Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Sally Hansen Salon Effects Polish Strips



This is the new cheaper minx like polish Application by Sally Hansen. They can be found in your local drugstores, i.e. Walmart, Walgreen, for around $9.99 a pack. I will be keeping an eye out for these!!

Other Cheaper minx like applications:

Sephora OPI nail stickers  (dry nail polish)
Nail Rocks (like minx)
Incoco ( I usually find these in Walgreens)


These are the one's I know about. I have seen other sites or ebay listings, but I have not tried.

Enjoy!

Natural Hair Gel Options

Here are some alternative to gel that are natural from the blog Healthy Hair and Body, plus my own findings.   I already know about the flaxseed gel and aloe vera gel, but I've never used gelatin for anything other than my deep pore cleansing.

BASIC FLAXSEED GEL (Vegan Options)
   - add oils and Eo's optional

PURE ALOE VERA GEL (Vegan Options)
- aloe vera plant
Extraction Instructions
Video tutorial

ALOE AND JOJOBA GEL (Vegan Options)
- aloe vera gel (purchased or extracted)
- jojoba oil
Recipe and Instructions

GELATIN GEL
- organic gelatin (unflavored)
- warm water
Recipe and Instructions
  • you can also make a setting lotion using only 1 cup water and 1tsp gelatin

Guar Gum(Vegan Options)/Xanthum Gum
- Guar gum and/or xanthum gum
-water
Recipe & Instructions

Fruit Pectin (Vegan Options)
-fruit pectin
- water
Video Tutorial

Extraordinary Xg Gel
-extraordinary XG
-distilled water
Recipe & intructions


Enjoy!

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Bronzing Lotion

This lotion will give your skin that natural glow or sun kissed look, we all like so much.  It is very simple to make.  Just use your favorite store bought or handmade lotion and make your own bronzing lotion for a fraction of the price!

Ingredients:
Un-petroleum Jelly
Bronze and/or Gold Mica  1/2 -1 Tsp

Depending on how you want the lotion to look after application you can use the mica at different amounts. You can also use whatever color mica (s) you want depending on your complexion.  This method also applies to making your own tinted lip gloss.  Your otions are endless with mica colors!

Simply add mica to lotion and stir.

I got my mica's from Coastal Scents!


This is gold mica on my skin.  It will give my skin glow and reflect light!

Enjoy!

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Beer Soap

source
I recently purchased beer soap from Whole Foods and it was Great!!!(Tony the Tiger Voice, Lol!)   I used it as a shampoo bar, but it can be used on body as well.  It was made by Ethically Engineered, a local Chicago based soap maker.  They have an etsy shop too, which was actually how I learned about them.  I was so excited to find them at my fav, Whole Foods.  Ethically Engineered is a green company that makes vegan, all natural soaps, etc.  All of his products are green, including packaging materials.

As for the soap bar, it left my hair clean, but not stripped at all.  I had gel piled up in my head (I'll get to this later) and my scalp was hurting from not shampooing in so long, but it made my hair feel so soft and I didn't feel like I had to pour half my conditioner bottle on my head to replenish the moisture. 

Since I braided my hair up immediately after for extensions, I can't really see the results of the shampoo, but the fact that it didn't leave my hair dry and brittle, I likey!!

See Ethically Engineered Esty shop here.

I'm also interested in buying their shaving kit, it is so cool and GREEN on so many levels!!

Here is their product description:
At a hearty 8oz this bar is twice the size of a common soap bar and will last quite a bit longer than the frothy pint that inspired me.

This soap brings you the sensations of a stroll through the pubs of Northern Ireland in all their majesty. Using organic and vegan stout beers this bar fits squarely in the working man's calloused hand. At the dawn of the Industrial revolution, and throughout, hearty stouts were the liquid bread and energy of the factory. Mill Workers to steelworkers clamored out of the factory doors and into their cherished pub to recharge.

Now the natural properties of vegan beer help to nourish the skin and hair. Vegan beer soap? That's right! This soap has been mixed with vegan stout beer and castor oil. Our soap is made from scratch, using the cold process method. Handmade soap contains moisturizing emollients and will leave your skin fresh and soft.

Life. Drink it in.

How can beer help my hair? Glad you asked! I get this question a lot and really enjoy talking about the other ways that one can enjoy beer. When you use beer on your hair, its natural ingredients coat each strand and lend hair-nourishing benefits. In addition to B vitamins, the proteins found in malt and hops are said to repair damaged hair and boost overall body. Meanwhile, the maltose and sucrose sugars in beer tighten the hair’s cuticles for enhanced shine.



Enjoy!!

Monday, May 23, 2011

Herbal Facial Spritz 2

This spritz can be used as a refresher throughout the day, light cleaner when on the go, and help set makeup!  These ingredients can easily be replaced with other extracts(contemplating adding hibiscus extract), just make sure they are water soluble and beware of alcohol based extracts because they may irritate your skin. 


Ingredients:

Distilled Water       90.5%
Cucumber Extract  2%
Green Tea Extract  2%
Fennel Extract        5%
Cosmocil/Preservative          .5%

Mix in bowl and pour into cobalt spritz bottle.  Refrigerate for a cool & refreshing spritz on hot days!!  If you add no preservatives, refrigerate in between uses.


Enjoy!!

Facial Moisturizer

This moisturizer is for all skin types, especially oily skin.  With summer coming and the humid weather I have been suffering from shiny forehead, lol!  And oils were, no matter how little I used, not working for my oily skin.  This recipe is simple to make and contains 2 ingredient, WhooHoo!!  It is very simple to make.

The aloe vera is light and provides a very cool and soothing feel to the skin and the Fennel extract assist with excess sebum production!!

95% Aloe vera Gel
5%  Fennel Seed Extract

Just mix!!

Enjoy!

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Test The PH

One way to figure out if a product is good for your skin or hair is to test the PH level. The test range is from 0-14, with 7 being neutral.  An example of a neutral ingredient is water. This test is to see how acidic (0) or alkaline (14) a product is. Our hair is acidic and tests at a 5, so any number close to this would be best, around 4-7. Most shampoos are a seven and chemical dyes tend to be around 8-9, thus the damage. You can test the ph of your products and recipes to see if they are safe by using ph strips of digital ph monitors. I got mine from http://www.theherbarie.com/.

I see that some shampoos are testing at a 6-7 and they dry my hair out, so I probably need to find something between 4-5.5. 

Here is an article on the topic:

What is a Safe pH Level for Hair Care Products? eHow.com

Also The Natural Haven has a few educating post on ph levels too. 
Also visit Luv Naturals for great video series about this topic!!


This post is very general in a sense and I'm still learning.





Enjoy!

Monday, May 9, 2011

Cassia Treatment & Deep Conditioner

Cassia, also called neutral henna, is purported to give you the same results of henna, strengthening, shine and conditioning, without the dye.  If your hair is dark, you will experience no color change, but if your hair is pale or blonde you will experience a golden tint.  So, if you are scared to make the commitment to henna color, but want to experience some of it;s benefits, Cassia is it.  I just wanted to try it before I make the plunge into full henna treatment. 

 
I used a Whole foods brand, because I was too impatient to wait and order from http://www.mehandi.com/.  But be careful to any box that says, brown henna, black henna, etc.  There is no such thing and these products are sometimes not natural, as they label them.  If you want more info, visit http://www.hennaforhair.com/ and http://www.mehandi.com/ for  more in depth info.  Since neutral henna aka Cassia has no dye, I decided to give it a try. 

 
Application:

 
Depending on hair length, take 100-200 grams of Cassia and add warm distilled water.
Mix paste and apply.  (must be used within 1 hour)
After covering hair with paste cover with plastic cap and let sit for 2 hours.
Dunk head in water and rinse paste out.
Follow up with deep conditioner!

 
Deep Conditioner

 
I got this idea from another blog,  which I can't remember at the moment, but she added Shea butter to Trader Joe's Tea tree Conditioner.  If you have ever tried a shea butter hot oil treatment or any other hot oil treatment, they can become messy and drippy.  While  I love the results, I hate the mess.  Well this method will help you get the benefits of the oil treatment, while using thick conditioner to prevent all the mess and drip.

 

 
Instructions;
  •  Make shea butter hot oil treatment
  • Add Conditioner until it reaches your desired texture and stir
  • Apply to hair.

 
I was lazy, since I waited until 10pm to start my Cassia treatment, so I just applied this mix to my hair, covered with a plastic cap, placed a tight headband around the perimeter and wrapped my head in towel.  This allowed my body heat to keep the deep conditioner warm , while I slept.  (I'm going to invest in a turban head towel in the future so I don't have to keep waking up and adjusting towel)  I rinsed the next morning and my hair was so, soft.

Enjoy!

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Anti-Perspirant Alternative

In your search for natural deodorant, here is a cool "helper".  I found this product a few years ago, because I was very concerned about perspiration and stink, and was looking into prescription strength anti-perspirants/deodorant.  Well my doctor told me to try this out first.  The prescription strength version is about $50 a pop and is alcohol based, while this one is cheaper and water based.  I stopped using it for no specific reason other than lack of follow through.

Well, I came across it again on skin deep cosmetic database while reviewing the ingredients of Arm & Hammer Essentials deodorant ( which they have no data for, but typically get scores of 3-4 and contain ingredients that get scores of 7 and 8....yeeesh!) and I was surprised that it got a score of 0.  I just new that this product was bad for me without looking up the ingredients, lol never assume!

Anyhoo, this product is to be applied at night only and will assist with cutting down perspiration and might help your natural deodorant work better.  I'm going to find my bottle and give it a try.  You can find it at your local walmart, etc.  It's usually way at the bottom though!

Product Ingredients:  Aluminum Chloride, Sodium Bicarbonate, Water


Certain Dri Skin Deep rating

Se my post on Natural Deodorant Recipes for daily use


Enjoy!

Monday, May 2, 2011

Natural Styling Gel

This formula is from The Herbarie.  I gave it my first try this weekend and this stuff is THICK, OMG!  I used some this morning for my edges and in some spots it is still plastered to my head, lol.  Anyhoo, despite it being too thick, it shows some great potential.  My hair waved up really pretty in the front when I tried it( I used the smallest amount possible).  I will try again and decrease the amount of extraordinary xg, though.  Formula below represents less extraodinary xg thant the herbaries formula.


Formula

Phase A
  • Distilled Water 97.5%
  • Extraordinary XG  1%
Phase B
  • Dl Panthenol 1%
  • Liquid Germall Plus  .5%
Really easy to make though, measure out ingredients and stir watter while slowly adding e/ xg.  Add phase B.

Note:  After using the herbarie's formula, I noticed build up in my hair, which I did not like, so I will try the E. xg at a smaller amount soon. 
Done!

Body Odor - Health911.com - Causes of Body Odor, Body Odor Products

Body Odor - Health911.com - Causes of Body Odor, Body Odor Products

Interesting article, about body odors, sweating and armpit smells and ways to remedy it!