2021 Beauty Thread

[leigh1673]

Originally Posted by pharma_gal

Can someone recommend a good effective retinol to use on the face and neck? Thanks.

I like Paula's Choice 1% Retinol.

[Pat58]

Originally Posted by toaster

Still hoping for some wisdom about my grays...and I have a related question.

Does anyone use a boars hair brush? This came up when I was searching for recommendations. I have always used a fine-toothed comb to detangle my hair when wet and then a round brush while blow-drying (whether I am doing smooth or adding a bit of wave with a flat iron).

Questions:

• Can you actually use a boars hair brush on your hair when wet?
• Is a paddle brush better than a round brush for both smoothing and adding body?
• Is there an affordable (I'm thinking <$20) brush that you would recommend?

Thank you again!

I'd like some input on all these questions, too! What I do know about boar's head brushes is they are great for distributing your natural hair oils, but they don't "grab" the hair. I have a very large one from when I had long hair that is a combo of boar's head and stiffer synthetic bristles, and even that is tricky about gripping the hair. But it left my hair very smooth and shiny. I used it as a finishing brush after it was dry.

[summer breeze]

Originally Posted by donnamp

Thanks, Summer Breeze - I will look for it! I use the Cerave one I mentioned above and I have also used Differin - but you know, always looking for something new, LOL!

Donna

Yes I know that feeling all too well

[alisoncooks]

I just discovered Mad Hippie brand and I quite like it. I use mostly Cerave products, and I used to use Paula's Choice toner...but I've totally dropped the PC line and added in Mad Hippie Nutrient Mist (and the Vit C and Antioxident Oil). I'm already a BIG fan. It smells terrible, I'll not lie, but my skin texture has so improved.

I didn't care for their cream cleanser or Triple C night cream -- but (for me) the spray has been a game changer. (Ulta often has BOGO-40% off deals online for this...plus the added benefit of being able to return it if it doesn't suit!)

[toaster]

Originally Posted by Pat58

I'd like some input on all these questions, too! What I do know about boar's head brushes is they are great for distributing your natural hair oils, but they don't "grab" the hair. I have a very large one from when I had long hair that is a combo of boar's head and stiffer synthetic bristles, and even that is tricky about gripping the hair. But it left my hair very smooth and shiny. I used it as a finishing brush after it was dry.

Pat, that's what I've read too. I think your hair is more thick with some natural wave, right? My hair is so thin and fine, but with the wiry grays, I could probably use more oil distribution!

[BunnyHop]

Originally Posted by toaster

Still hoping for some wisdom about my grays...and I have a related question.

Does anyone use a boars hair brush? ...

I have very fine long hair that has almost nothing in the way of natural body. For me, volume is a non-issue because my hair simply will not cooperate, and products that supposedly enhance it just make my hair do some sort of weirdly unflattering swoopy thing. Bleah.

My routine is very simple. Before I shower, I detangle my hair with a wide toothed comb, then use a boar bristle brush to massage my scalp, then use the wide toothed comb again to get all the strands lined back up so there's less tangling once I start washing. The boar bristle brush feels good, I think it helps my scalp stay more comfortable, and brushing it just before I wash seems to encourage a bit of oil production right at that time so I can wash away that extra bit of oil. My hair seems to be slower to reach the oily-need to wash stage.

I bought mine from the George Michael/Madora salon NYC website, but I'm not seeing it online just now. Not sure if I've got the URL wrong or if they've taken it down. I've also ordered products from the Enchantress salon in Ohio, but I don't know if they sell the George Michael product line any more. They were very nice to work with, and at the time had an online shop so it was easy to order direct.

In terms of what to do with rambunctious individual strands of gray hair? I'm still baffled and my grey streak has expanded a good bit now.

A lightweight hair gel is nice when I want to braid it and keep things looking nicer than standard, but I do find it a bit of a hassle. I don't wash my hair every day, but I do detangle and re-style morning and evening. Gels seem to make that a bit more of a challenge, but I don't know if some other sort might be better.

At shorter lengths I did get along well with styling foams to tame the wayward strands (Paul Mitchell and Biolage both make good ones without too much fragrance) but at longer lengths it doesn't make enough difference to bother with.

[toaster]

Anna, thanks so much for the detailed response! Your hair sounds pretty similar to mine, although mine is only to my shoulders. I've gotten away from using most products (other than a bit of low-hold hairspray) because they don't make much difference, and sometimes they are irritating.

I like your idea of brushing before washing and could try that on weekends (on workdays I enter into the shower pretty bleary-eyed and don't see myself doing it!). I know that many people have gotten away from washing their hair daily, but if I don't, it is SO limp, and somehow it makes my face feel oiler too! But I often use pretty minimal shampoo preceded by a co-wash.

[BunnyHop]

Originally Posted by toaster

Anna, thanks so much for the detailed response! Your hair sounds pretty similar to mine, although mine is only to my shoulders. ...

Glad to help! My own hair is so oily I never did well with any version of conditioner washing. Some of the straight up herbal washing (steep the herbs, save the broth to wash with) did work quite well, but I did the math and calculated how much of my time was involved, and honestly, a fairly ordinary shampoo from a reputable company works just as well with much less botheration and expense.

Another technique I like is to simply dilute my shampoo. I put a dilute blend of shampoo and water in a plastic bottle (small Dawn dishwashing soap kind with a flip top works well, but the flip top WILL snap off if it hits the floor just right, sigh.) . Handy just to be able to squirt a bit of shampoo right at my scalp, which is where I need the soap to go. And no, the diluted soap mixture won't spoil/grow something funky. My usual ratio is about seven parts water to one part shampoo, though I guess you could go a bit more dilute than that. That amount of cleanser will last through quite a few shampooings.

I do have to take a really light hand with conditioner and detangling sprays near my scalp, which doesn't help those wayward grays, but it does keep my hair from being so flat so quickly. Avoiding the roots with conditioner is easier when it's long, but if I only condition the bit past my chin, it does help.

In terms of conditioner, I usually use a heavier conditioner on the length, then a conditioning/cream rinse type product all over once I rinse that.

I spent a good many years playing around/experimenting with all sorts of different brands and types of hair cleansing methods, and after all that time I went back to basically the same thing I've always done. Shampoo the scalp, condition the length, cream rinse overall. (But I did find some brands I much prefer, Biolage and Paul Mitchell, so the searching was worth it.)

One thing that did help was keeping a haircare journal. Kind of obsessive, I know, but for a good while I simply tracked what products I used that day, how it behaved when wet, how it looked once it air dried and how it looked at the end of the day. Some of the stuff I used to think was just fine really didn't work well for me at all, I just hadn't seen it because I hadn't tracked the results over the day.

[Paine]

Beth, I have had a boars hair brush before and I liked it a lot when I had it. I used it on wet hair with no problem. Right now my favorite brush to detangle wet hair and to blow dry is "NuWay DoubleC U.S. Patented Double Curved/Circular Vented Detangler" that I bought at Amazon for $16.00 (there is a $4 coupon you can use there--I bought the pink one). I like it because it doesn't rip out my hair when it's wet.

I have a few wiry gray hairs that stick out and I haven't found a solution other than to dampen my hand and smooth it down or spray hair spray on my hand and smooth it down. It's a temporary fix but better than nothing.

This is the brush I love to detangle wet hair and blow dry:

https://www.amazon.com/NuWay-4Hair-P...NsaWNrPXRydWU=

[wendug]

Originally Posted by Paine

Beth, I have had a boars hair brush before and I liked it a lot when I had it. I used it on wet hair with no problem. Right now my favorite brush to detangle wet hair and to blow dry is "NuWay DoubleC U.S. Patented Double Curved/Circular Vented Detangler" that I bought at Amazon for $16.00 (there is a $4 coupon you can use there--I bought the pink one). I like it because it doesn't rip out my hair when it's wet.

I have a few wiry gray hairs that stick out and I haven't found a solution other than to dampen my hand and smooth it down or spray hair spray on my hand and smooth it down. It's a temporary fix but better than nothing.

This is the brush I love to detangle wet hair and blow dry:

https://www.amazon.com/NuWay-4Hair-P...NsaWNrPXRydWU=

I use a brush similar to the NuWay brush you use. I don't remember the manufacturer of it, but it is vented which is nice when blow drying my hair.