I really wish the haircare companies wouldn't treat us as stupid so I can just buy the right stuff in the store instead of having to basically do a PhD thesis every time I want to try something new. (Regarding the whole 'hydrating' branding when it actually isn't)
It sounds to me like the stuff that says hydrating on it is still the right stuff, it makes your hair feel nice by conditioning it, they just lie to you how they do it
@@ЗвезделинаБожилова exactly this. it's still the right stuff but most people actually are too stupid. we're in an echo chamber here but for most people, this is not understandable and they would rather believe pseudoscience and false truths.
As a recovering marketer, this is the tip of the iceberg 🥲 half the time their assumptions aren't even based on customer data, but someone in a meeting going "Ummm but if we call it moisturizing, people might think it's gross like putting face moisturizer in your hair??" And everyone nods. Marketing is so far removed from reality I basically ignore all marketing claims when looking at products.
@@MildExplosion Man fr like people in general, not just marketers, I think don't realize - and I mean that in a non-judgmental way - that lots of stuff they say is not based on actual data - real life regular person data or scientific data. And I find that understandable, surely I say stuff like that too. The way I see it we just buy everything we're told as kids bcs that's literally the mechanism by which we learn. As adults, we haven't completely stopped doing that. Like the whole "you'll grow more/thicker hair if you shave" or tbh also the opposite claim. Like how do you know people's experiences? Maybe there are rare cases in which someone did grow more hair after shaving. Maybe puberty or another hormonal change making them care and shave and their body growing more or thicker hair not bcs of the shaving coincidenced time-wise. But tell people "no, for sure it did not happen" but they know what they saw and guess how much they'll believe you and how much you just built up their trust in science in general. We could go "It's proven in studies shaving doesn't have that affect, but who knows, there could be rare cases where someone's unique condition interacts with shaving that way? Though I can't think of an explanation why... do you think maybe you got used to the hairless skin so when you saw it with hair again, and with blunt (so thick through and through instead of tapered to thin) ends made the illusion of that? Maybe try taking photos for like 10 consecutive shavings, make sure you use the same lighting, angle and make a photo right as it starts to be a stubble, some time when it has reached half its length and sometime when it's reached its full length. I'm so curious to see!" Wordier and you'd have to mean it to yaknow say it without it being a blatant lie, but kinder. I really dislike being told "just use x type product" as a criticism when I don't want to and am trying to figure out a different way for myself. It's a criticism that seems to imply "people already designed a product for that issue, just use that like a normal person"
Thank you so much for including coily/kinky hair! That porosity test had a lot of us black folks in a choke hold when it first got popular online. And don't get me started on hygral fatigue. Whew! Great video.
Thank you so much! I've had so many questions from people asking why their hair behaved like porous hair when it was resistant according to the float test, and vice versa. And so many people asking why their hair was so much nicer with a water refresh, if hygral fatigue was a problem!
No seriously for years I thought I had low porosity hair bc my 4a hair would float when in reality it's high porosity, type 4 hair by its nature is high porosity it's more dry low porosity hair means you don't need a heavy moisturizer every other day that's high porosity. East Asians have the lowest hair porosity Africans have the highest.
@@yassine8935 I try to tell people this but they won't listen. It makes no sense that your hair would get dry quickly if it's low porosity. But they doth protest.
I had this and turns out I’m allergic to a common component of a lot of shampoos (and laundry detergents). Also: Eucerin DermoCapillaire for Dry dandruff 🧴 thank you for my life.
As a typical dude I never asked myself about hair issues. My daughter recently does, though. And she's also showing some displeasure at my manly 7 in 1 shower gel. (Why?!?) So now I'm here and taking notes for little princess. 🧐
Multi products that combine cleaning with conditioning are generally horrible on long hair. They either fail to clean it properly, leaving it gross, or fail to condition it properly, leaving it rough and tuggy. You can get away with these things if your hair isn't long enough to tangle, but our resistance to it is usually based in tears, not blind prejudice!
@@denyshadials5702 actually more than shoulder long and curly. Currently longer than my daughter's. Only never had any issues and never any complaints - the latter until recently. So I really didn't think about that.
Also are they really damaging hair as some people claim? or is it user error or thinking it is the bonding treatment when maybe it is heat, bleach damage etc?
oh my gosh thank you!!! As a STEM girlie I get so frustrated when I look for the science behind beauty products, so I can make an informed choice, but all I find is marketing. This channel is a godsend 🙏
I'm a black woman and have 4C textured hair. I’ve often heard that oils are good for our hair but for me it makes my scalp itchy and my hair dry. What I find works is water and creamy moisturizers and butters. My hair loves butter. What I've seen is different things work for different people and maybe the differing factors are not hair pattern, it's too dry or it's too wet but it could be dietary, environment and overall health .
There is a beautician on RUclips that explains this. Those creamy moisturizers are emulsified oil and water. So the water in the mix is helping to hydrate, but the oils in it seals it.
This video's just made me think of one fun fact - people do not have "wetness" receptors in their skin. We cannot tell with certainty if something is wet just by touching it. We can feel temperature and texture and that's how we determine if something is wet. It's the reason why touching a cold fabric makes us think it's slightly wet. It's cool to know it is the same confusion we experience with hair! It's not moist, it's just colder than what we're used to. Thanks for the interesting video!
@ can you provide a source? I’d like to read up on that but cannot find any info about those receptors in fingers and toes? What are they called? I could only find info about “wetness sensitivity” but not receptors.
@@TomThumb151515 I've heard of this, too. Weird that we have a way to sense/process(unconsciously) "appendage submerged in watery liquid" that doesn't go off for "oily liquid" or "touching cool surface" and yet we cannot accurately conciously differentiate between "this surface is watery" and "this surface is cool". I wonder if it has to do with chemical bonds or conductivity somehow, and the cool/wet surface doesn't have enough open bonds available or something?
@@martita4864Try searching for "pruned/pruney" fingers. It happens when dry too for some individuals (Reynaud's syndrome). It's a sympathetic nervous system response.
It's just the skin soaking up water I thought (the pruning). Like wet paper. I don't think our nerves are sending wetness signals to prune up. Eta: I imagine the fingerprints and toe prints make more surface area to soak up more water than other skin on our body. So we don't get pruny arms and legs. Just guessing though.
I truly feel like this hair series is revolutionary. The beauty community kind of has an idea about skincare science, but haircare has been the wild wild west up untill this point. I hope this education will reflect on the industry and change much.
I've been following the Scienc-y Hair Blog (blogspot) for two decades now. This person helped with science made easy, sources and examples to change my hair from 'can't grow longer than shoulder length' to a now tailbone length. If you ask a question they take the time to help you as an individual. And they don't treat like all hair is the same. The website is simple, but this person is legitimate. The things covered in this video I learned from that blog a decade ago! They're a rare gem for the community but easy to overlook at first. (I've been in Long Hair communities for a while because I really disliked my hair). Just to give an addition there are a few more sources to keep an eye on but I agree, they're rare finds!
On my next wash day, I'm probably going to end up lecturing my persistent wet frizz about "self-assembly" and that my curl clumps just need to pull themselves together. Because... science.
I'm a dude with really long hair. The more content about hair I watch, the less clear and straightforward everything gets. But now I use 2 conditioners: one in shower, one while blow drying (with Amodimethicone), learned how to properly use shampoo and even found a silk scrunchie in a store. My hair is now really soft and shiny, I'm kinda proud even. Thanks for digesting all the dry science for us. :)
@@ricknmorty7732 Just some random brush with thick wooden "bristles" which are decently spread apart. Though I forget to brush my hair often, trying to fix that currently.
@@bakedbotato1925 The shower one is HASK with tea tree oil and rosemary, bought it randomly on discount, but I would replace it, if I found something with amodimethicone or just anything better in general. The second one (leave-in) is L'Oreal Elvital Dream Length No Haircut Cream (orange tube, Michelle has shown in a video about Amodimethicone).
Yes! I got frustrated with curly girl techniques being so unnecessarily weird & then I got mad about the attitude. I figured I would ignore my curl type, as it changes fast with growth or cut, and just look to hair care advice from stylists specializing in coarser hair. This is when I noticed that the Curly Girl method appears to be “Caucasified” natural hair guidance. That’s why it’s so weird, they had to find alternative techniques to the ones they copied. I reread their little book & if you look up a good solid natural hair care guide, it’s the bones of Curly Girl, but then they added flopping around with a wet tshirt on your head. And tried to make natural hair care, invented by BIPOC women, “more white.” Not to say that white women don’t have traditional curl care knowledge, but everything curly girl claims to deliver, I have received for free & with no need to be loyal to a specific concept, I have loads of options. Silicones are GREAT for some hair, some hair likes heavy oil, etc etc, and natural hair care is much more affordable & accessible. Apparently some younger people where I live (Montana) thought it was culturally rude to buy the Black hair products, I’m the one woman PR team telling the rural girlies with unruly hair to get the NOU for every day & Miss Jessie’s when you really want stunning curls. It’s just hair - most ethnic groups have a prominent hair type with additional outlier types & lucky us, there’s a regimen for our hair in many different cultures! Even me - my hair actually feels like horse hair if I dont do my routine. I’ve oiled my hair 4 days in a row & it’s still a bit dry (I keep meaning to wash it & then forget and do it again the next night, things have been aggressively busy) I still do not understand most of the science, but I have a lot of textures on my head, altho I’d guess 70% of the weight of my hair comes from coarse curls. I have found that mixing in a low porosity product or two, and rotating in a no-protein conditioner about half the time works pretty well.
@@standdownrobots_ihaveoldglory I had a hunch CGM was derived from natural haircare! My gripe with it is how it focuses solely on conditioning and much more of it (of course it's essential to keep your hair well conditioned!) but very little on scalp care, if any. I love my sulfate shampoos (oily scalp, active lifestyle) and my silicone based conditioners and oils since I live in a rather continental climate in a rural region, and silicones are much more lightweight than most other conditioning ingredients and make my hair easier to detangle.
@@effieffiethe mousse, the gel cast is the biggest factor for hold and definition Your definition product should come last (optionally oil when you scrunch it out) What's your hair type btw?
I feel so vindicated for only cutting my nails after a shower or doing dishes... Personal experience has shown me that my nails crack and flake so much if I cut them while dry, but no one else has believed me about it lol Two weeks ago I just lightened my dark blonde hair by about two levels, after which it was taking forever to dry. This weekend I did a henna mask and now my hair dries about twice as fast. I had thought that the bleaching made my hair more porous and absorbent, and that the henna pigment was filling in the gaps that water was soaking into, but thanks to this video I'm pretty sure the pigment is more acting like a long-term conditioner, and replacing the F-layer on the cuticle? Cool stuff!
@@Mallowolf That's not just dying, that's henna doing the work. Henna is very conditioning. Normal hair dye won't have that effect. And permanent dye (at least the box dyes?) usually has some developer in it (to open the cuticles to deposit the dye), causing some damage.
@@Mallowolf And btw while henna is really nourishing, it is incredibly difficult to get out, so only get it if you want to have dark/reddish brown hair for a long time
Oh hell yeah. I've been doing a henna then indigo 'double dye' every 3 weeks for years now, to color my roots. I'm naturally a maybe level 6 ashy brown with loads of white (I'm 44 and started to go grey early). It definitely does interesting things to the hair. I actually have to use a conditioner for 'fine hair', because anything 'heavier' than that will weigh my hair down. Masks, leave-ins, styling products with silicones? All make my hair go limp and flat, even though it's thick and wavy, with lots of volume, naturally. My hair just does not absorb product at all, it seems. And I also experience the 'fast drying' thing. I'm always like 🤔 when people go on about how it takes their hair hours and hours to dry naturally. Mine takes about two hours. And I have a lot of hair. I always wanted someone to take a scientific deep dive on henna and other natural hair colors. I've even had people try to convince methat it's terrible for the hair, because you need to let 'wet mud' sit on your hair for several hours on a regular basis. And while I get that that is not an ideal scenario, my personal experience is that overall it has a very positive effect on the hair and makes it sturdy and 'self sufficient', so to speak.
I big chopped my hair end of September 2024. It’s been about six weeks and I’ve been washing my hair twice a week, doing a blowout/silk press immediately out of the shower twice a week and my hair has never been healthier. The easiest way to hydrate your hair and keep it healthy is to wash your hair thoroughly and at least once a week and use heat to dry the hair. Letting your hair air dry unstretched is how a lot of us with type three type four hair experience damage.
@@WilliamsPinchwhen it comes to heat styling, there is a learning curve for sure. It’s definitely not for everyone (especially those who don’t know how to do it properly which, unfortunately, is most people), but when done correctly it’s actually not bad.
Brilliant advice, as ever, but I also just have to commend Michele, her partner, the puppies and the other supporting cast for adding elements of 5-star comedy into a high quality science video!
I would really love a videos on the science behind curls and how to properly care for it, also on why some people's hair gets oily and others' doesn't seem too
Isn’t it just your scalp skin being oily? My face skin is oily and my scalp is too, nothing really helps. Accutane helped my friend with the activity of her skin oil glands, her scalp became less greasy, but she had severe acne. I wouldn’t risk it just to have fresh hair.
@@katyadade1041 I don't think so. My scalp can be quite oily but my hair still looks "normal" just more straightened out whereas for others, their hair looks like it has been dunked in oil. I think the difference might be that curly hair doesn't stick together so easily as some of my friends' straight hair and that this is the aspect which creates the impression of oiliness.
2:22 I don't understand why wet hair snaps easier than dry hair when we just established that wet hair is way more springy (and the previous example showed that dry hair snapped while wet hair just stretched)
wet hair takes less force to snap, it stretches more but the force needed to break the wet hair is less than that of dry hair. Think of it this way wet hair is a piece of gum and dry hair is a piece of spaghetti, the gum can be stretched long with little force but the spaghetti requires more force to "stretch" and just breaks without stretching. Hope that helps explain it.
water breaks (weakens) the protein bonds within your hair, that makes it springier (since the bonds make it stiff) and therefore stretchier. But losing that stiffness makes it weaker, like to friction forces. You're basically overextending it. Most of the time you're not pulling the hair from your scalp along that axis, so the stiffness isn't an issue there, but you do rest your head against pillows, compress them with hats or towel dry your hair, all of which cause friction and can lead to damage if wetter.
Ideally I should've hung weights from wet and dry hairs, and shown how much weight each one took to snap - the wet hair would've taken less! The demo I showed was for extension length rather than for force to break.
Very fitting I washed my hair yesterday and decided to apply hair oil to it while it was still somewhat damp (I usually do it when it's completely dry) and my hair is smoother and more soft than when I apply the hair oil on dry hair.
Do any of these studies say which type of water they were using? Hard versus soft water seems to have such a big impact on hair and whether they feel soft or not.
My hair had a big change since I moved from Brazil to the USA. And I really believe it is the water. I was someone who could not even get near protein and now I need protein shampoos cause my hair is too soft. It is so soft I can’t even do a deep conditioner like I used to anymore. I clarify every week but still seems like it needs more cleansing cause it won’t get defined and feels like a cloud too soft.
The way science works, they would have used the purest water for their studies. For hard water, which has minerals and likely ions. This would disrupt the hydrogen bonds even more then just water. And the minerals usually stick around instead of drying off so they would cause longer lasting effects. This is my reasoning anyways, based on my knowledge (bachelors of chem).
@angelinafaria4553 I live in a hard water area. You may need a chelating shampoo specifically. Also protein mask right after has done wonders for my hair.
I SIMPLY LOVE YOU 😍 I've been in the "hair" world for 30 years and has always been fed up with ridiculous claims that brands are making to increase their sales... I far prefer the science (just what you did) 🥰
I've been using a medicated salisylic acid shampoo recently and oh my god it's helped my dry scalp so much and I love that I can still use as much conditioner as I like because my hair is thiiiiiirsty for oils. If I'd listened to these tiktoks I'd still be suffering from scalp itching so bad it feels like fire.
@@DaenerysGOT18im not who you asked but nizoral makes a salicylic acid shampoo thats really nice. Its expensive but lasts a while. Its a two in one shampoo/conditioner which to me just means a moisturizing shampoo. Really nice smell too.
@@DaenerysGOT18neutrogena tsal is so goodddd it’s instant relief on the scalp but my hair is curly so I pre oil the ends before a salycilic acid wash or it gets dried out
Thank you so much for this video! I am 50yo and I have naturally curly, fine-ish (Caucasian) hair. I cannot tell you how confusing and lacking in science the information is that I have received about my hair in my lifetime. I have needed this video in my life - thank you so much!
Finally! So happy you hopped on this. I think the black natural hair community has really been confused about the words around this. I will be watching your videos moving forward because this is a conversation headed in the right direct. Onward and Upward!
I've entered this rabbit hole a few years ago. It got me nowhere in terms of practical conclusions. I got the impression that even the scientists were spreading not very accurate information, they seemed to be making huge leaps from small experiments or microscopic facts about hair onto broad conclusions about what not to do with your hair. They also didn't seem to be taking into account the hair routines of different cultures, which could be a door to a new perspective on the subject. Everyone I heard talking about this seemed very close minded. I'm looking forward to your approach on the topic
It's been quite interesting diving into it because the main hair science textbook that's been around forever (Robbins's Chemical and Physical Behavior of Human Hair) is pretty nuanced when it comes to things like straight vs curly/coily hair - for example, the "curly hair is damaged less when combed wet" thing is in there, even though most scientists online seem to present "don't brush wet hair" as a blanket rule. But it's really detailed and densely written, so I think most people are relying on other sources that've simplified it, or are just looking up specific paragraphs in it. I think I've only read maybe 1/10th of it so far and it was a very hard slog, I would guess that the total number of people who've read and understood the whole thing would be in the single digits.
I just spent more then 8h to find a single product in Europe that is not replaced by other without ademiticone, please help something recent that is available and not reformulated in europe/balkans, ty@@LabMuffinBeautyScience
@LabMuffinBeautyScience I see. Well, it's good to know that there is already a book on it, and that it's still valid. I thought people were still making experiments and theorizing about the subject, which lead to so many different opinions. And if you only covered 1/10th that's great 😁 it means there'll be much more source for new videos for years to come 😆
@@LabMuffinBeautyScience thankyou for the name of the book, im a medical student and a devoted follower of your channel, im certainly going to read this book, since I'm highly enthusiastic about the science behind things . Also expecting a video from you specifically on curly hair and how and why it is hard to grow beyond a certain length and what we could do about it . I'll be certainly waiting for your video as it might be of great personal help if you do one in high hopes you read this comment, but as of now im jumping into grabbing my hands on the book you suggested- thankyou for directing people who are oblivious to science of these sides ❤
The water droplet on regular vs damaged hair was fascinating ! This whole video is informative and your voice is calming, so it’s nice to listen to and learn…not stressful 🙏
Love your hair information. Curly hair can be difficult and I prefer science over the hardline version of the curly girl method. Greetings from the Netherlands 🇳🇱
So what I want to know is how can I make my 25% gray 2bc hair feel and look nice and not like a Brillo pad? Any shampoo, conditioner and any kind of leave in and styling products makes my hair feel weighed down and dry feeling and dirty feeling even after I’ve washed it. I’ve spent years and lots of money.
This is exactly what I needed. I have been so confused about how online haircare enthusiasts often insist that hydration is bad but the "this hydrates your hair" marketing is so widespread at the same time. I'm still curious as to what the haircare products are actually trying to say they do, like is there some thing they legally have to show they do to make these claims? I guess it's probably too complicated for people to even bother figuring out whether claims are false?
It's like the difference between moisturising your skin Vs. wetting it. You know how dry your hands can be after a long bath? Skin needs the right balance of water and fat, which is what moisturising (and conditioning) is. Too much of one or the other and your skin feels "dry" and rough. Hair is similar.
Thank you for this. I'm really exhausted by cosmetic companies "just giving in" on any trend these, whether it's hydration, or all "natural" ingredients, or sulfate-free, silicon-free, paraben-free, aluminum-free (in deodorants) to the extent that these products absolutely dominate your local drugstore. Almost none of these products actually work well for my hair or skin, and what is supposed to be a mundane task is becoming a pain in my neck. 🥴
I ditched all the "snake oil" products and my scalp and hair is so much healthier. Drugstore silicone free shampoo and conditioner, I save the silicones for my styler/leave in (mousse or leave in cream). That's all that's in my hair arsenal and I finally have good scalp and can go to day three without hair feeling disgusting. A lot of great advice from this channel lead me to this.
@Empresselizabeth1800 olaplex made it finer to touch - my hair is frizzy on a good day and this was leaving me with hair frizzy but lifeless at the same time (my structure gone from wavy to straight like nails)... Gave each 3 months. From goldwell I have tried majority of their line and keep going back to ultra repair line - it's a hair salon quality so little goes a long way and, if you're forgetful like me and not always use conditioner - it's not going to make your hair feel like you've never used the products (which I had this issue with others). Ask in your hair salon/shop for samples if available 🙏🏼 but I swear by it ☺️
@@smajliiicka thank you 😊 I appreciate the tips! I get my hair products from salon stores already so I’ll have to give that a try, I recently been using the Olaplex hair oil and yeah I feel like my hair has definitely been looking and feeling slightly worse lol
Oh. My. Goodness you are a phenomenal scientist who can break things down on a molecular level (pun intended), to us, common folk. I know you’ve only scratch the surface of this topic in this video, which scares me to think about all the things that I can, and cannot absorb just this, as well as moving forward, but it’s exciting to hear someone as bright as you doing their best to help me understand. I wish I could find more scientist like you, to teach me about everything in the world, especially food science. 💜 💜 💜 💜 💜
This has been such a revelation. I rarely ever comment on videos but I used to believe in hygral fatigue and my hair was sooooooo damaged + frizzy from all the perms, I never realized it was washing and dry styling my hair that made the difference. Now I know why it works! Thank god I found your channel.
Oh interesting, I like Dr. Dray too. Though I think I personally am a lot more skeptical on stuff compared to her, but to me she feels like she really considers the logic behind scientific claims and knows the science. So even if I'm skeptical about the science she's one source I like to go to to check what the science even is lol.
I can't wait for your bonding vid! Anecdotally here. As someone with what I call straight-curly hair (straight lengths and curly at the ends?), I have a LOT of hair, not superfine but not thick hairs. At 60 here is what I have found - my hair is now totally uncoloured and unbleached and I have about 30% grey and it reaches below my boobs. 1: If I let my hair air dry in low humidity it feels sleeker 2: If I let my hair air dry in high humidity it gets boufier (scientific term) and I can end up looking like Monica did in the Friends ep where they go to the Bahamas. 3: In winter my hair goes almost dead straight. I live in an area 950 metres above sea level and there is very low daytime humidity. 4: When it is really humid if I blow dry my hair I can bypass the boufiness, but it is very dependent on products for how long it lasts. 5: If I use "hydrating" products it feels much rougher and tangles more easily. 6: I only wash my hair twice a week. I use Selsun Blue (the everyday use version) because when I have untainted hair I get an itchy scalp and it stops it cold. I don't use conditioner I only use a hair bonding repair mask on the mids to ends and I let it sit about 10 minutes. Makes my hair feel really nice but not heavy and oily. 7: I use the Pantene Gold leave in on the curly ends, I believe it is made for very curly hair. I have determined that water is NOT my hairs friend at all and that bonding treatments are not just important for bleached hair (which is why I started using it) but can help manage unruly hair.
Your a wavy/curly. We are completely different from curly and straight hair and each other. It's so varied from person to person. You have to work out what works for your individual type of wave and or curl.
I have similar but not the same issues and similar stuff works but not quite the same haha. My hair doesn't get more voluminous but it does get so much frizzier. Bulgarian water and air makes it less so but German air and I checked the humidity on that day and it was almost the same, either instantly or within a few hours frizzed up my hair, like a lot! I mean a lotttt! And Austrian water and air also makes it so much more frizzier than Bulgarian water and air. They shouldn't be that different. And I have a filter that's supposed to filter out at least some of the hardness. Humidity does very visibly affect the frizz, but it's beyond me why the country change made such a huge difference when the air humidity was almost the exact same. I just don't get it. I have an idea... tap water in Bulgaria tastes like bottled water in Austria. Maybe I should try buying bottled water and doing a very thorough rinse after my shower. That would be so interesting if that helps lol.
@@essennagerryI have similar expirience like You, when I'm in the city (near austrian borders) and in the mountains like You in Bulgaria. I always thought, that maybe its about polution too (my hair also is oily sooner in the city), but maybe there are orher faktory too.
Thank you so much for addressing hydral fatigue. I had so many explanations of it from curly hair folks and I could never get it to make sense. I was sure it's a myth, but the only place I ever saw it addressed scientifically as a myth before now was in a blog post I saw a few years ago. She goes over the scientific papers that people cite to prove hygral myth and explains why they don't prove that hygral fatigue is a real thing.
I adore science because it’s always like the deeper you go, the more you realize we know nothing 😂 But this was super cool & informative. Love that you go through methodologies in papers & consider limitations rather than accepting their conclusions (and what was selected to be reported in results) without thinking of study design
only one thing helped my hair. The product was a bulk product that an Etsy creator used and added some fragrance to it. I didn't keep the empty bottle, for the ingredients. It never occurred to me that she's stop selling it. she stopped selling it. Then she left this mortal coil and I can't for the life of me understand why whatever the ingredients used are not being used by commercial products. both the shampoo and conditioner were slippery I mean to the point that I had to be very careful of it not sliding off my hand before I managed to get it to my hair. That's the only hint I have. I offered her $500 at one point to make just one more batch and she wouldn't. years later when I was planning on offering her more, is when I found out she is no longer here. People rave about this product and that product and I'd reluctantly relinquished my money and nothing worked better than an average product, and often make this worse. olaplex is one that made things worse. I see it in the top comment so that's why I am mentioning it. and my ADHD brain walked away with nothing from this video. i see the comments implying people were told what to do... I missed it
Thank you so much for making these videos. I am so tired of pseudo sciency things that hold no truth, but it's impossible to know enough about everything you use to know better. I know my own stuff when it comes to plant care, and for hair care I come here to learn :)
I would like to add, the cuticle layer has a big impact on roughness. Simply using cool water after conditioning will close the cuticle down. It holds your fresh color in and makes hair smoother. I was let go from a salon for telling clients that.
Thanks so much for clearing up those ideas! It's good to know the real truths! However, my hair feels better when it's wet than dry! I use coconut after washing as it helps detangle my dry and wavy hair.
Now that was really interesting! I didnt realize local humidity could affect your hair so much. I live in a very arid area with low humidity and have always struggled with fly aways. No matter what I did to my hair they always appeared. I didn't realize that it was the dry air that was to blame.
I just found your channel and it’s fantastic. The thing I’d love to see is information for those of us who have thin female pattern baldness curly grey hair. I’m 62. I have a sensitive scalp. But all the women on RUclips etc that claim to have thin curly hair look like they have masses of hair to me!!! My hair is healthy but is also just above shoulder length. It’s very sparse and I’ve given up using products to regrow it they just offend my scalp. I’m super excited that you’re Aussie too. You’re great Karen
This was such an informative videoa and you explain things really really well Michelle - thank you as many others have said for adding information about curls and coils. It would be really really amazing if you could get into the science of some of these curl routines. I know you yourself don't have curly hair, but I would love to know how products are actually working on this structural level. Like for example, you talking about hygral fatigue as a broadly unsupported concept and about the bond structure of hair being affected by water made my realise exactly why it is that "refreshing" and the mist bottle I use works so well! I really have to buy your book :) sharing this channel with my other guy friends who need to know more about self care!
Please do a video on bonds and please add more examples! I have thin but slightly wavy hair and when I condition it, it feels heavy most of the time. But when I do nothing, it's a little too poofy. I'd like to find my "middle ground" .-.
same here! my hair texture varies but it all has a tendency to go very heavy and limp with conditioners or oils. since it’s quite short at the moment and not coloured, i haven’t been conditioning, just trying to fight the poof with dry styling products 😅 i think it also doesn’t help that i live in a humid climate.
Water helps me detangle my hair but if my scalp stays wet too long, it itches. I now use a hooded dryer after washing. Hopefully it will strike a balance Yes to bonding treatments! Also why does my hair feel wet when I use coconut oil on dry hair as opposed to other oils?
Coconut oil seems to be able to absorb slightly deeper into hair than a lot of other oils, because of its structure - I would guess it's to do with that!
i hope my comment be seen by the owner of the channel itself , as if there is any correction needed , i hope it comes from her who knows better than me in this for sure . now coming to what you stated about coconut oil, i would ask you to read about the difference in oils which are good for skin and good for hair for instance, coconut oil is really bad for skin since it is highly comedogenic - that is it clog pores and clogged pores will lead to acne breakouts in skin , whereas this highly comedogenic oil when it comes to hair is heavily moisturizing and as much as I've read from many texts... it can penetrate hair cuticles and stay and hydrate - much better like how lab muffin explained in this video ... however it is not at all good to leave it on your hair , it should be washed off through shampoo as if left in hair , the residue will clump on skin , especially around the back of neck, side of shoulders, and scapular region where your hair touches most and cause back acne - so coconut oil is best used as a pree poo to hair before shampooing and will help in preventing drying out by shampooing as it will moisturize hair and won't let shampoo strip your hair out and make it extra dry ( but the right amount for you is experimental - but a generous amount is surely needed to moisturize hair) now coming to sealant oils , there are a group of non comedogenic oils which can be used as sealant oils ... sealant oils are oils which you can apply to your hair (esp to tip of the hair) to lock in moisture and prevent breakage .. . they should always be non comedogenic oils - like argan oil, jojoba oil there is one oil which is both non comedogenic and moisturizing - sunflower oil , but for me it is too heavy for my fine hair to be used after wash as sealant hope this helped you in someway
I did a coconut oil treatment overnight on my hair once and it was awful for my hair, it ended feeling like straw and I lost a lot of hair trying to get it all out of my head.
This is seriously so informative!!! Your teaching style is amazing as you share things in metaphors and similes that everyone can understand. THANK YOU!!!! ❤
It's great that there is research being done on afro textured hair types but what about non afro hair types? In many cultures 'curly hair' describes 2C to 3B textures. Should an ethnically Indian woman brush her 3A/3B hair when wet or dry? Even comparing Caucasian & African hair purely on the basis of ethnicity can be confusing. In one category this potentially describes 1A-3B hair in the other 3C-4C.
The main determining factor seems to be force - the one that seems to cause less damage (wet or dry) is the one that requires less force to get the comb through.
So helpful and informative! I did have to rewind a few times so catch everything you were saying but I appreciate you making scientific content more accessible.
Thanks for doing this video!!! And thanks for explaining why it was hard to do. I have commented about this subject multiple times and didn't realize it wouldn't be straightforward.
A big thing you did not touch on is the quality of the water you use to bathe with. Otherwise, I absolutely loved this video! You put so much work into what you do!
THANK YOU!! its so hard to find actual accurate information about products when basically all information is marketing copy. So grateful for scientists that take the time to explain things like this, it is so needed. I learned more about hair in the span of 18 minutes than I had in the rest of my life!
Do you know why some people (me) have hair that is only curly when wet? You said that the water breaks the hydrogen bonds that hold the hair's shape, but my hair forms full wet coils that fall straight when dry.
Mine is a bit like that too (you can see how I kind of have loose ringlets in the shower bit near the start) - I would guess it's the water sticking hairs together and making it align to minimise the water's surface area with surface tension when it's wet, and then as it dries the hairs peel off and end up kind of frizzy, but "straight" on average, because the other hairs aren't holding them in place.
Oh my gosh thank you for this! I was always mystified why my hair was the same (loose waves with a few loose ringlets when wet, but goes to only the mildest curve/s-waves at the ends to fully frizzy when it dries. Since I hate the feeling of mousse or gel in my hair I’ve opted for blow drying it straight or using heatless curls for styling instead
Olala I can't believe how clear and easy to undestand this video was ! The exemples were amazing ! The puppies, the pinecone, the molecules holding hands, the lego pieces... I am in awe ! Thank you Michelle 🥰
I assumed hydrating hair was using oils etc as all those hydrating shampoos, like the Amika hydration line, are just full of oils and emollients. I find that those products are only a masking temporary fix and also make my hair really flat and greasy, although probably not suited for my hair which is straight asian hair. I think those are better for frizzy, curly or afro hair maybe, I find that I need a shampoo with decent cleansing power, I find that Japanese hair products suit my hair really well
@@lavayuki Water is hydration. Oils/emollients are moisture (as in they aid in holding the water in the hair strand). Every hair type needs hydration, however, not every hair type needs moisture, or the same amount of moisture. Straighter hair types usually need less/no moisture, because the natural oils travel down the hair strands at a faster, most consistent rate. The tighter the curl pattern, the higher the likelihood that the natural oils remain at the scalp and never weigh the hair down or provide natural moisture. Hence the use of more moisturizing products.
When skin is in water for a long time it doesn’t get “fragile”, it’s just adapting to the wet situation and thus allows a better grip onto wet things, or under water.
OMG. you're just breaking everything we knew about hair care. incredible. really good job. thanks you. your explanations are so helpful. hope you'lle write more books. it'll be a pleasure reading you.
“It’s too hard to explain X to consumers. People will get confused, won’t believe you, and buy someone else’s products” TOO REAL. I work in a completely different industry and it’s the same thing. One company starts spouting oversimplified or outright nonsense and then they all start following suite because consumers won’t listen to anything else. Friends, let me give you another example. “Paint and primer” house paints don’t have primer in them. One company started marketing their paint like that, and everyone else eventually just slapped a new label on their paints without changing the formula because they were sick of having to either go into in-depth explanations or lose sales.
And I stopped buying their products. You still end up putting on two or three coats to get a good look so coat one becomes the primer. Duh. Newer paints and any based on a”home show” should be avoided as they will be horrible quality. How I miss the old days of quality paint.
Thank you for this video! I did a small experiment yesterday and I had done a keratin treatment to it a little over a month ago. I just let it air dry yesterday and I didn't like how frizzy and more wavy it looked. But when I dry it faster, like using a fan, my hair feels a lot smoother. I'll eagerly wait for the science behind hair treatments and how to most probably maintain them.
Thank you for this video! Your hair videos are my favorites! This confirms my own experience with hydration. I've heard about "hygral fatigue" and in reading the articles just didn't see enough evidence of it being a repeatable study. My afro texture loves being wet and seems less fragile when I add water and other lubricants to maintain its pliability. Something I would love to know more about are things like the water only method. I've seen people who go either no-poo or very low poo in the hopes of relying on their own natural oil production. Are there any scientific studies about it?
This video is SO INFORMATIVE! I love it. Finally someone who explains things sufficiently AND makes them easy to understand. Keep up the good work, I'll definitely watch more of your videos ♥
Regular washing is important because just like skin ,there are a tone of different germs and parasites can that can dig into your scalp if you don’t. And of course use mild products on your head and skin daily.😊
I still feel confused regarding my own hair. I haven't bleached or colored my hair for about 10 years and I feel like I'm pretty gentle on it overall. I rarely heat style it (curls absolutely will not hold) and when I blow dry it I do it on a low heat. That being said, I can go outside on a misty or foggy day and leave the house with hair that feels smooth and straight, and come back inside with hair that feels puffy and coarse, which persists for hours. Using products like the color wow humidity protector really help me. I've always assumed I have really porous hair (sinks really quickly when I do that porosity test). I have found that conditioners for people with kinky or coily hair make my hair feel 100% better than "typical" conditioners, even though my hair is basically straight with a tiny bit of wave. When I went to Hawaii this summer for the first time my hair was so coarse and puffy I couldn't do anything with it except braid it, and my braid was about twice as thick as normal. I enjoyed this video but still feel confused about my own, weird hair. It really changed after I had my son, and after I then got an intense case of hand, foot and mouth. My hair has just never been the same since then.
There’s still natural variation in hair structure for each everyone! (including naturally occurring changes over life). You may benefit from something that fills in your microscopic hair gaps more. Try a dime sized amount of something like “frizz ease” or a silicone-forward smoothing serum through your super wet hair mids and ends and see if it helps keep your lengths from getting too puffy. It helps me, along with little volume mousse. Helps coat the hair just a bit while giving it body aka structural support.
Post-baby hair! I had mixed textures, but generally a shared wave pattern (curled in on the left & out on the right!). Then I had my son & honestly my hairdresser realized I had more curl & lift at the root than she expected & asked if she should coax the curls out. I do have to keep it short - my hair is very very heavy, the weight will pull the curl out - but I love my little plouf of curls on top of my head. I have hair that will stand up 5-6 inches before gravity affects it, but if it grows that long it just has a little weird wave lol. I can grow it from pixie to past my shoulders in only 3-4 years! It grows pretty well but it grows horizontally for a long time before it’s actually like other white girls hair. Haha I get BIPOC people actually asking to touch my hair because they’ve never seen hair that coarse & gravity defying that is not curly at every length. My bestie is rich and vip now that we’re grown & was seated next to Kevin bacon at a gala. I was all excited cuz now I’m one degree from Kevin Bacon! But she said he’s the only person she’s met with more unruly hair than me!!
I grew up in Hawaii and I couldn’t do anything but tie my curly hair into a bun because letting it down would cause a frizzy lion’s mane no matter what products or straightener I used 😭
Are your hair strands very thin and fine? Mine are (despite having a lot of hair) and no product can totally prevent puffiness and frizz. I do sometimes wet the surface of my hair with my hand and rub on a very small amount of conditioner, that seems to hold it together a bit (though doing it too much will mean I need to wash it sooner, as it becomes greasy after using this trick a few times!)
sounds like going to a black owned place would help. my black barber does a fantastic job with my hair and he also went to cosmetology school , use what products work for you even if they aren't made for "white" hair
@LabMuffinBeautyScience i got it from how the cashiers used to have those wet sponges to open plastic bags, when they were legal lol. also, bc ppl lick their fingers to turn a page
This video is so helpful! Is there any research that shows that hydrogen bonds can become weak or break permanently? Will they always reform no matter what? I’m curious about the notion that curly hair can become weakened, overly elastic, lose it’s bounce from daily washing, detangling, and restyling.
So glad you're making hair content now, so excited to see what videos you come up with!!! One question is: Are silicones and fatty alcohols then very good moisturisers, especially when it comes to more textured hair? There's a lot circulating on the internet advising against these for curly/kinky hair, which is why I personally stay away from them. I struggle with really dry hair especially since it's so long. My hair around my scalp feels very moisturised in comparison to the ends. I'm wondering if oils then are a better moisturiser? Really interested to know what you think of this!!
I'm was in the same boat as you, I have long coily hair and for years I stayed away from silicones and my hair was always dry, so much so that I felt i had to moisturize it everyday. About 6 months ago I started using a silicone oil on top of my leave-in conditioner and my hair now stays moisturized for at least a week. The main advice I have seen against silicones and curly hair is that they build up and are hard to wash out, but I haven't had any problems with that. If you are considering it I would say you should give it a try. If you don't like it you can just wash it out.
as far as I know silicones and dimethicones just fill in the cuticle making it feel smooth but doesn't get into the hair strand . among the long haired community they say that you need to use a product on the ends since they are dead and move your natural scalp oils to the ends as the only thing that's growing is your scalp.
@@AlexOnEarth777 @HosCreates thank you for both your comments, I've watched more of her videos where she talks about conditioners and I think I'm getting a sense of what my hair needs. I might try a product with amodimethicone, and see if it helps.
Thank you so much for your hair science videos - there is such a massive gap in communication of hair science and hair products are my least favourite cosmetics to research and buy because there seems to be sooooo much woo. One thing anecdotally that seems to make so much difference is the amount of product used relative to length and density of hair. I think products where you can adjust / set the dose for consitent results might be game changing. If anyone runs with this idea and makes zillions chuck a couple bucks my way lol!
Clicked this so fast ha! This video is so informative!!! Thank you so much for putting all the time and effort into making this. ❤ I recently started using shampoo bars that I get from my local farm. The lady who makes them only uses essential oils/herbs that’s beneficial for skin and hair. Made a huge. I don’t even buy hair products at the store.
I love that you use the hand-holding metaphor for covalent bonding, it's how I've been understanding it in my head since I was 12 and had my first chemistry class
I love all of your videos, especially your hair science videos. Absolutely love seeing an understanding of the chemistry and a critical review of the evidence research methods! Can't wait for the video on hair bonding treatments, and would love to hear about keratin treatments/nanoplastia/hair botox/brazilian botox. Especially appreciate your inclusion of curly and kinky hair info!!!! Never seen a scientific explanation of why curly hair seemed to be a different experience,
It is wonderful to have found you. After seeing so many stupid RUclips and other social media creators it is a delight to listen to a smart and inspiring woman to give educational content. Thank you so much. The internet has gems hidden among all the crap and today i found one of them
I literally just bought a cheap silicone shampoo the other day after learning from this channel, and it's AWESOME! my hair is nice and soft like it used to be. It goes in the hair much easier, the hair doesn't go all grippy when it rinses out, the blow-dryer styles it in place much better, it's got a nice shine to it now, and yea it's soft. I saw a "Hydration" version of the silicone shampoo, tried to figure it out via reviews, and I said NAY! because it seemed like it was just going to have extra moisturising qualities (which I see is true!) and some found that it was too "heavy" for their hair, which didn't sound nice for me. I got the Tresemme "Nourish & Shine" over the "Moisture Rich". Seemed the closest to the default option, even though all the reviews are on the Moisture Rich one, because who wouldn't want moisture richness for their hair.
I used a castor oil shampoo bar and for the first time since I was a kind-age 22 or so, my hair is soft and needs nothing more than the shampoo bar and to be brushed/dried. Even at the salon the stylist commented on how soft my hair felt
Haha thank you - argh sorry, for hair science I feel like I need to lay the groundwork before trying to make recommendations, especially for anyone with hair that isn't my type! But hopefully this will help you make sense of some of the products and practices that work for your hair and why, which can help you work out what else might be a good bet.
Omg I think you answered my "why does my hair get rougher the longer it goes between washes" question! Now I just have to figure out what to DO about it
I found that braiding my hair for 10 minutes or longer (braiding and undoing on repeat) I get it to look and feel like it has been washed. Now after this video I finally have an idea why that is! : ) Maybe braiding is something you can DO about it. Oh, and it's even more effective if I sleep with my hair braided.
this is so informative. you have a great way of explaining all of this science in a easily digestible way. Thanks for that. Totally OFF TOPIC - WHAT is your eyeliner secret!? It's always really nice. I have hooded eyelids and have yet to find an eyeliner or liner hack to keep my eyeliner in place. Even the "(enter claim here)-proof" liners transfer. Sorry for sidetrack but I am obsessed with finding out your secret. 😁
Haha thank you! I actually talked about how to find an eyeliner that stays in place in this video ruclips.net/video/aJlnOmc9Wys/видео.html But in short it's a gel eyeliner, Revlon generally makes the best ones I've found!
I really wish the haircare companies wouldn't treat us as stupid so I can just buy the right stuff in the store instead of having to basically do a PhD thesis every time I want to try something new.
(Regarding the whole 'hydrating' branding when it actually isn't)
It's probably intentional to keep us buying more product.
It sounds to me like the stuff that says hydrating on it is still the right stuff, it makes your hair feel nice by conditioning it, they just lie to you how they do it
@@ЗвезделинаБожилова exactly this. it's still the right stuff but most people actually are too stupid. we're in an echo chamber here but for most people, this is not understandable and they would rather believe pseudoscience and false truths.
As a recovering marketer, this is the tip of the iceberg 🥲 half the time their assumptions aren't even based on customer data, but someone in a meeting going "Ummm but if we call it moisturizing, people might think it's gross like putting face moisturizer in your hair??" And everyone nods. Marketing is so far removed from reality I basically ignore all marketing claims when looking at products.
@@MildExplosion Man fr like people in general, not just marketers, I think don't realize - and I mean that in a non-judgmental way - that lots of stuff they say is not based on actual data - real life regular person data or scientific data. And I find that understandable, surely I say stuff like that too. The way I see it we just buy everything we're told as kids bcs that's literally the mechanism by which we learn. As adults, we haven't completely stopped doing that.
Like the whole "you'll grow more/thicker hair if you shave" or tbh also the opposite claim. Like how do you know people's experiences? Maybe there are rare cases in which someone did grow more hair after shaving. Maybe puberty or another hormonal change making them care and shave and their body growing more or thicker hair not bcs of the shaving coincidenced time-wise. But tell people "no, for sure it did not happen" but they know what they saw and guess how much they'll believe you and how much you just built up their trust in science in general. We could go "It's proven in studies shaving doesn't have that affect, but who knows, there could be rare cases where someone's unique condition interacts with shaving that way? Though I can't think of an explanation why... do you think maybe you got used to the hairless skin so when you saw it with hair again, and with blunt (so thick through and through instead of tapered to thin) ends made the illusion of that? Maybe try taking photos for like 10 consecutive shavings, make sure you use the same lighting, angle and make a photo right as it starts to be a stubble, some time when it has reached half its length and sometime when it's reached its full length. I'm so curious to see!" Wordier and you'd have to mean it to yaknow say it without it being a blatant lie, but kinder.
I really dislike being told "just use x type product" as a criticism when I don't want to and am trying to figure out a different way for myself. It's a criticism that seems to imply "people already designed a product for that issue, just use that like a normal person"
Thank you so much for including coily/kinky hair! That porosity test had a lot of us black folks in a choke hold when it first got popular online. And don't get me started on hygral fatigue. Whew! Great video.
Thank you so much! I've had so many questions from people asking why their hair behaved like porous hair when it was resistant according to the float test, and vice versa. And so many people asking why their hair was so much nicer with a water refresh, if hygral fatigue was a problem!
Agreed! So Awesome 🥰
Yes I was going to say the same. So many myths busted and I'm here for it because there's so much confusion that people are able to exploit for money.
No seriously for years I thought I had low porosity hair bc my 4a hair would float when in reality it's high porosity, type 4 hair by its nature is high porosity it's more dry low porosity hair means you don't need a heavy moisturizer every other day that's high porosity. East Asians have the lowest hair porosity Africans have the highest.
@@yassine8935 I try to tell people this but they won't listen. It makes no sense that your hair would get dry quickly if it's low porosity. But they doth protest.
GIRLS WITH DRY ASS SCALP STAND UP but not too quickly or we will have snow fall
😂😂
Now how did you describe me so perfectly 😂
Salicylic acid shampoo fixed my dry ass scalp, give it a dry if you haven’t
I had this and turns out I’m allergic to a common component of a lot of shampoos (and laundry detergents).
Also: Eucerin DermoCapillaire for Dry dandruff 🧴 thank you for my life.
😂😂😂😂😂
I feel like this video is saying I should have less puppies in my hair, and I am *not* happy about this message 😡
Lol
Lmaoo fewer puppies but at least they're more bonded to you 😂
I never even had puppies in my hair but being told I shouldn't just makes me mad
@@essennagerry Right??? There is a consistent need for more puppies in my hair. The fact that there's currently 0 only *emphasizes* that need.
😂 it’s ok, I got that impression too. And I typically have a hyper analytical mind when I’m not distracted.
As a typical dude I never asked myself about hair issues. My daughter recently does, though. And she's also showing some displeasure at my manly 7 in 1 shower gel. (Why?!?)
So now I'm here and taking notes for little princess. 🧐
@@karoshi2
Do you have short hair?
Multi products that combine cleaning with conditioning are generally horrible on long hair. They either fail to clean it properly, leaving it gross, or fail to condition it properly, leaving it rough and tuggy. You can get away with these things if your hair isn't long enough to tangle, but our resistance to it is usually based in tears, not blind prejudice!
😊
Awww lol
@@denyshadials5702 actually more than shoulder long and curly. Currently longer than my daughter's.
Only never had any issues and never any complaints - the latter until recently. So I really didn't think about that.
I can't wait to see the video about bonding treatments. K18, Olaplex - are they really that revolutionary products as they claim?
She made a blog post years ago about olaplex
There’s this blonde lady on TikTok who tested multiple bonding treatments and checked them with a microscope, forgot her name though
@@Meowmeowlindtabbey yung
Also are they really damaging hair as some people claim? or is it user error or thinking it is the bonding treatment when maybe it is heat, bleach damage etc?
@ i have no idea but according to that lady’s tests they did more good than bad
oh my gosh thank you!!! As a STEM girlie I get so frustrated when I look for the science behind beauty products, so I can make an informed choice, but all I find is marketing. This channel is a godsend 🙏
☝🏻🤓
I'm a black woman and have 4C textured hair. I’ve often heard that oils are good for our hair but for me it makes my scalp itchy and my hair dry. What I find works is water and creamy moisturizers and butters. My hair loves butter. What I've seen is different things work for different people and maybe the differing factors are not hair pattern, it's too dry or it's too wet but it could be dietary, environment and overall health .
There is a beautician on RUclips that explains this. Those creamy moisturizers are emulsified oil and water. So the water in the mix is helping to hydrate, but the oils in it seals it.
This video's just made me think of one fun fact - people do not have "wetness" receptors in their skin. We cannot tell with certainty if something is wet just by touching it. We can feel temperature and texture and that's how we determine if something is wet. It's the reason why touching a cold fabric makes us think it's slightly wet.
It's cool to know it is the same confusion we experience with hair! It's not moist, it's just colder than what we're used to.
Thanks for the interesting video!
Actually you do in your fingers and toes. That’s why they wrinkle when wet. If you have nerve damage they stop wrinkling when wet
@ can you provide a source? I’d like to read up on that but cannot find any info about those receptors in fingers and toes? What are they called? I could only find info about “wetness sensitivity” but not receptors.
@@TomThumb151515 I've heard of this, too. Weird that we have a way to sense/process(unconsciously) "appendage submerged in watery liquid" that doesn't go off for "oily liquid" or "touching cool surface" and yet we cannot accurately conciously differentiate between "this surface is watery" and "this surface is cool". I wonder if it has to do with chemical bonds or conductivity somehow, and the cool/wet surface doesn't have enough open bonds available or something?
@@martita4864Try searching for "pruned/pruney" fingers. It happens when dry too for some individuals (Reynaud's syndrome). It's a sympathetic nervous system response.
It's just the skin soaking up water I thought (the pruning). Like wet paper. I don't think our nerves are sending wetness signals to prune up.
Eta: I imagine the fingerprints and toe prints make more surface area to soak up more water than other skin on our body. So we don't get pruny arms and legs. Just guessing though.
I truly feel like this hair series is revolutionary. The beauty community kind of has an idea about skincare science, but haircare has been the wild wild west up untill this point. I hope this education will reflect on the industry and change much.
So true! As someone with extremely bad hair, I have been looking for science for so long!
I've been following the Scienc-y Hair Blog (blogspot) for two decades now. This person helped with science made easy, sources and examples to change my hair from 'can't grow longer than shoulder length' to a now tailbone length. If you ask a question they take the time to help you as an individual. And they don't treat like all hair is the same. The website is simple, but this person is legitimate. The things covered in this video I learned from that blog a decade ago! They're a rare gem for the community but easy to overlook at first. (I've been in Long Hair communities for a while because I really disliked my hair). Just to give an addition there are a few more sources to keep an eye on but I agree, they're rare finds!
On my next wash day, I'm probably going to end up lecturing my persistent wet frizz about "self-assembly" and that my curl clumps just need to pull themselves together. Because... science.
🥰🤣🙌🏽🙏🏽 same
Same
😂
😂😂😂😂😂
Personally, I’ve found that wet frizz is usually fixed by a solid conditioner that your hair likes, even detangling, and lots and lots of water
I'm a dude with really long hair. The more content about hair I watch, the less clear and straightforward everything gets.
But now I use 2 conditioners: one in shower, one while blow drying (with Amodimethicone), learned how to properly use shampoo and even found a silk scrunchie in a store.
My hair is now really soft and shiny, I'm kinda proud even. Thanks for digesting all the dry science for us. :)
What kind of brush do you use ? 💖
What conditioners do you use if you don’t mind me asking?
@@ricknmorty7732 Just some random brush with thick wooden "bristles" which are decently spread apart.
Though I forget to brush my hair often, trying to fix that currently.
@@bakedbotato1925 The shower one is HASK with tea tree oil and rosemary, bought it randomly on discount, but I would replace it, if I found something with amodimethicone or just anything better in general.
The second one (leave-in) is L'Oreal Elvital Dream Length No Haircut Cream (orange tube, Michelle has shown in a video about Amodimethicone).
@@Earzentail Thank you so much! Have a great day! ٩( 'ω' )و
I'd love to see you break down and myth bust the curly girl method! I could never follow it to a T as my hair and scalp would hate me for it.
Yes! I need someone to tell me straight, what comes first the mousse or the gel!!! 😭
Yes! I got frustrated with curly girl techniques being so unnecessarily weird & then I got mad about the attitude. I figured I would ignore my curl type, as it changes fast with growth or cut, and just look to hair care advice from stylists specializing in coarser hair. This is when I noticed that the Curly Girl method appears to be “Caucasified” natural hair guidance. That’s why it’s so weird, they had to find alternative techniques to the ones they copied. I reread their little book & if you look up a good solid natural hair care guide, it’s the bones of Curly Girl, but then they added flopping around with a wet tshirt on your head. And tried to make natural hair care, invented by BIPOC women, “more white.” Not to say that white women don’t have traditional curl care knowledge, but everything curly girl claims to deliver, I have received for free & with no need to be loyal to a specific concept, I have loads of options. Silicones are GREAT for some hair, some hair likes heavy oil, etc etc, and natural hair care is much more affordable & accessible. Apparently some younger people where I live (Montana) thought it was culturally rude to buy the Black hair products, I’m the one woman PR team telling the rural girlies with unruly hair to get the NOU for every day & Miss Jessie’s when you really want stunning curls. It’s just hair - most ethnic groups have a prominent hair type with additional outlier types & lucky us, there’s a regimen for our hair in many different cultures! Even me - my hair actually feels like horse hair if I dont do my routine. I’ve oiled my hair 4 days in a row & it’s still a bit dry (I keep meaning to wash it & then forget and do it again the next night, things have been aggressively busy)
I still do not understand most of the science, but I have a lot of textures on my head, altho I’d guess 70% of the weight of my hair comes from coarse curls. I have found that mixing in a low porosity product or two, and rotating in a no-protein conditioner about half the time works pretty well.
@@standdownrobots_ihaveoldglory I had a hunch CGM was derived from natural haircare! My gripe with it is how it focuses solely on conditioning and much more of it (of course it's essential to keep your hair well conditioned!) but very little on scalp care, if any. I love my sulfate shampoos (oily scalp, active lifestyle) and my silicone based conditioners and oils since I live in a rather continental climate in a rural region, and silicones are much more lightweight than most other conditioning ingredients and make my hair easier to detangle.
@@effieffiethe mousse, the gel cast is the biggest factor for hold and definition
Your definition product should come last (optionally oil when you scrunch it out)
What's your hair type btw?
i mean, what is there to explain? When you put gel or mousse on wet hair, it makes the hair dry in that shape.
I CLICKED SO FAST. this is constantly a struggle for me! EXCITED TO WATCH THIS!!! THANK U!
Hope you liked it!
I feel so vindicated for only cutting my nails after a shower or doing dishes... Personal experience has shown me that my nails crack and flake so much if I cut them while dry, but no one else has believed me about it lol
Two weeks ago I just lightened my dark blonde hair by about two levels, after which it was taking forever to dry. This weekend I did a henna mask and now my hair dries about twice as fast. I had thought that the bleaching made my hair more porous and absorbent, and that the henna pigment was filling in the gaps that water was soaking into, but thanks to this video I'm pretty sure the pigment is more acting like a long-term conditioner, and replacing the F-layer on the cuticle? Cool stuff!
Wait, that’s so cool. Makes me wanna experiment dying my hair darker to see what happens
@@Mallowolf That's not just dying, that's henna doing the work. Henna is very conditioning. Normal hair dye won't have that effect. And permanent dye (at least the box dyes?) usually has some developer in it (to open the cuticles to deposit the dye), causing some damage.
@@Mallowolf And btw while henna is really nourishing, it is incredibly difficult to get out, so only get it if you want to have dark/reddish brown hair for a long time
Oh hell yeah. I've been doing a henna then indigo 'double dye' every 3 weeks for years now, to color my roots. I'm naturally a maybe level 6 ashy brown with loads of white (I'm 44 and started to go grey early).
It definitely does interesting things to the hair. I actually have to use a conditioner for 'fine hair', because anything 'heavier' than that will weigh my hair down. Masks, leave-ins, styling products with silicones? All make my hair go limp and flat, even though it's thick and wavy, with lots of volume, naturally. My hair just does not absorb product at all, it seems.
And I also experience the 'fast drying' thing. I'm always like 🤔 when people go on about how it takes their hair hours and hours to dry naturally. Mine takes about two hours. And I have a lot of hair.
I always wanted someone to take a scientific deep dive on henna and other natural hair colors.
I've even had people try to convince methat it's terrible for the hair, because you need to let 'wet mud' sit on your hair for several hours on a regular basis. And while I get that that is not an ideal scenario, my personal experience is that overall it has a very positive effect on the hair and makes it sturdy and 'self sufficient', so to speak.
So you bleached it lighter then dyed it with henna?
As a black girl trying to figure out how to proprely hydrate my coily hair, this video has been so helpful 🥹
I big chopped my hair end of September 2024. It’s been about six weeks and I’ve been washing my hair twice a week, doing a blowout/silk press immediately out of the shower twice a week and my hair has never been healthier. The easiest way to hydrate your hair and keep it healthy is to wash your hair thoroughly and at least once a week and use heat to dry the hair. Letting your hair air dry unstretched is how a lot of us with type three type four hair experience damage.
@@Mar1293did you not watch the video lol?
@Mar1293 A silk press every week sounds like a lot of heat especially if you have high porosity.
@@Mar1293 that’s a terrible routine. Unnecessary frequent heat is an enemy to your hair.
@@WilliamsPinchwhen it comes to heat styling, there is a learning curve for sure. It’s definitely not for everyone (especially those who don’t know how to do it properly which, unfortunately, is most people), but when done correctly it’s actually not bad.
Brilliant advice, as ever, but I also just have to commend Michele, her partner, the puppies and the other supporting cast for adding elements of 5-star comedy into a high quality science video!
Thank you! Maybe with enough puppy analogies I can justify hiring puppies in a future video...
I would really love a videos on the science behind curls and how to properly care for it, also on why some people's hair gets oily and others' doesn't seem too
Isn’t it just your scalp skin being oily? My face skin is oily and my scalp is too, nothing really helps.
Accutane helped my friend with the activity of her skin oil glands, her scalp became less greasy, but she had severe acne. I wouldn’t risk it just to have fresh hair.
@@katyadade1041 I don't think so. My scalp can be quite oily but my hair still looks "normal" just more straightened out whereas for others, their hair looks like it has been dunked in oil. I think the difference might be that curly hair doesn't stick together so easily as some of my friends' straight hair and that this is the aspect which creates the impression of oiliness.
@ of course, this also depends on the hair texture, I have not thought about it. I have thin wavy hair.
@@e.w.4677straight hair has more contact with your scalp thus more oil being absorbed
2:22 I don't understand why wet hair snaps easier than dry hair when we just established that wet hair is way more springy (and the previous example showed that dry hair snapped while wet hair just stretched)
wet hair takes less force to snap, it stretches more but the force needed to break the wet hair is less than that of dry hair. Think of it this way wet hair is a piece of gum and dry hair is a piece of spaghetti, the gum can be stretched long with little force but the spaghetti requires more force to "stretch" and just breaks without stretching. Hope that helps explain it.
water breaks (weakens) the protein bonds within your hair, that makes it springier (since the bonds make it stiff) and therefore stretchier. But losing that stiffness makes it weaker, like to friction forces. You're basically overextending it. Most of the time you're not pulling the hair from your scalp along that axis, so the stiffness isn't an issue there, but you do rest your head against pillows, compress them with hats or towel dry your hair, all of which cause friction and can lead to damage if wetter.
Ideally I should've hung weights from wet and dry hairs, and shown how much weight each one took to snap - the wet hair would've taken less! The demo I showed was for extension length rather than for force to break.
@@LabMuffinBeautySciencethank you for clarifying, i was also confused🫶
Very fitting I washed my hair yesterday and decided to apply hair oil to it while it was still somewhat damp (I usually do it when it's completely dry) and my hair is smoother and more soft than when I apply the hair oil on dry hair.
Same experience
Yes! I also have the same experience with my facial moisturizer. If my skin is just slightly damp, it seals that moisture in and seems to last longer.
Do any of these studies say which type of water they were using? Hard versus soft water seems to have such a big impact on hair and whether they feel soft or not.
I was thinking the same thing 🤔
My hair had a big change since I moved from Brazil to the USA. And I really believe it is the water. I was someone who could not even get near protein and now I need protein shampoos cause my hair is too soft. It is so soft I can’t even do a deep conditioner like I used to anymore. I clarify every week but still seems like it needs more cleansing cause it won’t get defined and feels like a cloud too soft.
The way science works, they would have used the purest water for their studies. For hard water, which has minerals and likely ions. This would disrupt the hydrogen bonds even more then just water. And the minerals usually stick around instead of drying off so they would cause longer lasting effects. This is my reasoning anyways, based on my knowledge (bachelors of chem).
@angelinafaria4553 I live in a hard water area. You may need a chelating shampoo specifically. Also protein mask right after has done wonders for my hair.
I SIMPLY LOVE YOU 😍
I've been in the "hair" world for 30 years and has always been fed up with ridiculous claims that brands are making to increase their sales... I far prefer the science (just what you did) 🥰
that paper-clip thing was mind-blowing! and your explanation of surface tension on water is very clear and concise
Thank you as a licensed Master Cosmetologist for 25 years, this is a great explanation of how water and hydrating products affect our hair .✨✨🙍🏽♀️
Thank you!
@@LabMuffinBeautyScience I
appreciate your thoughts and opinions. You’re a rockstar Professor!!✨✨🎉
so what we should use for better and more healthy hair?
Do you know Cyn Doll?
endlessly grateful that you take the time to include captions in your videos
I've been using a medicated salisylic acid shampoo recently and oh my god it's helped my dry scalp so much and I love that I can still use as much conditioner as I like because my hair is thiiiiiirsty for oils. If I'd listened to these tiktoks I'd still be suffering from scalp itching so bad it feels like fire.
What shampoo do you use? I’m looking for one to really help with my dry scalp
@@DaenerysGOT18im not who you asked but nizoral makes a salicylic acid shampoo thats really nice. Its expensive but lasts a while. Its a two in one shampoo/conditioner which to me just means a moisturizing shampoo. Really nice smell too.
My scalp is itching so bad it feels like fire and now i have sores so im glad i found this
@@marsy6359what do u think of the pre shampoo by that brand?
@@DaenerysGOT18neutrogena tsal is so goodddd it’s instant relief on the scalp but my hair is curly so I pre oil the ends before a salycilic acid wash or it gets dried out
Thank you so much for this video! I am 50yo and I have naturally curly, fine-ish (Caucasian) hair. I cannot tell you how confusing and lacking in science the information is that I have received about my hair in my lifetime. I have needed this video in my life - thank you so much!
Finally! So happy you hopped on this. I think the black natural hair community has really been confused about the words around this. I will be watching your videos moving forward because this is a conversation headed in the right direct. Onward and Upward!
I've entered this rabbit hole a few years ago. It got me nowhere in terms of practical conclusions. I got the impression that even the scientists were spreading not very accurate information, they seemed to be making huge leaps from small experiments or microscopic facts about hair onto broad conclusions about what not to do with your hair.
They also didn't seem to be taking into account the hair routines of different cultures, which could be a door to a new perspective on the subject. Everyone I heard talking about this seemed very close minded.
I'm looking forward to your approach on the topic
It's been quite interesting diving into it because the main hair science textbook that's been around forever (Robbins's Chemical and Physical Behavior of Human Hair) is pretty nuanced when it comes to things like straight vs curly/coily hair - for example, the "curly hair is damaged less when combed wet" thing is in there, even though most scientists online seem to present "don't brush wet hair" as a blanket rule. But it's really detailed and densely written, so I think most people are relying on other sources that've simplified it, or are just looking up specific paragraphs in it. I think I've only read maybe 1/10th of it so far and it was a very hard slog, I would guess that the total number of people who've read and understood the whole thing would be in the single digits.
I just spent more then 8h to find a single product in Europe that is not replaced by other without ademiticone, please help something recent that is available and not reformulated in europe/balkans, ty@@LabMuffinBeautyScience
@LabMuffinBeautyScience I see. Well, it's good to know that there is already a book on it, and that it's still valid. I thought people were still making experiments and theorizing about the subject, which lead to so many different opinions.
And if you only covered 1/10th that's great 😁 it means there'll be much more source for new videos for years to come 😆
@@LabMuffinBeautyScience thankyou for the name of the book, im a medical student and a devoted follower of your channel, im certainly going to read this book, since I'm highly enthusiastic about the science behind things . Also expecting a video from you specifically on curly hair and how and why it is hard to grow beyond a certain length and what we could do about it . I'll be certainly waiting for your video as it might be of great personal help if you do one in high hopes you read this comment, but as of now im jumping into grabbing my hands on the book you suggested- thankyou for directing people who are oblivious to science of these sides ❤
@@itsmerayaha8118 Did you understand it?
The water droplet on regular vs damaged hair was fascinating ! This whole video is informative and your voice is calming, so it’s nice to listen to and learn…not stressful 🙏
Love your hair information. Curly hair can be difficult and I prefer science over the hardline version of the curly girl method. Greetings from the Netherlands 🇳🇱
The CGM community was so toxic at some point during the Natural/Curly hair revolution. I’m glad it’s somewhat less prevalent now.
please make a video about hair/scalp oiling! so much conflicting information out there
yes
So what I want to know is how can I make my 25% gray 2bc hair feel and look nice and not like a Brillo pad? Any shampoo, conditioner and any kind of leave in and styling products makes my hair feel weighed down and dry feeling and dirty feeling even after I’ve washed it. I’ve spent years and lots of money.
This is exactly what I needed. I have been so confused about how online haircare enthusiasts often insist that hydration is bad but the "this hydrates your hair" marketing is so widespread at the same time. I'm still curious as to what the haircare products are actually trying to say they do, like is there some thing they legally have to show they do to make these claims? I guess it's probably too complicated for people to even bother figuring out whether claims are false?
It's like the difference between moisturising your skin Vs. wetting it. You know how dry your hands can be after a long bath? Skin needs the right balance of water and fat, which is what moisturising (and conditioning) is. Too much of one or the other and your skin feels "dry" and rough. Hair is similar.
Lol I think half the claims of "hydration" are just conditioning😂
Thank you for this. I'm really exhausted by cosmetic companies "just giving in" on any trend these, whether it's hydration, or all "natural" ingredients, or sulfate-free, silicon-free, paraben-free, aluminum-free (in deodorants) to the extent that these products absolutely dominate your local drugstore. Almost none of these products actually work well for my hair or skin, and what is supposed to be a mundane task is becoming a pain in my neck. 🥴
I ditched all the "snake oil" products and my scalp and hair is so much healthier. Drugstore silicone free shampoo and conditioner, I save the silicones for my styler/leave in (mousse or leave in cream). That's all that's in my hair arsenal and I finally have good scalp and can go to day three without hair feeling disgusting. A lot of great advice from this channel lead me to this.
Please Michelle, do more videos on haircare science, love you always.
Fine hair girlie here - nioxin made my hair into a broomstick, olaplex made it even finer. Goldwell is my go to and I love it
Fine hair here too! Hard to find the right stuff.. 😩
How did Olaplex make it finer? And what goldwell products work for you??
@Empresselizabeth1800 olaplex made it finer to touch - my hair is frizzy on a good day and this was leaving me with hair frizzy but lifeless at the same time (my structure gone from wavy to straight like nails)... Gave each 3 months. From goldwell I have tried majority of their line and keep going back to ultra repair line - it's a hair salon quality so little goes a long way and, if you're forgetful like me and not always use conditioner - it's not going to make your hair feel like you've never used the products (which I had this issue with others). Ask in your hair salon/shop for samples if available 🙏🏼 but I swear by it ☺️
@@smajliiicka thank you 😊 I appreciate the tips! I get my hair products from salon stores already so I’ll have to give that a try, I recently been using the Olaplex hair oil and yeah I feel like my hair has definitely been looking and feeling slightly worse lol
@@Empresselizabeth1800 no worries, to me it felt like I bleached my hair to death and I have never been blond, good luck 🙏🏼
This is what Joico Defy Damage did to me. So soft it loses shape.
Oh. My. Goodness you are a phenomenal scientist who can break things down on a molecular level (pun intended), to us, common folk. I know you’ve only scratch the surface of this topic in this video, which scares me to think about all the things that I can, and cannot absorb just this, as well as moving forward, but it’s exciting to hear someone as bright as you doing their best to help me understand. I wish I could find more scientist like you, to teach me about everything in the world, especially food science. 💜 💜 💜 💜 💜
This has been such a revelation. I rarely ever comment on videos but I used to believe in hygral fatigue and my hair was sooooooo damaged + frizzy from all the perms, I never realized it was washing and dry styling my hair that made the difference. Now I know why it works! Thank god I found your channel.
Dr. Dray mentioned you on her channel if people wanted more information on the chemistry of cosmetics. ❤
Oh interesting, I like Dr. Dray too. Though I think I personally am a lot more skeptical on stuff compared to her, but to me she feels like she really considers the logic behind scientific claims and knows the science. So even if I'm skeptical about the science she's one source I like to go to to check what the science even is lol.
Thanks for letting me know!
This needs to be mandatory viewing for all influencers. Great job as always
Love that you speak so casually with your inclusivity 👏🏾
Great information I’ve been needing to hear for my 4b hair type.
I can't wait for your bonding vid!
Anecdotally here. As someone with what I call straight-curly hair (straight lengths and curly at the ends?), I have a LOT of hair, not superfine but not thick hairs. At 60 here is what I have found - my hair is now totally uncoloured and unbleached and I have about 30% grey and it reaches below my boobs.
1: If I let my hair air dry in low humidity it feels sleeker
2: If I let my hair air dry in high humidity it gets boufier (scientific term) and I can end up looking like Monica did in the Friends ep where they go to the Bahamas.
3: In winter my hair goes almost dead straight. I live in an area 950 metres above sea level and there is very low daytime humidity.
4: When it is really humid if I blow dry my hair I can bypass the boufiness, but it is very dependent on products for how long it lasts.
5: If I use "hydrating" products it feels much rougher and tangles more easily.
6: I only wash my hair twice a week. I use Selsun Blue (the everyday use version) because when I have untainted hair I get an itchy scalp and it stops it cold. I don't use conditioner I only use a hair bonding repair mask on the mids to ends and I let it sit about 10 minutes. Makes my hair feel really nice but not heavy and oily.
7: I use the Pantene Gold leave in on the curly ends, I believe it is made for very curly hair.
I have determined that water is NOT my hairs friend at all and that bonding treatments are not just important for bleached hair (which is why I started using it) but can help manage unruly hair.
Your a wavy/curly. We are completely different from curly and straight hair and each other. It's so varied from person to person. You have to work out what works for your individual type of wave and or curl.
thank u for sharing!
I have also suffered with "boufiness" and yes it's a medical condition! I really want curly hair but instead have llama hair.
I have similar but not the same issues and similar stuff works but not quite the same haha. My hair doesn't get more voluminous but it does get so much frizzier. Bulgarian water and air makes it less so but German air and I checked the humidity on that day and it was almost the same, either instantly or within a few hours frizzed up my hair, like a lot! I mean a lotttt! And Austrian water and air also makes it so much more frizzier than Bulgarian water and air. They shouldn't be that different. And I have a filter that's supposed to filter out at least some of the hardness. Humidity does very visibly affect the frizz, but it's beyond me why the country change made such a huge difference when the air humidity was almost the exact same. I just don't get it.
I have an idea... tap water in Bulgaria tastes like bottled water in Austria. Maybe I should try buying bottled water and doing a very thorough rinse after my shower. That would be so interesting if that helps lol.
@@essennagerryI have similar expirience like You, when I'm in the city (near austrian borders) and in the mountains like You in Bulgaria. I always thought, that maybe its about polution too (my hair also is oily sooner in the city), but maybe there are orher faktory too.
Thank you for this! I have porous wavy hair and have no idea how to treat it 🥲
Thank you so much for addressing hydral fatigue. I had so many explanations of it from curly hair folks and I could never get it to make sense. I was sure it's a myth, but the only place I ever saw it addressed scientifically as a myth before now was in a blog post I saw a few years ago. She goes over the scientific papers that people cite to prove hygral myth and explains why they don't prove that hygral fatigue is a real thing.
I adore science because it’s always like the deeper you go, the more you realize we know nothing 😂 But this was super cool & informative. Love that you go through methodologies in papers & consider limitations rather than accepting their conclusions (and what was selected to be reported in results) without thinking of study design
I worked as an editor for hair science videos and honestly this is so much more info and so well explained. It answers questions I didn’t know I had.
only one thing helped my hair. The product was a bulk product that an Etsy creator used and added some fragrance to it. I didn't keep the empty bottle, for the ingredients. It never occurred to me that she's stop selling it. she stopped selling it. Then she left this mortal coil and I can't for the life of me understand why whatever the ingredients used are not being used by commercial products.
both the shampoo and conditioner were slippery I mean to the point that I had to be very careful of it not sliding off my hand before I managed to get it to my hair. That's the only hint I have. I offered her $500 at one point to make just one more batch and she wouldn't. years later when I was planning on offering her more, is when I found out she is no longer here. People rave about this product and that product and I'd reluctantly relinquished my money and nothing worked better than an average product, and often make this worse. olaplex is one that made things worse. I see it in the top comment so that's why I am mentioning it. and my ADHD brain walked away with nothing from this video. i see the comments implying people were told what to do... I missed it
It could have been slippery elm or marshmallow root
Thank you so much for making these videos. I am so tired of pseudo sciency things that hold no truth, but it's impossible to know enough about everything you use to know better. I know my own stuff when it comes to plant care, and for hair care I come here to learn :)
I would like to add, the cuticle layer has a big impact on roughness.
Simply using cool water after conditioning will close the cuticle down. It holds your fresh color in and makes hair smoother.
I was let go from a salon for telling clients that.
This is so true. My hair always feels and looks so much better when I wash out my conditioner with cold water.
Wow…. Good riddance to that job, that’s terrible
Thanks so much for clearing up those ideas! It's good to know the real truths! However, my hair feels better when it's wet than dry! I use coconut after washing as it helps detangle my dry and wavy hair.
Now that was really interesting! I didnt realize local humidity could affect your hair so much. I live in a very arid area with low humidity and have always struggled with fly aways. No matter what I did to my hair they always appeared. I didn't realize that it was the dry air that was to blame.
It’s usually high humidity that does that..😭
The best my hair ever looked was in Utah. Dry air, straight hair. Loved it. No frizz😊.
I just found your channel and it’s fantastic. The thing I’d love to see is information for those of us who have thin female pattern baldness curly grey hair. I’m 62. I have a sensitive scalp. But all the women on RUclips etc that claim to have thin curly hair look like they have masses of hair to me!!! My hair is healthy but is also just above shoulder length. It’s very sparse and I’ve given up using products to regrow it they just offend my scalp. I’m super excited that you’re Aussie too. You’re great
Karen
This was such an informative videoa and you explain things really really well Michelle - thank you as many others have said for adding information about curls and coils.
It would be really really amazing if you could get into the science of some of these curl routines. I know you yourself don't have curly hair, but I would love to know how products are actually working on this structural level.
Like for example, you talking about hygral fatigue as a broadly unsupported concept and about the bond structure of hair being affected by water made my realise exactly why it is that "refreshing" and the mist bottle I use works so well!
I really have to buy your book :) sharing this channel with my other guy friends who need to know more about self care!
Please do a video on bonds and please add more examples! I have thin but slightly wavy hair and when I condition it, it feels heavy most of the time. But when I do nothing, it's a little too poofy. I'd like to find my "middle ground" .-.
same here! my hair texture varies but it all has a tendency to go very heavy and limp with conditioners or oils. since it’s quite short at the moment and not coloured, i haven’t been conditioning, just trying to fight the poof with dry styling products 😅 i think it also doesn’t help that i live in a humid climate.
Water helps me detangle my hair but if my scalp stays wet too long, it itches. I now use a hooded dryer after washing. Hopefully it will strike a balance
Yes to bonding treatments!
Also why does my hair feel wet when I use coconut oil on dry hair as opposed to other oils?
I've heard the hooded dryer is a game changer.
Coconut oil seems to be able to absorb slightly deeper into hair than a lot of other oils, because of its structure - I would guess it's to do with that!
hooded dryers are wonderful! helps my wavy hair be happy as it dries slower and a even rate.
i hope my comment be seen by the owner of the channel itself , as if there is any correction needed , i hope it comes from her who knows better than me in this for sure .
now coming to what you stated about coconut oil, i would ask you to read about the difference in oils which are good for skin and good for hair
for instance, coconut oil is really bad for skin since it is highly comedogenic - that is it clog pores and clogged pores will lead to acne breakouts in skin , whereas this highly comedogenic oil when it comes to hair is heavily moisturizing and as much as I've read from many texts... it can penetrate hair cuticles and stay and hydrate - much better like how lab muffin explained in this video ...
however it is not at all good to leave it on your hair , it should be washed off through shampoo as if left in hair , the residue will clump on skin , especially around the back of neck, side of shoulders, and scapular region where your hair touches most and cause back acne - so coconut oil is best used as a pree poo to hair before shampooing and will help in preventing drying out by shampooing as it will moisturize hair and won't let shampoo strip your hair out and make it extra dry
( but the right amount for you is experimental - but a generous amount is surely needed to moisturize hair)
now coming to sealant oils , there are a group of non comedogenic oils which can be used as sealant oils ... sealant oils are oils which you can apply to your hair (esp to tip of the hair) to lock in moisture and prevent breakage .. . they should always be non comedogenic oils - like argan oil, jojoba oil
there is one oil which is both non comedogenic and moisturizing - sunflower oil , but for me it is too heavy for my fine hair to be used after wash as sealant
hope this helped you in someway
I did a coconut oil treatment overnight on my hair once and it was awful for my hair, it ended feeling like straw and I lost a lot of hair trying to get it all out of my head.
This is seriously so informative!!! Your teaching style is amazing as you share things in metaphors and similes that everyone can understand. THANK YOU!!!! ❤
It's great that there is research being done on afro textured hair types but what about non afro hair types?
In many cultures 'curly hair' describes 2C to 3B textures. Should an ethnically Indian woman brush her 3A/3B hair when wet or dry? Even comparing Caucasian & African hair purely on the basis of ethnicity can be confusing. In one category this potentially describes 1A-3B hair in the other 3C-4C.
The main determining factor seems to be force - the one that seems to cause less damage (wet or dry) is the one that requires less force to get the comb through.
So helpful and informative! I did have to rewind a few times so catch everything you were saying but I appreciate you making scientific content more accessible.
14:00 I think most people confuse hydral fatigue with using too much and too heavy products often while their hair is still too wet.
Thanks for doing this video!!! And thanks for explaining why it was hard to do. I have commented about this subject multiple times and didn't realize it wouldn't be straightforward.
A big thing you did not touch on is the quality of the water you use to bathe with. Otherwise, I absolutely loved this video! You put so much work into what you do!
Yes 😭 my water is from New York and it’s hard water with tons of fluoride/chlorine…it was never this bad when I lived in a different area.
slap a chlorine filter onto your shower it makes a huge difference
Alot of plastic waste to@@xursssulaxx
THANK YOU!! its so hard to find actual accurate information about products when basically all information is marketing copy. So grateful for scientists that take the time to explain things like this, it is so needed. I learned more about hair in the span of 18 minutes than I had in the rest of my life!
Do you know why some people (me) have hair that is only curly when wet? You said that the water breaks the hydrogen bonds that hold the hair's shape, but my hair forms full wet coils that fall straight when dry.
Mine is a bit like that too (you can see how I kind of have loose ringlets in the shower bit near the start) - I would guess it's the water sticking hairs together and making it align to minimise the water's surface area with surface tension when it's wet, and then as it dries the hairs peel off and end up kind of frizzy, but "straight" on average, because the other hairs aren't holding them in place.
Oh my gosh thank you for this! I was always mystified why my hair was the same (loose waves with a few loose ringlets when wet, but goes to only the mildest curve/s-waves at the ends to fully frizzy when it dries. Since I hate the feeling of mousse or gel in my hair I’ve opted for blow drying it straight or using heatless curls for styling instead
Olala I can't believe how clear and easy to undestand this video was ! The exemples were amazing ! The puppies, the pinecone, the molecules holding hands, the lego pieces...
I am in awe ! Thank you Michelle 🥰
I agree with you! Even with my poor english, I was able to understand!
I assumed hydrating hair was using oils etc as all those hydrating shampoos, like the Amika hydration line, are just full of oils and emollients. I find that those products are only a masking temporary fix and also make my hair really flat and greasy, although probably not suited for my hair which is straight asian hair. I think those are better for frizzy, curly or afro hair maybe, I find that I need a shampoo with decent cleansing power, I find that Japanese hair products suit my hair really well
@@lavayuki
Water is hydration.
Oils/emollients are moisture (as in they aid in holding the water in the hair strand).
Every hair type needs hydration, however, not every hair type needs moisture, or the same amount of moisture.
Straighter hair types usually need less/no moisture, because the natural oils travel down the hair strands at a faster, most consistent rate.
The tighter the curl pattern, the higher the likelihood that the natural oils remain at the scalp and never weigh the hair down or provide natural moisture. Hence the use of more moisturizing products.
When skin is in water for a long time it doesn’t get “fragile”, it’s just adapting to the wet situation and thus allows a better grip onto wet things, or under water.
What about hair oiling? Have you made a video on the subject? I've heard so many different opinions on the matter, and I'd love to hear your thoughts!
I’m really interested in this too! My hairdresser used to call my hair “crispy” before I started oiling the ends 🫠
I agree
OMG. you're just breaking everything we knew about hair care. incredible. really good job. thanks you. your explanations are so helpful. hope you'lle write more books. it'll be a pleasure reading you.
“It’s too hard to explain X to consumers. People will get confused, won’t believe you, and buy someone else’s products” TOO REAL.
I work in a completely different industry and it’s the same thing. One company starts spouting oversimplified or outright nonsense and then they all start following suite because consumers won’t listen to anything else.
Friends, let me give you another example. “Paint and primer” house paints don’t have primer in them. One company started marketing their paint like that, and everyone else eventually just slapped a new label on their paints without changing the formula because they were sick of having to either go into in-depth explanations or lose sales.
And I stopped buying their products. You still end up putting on two or three coats to get a good look so coat one becomes the primer. Duh. Newer paints and any based on a”home show” should be avoided as they will be horrible quality. How I miss the old days of quality paint.
Thank you for this video! I did a small experiment yesterday and I had done a keratin treatment to it a little over a month ago. I just let it air dry yesterday and I didn't like how frizzy and more wavy it looked. But when I dry it faster, like using a fan, my hair feels a lot smoother. I'll eagerly wait for the science behind hair treatments and how to most probably maintain them.
I still don’t know the answer to this video, but at 16:12 I just found out I’ve been cutting my nails wrong for 40 some years
i think a video on the difference between conditioners and hair masks would be really good! thank you for this btw
Thank you for this video! Your hair videos are my favorites! This confirms my own experience with hydration. I've heard about "hygral fatigue" and in reading the articles just didn't see enough evidence of it being a repeatable study. My afro texture loves being wet and seems less fragile when I add water and other lubricants to maintain its pliability.
Something I would love to know more about are things like the water only method. I've seen people who go either no-poo or very low poo in the hopes of relying on their own natural oil production. Are there any scientific studies about it?
This video is SO INFORMATIVE! I love it. Finally someone who explains things sufficiently AND makes them easy to understand. Keep up the good work, I'll definitely watch more of your videos ♥
I've never been so compelled to watch a video. Such an interesting topic, and overall, the channel's content seems to be like this. Great work!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Regular washing is important because just like skin ,there are a tone of different germs and parasites can that can dig into your scalp if you don’t. And of course use mild products on your head and skin daily.😊
I still feel confused regarding my own hair. I haven't bleached or colored my hair for about 10 years and I feel like I'm pretty gentle on it overall. I rarely heat style it (curls absolutely will not hold) and when I blow dry it I do it on a low heat. That being said, I can go outside on a misty or foggy day and leave the house with hair that feels smooth and straight, and come back inside with hair that feels puffy and coarse, which persists for hours. Using products like the color wow humidity protector really help me. I've always assumed I have really porous hair (sinks really quickly when I do that porosity test). I have found that conditioners for people with kinky or coily hair make my hair feel 100% better than "typical" conditioners, even though my hair is basically straight with a tiny bit of wave. When I went to Hawaii this summer for the first time my hair was so coarse and puffy I couldn't do anything with it except braid it, and my braid was about twice as thick as normal. I enjoyed this video but still feel confused about my own, weird hair. It really changed after I had my son, and after I then got an intense case of hand, foot and mouth. My hair has just never been the same since then.
There’s still natural variation in hair structure for each everyone! (including naturally occurring changes over life). You may benefit from something that fills in your microscopic hair gaps more. Try a dime sized amount of something like “frizz ease” or a silicone-forward smoothing serum through your super wet hair mids and ends and see if it helps keep your lengths from getting too puffy. It helps me, along with little volume mousse. Helps coat the hair just a bit while giving it body aka structural support.
Post-baby hair! I had mixed textures, but generally a shared wave pattern (curled in on the left & out on the right!). Then I had my son & honestly my hairdresser realized I had more curl & lift at the root than she expected & asked if she should coax the curls out. I do have to keep it short - my hair is very very heavy, the weight will pull the curl out - but I love my little plouf of curls on top of my head. I have hair that will stand up 5-6 inches before gravity affects it, but if it grows that long it just has a little weird wave lol. I can grow it from pixie to past my shoulders in only 3-4 years! It grows pretty well but it grows horizontally for a long time before it’s actually like other white girls hair. Haha I get BIPOC people actually asking to touch my hair because they’ve never seen hair that coarse & gravity defying that is not curly at every length. My bestie is rich and vip now that we’re grown & was seated next to Kevin bacon at a gala. I was all excited cuz now I’m one degree from Kevin Bacon! But she said he’s the only person she’s met with more unruly hair than me!!
I grew up in Hawaii and I couldn’t do anything but tie my curly hair into a bun because letting it down would cause a frizzy lion’s mane no matter what products or straightener I used 😭
Are your hair strands very thin and fine? Mine are (despite having a lot of hair) and no product can totally prevent puffiness and frizz. I do sometimes wet the surface of my hair with my hand and rub on a very small amount of conditioner, that seems to hold it together a bit (though doing it too much will mean I need to wash it sooner, as it becomes greasy after using this trick a few times!)
sounds like going to a black owned place would help. my black barber does a fantastic job with my hair and he also went to cosmetology school , use what products work for you even if they aren't made for "white" hair
I'm really glad you're talking about hair because there is so much conflicting information when it comes to haircare
pls talk more about hair, love this
Explanations with pups are so much clearer!
5:36 Good tip on the produce bags. I have probably lost a cumulative 20 minutes of my life trying to open those things
The PhD really came in handy here
I think it came from my mum tbh 😅
@LabMuffinBeautyScience i got it from how the cashiers used to have those wet sponges to open plastic bags, when they were legal lol. also, bc ppl lick their fingers to turn a page
i mean when single use plastic bags were legal, not the sponges lol
@@LabMuffinBeautyScience I too come from an asian lineage of having a "bag full of bags" under the sink
This video is so helpful! Is there any research that shows that hydrogen bonds can become weak or break permanently? Will they always reform no matter what?
I’m curious about the notion that curly hair can become weakened, overly elastic, lose it’s bounce from daily washing, detangling, and restyling.
If you're rough with it while wet you can damage other bonds while the hydrogen bonds are broken, but water on its own doesn't do anything
please do a video on curly hair perm, whether or not it is good for your hair
The science behind this is fascinating. Please do more videos like this
So glad you're making hair content now, so excited to see what videos you come up with!!!
One question is: Are silicones and fatty alcohols then very good moisturisers, especially when it comes to more textured hair? There's a lot circulating on the internet advising against these for curly/kinky hair, which is why I personally stay away from them. I struggle with really dry hair especially since it's so long. My hair around my scalp feels very moisturised in comparison to the ends. I'm wondering if oils then are a better moisturiser? Really interested to know what you think of this!!
I'm was in the same boat as you, I have long coily hair and for years I stayed away from silicones and my hair was always dry, so much so that I felt i had to moisturize it everyday. About 6 months ago I started using a silicone oil on top of my leave-in conditioner and my hair now stays moisturized for at least a week. The main advice I have seen against silicones and curly hair is that they build up and are hard to wash out, but I haven't had any problems with that. If you are considering it I would say you should give it a try. If you don't like it you can just wash it out.
as far as I know silicones and dimethicones just fill in the cuticle making it feel smooth but doesn't get into the hair strand . among the long haired community they say that you need to use a product on the ends since they are dead and move your natural scalp oils to the ends as the only thing that's growing is your scalp.
@@AlexOnEarth777 @HosCreates thank you for both your comments, I've watched more of her videos where she talks about conditioners and I think I'm getting a sense of what my hair needs. I might try a product with amodimethicone, and see if it helps.
I love your content Michelle 😍 The combination of your love for skin/hair care PLUS the foundation of your big knowledge as a scientist is 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
Thank you so much for your hair science videos - there is such a massive gap in communication of hair science and hair products are my least favourite cosmetics to research and buy because there seems to be sooooo much woo. One thing anecdotally that seems to make so much difference is the amount of product used relative to length and density of hair. I think products where you can adjust / set the dose for consitent results might be game changing. If anyone runs with this idea and makes zillions chuck a couple bucks my way lol!
Clicked this so fast ha! This video is so informative!!! Thank you so much for putting all the time and effort into making this. ❤ I recently started using shampoo bars that I get from my local farm. The lady who makes them only uses essential oils/herbs that’s beneficial for skin and hair. Made a huge. I don’t even buy hair products at the store.
I love that you use the hand-holding metaphor for covalent bonding, it's how I've been understanding it in my head since I was 12 and had my first chemistry class
I love all of your videos, especially your hair science videos. Absolutely love seeing an understanding of the chemistry and a critical review of the evidence research methods! Can't wait for the video on hair bonding treatments, and would love to hear about keratin treatments/nanoplastia/hair botox/brazilian botox. Especially appreciate your inclusion of curly and kinky hair info!!!! Never seen a scientific explanation of why curly hair seemed to be a different experience,
It is wonderful to have found you. After seeing so many stupid RUclips and other social media creators it is a delight to listen to a smart and inspiring woman to give educational content.
Thank you so much.
The internet has gems hidden among all the crap and today i found one of them
I literally just bought a cheap silicone shampoo the other day after learning from this channel, and it's AWESOME! my hair is nice and soft like it used to be. It goes in the hair much easier, the hair doesn't go all grippy when it rinses out, the blow-dryer styles it in place much better, it's got a nice shine to it now, and yea it's soft.
I saw a "Hydration" version of the silicone shampoo, tried to figure it out via reviews, and I said NAY! because it seemed like it was just going to have extra moisturising qualities (which I see is true!) and some found that it was too "heavy" for their hair, which didn't sound nice for me.
I got the Tresemme "Nourish & Shine" over the "Moisture Rich". Seemed the closest to the default option, even though all the reviews are on the Moisture Rich one, because who wouldn't want moisture richness for their hair.
That is the most brilliant way I've ever heard someone describe surface tension! 9:02
I used a castor oil shampoo bar and for the first time since I was a kind-age 22 or so, my hair is soft and needs nothing more than the shampoo bar and to be brushed/dried. Even at the salon the stylist commented on how soft my hair felt
I love you, this is a really cool video, but I still don’t know what to do with my hair lol so I’m excited for more of these
Haha thank you - argh sorry, for hair science I feel like I need to lay the groundwork before trying to make recommendations, especially for anyone with hair that isn't my type! But hopefully this will help you make sense of some of the products and practices that work for your hair and why, which can help you work out what else might be a good bet.
Omg I think you answered my "why does my hair get rougher the longer it goes between washes" question! Now I just have to figure out what to DO about it
I found that braiding my hair for 10 minutes or longer (braiding and undoing on repeat) I get it to look and feel like it has been washed. Now after this video I finally have an idea why that is! : ) Maybe braiding is something you can DO about it. Oh, and it's even more effective if I sleep with my hair braided.
Love your explanation... I've always left my curls on its own & wash only every 5-7 days, but after yearssss of hair dye this changed.
this is so informative. you have a great way of explaining all of this science in a easily digestible way. Thanks for that.
Totally OFF TOPIC - WHAT is your eyeliner secret!? It's always really nice. I have hooded eyelids and have yet to find an eyeliner or liner hack to keep my eyeliner in place. Even the "(enter claim here)-proof" liners transfer. Sorry for sidetrack but I am obsessed with finding out your secret. 😁
Haha thank you! I actually talked about how to find an eyeliner that stays in place in this video ruclips.net/video/aJlnOmc9Wys/видео.html But in short it's a gel eyeliner, Revlon generally makes the best ones I've found!
@@LabMuffinBeautyScience awesome!! thanks for replying and for sharing the video link. I can't wait to watch it. 💙