Bamboo Hairbrush
Take a moment to consider your morning routine. Maybe the first thing you reach for is your phone as you swipe away at the alarm. Or maybe you are the type to jump out of bed, immediately making the bed and getting to the day.
Regardless, the bathroom is likely one of your first pitstops.
While in the bathroom, you brush your teeth to freshen up and keep your oral health pristine, and you will likely style your hair.
For those of us with longer hair, it will sometimes look a bit unkempt in the morning. For others, a bad hair day might be inevitable more often than not.
At this point, we have a few options, and they usually involve breaking out a trusty hairbrush. Too often, these hairbrushes feature colorful plastic handles and bristles. While they might help tame some of the flyaways caused by a good night’s rest, they will also cause lots of frizz — and environmental harm.
Plastic hairbrushes are not the best option, but luckily there is an alternative that will help keep your hair healthy and just where you want it — best of all, it’s not plastic.
Bamboo hairbrushes are better for you, your hair, and the planet — here’s everything you need to know about bamboo hairbrushes!
Are Bamboo Hairbrushes Better for the Environment?
The simple answer is that bamboo hairbrushes are in fact better for the environment. They are substantially more sustainable than conventional hairbrushes and are even more eco-friendly than other sustainable materials. Today, we will get into exactly why this is the case.
Is Bamboo a Sustainable Material?
This fact is not widely known, but bamboo is one of the most sustainable resources we have at our disposal. It is, by definition, incredibly renewable.
Bamboo grows remarkably quickly, making it a natural resource that we should utilize as often as we can. Using bamboo instead of other trees and timber greatly helps forests recover and return to their previous health.
The versatility of bamboo is also often underestimated. Bamboo can be used in its raw form to make all sorts of substantial items, but we can also convert it into a wood pulp that works for creating paper, toilet tissue, and more.
Why Are Bamboo Hairbrushes Good for Your Hair?
Now that we have established the basics on what makes bamboo hairbrushes so much better for the environment (more on that later), now let’s get into why they are perfect in the short term, too.
It is not only the planet that benefits from switching to a bamboo hairbrush — bamboo brushes are much better for your hair and scalp than plastic ones. This often zero waste alternative is a win-win if you want shinier hair, less static, smooth bristles, better blood flow, and a happier planet, all in one!
Improved Scalp Circulation
Depending on who you are, brushing your hair might be an integral and unskippable part of your beauty routine. Then, for other people, your hair brush routine might be a once-a-week sort of deal.
No matter your current habits, it is worth knowing that brushing your hair has tangible benefits. If you regularly brush your hair, you can significantly improve blood circulation to your scalp.
This improved circulation can help strengthen your hair and benefit your scalp’s overall health. Not only will you experience these health benefits, but a soft brushing can also serve as a scalp massage, which is a deeply relaxing practice.
Added Shine
By regularly brushing your hair with an authentic bamboo brush rather than one made out of synthetic materials, you will experience less snagging, less hair breakage, and an overall more enjoyable experience.
Whether you have thin or thick hair, there is an abundance of benefits that come from brushing. One of the most noticeable benefits is healthier, shinier hair.
There are two primary reasons for this additional shine. First and foremost, brushing your hair with a bamboo brush makes for gentler detangling. When there are fewer tangles in your hair, it can better reflect the light to appear shinier. The second reason for this increased shine is that brushing helps your scalp’s natural oils distribute throughout your hair, from root to tip.
Frizz Reduction
Due to bamboo’s anti-static properties, even long hair can experience significantly less frizz than it would have with a brush made of anything else. As a result of this improvement, you are likely to notice that a bamboo hairbrush glides along strands much smoother than a plastic brush does.
Static Protection
Wood (including bamboo) is traditionally an insulator rather than a conductor, meaning that it does not allow electricity to flow through it easily. Since the electric charge of your hair causes hair static, passing a bamboo brush in between the strands will give the charge nowhere to go.
This electrical charge leads to hair feeling like a hard-to-manage mess. However, by using natural wood, you can help to calm your hair down and combat static, whether you have long, short, or medium-length hair.
Oil Distribution
We said we would get back to the all-important topic of oil distribution, and at last, here we are.
Gentle brushing along the scalp increases sebum production, which is a must for shiny and healthy hair. The hair follicle produces sebum to lubricate the hair, allowing the strands to maintain their moisture. However, it can be difficult for the oil to make its way down each strand all the way to the tip. Brushing will give your hair a glossier appearance as you push these oils where they’re needed most!
Hair Growth
Since brushing your hair helps stimulate blood flow to the area, more nutrients being carried to your scalp may be a welcome result. As such, the conditions will be ideal for proper hair growth. Also, by using a gentle brush, your hair will experience less breakage, allowing it to grow long and luscious.
Detangling
One of the primary reasons we brush our hair is to get rid of the tangles that can occur during our daily lives. A wooden hairbrush accomplishes that same goal but is much gentler than its plastic counterparts. As we mentioned earlier, this will prevent breakage, but it can also seriously limit the amount of pain felt from detangling.
How Does a Bamboo Hairbrush Benefit the Planet?
The ways a bamboo hairbrush benefits you are plentiful, but let’s explore the benefits to the planet.
Plastic-Free
Bamboo hairbrushes are plastic-free, and that is incredibly important considering that most brushes are made entirely of plastic that can sit in landfills and oceans for lifetimes before breaking down.
Long-Lasting
Plastic can break or snap under minimal pressure. However, bamboo is very durable. Your brushing will feel gentler, but any especially tangled knots still won’t stand a chance.
Biodegradable and Compostable
While plastic brushes will pollute the planet for years to come, entirely bamboo brushes often use wholly compostable and biodegradable materials. This means that they can break down quickly and without harming the environment, making a better tomorrow for all of us.
Can I Get a Bamboo Hairbrush Wet?
A bamboo hairbrush can stand up to little a bit of moisture, but it is generally best to keep excessive water exposure to a minimum since it is still wood. Over time, this can damage your brush if you let it sit wet. If your brush has gotten wet, be sure to dry it as much as possible.
How Often Should a Bamboo Hairbrush Be Cleaned?
If you do not regularly use hair products, you can expect to clean your bamboo hairbrush monthly. However, if you regularly expose your brush to products, you should clean your brush about once a week.
You can use some shampoo and warm water, but always remember to dry your brush with a towel after cleaning. Otherwise, bacterial growth may become an issue.
The Bottom Line
Whether you are looking to buy a new brush for yourself, or as a graduation, Mother’s Day, or birthday gift, there is so much to love about bamboo.
Bamboo brushes often come equipped with a comfortable, ergonomic handle or tail comb. As far as hair combs go, you are unlikely to find one with a more luxurious feel. For additional shine and protection (in the brush, your hair will already be shiny enough!), look for one with a beeswax finish.
If you want a way to look your best while also helping the environment, a bamboo hairbrush is the way to go.
For more articles on all things sustainable, explore the Bite blog here.
Sources:
Hair Cosmetics: An Overview | National Library of Medicine
