'Poo Your Way to Better Hair

“You can’t control everything. Your hair was put on your head to remind

you of that”

- Bill Murray, Twitter 

Hair and its care is something most people deal with on a daily basis. As humans we have hair mainly for two reasons: to help regulate our body temperature and to protect our skin from UV damage (although some claim that hair is also meant to be a vehicle for our pheromones.) In our modern  reality hair has mainly evolved into a statement of individuality, a way to express ourselves, and an accessory to our fashion. But whether or not you have long or short hair, straight or curly, dark or light, or no hair at all... there are days you may wake up and think “maybe I will just wear a hat.”

Some people stress about their hair a lot. 

Some people spend thousands of dollars a year just on their hair. 

Some people simply shave it all off! 

In any case there are ways to naturally support and care for your hair. Not being a dermatologist I can only offer advice on the things that I personally believe are helpful and it all revolves around oil. 

Sebum is the natural oily wax that our skin produces in the hair follicles. Sebum helps protect our skin and hair from the elements and is our bodies natural hair conditioner. Environment, diet, age, and genetics can all have a factor in the amount of sebum our skin produces. Too much sebum can result in acne and oily looking skin and hair and too little can make our skin and hair dry and brittle. When we wash our hair with shampoo we tend to strip away the sebaceous coating from our hair and scalp. Good hygiene is, of course, an important part of any daily ritual but we have to be careful that we are not doing more harm than good.

Surprisingly to some, daily shampooing is not always recommended! Also finding shampoos that are gentle yet effective cleansers can help maintain good hygiene without stripping our hair of the natural oils our body so generously gives us. I recommend the Sea Dew Shampoo from Time Laboratories for most hair types. This shampoo is sulfate and paraben free, meaning it will not contribute to any stripping of natural oils in you hair. It also contains the essential oil Cedarwood which is often recommended for the scalp as it considered to be antiseborrhoeic, meaning it will help balance the production of sebum.

For those of us that are struggling with “problem scalp” including: dandruff, acne, hair loss, etc. there are some benefits to adding essential oils into your routine. Tea Tree essential oil is antifungal, antiseptic, and anti-microbial and can help with many scalp problems. Rosemary is traditionally been touted as a hair-growth stimulator and it surely increases blood flow. Spearmint essential oil is anti-inflammatory oil and can help soothe itchy and dry scalp without being too harsh. Time Laboratories has incorporated all of those oils into their Sea Dew Formula D Shampoo and it is a great “medicated” shampoo.

Hair care is not all about cleansing and a lot of what we do for our hair today revolves around styling. A conditioner is a good choice to prepare your hair for the myriad of treatments we apply to get the perfect coiffe as it helps lubricate the strands of hair to prevent tangles and friction as you brush and style. A good conditioner will hydrate your hair without weighing it down and Time Laboratories has a great Sea Dew Conditioner with natural oils like Jojoba and Coconut, and other plant extracts.

If you want something specific for tangled hair try their Tangle Tamer which also works great as a leave-in conditioner. People with extra sensitivities and babies can look at the Vanilla Tangerine Baby Shampoo and Conditioner for an even gentler hair treatment. These are safe enough for use with babies and have the delicious fragrance of Vanilla and Tangerine.

For anyone willing to make their own shampoo we recommend our Natural Shampoo Base to get you started. Add essential oils of your choice. Great essential oils for hair care include: Cedarwood, Tea Tree, Lavender, Ylang Ylang, and Rosemary.


These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Written By:

Phil Shepard

Store Manager

Time Laboratories

About Phil

Phil Shepherd is an avid aromatherapy enthusiast who enjoys working for Time Laboratories and Windrose Aromatics. As a southeast Idaho native, Phil enjoys working in his local community theater and spending time at home with his husband and his pets.
Phil loves working with aromatherapy, particularly making custom fragrance blends. Phil manages the local retail outlet for Time Laboratories, is a proud NAHA volunteer, and feels privileged to have had the opportunity to work closely with a pioneer of American aromatherapy, Ms. Annemarie Buhler.