Using Herbs & Teas as a Hair Rinse

Hair rinses are conditioning treatments that soften the hair, encourage shine and body as well as make it more manageable. Rinses can also help to bring out the natural highlights in hair.

Hair rinses are done by pouring a cup of black, green or white tea over the hair to reduce shedding or to stimulate hair growth. This works by the caffeine penetrating the hair follicles.

Black, green, and white teas are all known to prevent shedding and help hair growth.

  
Directions:

1.      Brew a weak cup of tea before getting into the shower. Do not make it strong. Try brewing for 1 tea bag for 1-2 minutes.

2.      Cool the tea down to luke warm

3.      Use a color applicator/spray bottle to apply to the scalp.

4.      Leave on for 5-30 minutes

5.      Shampoo and condition as usual (you can leave in after wash or do before shampooing)

6.      Repeat the tea 2 or 3 times a week. If you don’t see result in 1-2 months it’s best you opt. For some natural herbs.

Leave In-Conditioners

Moisturizers are a must-have in every healthy hair-care regimen. Select one water based moisturizer and one protein based moisturizer. Any of the two moisturizers should not contain petrolatum, and minerals that will coat your hair. Rather look for water, humectants, natural oils and/or butters. 

Having a leave-in for moisture nd one for protein can allow you to identify your hair needs at the time. Rule of thumb: use a moisture leave-in 3 days a week and the protein leave-in twice a week. Once, you begin to learn what you hair likes you can add or subtract days of usage. You'll feel the difference :).

 

Leave- in sprays/ mist: Are great for touching up your natural curls throughout the day. They work well with natural, relaxed braided, twisted, or sew-in styles. *Best suited for finer hair types.

Creamy leave-ins: Are best suited for those with thicker, course hair types.

Clay Facial Mask

Just the other day a friend asked that I recommend her with a facial mask that would help with her breakouts, while still paying attention to price. Immediately I had something in mind, but, 1) it was late and I didn’t want to rush with explaining; what it was, what it can do and how it can help. 2) I wanted to make sure that there wasn’t anything else that could potentially help her. However, I decided I decided to stick with my first thought and suggested a clay mask. 

Clays or mud have been around for centuries and are the oldest beauty treatments that are still commonly used today. Clay is used to deep cleanse the skin and when used, it draws out oils, surface impurities and dead skin cells, leaving a soft and smooth difference. Clay can also be used on your hair as a deep treatment under a steamer or towel set for 30mins. You can purchase clay from all natural food stores or a pharmacy.

How to:

2 tablespoons Natural Clay

1-2 tablespoons Distilled Water (give or take)

Spread the mixture on clean skin and leave for 15-20 minutes until dry. Rinse with warm water followed by cool water. Pat your skin dry.

Chest and Back Acne

Chest and back acne is aggravated by large amounts of sweat and oil that sit on the body for long periods of time, without being washed. Actually, friction between your clothing and skin, especially if you wear athletic gear or a heavy backpack on your shoulders, can aggravate your skin and make this worse.

To prevent this you want to make sure to wash your back and chest thoroughly after you’ve shampooed and conditioned your hair. Sometimes the emollients from the products can clog up your pores and using fabric softener and harsh detergents could be some main culprits as well.

How to take care:

Make sure to wash your back and or chest with a natural or botanical cleanser, exfoliate (1-2 times a week) and use a lotion that contains salicylic or glycolic acid (the same ingredients in aspirin). When you exfoliate be sure to use a scrubbing sponge to rid of any dead skin.

Taking vitamin B6 can also help to fight off acne. Making sure you consume a well balanced diet of vitamin A, zinc and chromium from foods and drink plenty of water!

** Do not take vitamin A supplements they can become toxic. Ask your doctor before taking anything suggested.

Can I wash my hair with conditioner instead of shampoo?

Conditioner washing is a method that skips on the shampoo and heads straight for the moisture. The hair is rinsed with warm water and then washed with a light conditioner. Conditioner washing can be great for people who workout or who need a gentle cleanse without leading to dryness. This practice can work since conditioners contain gentle cleansers in their formula, however, the use of oils, butters and moisturizers must stay between light to moderate.

The biggest ‘uh-oh’ when it comes to this, is product build-up. Since no shampoo is being used this can call for some major build up of gunk on the scalp, and since you know that our scalp is our crown of glory, you know this can hinder your scalp from staying pliable, cleansed and being able to grow. Since conditioner is a moisturizer and that’s the only thing your hair is getting, your hair might soon start to reject it, because of excessive elements of moisture from the conditioner, oils and butter you may be using. This can cause hair breakage.

Clarifying once or twice a month can rid of any build-up caused by using this method, or even used once a month if you do shampoo and are constantly using thick butters and oils. Shampooing once a week will be ideal and beneficial for managing build up and moisture rejection.

Baby Blues: Lavender Cornstarch Baby Powder

As I’ve told you already, my son has a diaper rash and following the oatmeal- pepper bath I decided to make my own baby powder. I can really testify that this stuff really does work. It’s easy to make, sweet smelling, absorbent and is a gentle disinfecting powder. Recipe as follows:

Lavender Cornstarch Baby Powder

1 tablespoon cornstarch

2 drops sweet orange essential oil

1 drop lavender essential oil

Drop the essential oils into the cornstarch and stir in well. Apply to onto your baby’s bum or wherever needed. If you need more multiply the ingredients.