Living Proof No Frizz hair care

The Washington, DC metro area is infamous for its humid weather: I'm surprised that TotalBeauty didn't name Washington, DC among its 13 Worst Hair Cities.

In humid weather, my hair frizzes and becomes unmanageable. I've tried traditional silicone-based products, such as John Frieda's Frizz Ease® serum, but silicone-based products weigh down my hair and don't provide significant relief from frizz.

I received some LivingProof NoFrizz hair care products, which are silicone-free. NoFrizz did the trick where silicone-based products failed. My hair stays smooth in humid weather.


LivingProof NoFrizz hair products

How do No Frizz products work? The Beauty Brains (my favorite source for evaluating beauty claims, along with Paula Begoun) write,

Living Proof uses a type of chemical known as a PolyfluoroEster (or PFE for short) to smooth the hair shaft and prevent moisture from being absorbed. ... But PFEs (which are Teflon-like compounds) are VERY good at lowering surface tension, and so in theory they could provide the three main benefits [frizz prevention, dirt repellancy, and shine and color enhancement] that Living Proof claims on their website ...

Read more from The Beauty Brains article Are Living Proof No Frizz Products Good For Curly Hair? Also read the review Living Proof NO-FRIZZ Keeps Frizz From Frazzling You! (love that title) by Advice Sister Alison.

You may find Living Proof No Frizz hair products at Sephora stores and Sephora.com.

Silicones

In planning stories about Belegenza Extraordinary Hair Care and LivingProof No Frizz hair products, it became evident that I should address the use of silicones in hair and cosmetics products.

What are the characteristics of silicones?

In her ingredient dictionary, Paula Begoun describes silicone in this way:

... The unique fluid properties of silicone give it a great deal of slip, and in its various forms it can feel like silk on the skin, impart emolliency, and be a water-binding agent that holds up well, even when skin becomes wet.

Silicones 101, an article from the Coarse Hair Diary blog, notes that silicones build up on the hair and prevent moisture from entering. Dimethicone, an article from Christopher Drummond's blog, notes the occlusive (barrier-forming) properties of dimethicone, which is a type of silicone. Essortment, in its article, How to control frizz in curly hair, notes that silicone seals hair.

Silicones give face primers their slip, and I've become a believer in face primers. Unlike Christopher and some people who have commented on his article, I have not have problems with breakouts. I suspect that's because I apply primer to my cheeks, which are not prone to breakouts.

On the other hand, silicones have not worked for me in preventing frizz, which is a problem for me in DC's humid climate. In addition, silicones weigh my hair down, no matter how little I use. Some say that using silicones leads to hair loss. I've been experiencing hair loss, but I don't know if silicones are to blame: maybe it's "The Change." (I don't know whether to laugh or cry)

Both Belegenza and LivingProof No Frizz are formulated without silicones. In articles planned for next week, I'll review products from these brands.