A couple months ago Aveda launched a collection of products dubbed the ‘Pramāsana' line and wouldn’t you know your girl got to try it out first hand. As a proud Leo-lady (I am woman hear me ROAR) you know I take huge pride in my mane and the Pramāsana line deals strictly with scalp health which is why I was so curious to learn more.

You may be asking yourself why is it so important to clean your scalp? And aren’t I doing that already every time I wash my hair? Well here’s a couple things that may surprise you off the bat:

Your hair is alive only at the root so nourishing your scalp leads to better hair follicles/roots, faster growth, increased hair strength and better overall nourishment in the long run.
When your root or hair follicle is ‘clogged’ hair growth is slow (and sometimes non existent), the hair that does grow is lacking nourishment and therefore can break easier and lack luster.
Shampoo, conditioner, hair spray, moose, gels etc. can actually leave 'product buildup’ on your scalp. This with the added sebum (an oil that our body naturally produces to protect the scalp) and general air pollution, roots/follicles in your scalp can actually easily become clogged.

“Effective scalp cleansing can help normal skin cell turnover. Deep cleansing encourages a clean, healthy scalp.” - Dr. M. Julie Thornton, Ph.D., University of Bradford in the UK

The Pramāsana Scalp Care line is made up of three parts - The Exfoliating Scalp Brush, the Purifying Scalp Cleanser, and the Protective Scalp Concentrate - and is 98% naturally derived. Although the product line is available at any Aveda store to take home you can also learn more and test out the line first at any Civello’s Salon. Part of my learning experience was receiving a full Pramāsana treatment at Civello’s Salon on Queen West and I’m happy to say I walked away being a believer in the importance of scalp health!

“Consider yours scalp the soil from which you hair grows. Once you think of it that way, it shouldn't be hard to understand why you might need to give it extra care.” - Justina Majia-Montanta, VP, Global Product Development at Aveda.

The entire treatment takes about an hour (or less if you are doing it at home) and is safe to do once a week. The first step to the treatement is to exfoliate your scalp using the Pramāsana ‘Exfoliating Scalp Brush’. This special brush has looped bristles designed to loosen impurities and buildup prior to cleansing all the while not tangle your hair. Simply place the brush on your head with a bit of pressure and move it around in small circles to massage the scalp. 3-4 minutes is really all you need!

Next apply the Pramāsana ‘Purifying Scalp Cleanser’ directly to your dry scalp (yes you haven't even wet your hair yet) and massage this in. You will notice right away that it starts to foam. This is the cleanser removing impurities and cleaning the scalp which will balance sebum levels and scalp pH. Again 3-4 minutes is really all you need!

Now is when you would wet your hair and add shampoo. Any shampoo can be used in conjunction with the Pramāsana line except Aveda’s Invati line because Invati has a scalp cleanser already in it that can cause your scalp to have adverse effects and actually become dry. So once your done with the Purifying Scalp Cleanser, wet and shampoo your hair as you normally would.

At this point in the treatment and if you are in an Aveda salon you can opt in for the Pramāsana ‘Nourishing Scalp Masque’ (available only at the salon) which is specifically designed to nourish your scalp after it is properly cleansed. Think of it as the serums or brightening mask you would apply before the moisturizer you would use. It’s an intensive hydrating and nourishing treatment for your roots!

“Cleanse your Scalp. Shampoo is for hair.” - Aveda

Whether you do the mask or not you can go ahead at this point and finish your routine of conditioning and washing your hair. Before you blow dry and add in your heat protection products now is when you use the Pramāsana ‘Protective Seal Concentrate’. This lightweight serum sinks into your scalp and nourishes the skin while also protecting it from further future build up. The Protective Seal Concentrate can be added to both wet and dry hair. In my case Gabo, my Senior Civello Stylist, applied it directly to my roots on the top horseshoe portion of my hair before massaging it in (again 3-4 minutes is really all you need) before finally blowdrying and styling my hair.

Further things I learned about the Pramāsana line:

The aroma features grapefruit, neroli and cypress!
The treatment at Civello is $65 without the ‘Nourishing Scalp Masque’ and is $95 with.
Both males and females should consider looking into the health of their scalp especially if they are experiencing hair loss, breakage or malnourished hair.
It doesn’t effect colour treated hair however it shouldn’t be done until 4-5 days after you get your hair newly coloured since your roots will be sensitive from the dyes you used during your colouring.

Lastly did you know that all Aveda products are cruelty free!? That’s right, no testing on animals! All of the products (except the Nourishing Scalp Masque) can be purchased in an Aveda store or at Aveda Salon’s and Spa’s and retail for:

Pramāsana Exfoliating Scalp Brush - $28 CAN

Pramāsana Purifying Scalp Cleanser - $45 CAN

Pramāsana Protective Scalp Concentrate - $57 CAN

I thoroughly enjoyed my treatment and, like I said before, walked away believing in the importance of a healthy scalp. It’s definitely safe too say that I will be using the Pramāsana line at home and incorporating it weekly into my routine - not to mention doing a whole lot more hair flipping! LOL

As a skincare junkie I am constantly looking out for new and exciting products. In order to fully understand the effects of certain skincare products you must be willing to try them out over a long period of time. Your initial introduction is always key and with any new product you should introduce it slowly into your regime, one product at a time. Introducing too many products at the same time could leave you wondering where that weird rash came from or why you seemingly have irritation or flaky skin. Another important factor in slowly introducing new products is that in order to gauge whether they actually work for you, you need to see how your body as a whole reacts over time. Your body is filled with hormones and females can experience increased oiliness or even adult acne when hormones become unbalanced.

As a teenager my skin was not always the best, but it could have been worse if my sister and mom didn’t introduce the importance of a skincare routine to me early on. In order to get me started my mom introduced me to the Proactiv brand which I used for a good portion of my high school life and probably ignited my monster obsession with skincare.

Rodan + Fields - 4 Step Skincare Lines: Redefine, Reverse, Unblemish, Smoothe

As a once upon a time Proactiv user I was very happy to hear that the original dermatologists who created the Proactiv brand developed a new skincare line called Rodan + Fields. After a quick online consulting using the R + F solution tool my skincare rep Heather was better able to understand my need and recommend a 4 step regime perfect for me.

Starting off slow I first introduced the Deep Exfoliating Wash into my routine and instantly feel in love. The formula reminded me of one of my all time favorite exfoliating cleansers, but Rodan’s is at a way better price point! Its grainy like texture exfoliates and cleans my skin with the perfect amount of lather. My skin is left feeling super clean and smooth without being stripped of moisture. Over the course of a couple weeks I even began to see a decrease in the appearance of dark spots I acquired from a stint I went through with using tanning salons (before my better judgment kicked in).

Deep Exfoliating Wash - Step 1 in R +F's Reverse Line

After two weeks of using the Deep Exfoliating Wash I started to incorporate the toner into my regime. Although I really didn’t see that much of a difference in terms of decreasing uneven skin tone I did noticed that I started to experiences some dryness.

A couple weeks after I received the products my rep Heather reached out to me to see how I was making out. Once I conveyed my experience to her and told her about the dryness I was experiencing she told me that R+F allows for users to completely customize their 4 Step regime and offered to send me samples of two serums, one for the face and one for the lips, and two moisturizers, one for the day and one for night to try. Perfect!

Once these products were introduced to my skincare regime I was so happy to see my skin looking clearer, feeling softer and for the most part having an even tone. I’m especially surprised at how well my skin is holding up this winter with the crazy cold winds, friction from being bundled in big scarf’s, and the fluctuations in temperature!

Now having used R+F for almost 5-6 months I am happy to recommend their line to anyone dealing with skincare issues, anyone who wants to buy a skincare routine customized for them without spending crazy money or is a skincare junkie like me. No matter what you are, you can also be on your way to a clearer skin, just ask Heather!