Just Ask David

The color of our hair is important to a lot of us. For some, it’s the way we single ourselves out as individuals. A head full of curly red hair can passed down like a family heirloom. And some of us rely on hair dye to conceal gray hair.

Many of us dye our hair to get that special color: the hair color that makes you feel unique, the color that brings out your eyes, the one that shaves 15 years off of you.

But anyone who has dyed their own hair knows that it is not always a carefree task. Harsh chemicals threaten to damage your hair and scalp. It irritates sensitive skin. And if you don’t know what you’re doing, brace yourself for the likely possibility of a bad hair day.

Jodie Moore knows all about the ups and downs with hair dye, as Chief Operating Officer of the exclusive distributor for Herbatint hair color, Bioforce USA.

Not only has she proudly advocated for this B Corp certified brand for the past 15 years, but she also has personal experience with all the ups and downs of dyeing hair. Her passion for hair color has led to Herbatint becoming one of the most highly respected and best-selling hair color brands in the natural industry.

Jodie joins Just Ask David to lend us a few tips on dyeing and maintaining hair.

Safe AND Effective: A Balancing Act

But even we are a little stumped when it comes to safe hair dye.

Many of the natural hair dyes on the market are frustratingly weak. No one wants to buy an entire box of hair dye that will just wash out in a few days.

Jodie’s advice? “It’s really about balance.” You don’t want your hair dye to have harsh chemicals, yet you want a significant change in the color of your hair that will last. Something has to give.

“You want it to work so there will be some level of chemical in the color. So what consumers like yourself and other people really need to do is find that safest product.” She adds: “Herbatint is the only brand in the world that has been dermatologically tested [as safe] for sensitive skin.”

Good to know.

Tips for Dyeing Your Hair At Home, Accident-Free!

“The biggest thing about doing hair at home is following directions and really understanding the product that you’re using,” Jodie suggests. She also says that using natural hair dyes like Herbatint pretty much eliminates the risk of a no-good-very-bad hair day.

Why? What’s so different about natural hair dye? “There’s no lift in the product,” Jodie says.

“In a normal salon setting, or even a mass market brand, you can go brown to blond in a box… with the natural colors, there’s so little amount of chemical - usually less than 1%. There’s no lift,” she explains.

“So you’re really going to have to stay within two shades of your natural color. So that can take a lot of the anxiety out of doing it. You’re not going to go too drastic one way or another.”

Follow Herbatint on Social Media!

Show them some love by following Herbatint on Instagram @herbatint_usa, Twitter @herbatintusa, and liking them on Facebook! Don’t forget to shop their hair dyes!

How clean is your produce?

We don’t think about it often, but maybe we should.

Imagine the life cycles of fruits and vegetables: they’re sprayed with pesticides, covered in fertilizer. Is that what you want to be biting into?

Meet Mareya Ibrahim. She’s the inventor of a clean eating product line. She’s an award winning entrepreneur, chef, author, patented inventor, and a food industry veteran with over 26 years in the industry.

Mareya’s also concerned about how well we’re washing our fruits and vegetables. Lucky for us, she has a few helpful tips to save us a trip to the toilet (or hospital).

The Revolting Truth About Our Fruits and Veggies

Dealing with the aftermath of one of the biggest E. coli breakouts in over a decade, the threat of eating contaminated produce is as real as ever.

Even worse, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reports that the risk of food poisoning is highest during the summer months.

“First and foremost i think it’s important to understand that if something is cut or processed, that means it’s been handled by dozens of different touchpoints,” Mareya explains. “And every single processing points requires the utmost level of safety. And if that is not being upheld, then you’re potentially putting yourself at risk.”

Most of us try to wash our fruits and veggies with water, but Mareya says that water is ineffective for cleaning produce.

“What else do we wash with water and it’s all clean? Nothing!” she exclaims. “Not our plates, not our hands, not even our hair or our dogs. You need a cleanser to be able to remove what water can’t.”

Clean Eating - The SAFE Way

It was insane that her father could not eat his favorite healthy foods because of the risk of contamination! So together, Mareya and her father formulated Eat Cleaner’s All Natural Fruit + Vegetable Wash.

With a natural blend of fruit acids and antioxidants, this special produce wash is proven to wash 99.9% of contaminants off of produce AND prolong shelf life up to 200% longer!

Not only can this help save a family over $500 per year on average, but it’s better for the environment. Sounds like a win-win!

“[People] do not have to be sitting ducks, hoping that they’re protecting their family when they buy fresh produce at the store, but aren’t sure if it’s going to hurt them or not,” Mareya says.

A Million More Ways to Eat Clean!

Can’t get enough? “Like” Eat Cleaner on Facebook and follow on Twitter @eatcleanerfood and Instagram @eatcleaner!

Nothing encourages us to go outside and enjoy the sunshine and fresh air like the summertime. On the same note, nothing ruins your hairstyle faster than that sweltering summer humidity.

But you don’t have to let the summer be a never-ending bad hair day. Beauty blogger Dana Wood of Florida Beauty Problems returns to Just Ask David to share tips on taming your coif this summer, even when the weather feels like a clothes dryer stopped in mid-cycle.

Dana’s blog teaches readers how to deal with all the health and beauty issues that come up when you’re living the the swampy coastal state of Florida, like treating bug bites, protecting your skin from the sun, and - you guessed it - dealing with epic frizz.

Dana Wood is also a three-time Conde Nast Beauty Director (W, Cookie and Brides) and regularly contributes to media outlets like The New Post and The Wall Street Journal.

Why Does My Hair Get Frizzy (and Why Doesn’t Anyone Else’s)?

Trust us. You’re not the only one.

But it is true that some people are much more prone to frizz than others. What’s the deal - is there some kind of hair product you’re not using?

“Frizz prone hair is very porous, so it needs moisture. When the humidity starts spiking, it kind of soaks it up and that’s what makes it puffy,” Dana explains. “Even people with fine hair can have this issue,” she adds.

How to Defrizz Without Damaging Your Hair

But Dana says that’ll set you up for even worse frizz down the road.

“I really think the whole issue of heat styling is a vicious cycle,” she says. “But there’s no question that intense heat really does smooth the cuticle of the hair.”

As a Floridian, being at the mercy of constant humidity is just part of the day-to-day grind for Dana.

So what does she recommend to tame the frizz without the heat?

“I go through vats and vats of deep conditioner because really, it’s a huge help,” Dana says.

Find the Solutions to All Your Summer Beauty Problems!

Don’t forget to “like” on Facebook and follow on Instagram @FLbeautyproblems!

Our perspectives on sunscreen has changed a lot in the last 20 years.

We know now that sunscreen is an everyday product, not just for going to the beach. We know sun damage happens to everyone regardless of how light or dark your skin is. And we know that using sunscreen is any anti-aging routine’s secret weapon.

So since we know how essential sunscreen is to our lives, it only makes sense that we want to make sure we’re picking the right brand. There’s a lot more to sun protection than the level of SPF you’re wearing.

Lifestyle Director of Martha Stewart Living and Martha Stewart Weddings and regular beauty contributor to Refinery29, Melissa Goldstein joins Just Ask David to break the sunscreen mystery down for us.

Picking a Sunscreen: What to Look For

“What really worries me, and what worries a lot of my colleagues, is that there’s so much misinformation out there about sunscreen,” Melissa says. “Not only do you need to use it, you need to choose the right one for you.

Some things about sunscreen-hunting are universal.

“You wanna look for two words on the label. You wanna see something that’s ‘broad spectrum.’ That’s really important because not every sunscreen is broad spectrum,” Melissa explains. “What that means is, you’re gonna get coverage from UVA, which are the rays that are gonna cause you to age, and UVB, which are the rays that are gonna cause you to burn.”

But you also have to consider yourself as an individual before picking a sunscreen.

Do you have oily skin? Sensitive skin? Do you live in a sunny city? How important is it to you to wear natural products? Do you wear makeup most days?

“We always say the best sunscreen is one that you’re actually gonna wear,” Melissa says. “You have to like it. Because if you don’t like it, you’re never going to wear it.”

Soak Up the Sun with Melissa on Social Media!

The days of the skincare industry being a woman’s market are becoming a thing of the past.

Skincare companies are following suit as men are starting to care more about their skin. Unisex skincare is popping up everywhere now to cater to a wider audience than before.

Eric Fallon, co-creator of Rebels Refinery and one of the pioneers of the unisex skincare movement, joins Just Ask David to share his experiences and wisdom on his journey to his skincare calling, his product values, and the awesome product packaging that would make even the most manly man want to display it outside his medicine cabinet.

The Birth of Rebels Refinery

The main thread in all these stories? A man noticed signs of aging in his skin and stopped drinking the “skincare-is-only-for-women” Kool-aid.

Prior to creating Rebels Refinery, Eric spent 8 years as a partner at a startup company that manufactured complex dispensing equipment for top personal care brands like P&G. This experience gave him the chemistry background and entrepreneurial know-how to start Rebels Refinery.

Soon after leaving the startup, Eric joined forces with his 2 childhood best friends – who, like Eric, realized they were spending a ton of time stealing hair and skincare products from the women in their lives.

They realized they were starting to look old and wanted to do something about it. With a little help from the reality show Dragons’ Den and tons of creativity, their natural grooming line of skin, hair and body products was born.

Accessible, Affordable Skincare. For EVERYONE.

With natural, high-quality formulas infused with antioxidants, peptides, botanicals, and other potent anti-aging ingredients, it would be sensible to assume we’re talking about an expensive luxury skincare brand here.

The truth? You can find Rebels Refinery at Target.

And there’s no need to feel left out if you’re not a man. Rebels Refinery is a unisex brand, and as Eric points out, they have products that are wildly popular with women - specifically, their cool Addam’s family-esque skull-shaped lip balm.

“On top of being a cool design, it has an incredible formula,” Eric says. “The main ingredients are coconut oil, sweet almond oil, and beeswax… And then we have a more female-specific product coming out, which is our classic lip balm formula in the shape of a pineapple,” he hints.

Ready to Rebel?

You can also “like” Rebels Refinery on Facebook or follow @RebelsRefinery on Twitter and Instagram.

The summertime is brutal on skin and hair. Between lounging under the sun and heading to the pool every day, we’re lucky to still have skin and hair at all!

On this educational segment of Just Ask David, health expert Lisa Davis and beauty guru David Pollock dish out a few tips on how to protect and maintain your skin and hair even if you hit the beach every single day until the summer ends.

Beat the Heat!

And FYI, don’t be fooled into thinking that you don’t need sunscreen because you’re not outside very much.

That summer sun can do noticeable damage even through your windows, so make sure to keep a bottle of sunscreen handy at all times.

Don’t Be the Fool of Your Neighborhood Pool

Good news: chlorine-green hair and wrinkly skin don’t have to be part of your daily pool attire anymore!

But seriously, anyone who’s swam their way through a few pools knows that those harsh chemicals do more than make you smell funny.

The chlorine strips the moisture from your skin and hair, leaving hair brittle and skin drier than chalk.

But not to worry: David and Lisa have tips on how to protect your skin and hair even while you’re in the pool!

Follow Us on Social Media!

Follow @JustAskDavid on Twitter and Instagram for beauty tips and questions!

If you’ve been phasing out your toxic beauty and grooming products, you probably already know the struggle of finding a natural deodorant.

Most natural deodorants seem to work… for a few hours. At the end of the day, you smell like you’ve never put on any deodorant at all. And God forbid you live somewhere humid - don’t even bother.

Suzannah Raff, founder of the natural deodorant company Cleo&Coco, says that stinky pits don’t have to be a fact of life just because you want to live clean. She joins this segment of Just Ask David to explain how natural deodorant works and how to get rid of the stink!

Suzannah Raff on Starting a Green Beauty Business

She had no problem replacing her beauty and hygiene products for more natural alternatives… except for one.

“When I became more health conscious in my 30’s, I couldn’t find a natural deodorant that kept me completely odor free,” Suzannah says.

Using her business savvy from working the first tech bubble of the late 1990s, Suzannah started a business creating natural deodorants. All of Cleo&Coco’s deodorants are free of any toxic chemicals, AND they smell fantastic. That’s always a plus.

“I didn’t want a deodorant that smelled like a health food store and I didn’t want a deodorant that smelled like a drugstore,” she says. “I wanted something that smelled like your favorite body cream or your favorite hand soap.”

A Natural Deodorant That Works: The Final Frontier of the Green Beauty Industry

But the reasons why they aren’t as effective as chemical deodorants have more to do with how those harsh chemicals change your body chemistry.

“The common deodorant in drugstores, they block your sweat glands among other terrible things,” Suzannah explains. “They produce a lot of bacteria and buildup and then you sweat more because your body is fighting so hard to release those toxins.”

Luckily, there’s a remedy for stinky pits caused by clogged sweat glands and bacteria buildup - continued use of natural deodorant.

“The more you use [natural deodorants] over time, the less your own body actually produces an odor because you’re actually allowing your body to get rid of the toxins - which is what we do naturally,” Suzannah explains. “That’s why we sweat under our arms.”

Follow Cleo&Coco on Social Media!

Check out Cleo&Coco on Instagram @CleoAndCocoNatural and “Like” on Facebook! Don’t forget to check out the website.

Our skin is in a constant state of renewal. There is never a time when our skin is not sloughing off dead skin cells and regenerating new ones.

But this process slows down as we age, creating a domino effect for the decline we see in our skin’s appearance.

Wrinkles, sagging skin, age spots - all of these things happen for more than one reason. The better we understand these reasons, the better we can prevent the appearance of aging in the long-run.

We know the products that claim to reverse aging. But what really works?

That makes glycolic acid useful for a variety of skincare uses, like a face wash, light chemical peel, or serum.

But we produce less hyaluronic acid as we age, leading to wrinkles, a dull complexion, and loss of skin elasticity.

Listen to Podcast for #3 & 4!

Don’t forget to follow on Instagram and Twitter @JustAskDavid for more anti-aging beauty tips!

You can’t talk about celebrity hair without talking about Oscar Blandi.

Hailing from Italy, Oscar Blandi’s eponymous, iconic New York salon was opened shortly after he moved to America about 20 years ago.

Since then, he’s obtained an A-list clientele, featuring the likes of Jessica Alba, Jimmy Fallon, and Naomi Watts. His work has been featured in countless fashion magazines, including Vogue, Elle, Esquire, and many more!

Oscar Blandi stands out from most other hairstylists for one reason. In his own words: “I’ve been an innovator for this long because I believe in education.”

This time, he’s educating us on a few different ways we can protect our hair this summer. Come fall, your hair will still have that summer vacation glow!

Sunkissed Locks, not Chlorine Green

We KNOW you’re slathering on sunscreen every time you leave the house, especially during the sunny summer months.

But your hair can sustain a damage, too. The sun’s rays, the chemicals in a swimming pool - these things can dry out your hair and leave it brittle.

“I always tell every client, treat your hair like you treat your skin,” Oscar says. “In the summer, it becomes much more hot. So make sure you’re constantly moisturizing your hair.”

Some of us don’t like moisturizing our hair because it sometimes weighs it down and makes it lose some of its body. But Oscar says it’s important to moisturize anyway. Unhealthy hair won’t hold much body, either.

“A lot of people... think that conditioner is not good because it makes their hair flat,” Oscar adds. “Your hair will go flat no matter what. The conditioner helps to moisturize your hair so it won’t become brittle, it won’t break.”

Follow Oscar Blandi and Co. on Social Media

Visit the Oscar Blandi website to learn more about getting the 5-star celebrity treatment! You can also follow on Instagram @OscarBlandiSalon and “like” on Facebook!