INTRODUCTION

I have created this little booklet to give you a brief overview of our practices at Tame the Mane. We have been sharing our knowledge with customers and seeing and hearing positive results and changes in their hair. We decided to put our most useful information onto paper

to let you browse. 

Firstly, forget everything you think you know about how to wash and treat your hair. Our current mindset surrounding haircare is extremely new and not been around for even one hundred years! It has been heavily influenced by large corporations that merely want to

obtain as many of your hard earned pennies as possible. How much have you spent on hair products in your lifetime so far? For centuries we managed without the harsh synthesised chemical ingredients we are using today. As we might look back at some

medical or beauty practises throughout history and shudder...we may in the future look back at current norms and feel similar repulsion at what we were rubbing onto our bodies daily. More and more recent research is proving that many common ingredients

in cosmetic products are toxic irritants and often carcinogenic. 

Many of us are trapped in a cycle of dry ends and greasy roots. Grease is caused by overproduction of the natural scalp oil called sebum. Shampoo and harsh detergents make us to overproduce it and also strips the moisture and protective oils from the ends, making them

brittle. Alongside regular colouring and/or bleach, heat, sun etc it causes extra stress to the hair and skin.

We can start to combat this damage by making small steps to escape this cycle and restore moisture to our hair. Something as small as simply diluting your shampoo or using a light cleansing conditioner and a really good scalp massage sometimes instead of shampoo.

Then, slowly spreading out your washes so you are not over-cleansing the hair. You can try little concoctions such as simple homemade "dry shampoos", salt water rinses and lemon conditioner. If you are curious and have time you can try some "5 Minute Recipes"...and one

day you might find your hair isn't greasy anymore, and you find yourself rinsing it with Jasmine tea to make it smell nice and feel fresh! We do not expect drastic overnight changes to life-long habits, but planting the seeds and making small sustainable changes are key to

success. They can be practical and incorporated into everyday life much easier than you may anticipate, it shall save you a LOT of money, and your hair and skin shall thank you for it by flourishing! I myself have spent many years abusing my hair and being extremely unhappy

with it, I now have the hair I always wanted, and feel at ease with what I have...which is why I want to share all of this with you!

We are here to help you along your journey and discover your personal satisfaction with your own natural  hair. 

It is worth noting that there are other factors involved in hair inconsistencies and issues, such as hormonal imbalances, nutrition and intolerances or even stress. Our approach has always been holistic and therefore considering all the possible roots of ongoing issues and

how to work with you to find the best solutions to fit in with your lifestyle.

One more KEY factor that MOST people don't think about or consider is...HARD WATER. Our water can really really effect your hair if you are transitioning to a 100% natural regime with no surfactants. It is also incredibly drying and leaves a heavy limescale residue on our hair generally. It contributes to blonde colours becoming more brassy as speeds up oxidisation in the hair. Basically our rubbish water means

taking a slightly different approach.

If you would like to read on and find out a bit more about our techniques..please do turn the page.

tame the mane

GOING BACK TO THE ROOTS

Thanks for taking the time to read this far! - Lara Founder of Tame the Mane

SHAMPOO

Shampoo as we know it, is mostly made up of surfactants and detergents. ANY bottle of store bought shampoo you purchase is not really any different to washing up liquid. The most famous surfactant is SLS or

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate. Even supposedly more gentle infant shampoos and seemingly natural and organic products too.

The purpose of a surfactant is to grab dirt and grease and pull it away from the hair with the water. However, it cannot distinguish between what needs to stay there (our natural oils and fats) and what needs to come away. Skin comes into this as well...Our natural oils produced by our body are perfect for the job. They keep the skin cells together like a brick and mortar structure...the lipids and fats hold

the cells in place. When we strip them away regularly it loses elasticity, structure and its protection from the elements. Similarly with hair, there should be a very fine layer of oil covering the length of a hair strand to protect it. However, we strip it off and leave the shaft of the

hair exposed and dry. Our scalps then go into overdrive and produce more oils than necessary because they panic as everything is exposed! Therefore, with our current routine we are overproducing oils more than ever. But removing them, thus our body sends more.

A perfectly vicious cycle. 

In ancient times, oils were pulled down the length of the hair evenly, by brushing "100 strokes a day" and the overall effect would not have appeared greasy. Babies and young children often demonstrate this if they have not been exposed to any detergents. 

Nowadays a shampoo is usually followed by a conditioner which contains silicones. These ultimately cover your hair with a thin layer of plastic to make it appear shiny. "Appear" being the operative word here, if your hair is damaged, this is merely an illusion. If your hair is very silky and you want more texture and volume, this won't be doing any favours either as it is weighing it down. But I shall talk about

conditioning more in depth later...

Check the blog or ask us about what shampoos we condone using (still sparingly).

ALTERNATIVES

The first thing you can do to lessen the aggressiveness of your shampoo is to dilute it and use a squeezy bottle with a nozzle for a more precise application at the roots and scalp. If your ends are dry, you can put a very light layer of oil on them or some conditioner BEFORE

shampooing. This will stop it from drying the ends as much while the shampoo is rinsed through the ends and glides over the tips.  Dilution results in reducing the harshness of shampoo, a more precise and even coverage of your scalp and an overall more efficient clean. It means your hair isn't over-stripped, and the extra protection at the ends beforehand makes sure that no moisture or oils are

removed from the ends by the shampoo. Obviously you will save money, and after some time you can start adding an extra day between shampoos as you start to produce less grease at the roots. You can use as little as a pea sized amount of shampoo or 1/4 teaspoon to 50ml of water. Experiment with adding

more water than you think you need, you will be surprised at how much you can dilute some products and they still work!

A conditioning wash (AKA Co-Wash) means using a very lightweight cleansing conditioner in place of shampoo. Some cheaper brands are fine such as Tesco/Superdrug/Wilko own brand, Faith in Nature, and some Body Shop ones are more mainstream conditioners that

are suitable. There are other alternative too such as conditioner bars etc available online.  A very important part of co-washing  is doing a really good massage on the scalp to help the dirt lift and come away effectively. Not always suitable for finer hair types on a regular basis, but can also be diluted slightly and used occasionally instead of shampoo and

given a really good rinse so no residue is left behind. Diluting and using a nozzle to direct through the scalp evenly is also very useful if you have very thick hair, as often parts of the hair are missed or not rinsed out properly...especially for those of you with terrible water

pressure. 

Shikakai, soapnut, horse chestnut, liquorice, ginger, ginseng, teas, coffee, henna, rye flour, chickpea flour, clays, gooseberry powder, fermented rice water, beer, nettle etc etc...these are all things that can be used to freshen and cleanse our hair between shampoo washes

to help spread them out a bit and we are not using it as frequently. Powders can be made into a paste then diluted and applied to the scalp with a good old squeezey bottle, massaged and left to sit on the hair for a few minutes. Teas and herbal infusions

 are a great way of scenting and stimulating your scalp with some caffeine for an extra  growth boost. Perfect if you get sweaty and your hair is not really greasy, just smelly or feeling a bit dirty. 

DILUTION & PRE-MOISTURISING

CO-WASHING

HERBAL PASTES & RINSES

You can use apple cider vinegar diluted 1 teaspoon to 250ml/1 cup of water as a fantastic moisturiser/conditioner. Dilution is very important indeed, as more than a tablespoon in a cup of water shall be too acidic and dry out the hair. You can use it every other time

you wash, or every time if it suits you and your hair type. Lemon juice is an alternative for blondes and finer hair. You can also put some in a spray bottle and wet your hair with it to refresh and add moisture to the ends between washes. Curls particularly love this and respond

well to being wetted every day even. ANY moisturising mist/spray that is made with NON TAP WATER is going to work WONDERS instantly.  It restores your hair to the correct PH level which helps the cuticle of the hair to lay flat which in turn, makes it shinier and more

slippery. It is also a great anti-fungal and has anti-microbial properties, so great for things like dandruff and for keeping bad bacteria at bay. It is an ancient practice worldwide and so long as it is heavily diluted correctly, and using a NON TAP WATER base, it is shockingly

effective for detangling and leaving hair feeling extremely soft. Homemade apple sauce masks were also used for cleansing and softening hair in many cultures, along with beer and egg.

Most commercial conditioners are water based, and contain oils (and/or silicones, bad!) Oils can be great for conditioning, but used in small amounts. Oils do NOT penetrate the hair and moisturise, using large quantities is bad as you will end up probably shampooing it loads to get it out and reverse any good you did. Therefore, I emphasise again the importance of the above step of MOISTURISING first,

then sealing in the moisture with a very light coating of oil. If you want to you can simply clean your hair with shampoo (diluted, or an alternative cleanser as mentioned above in herbal pastes)

rinse it, lightly squeeze and then just take a very small amount (one or two peas worth) of your REGULAR conditioner rubbed into your hands and squeeze through the mid to ends of your hair while squeezing out more water. You can work it into the wet ends nicely. This

acts just like a leave-in and will leave a very light coating of oils on the ends. If you find its too much/heavy just try a bit less or a lighter/different conditioner. Or just a little bit of olive oil! Always experiment with ratios a little before you give up on something!

However this tip shall save you money and mean we are not rinsing more things down the sink. I usually find that less is more and a bi of time should be taken to gently smooth thoroughly through the ends to make sure you get every bit. Wet hands help as they dilute it more

and help it spread evenly and not clog in one place.

Our Oat conditioner is a fine example of an easy and cheap treatment you can do at home. Also soothing on dry irritated scalps and skin. We always hear at the salon how surprised mothers have been at the reaction to their chicken pox riddled screaming children when they give them an oat bath. Many doctors recommend this, and again it is an ancient practise. Oats are incredibly moisturising and soothing,  great for conditioning and softening the hair. Simple porridge, sieved/strained with a smidge of olive oil is a fantastic mask for the hair

either all over or just through the ends. Flax gel, and seaweed gel...our favourite and most versatile bountiful gifts from nature. It's egg like texture and collagen, omegas and proteins make it a great addition to your hair and skin routine.

Eggs are also a great treatment occasionally and can be mixed with a little coconut/almond/oat milk/yoghurt/kefir. Again, the protein is great for the hair and gives it a really boost of vitality and structure. Great for curls! Really helps keep even a false curl in the hair for longer

too! I have tried and tested. However, be aware that you can overload hair with protein which can be bad for it. Some people find this with store bought products and that their hair may stop responding well to certain proteins, for example coconut oil! Many people don't

get on with it. Remember, different hair and different needs, this can change constantly too.

As we are trying to put nutrients into our hair and skin topically, we must also remember that we are what we eat, and that our hair and skin only glow when we are healthy and eating sufficient and certain vitamins and minerals. Supplementing can be beneficial but must be maintained in order to see the benefits. The myth that the hair is "dead" is not entirely true, it is very much connected to us through

the follicles and blood cells in the scalp and relies on receiving nutrients. It is however one of the last places that our body will send nutrients to, after all our organs and important stuff is done with them! Apparently it is 6-9 months of taking something regularly before you see a result in your hair. So, that is why when we are ill or have disturbances or stress to our gut it can result in a dullness of the hair,

but a while after the eyes and skin usually.  Allergies and intolerances can result in auto-immune scalp issues and dullness/breakage in hair.

It is worth noting that hormones are also strongly connected to how our hair appears and behaves. Pregnancy and menopause can radically change our hair.  Our hormones can also be disturbed by what we

are eating. Not to mention stress, another factor that interacts with or is connected to certain hormones, which can have detrimental effects on the hair. Some types of alopecia are induced by stress, as can be hair turning grey. So there can be many things to consider

with the health of your hair. That is why, in our opinion, hairdressers MUST be holistic and consider everything when  there is a problem with the health of the hair or scalp. 

W W W . T A M E T H EM A N E B R I S T O L . W O R D P R E S S . C O M

For more info, recipes and tips visit...

MOISTURISING

CONDITIONING

MASKS & NOURISHMENT

NUTRITION & HEALTH

OAT CONDITIONER RECIPE

- For 500ml of water, take around 4-6  heaped tablespoons of porridge oats. (Add a heaped Tbsp of flax seeds to get extra slippery silky texture)

Add more or less oats to adjust how runny or thick you want it to be. You can experiment! Once it has boiled and thickened to a yoghurt consistency, cool slightly then sieve/strain the bigger pieces of oats. Now whisk in...

- 1 to 2 Teaspoons of Olive oil (or avocado) and 1/2 Teaspoon of vegetable glycerin.

- 1 to 2 Teaspoons of Lemon Juice/Apple Cider Vinegar

The glycerin is a great addition for hair and skin (look it up!). If you want to you can add a couple of drops of essential oils too to extend shelf life and add other properties to your conditioner. Feel free to get creative. Also, very soothing on itchy skin. Use to condition the

ends of your hair or as a scalp treatment/mask for dandruff/psoriasis/eczema. Keeps for up to a week or two in a jar in the fridge. Can be made in a matter of minutes!

FLAX GEL RECIPE

- 1/2 Cup of Whole flaxseeds/linseeds - Dried herbs if desired

- 2 to 3 Cups of water (non tap water preferable! Distilled, deionised, bottled, rain water can be filtered, dehumidifier water can be filtered, or best of all fresh SPRING WATER)

Add to a pan and slowly bring to the boil. If you want to soak overnight you can beforehand. Your aim is an egg white consistency,

gloopy. Keep stirring gently and scraping the bottom. Keep checking the consistency. When you lift the WOODEN spoon and you see a line, you are good to sieve. Use a normal fine sieve, a muslin cloth or nut milk bag. 

If you have major trouble seiving and it is too thick, try putting it back in the pan and stirring in half a cup of water until you have a slightly

runnier consistency. It does thicken significantly when cooled down, and if you over-boil a lot shall evaporate too. 5-20 minutes gently boiling and stirring is usually perfect. It may need encouraging with a spoon to get through the sieve, or cool slightly and strain with a jam

cloth/bag and rubber gloves. Save seeds, keep aside for now, you might want to do more with them... Beat/whip the gel vigorously. When slightly cooled, add 5-10 drops of essential oils to scent and/or preserve.

Keeps for up to 2-4 weeks in the fridge, longer if in a pump bottle without contamination from air and fingers.

This way can last several months. I usually just put it all on my hair as a mask when it seems it is about to turn sour. Still has fantastic results

.You can reuse the leftover seeds up to three or four times to get more gel from them. Keep adding 2-3 cups of water and boil again. You can combine the gels and whisk together if you want, or keep separately. Each batch will be slightly runnier and 3rd and 4th are good to

use as hair rinses, adding to shampoo dilution to make shampoo more moisturising, or as fabric conditioner. 

Irish moss Seaweed Gel is a very similar recipe (look it up online if interested), it needs rinsing and soaking thoroughly beforehand, and has a slightly shorter cooking time, but they can be made together in one pan I have found. Making separately is good too though! 

The LEFTOVERS of flax and seaweed can be left In a litre of water for a few days and then use the water as a plant fertiliser/feeder.

It's primary use is as a conditioner, rinse out or leave in, as a hair gel and smoothing serum. You can add layers to the hair for more hold and use with hairdryer when blowdrying. Again, some hair will respond better than others, it does contain protein so not suitable for

regular use for everyone. Can still be used as a one off treatment hair mask now and then when your hair does need protein.