergent, drain cleaner, paint stripper, jewelry cleaner and many other things. Skin and hair are porous and absorbent so the knowledge of what you put on it is very important as these chemicals do absorb into your skin, cells, and brain. As any stylist knows, a relaxer applied with gloveless hands will result in your finger prints missing for up to 48 hours. In regard to  hair, here is a video of lye in it's purest form and what the big deal is about staying away from it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=QvXZFwDNPnM

From Ballsy to Bald

     Let's face it.....some subjects are just plain boring. But most subjects can be made at least slightly interesting by the right teacher. It might be cocky, but I will make a science nerd out of you eventually. :-)

    Whether  a nerd or average commoner, some chemistry knowledge is needed when working with chemicals to avoid disaster. Beauty school is very time consuming so it is easy to stay focused and absorbed it what is going on in class. You will find that after you have already passed you exam, that your  knowledge will shortly after be put to use.

  Most women love to change their hair drastically, at least sometimes. There are certain changes that you have to avoid though or wait awhile to do. Particularly if you have relaxed your hair and decide you want to convert to a "Jerry Curl" or thio relaxer. Yes, I know. I see you rolling your eyes as you think to yourself, who actually still wears those? Well there is always somebody.   

    Bad advice circulates everyday and even hair dressers have been known to be the ones giving it. To avoid losing all of this important information somewhere in the back  of your mind, I am posting a video showing the chemical reaction of putting a thio relaxer (perm) over sodium hydroxide relaxer.

    There are clients that will insist that they know more than you and at times you can have them sign a release form and perform the service anyway. Well this is not one of those times. You will probably get sued and for a lot if you perform this service. So here  is a demonstration of what really happens when you overlap these two chemicals together. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KuzGyW0dfGk&feature=player_detailpage

Easy Elegance

 Whether you enjoy the trendy upbeat atmosphere of a salon or the relaxing atmosphere of a spa, at some point you will probably be asked to do an updo.  While you can accept and decline any type of service that you wish, updos are expensive, fun and worth learning. 

 You may have discovered already in doing your own researching, but if you just graduated and have been busy trying to pass your exam, I present to you Martin Pearson's video on updos. His choice of styles to perform is exquisite and  breaks it down in the most simple way. As with anything, all takes practice because anyone who is good at what they do make it look easy.

Smells Like Mrs. Doubtfire

    Just about everyone has seen the 1993 hit Mrs. Doubtfire. And as kids say the darndest things, adults have their moments too! Such is the case when in the movie "Daniel" played by Robin Williams, responses to little Natalie's comment that Grandma smells funny with a witty remark,  "That's formaldehyde. That's why Granny is so well preserved." This dig is in reference to the well known fact that formaldehyde is a preservative that used to be used to preserve the dead. Although less predominate in morgues nowadays, formaldehyde is instead making its way into the beauty industry. In smaller amounts, you might find it in nail hardener or even in your food! Naked Juice was recently involved in a Class Action Lawsuit for $9 million dollars for using ingredients derived from formaldehyde.  But the biggest culprits are chemical hair straighteners. The average stylist lacks a large amount of chemical knowledge and are often misled into believing some variations of keratin treatments and similar products are okay for your hair. There are even stylists out there that will tell their clients that these treatments are good for your hair. Their enthusiasm can lead the client to believe they are practically putting vitamins in their hair!  Aldehyde is actually formaldehyde in it's simplest form. This preservative has aliases such as:

quanternium-15, 1 or

 4 dioxide, formalin,

 methanal,

methanal aldehyde,  

morbicid acid

oxymethylene.

Here is a list of beauty treatments that contain high levels of formaldehyde and release high levels of formaldehyde gas when heated:

Acai Therapy  

Professional Brazilian Blowout Treatment   

 Brasil Cacau   

 Acai Therapy  

  Advanced Brazilian Keratin Treatment  

  Chocolate Extreme Defrizzing Treatment    

 Soft Gentle Smoothing Treatment  

 Soft Chocolate Gentle Smoothing Treatment

If you find yourself in touch with your nerdy side and want to actually know what you are dealing with, you can learn more about formaldehyde in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oeyBfrx5RJY&feature=player_embedded

Remember, we absorb about 60% of what we put in our skin! So what you can't prevent, vent! Detox it out!

Nails Fever

   Whether you practiced on yourself in a pinch or you did in school, every girl and some point has at least attempted to do her own nail. However, unless you began practicing early in your youth, chances are, you envy how much better the work of the nail shop looks. Since chances are with our busy lives you may be in a pinch again, I present to you a video on how to do a fairly simply technique that will look at as pretty as the store bought press-ons.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPrsfgG1HM0&feature=player_detailpage

Trending Now

With Lady Gaga and similar celebs going for the bold blunt cut, it's important to stay ahead of the trends and learn the newest technique before the clients start requesting it. This style looks best (and works the fastest) when done dry. So I present to you one of my favorite videos on dry haircutting by Sam Villa. This guy also has his own line of dry cutting sheers.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECkWlCUtJhs&feature=player_detailpage 

The Blacker the Berry, the Sweeter......Your Teeth?

 Beauty as we know it is way different than it used to be. Each decade in the United States brings a new twist on what was once considered old. In certain cultures, it is frowned upon if you are older and still single. Although most of us desire to have a significant other, imagine a world (well, culture) where you would dye your teeth black (yes you read correctly even after all those cocktails) to keep your suitor!  Only single women had white teeth in the Meijing Era in Japan. Women would use blackberries and similar things to keep their teeth nice and black to flaunt their married status. Clearly things have changed since then, but this makes you take a second look at some of our beauty ideals. Today Huffpost did an article on a women who was professionally photoshopped 50 times to fit the beauty ideals of different countries. The article is worth a read.

   Beauty trends come in an array of weirdness from around the world to even here in the U.S.! This a picture is worth 1,000 words, I thought it would be best to just post a couple of videos on these unusual rituals both new and old.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=RT9FmDBrewA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lAixp7sYNQ&feature=player_detailpage You may have forgotten all about the shaved eyebrow trend that hit the U.S. ! (well, tried anyway. I never did see that anywhere.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDLtWHT4oKE&feature=player_detailpage The half shaved hair trend still happening now.

Want to Feel Better and Look Bettter?

In an industry where our job is to make clients look and feel beautiful, we must look and feel beautiful ourselves! Must something so simple may be a little tough during cold season as we are coughing in between curls. Of the many remedies out there to shorten the length of sickness, you will find a common thread of them all containing zinc. Zinc is a natural immune system booster and also stimulates the growth of hair! So you can grow some lovely locks while you are resting. Hey, who says you can't have your cake and eat it too? Evidence of zinc deficiency will often show up as white spots in the fingernails. So maintaining balance will make for nicer looking fingernails as well! It is outside of your scope of practice to diagnose or suggest, however I would loudly say within the range of hearing just how much zinc will change your life to anyone who has trouble with hair growth or finds themselves in the beginning stages of a cold. 

Is Sulfate Really Bad for You?

    With all the sulfate free shampoos on the market today, one might start to think that sulfate is the new GMO! But sulfate is good, even necessary , in small doses. Everyone needs sulfate about once a month in their beauty regiment. Theses types of shampoos will generally be labeled as "clarifying shampoo." But please remember that even if it is without that label, a smart stylist will know, when you see the ingredients ammonium lauryl sulfate, laureth sulfate, sodium lauryl and lauryl sulfate, then you are indeed looking at a clarifying shampoo. Also, if you had an evening out and used an extreme amount of hair product, this will be the saving grace to make your hair like new again.

Do You Know What Clean Really Is?

    Between all the jokes about someone having to disinfect their feet or hearing people brag about how much they wash their hands, it may be hard to tell how much and of what type of cleaning is really necessary. Sterilization is the highest form of decontamination. This is basically only required in hospital because it kills absolutely all living organisms. Therefore, it would be impossible to sterilize you skin because your skin is living. This also explains why hospitals sterilize because with people being cut open, living organisms other than the surgeon would be....well....really bad news! The second level of decontamination is disinfection. This is what is necessary in salon and spa environments. Aside from the sit-on-plastic feeling that would come with killing every germ in a salon, without any open wounds, there are significantly less amount of germs to kills and less chance of them invading our body so disinfection is the perfect level of clean for the salon or spa environment. Last but far from least is sanitation. Sanitation is the basic level of clean. Most organisms will be living, but they will be clean organisms. lol. You would sanitize your work station after a hair cut because it has already been disinfected daily but you want to reclean the surface to remove the germs associate with fallen hair and hair product. For more review and education on this subject, check out my book New Image Today Textbook of Cosmetology.

Is it Your Hair or is it You?

Doing your hair can be a daunting task let alone other peoples'. As a beginner stylist, you may have conquered bad hair days, but you may have noticed that reading about it is one thing and doing it is another. It is important to remember that good tools are just as important and good technique. With all the craze on bio ionic tools, one must remember that these tools are excellent for low heat, straight or fine hair but will produce disappointing results for their high heat required counter parts. And with all of the product choices, how can one even narrow it down? In my book New Image Today Textbook of Cosmetology, I have included the ingredients of shampoo, keratin treatments, along with a list of beauty tips to accommodate every chapter as well as most importantly potential exam questions. check me out and tell me what you think!

3 Things You Didn't Know About Water

As stylists or future professionals, we know that hard versus soft water makes a difference in the hair. But did you know it makes  a difference  in your body as well? In America, most water is served to you freezing cold, but water is actually suppose to be consumed at room temperature. This is to maintain your body's natural temperature and to be used more efficiently and quickly.  You may also notice that some brands allow you to feel hydrated quickly while others after drinking a half a gallon, you just feel full, bloated, and semi-hydrated. This is because in order to get full hydration, you need to restore your electrolytes. Without restoring them, your cells just keep getting bigger. As many have heard, one can die from drinking too much water, non-electrolyte water will most likely be the verdict. Many of us have passed the gallon in the store with the extra fluoride and probably thought, "oh that is probably really good for my teeth." Fluoride in large or even semi large amounts has actually been proven to cause chemical changes in brain tissue, destroy memory and increases levels of aluminum in brain tissue. Texas is the first state to take fluoride out of the water after 50 years.