As I sat sipping my tea (it was chamomile with a splash of milk and dollop of honey, by the way) and debating what my first “real” post should be about it, I considered a variety of ideas. My favorite smoothie recipes? No…that couldn’t work…my lack of a real living solution means I don’t have a kitchen, remember? A cute and fashionable outfit for winter? Nuh uh, I’m wearing sweats because all my clothes are jammed into a storage unit that’s entirely too tiny for my normally exploding wardrobe. Alright then, well what could I share in the meantime? And then it hit me. Two weeks ago I found a product that has changed my life. Literally.
Okay, well maybe that’s a bit “first-world problems” dramatic. But I promise this product is amazing! Now I don’t know if any of you have had this “issue” before, I almost feel a little silly telling the internet, but I had this funky thing going on with my hair for quite some time. Actually, now that I think about it, it all started when I moved to San Francisco from Washington, DC last January. Every time I would shampoo my hair it would become incredibly squeaky. To the point where I couldn’t even run my hands through it. When I’d get out of the shower, feeling dirtier than before I went in, I might add, I’d notice how matted down my hair looked. When I’d dry my hair it would still have patches of greasy hair- yuck! My hair was in a bun indefinitely and there were most definitely times when I wanted to pull a Britney Spears and shave off all my hair.
I read countless forums and websites trying to figure out what was going on. “Greasy hair after showering”, “squeaky hair shower”, “not clean after washing hair”. I googled it all. Some people said it was a hopeless cause- us greasyheads just had to deal. Others said it was from having mineral-rich bathing water. Well, I most certainly knew I was NOT going to “just deal”. I tried so many different shampoos that my shower looked like a hair product graveyard. Nothing worked. If it was my water, I reasoned, then I could do something about that. For months on end I’d lug gallons of water the seven blocks from the grocery store back to my apartment. I’d heat the water up in the microwave and dump in concoctions of apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, and baking soda- taking a little bird bath with it after washing my hair. It helped a little, but I still struggled with my problem. I started showering at the gym to see if maybe I just had a temperamental shower. Nope. My all time low point was dousing my head with Palmolive dish soap. My scalp was bright red and my hair stickier than ever. I sat sobbing on the bathroom floor. If dish soap had worked for other people, why didn’t it work for me??
And then I found the shampoo that changed it all. Meet Lea Journo Hydrating Shampoo. I got the idea from another SF blogger who mentioned that she used the product line. I hopped in the car and headed to Nordstrom. A little tickle of excitement, as often happened when I thought I’d found “the solution” to my woes. No, I told myself, don’t get your hopes up again. It always ends the same. Another day, another product wasted. But still, I couldn’t help but smile to myself as I imagined having beautiful, glossy hair again. I snapped up a small Leo Journo trio set and headed straight to the gym to try it out. I literally gasped aloud the moment my shampoo filled hand hit my hair. I think I might have even started shouting words of joy, much to the dismay of the old lady showering in the stall next to mine, but nevermind that. My hand moved through my hair like silk. Effortlessly. I actually cried tears of joy. This was what showering was supposed to be like. Not some torturous affair, but a pleasant, relaxing experience. I followed up with the hydrating conditioner. The silkiness continued. As I towel dried my hair I grew hesitant to peek in the mirror. But I had to. What I saw was something I hadn’t seen in over a year. Hair that looked like healthy, freshly washed hair. I was speechless. As a dried my hair, my smile continued to grow. My hair looked beautiful, without a trace of the greasiness that had plagued me for so long.
Two weeks later, I’m still loving it. Since Lea Journo is sulfate free (sulfates are the harsh yuckies used to make traditional shampoo sud up and strip your hair), I’ve been using Redken Hair Cleansing Cream once a week just to get rid of any potential buildup. The change in my skin is phenomenal. No longer do I have breakouts all along my jaw, on my cheeks, or on my neck- probably the most embarrassing place to have acne ever. The most notable change, however, is in my attitude. With clean hair and happy skin I feel like I’m glowing from the inside out. I have a pep in my step. I don’t dread showering anymore and it is a beautiful thing. If any of you have struggled with what I did, then I hope you feel a little less alone. I’ve not met anyone else who understands quite what I’m talking about. And if you’re lucky enough to not have any hair issues, then I’d recommend giving Lea Journo a try anyways! The one positive thing about the entire fiasco? My biceps bulked up a tiny bit from dragging around all those gallons of water. Now that I don’t have to do that anymore, I’ll have to do a few extra reps for my arms at the gym. Hey, it pays to be positive, right?!
Seamless Sea 