Tips for healthy hair.

Does size matter? Who cares, but we all know that hair does. No matter the length, we all want beautiful, healthy hair. It is one of the first things I notice on people & I’m sure I’m not the only one.

Whether you are trying to grow long lustrous hair or just looking to give your hair a little extra TLC, these tips will help you along your way to gorgeously healthy hair.

1. Diet, diet, diet. Water. We all know that healthy hair begins on the inside, it’s nothing new, so let’s use this motivation to start eating better.

Salmon, almonds, oysters, spinach, blueberries, sweet potatoes, greek yoghurt, lentils & beans. All great for promoting strong healthy hair.

2. No rubbing or twisting while drying your hair. Pat, pat all the way. Yeah it may take longer but it’s necessary for strong healthy hair.

3. Do not brush wet hair. Use a wide toothed comb to detangle wet hair instead, & remember be gentle.

4. Get a trim every 4-8 weeks. You don’t want split ends turning into split hair.

5. Give yourself a hot oil massage, or even better get someone else to. A perfect reason to throw a pamper party. Coconut, argan, olive, grapeseed, almond oils are all great for your hair. Use one or all of these oils heated up slightly & thoroughly apply to scalp whilst gently massaging. Your hair will thank you for it.

6. Do not wash your hair every day. The longer you can go, the better. We don’t want to unnecessarily strip our hair of its natural oils. It’ll take some getting used to but your hair will adapt & take longer to get greasy.

7. Cut out heat. All of it. Or at least try.

8. Deep condition once a week, religiously.

9. Cut down, preferably cut out, styling products especially if you want to grow hair fast.

10. Protect your hair from the harsh elements, especially direct sunlight for long periods of time, by wearing a cute hat or scarf.

11. Switch to silk pillow cases. They are gentler on your hair as they don’t cause as much friction which leads to less breakage.

12.  Ginger & rosemary essential oils are known to promote hair growth & healthy hair. Mix a few drops of either with your carrier oil of choice (almond, coconut, olive, grapeseed, etc) & massage into scalp. Leave on for 20 to 120 minutes & voila! Lovely smelling soft hair.

13. Before I wash my hair I like to do a oil treatment with whatever I have, most the time it’s just olive oil. I saturate my ends in oil & leave on for aslong as I can, atleast 20 minutes, & wash out. This always leaves my hair beautifully soft.

Be patient, be motivated & be determined.

Who needs a spa when you’ve got a kitchen?

Now more than ever are we really weighing up the pros & cons of everything that’s unnecessarily costly. Yes it sure is amazing to be pampered by someone else but for most of us we’re lucky if we get it once a month or even once a year. But why wait when you could have a pamper session every week, even twice a week!

Milk, honey, cucumber, oatmeal, strawberry, egg, salt, sugar, black pepper, avocado, banana, yoghurt, vinegar, mayonnaise, mustard, lemon, orange, olive oil, coconut oil, baking soda, basil, coffee

These are just a few ingredients you can readily find in your kitchen that can be used in a at home pampering session. Used individually or in a combination these ingredients are a natural alternative to the harsh chemicals used to “help” restore & maintain the skins natural balance.

When it comes to your skin simplicity is best.

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Here are a few recipes to get you started on your natural journey.

Body & facial scrub:

Mix together sugar, black pepper, salt or coffee (my favourite) with olive oil. This inexpensive scrub will leave your skin beautifully polished.

Face masks:

Honey, mayonnaise, whisked egg whites & yoghurt can be used individually for a soothing & brightening face mask.

Mix together 3 tsp of a ripe avocado & 1 tsp honey. This is a wonderfully nourishing face mask perfect for all skin types.

Hair conditioner:

Mix together 1/2 cup honey & 1/4 cup olive oil for an intense conditioning.

Honey & avocado also make a great hair mask.

Toner:

Basil is a wonderful toner for acne prone skin. Boil water & mix in dried leaves. When the mixture has cooled strain it & store in a spray bottle. Use before & after cleansing for best results.

Bath soak:

You can add 1/2 to 1 cup of sea salt to your bath to reduce pains, relieve dry, itchy skin & to improve sleep.

Add 1 cup of full cream milk and a dash of honey to your bath for a beautifully nourishing bath.

Teeth whitener:

Crush 1 ripe strawberry and mix 1/2 tsp of baking soda; apply to teeth with toothbrush & let sit for 5 minutes. Brush your teeth after. Repeat once a week for pearly whites.

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There are so many variations & possibilities to choose from which can be daunting at first but it is half the fun. So why not start experimenting today?

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The oil cleansing method.

Everybody’s skin is different. What works for you might not necessarily work for me even if we have the same skin type. That is why this method of cleansing is perfect for everyone. The first few times are still a pamper session but also a way to find what your skin is in need of.

What you’ll need:

– A face cloth

– Hot water

– Your oil blend which consists of two different oils

Method:

Massage a small amount of oil into your face & neck for approximately 2 minutes, focusing on any problem areas. This gives the oil enough time to dissolve all the impurities in your skin.

Then soak your face cloth in hot water (not boiling), ring out lightly,  & place on top of your face until it goes cool. This only needs to be done once but 2 – 3 times will ensure a deeper cleanse.

Gently wipe off excess oil.

What oils to use:

Castor oil is a must for this cleansing method as it has strong anti inflammatory properties, cleanses the skin beautifully & has healing properties. It is suitable for all skin types.

You need to combine castor oil with another oil as it is extremely thick  & too much of it will leave you with dry skin.

Some oils to choose from:

Grapeseed & almond oil – suitable for all skin, especially oily.

Jojoba oil – suitable for all skin types.

Avocado oil – suitable for dry or aged skin.

Now for the oil ratios:

These are just guide lines. Try it first then feel your skin. If it feels dry use less castor oil, if it doesn’t leave your skin looking & feeling fantastic try a different oil or a little more castor oil. Listen to your body, it’s quite an amazing thing. It knows, even if you don’t.

Normail skin: 1:1

Oily skin: 1:3

Dry skin: 3:1

This is wonderful to do at night as it is quite calming & settles you nicely after a long day.

Natural hair remover.

This is a wonderful way to get rid of any unwanted hair. It’s relatively quick, cheap & easy to make. Not only that but it is the best way to wax because of the natural ingredients it causes no irritation & you can go over the same spot again & again without causing harm to your skin. The sugar will also exfoliate the skin, removing all dirt & dead skin cells. And one of the biggest selling points is it hurts less.

Ingredients:

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup water

2 tsp lemon juice

Directions:

Pour all ingredients into a sauce pan & bring to the boil.

Turn down heat to a simmer, stirring occasionally.

The mixture will bubble quite a bit but do not let it boil again as it will burn. It will take approximately 20 minutes to turn golden brown.

Once it’s turned golden brown turn off the heat & place mixture into a microwavable container.

Your wax is now ready. Wait for it to cool down, get a stick or back of a spoon, or even use your hands (but be sure that the mixture has cooled down enough first) & smooth it straight on to the skin.

Mixture is done here with the heat off. It will have a lot of bubbles when cooking so be sure to look at the colour underneath the bubbles.

Mixture just been poured into a microwavable container. It bubbles like this whilst cooking so don’t be alarmed.

20 Uses of Coconut oil

Coconut oil is definitely one of my favourite oils as it offers a myriad of health benefits. It is anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal and on top of that extremely nourishing. Here are just a few uses of this incredible oil:

#1: Makeup remover 

Apply a small amount to a cotton bud and gently wipe off makeup.

#2: Eye cream

Apply under eyes to reduce puffiness, bags and wrinkles.

#3: Shaving oil

that helps nourish and protect the skin while shaving.

#4: Aftershave

that will nourish and reduce the chance of razor burn.

#5: Hair conditioner

Apply to the ends of your hair 10-30 minutes before shampooing.

#6: Deep hair conditioning treatment

Apply a small amount to scalp and gently massage to the ends. Put on a shower cap & leave on for a few hours.

#7: Massage Oil

#8: Hair tamer/gel

Apply a small amount to the troublesome hair and smooth out.

#9: Bath oil

Use as a moisturising bath oil.

#10: Healing aid

Apply to cuts, scrapes or bruises to promote the healing process.

#11: Moisturiser

#12: Stretch mark preventative.

Use every day during pregnancy to avoid stretch marks.

#13: To get rid of athletes foot & toe fungus.

Apply to feet every day until gone.

#14: Soothes psoriasis & eczema.

Apply generously to area.

#15: Soothes nappy rash & chafed nipples.

Apply as needed. Completely safe on infants.

#16: Tanning oil.

#17: After sun.

#18: Nail growth stimulator

Apply on cuticles.

#19: Cold sore remover.

#20: Natural lube.

The sweet benefits of honey.

Honey is full of antioxidants which helps with aging as it rejuvenates the skin. It is anti-bacterial which helps treat & prevent acne, it also clarifies skin by opening up pores. On top of all this, it has the ability to absorb & retain moisture keeping your skin well hydrated & beautifully soft. It is even safe to use on the most sensitive of skin.

Are you sold yet?

Here are a few tips on how to incorporate some honey loving into your life.

Honey can be used as a luxuriously effective:

     Face wash

As is or with a gentle oil such as jojoba or grapeseed

     Face mask

As is or you can mix it with yoghurt, egg, buttermilk, lemon juice & the list goes on. Play around & see what works for you. But remember sometimes simplicity is best. Leave on for 15 – 30 minutes.

     Spot treatment

Apply a very small amount on the blemish & leave over night. For an extra spot fighting boost add a drop of tea tree or lavender oil.

     Scrub

Mix with either oats, ground almonds, baking soda, sugar or salt.

     Shaving honey

Apply before shaving as a shaving cream to leave your skin feeling sultry soft.

     Shampoo

Doesn’t work for everyone but I find it leaves my hair silky & smelling sexy.

     Hair mask

To make it easier to apply & for extra conditioning, mix together with olive oil or coconut oil & leave on for 30 minutes.

     Milk & honey bath

We all know this was one of Cleopatra’s favourite skin care regimes & we totally get it. Take your normal old bath to a whole new level of luxury & pampering within a minute. 1/4 cup honey, 1 cup milk & if you have a few drops of your favourite essential oil & voila, a bath fit for a queen.

So why not go into your kitchen, see what you have, & start having some sweet & innocent fun.

Tips for flawless skin.

#1: Resist the temptation to touch your face. After all the hard work of washing, toning, scrubbing & moisturising you don’t want to go and mess it all up by transferring millions of bacteria from your hands to your face.

#2: It is extremely important to choose the right products for your skin type as using the wrong products will be ineffective & could even worsen your skin.

#3: Do not pick, pop or squeeze your spots. You will only make it look worse and it could leave scarring. It just isn’t worth it. But if you absolutely can’t resist the only time it is acceptable is after a shower/bath or facial steaming.

#4: Cleanse, tone & moisturise twice a day (morning & night).

#5: Exfoliate once or twice a week.

#6: Apply a face mask every week or every second week.

#7: Stick to your routine!

#8: Look after yourself. Eat right, drink plenty of water & enjoy life.

What’s your skin type?

Here’s a quick 3 step test to find out.

Step One:

Wash your face & pat dry with a towel.

Step Two: 

Cut three pieces of sellotape around 3cm long each and place one on the middle of your forehead, one on the middle of your cheek & one across the bridge of your nose.

Step Three:

Gently rub the pieces of tape to get rid of air bubbles & remove slowly.

Normal Skin: There will be no traces of oil or flakes of skin.

Oily: There will be tiny drops of oil/moisture.

Combination: There will be a mixture of oil/moisture & flakes.

Dry: There will be flakes.

Sensitive skin is usually very dry, feels tights & tends to become inflamed & irritated easily. It can also be itchy/tingley & prone to breakouts.