Skincare Tips for the Spring

Spring is almost here!

A few weeks ago, we started to have double-digit temperatures!  It was such a treat to be given a sneak peek into Spring.  I celebrated by going for a long walk with my son in the baby carrier.  Sadly, the high temps did not last and we’ve had more snow since then.  In fact, as I write this, I’m looking out the window at a snow shower.  Nevertheless, I know that Spring is close and it’s time to get ready for sunshine and outdoor fun!

Spring also means that my skin will have different needs. Here’s how I’m planning on taking care of my skin.

Spring Soap

I just whipped up two small batches of Goat’s Milk Melt and Pour Soap.  I made a few bars of soap using green clay and scented them with Patchouli.  In the past, I’ve sometimes overdone it with the Patchouli scent.  Fortunately, I’ve learned from that and these bars are nicely scented.

I also made some bars of soap with pink clay.  I use these on my face.  They are gentle and are able to clean my skin without removing all of the natural oils. I scented these bars with Grapefruit essential oil.  I like to call these bars Pink Grapefruits!

Light Moisturizers

I’ve been using the Emollient Wheatgerm cream this winter.  It’s been great.  Now that the weather is turning, I’ll be using face oils only.  I love the Suti face oils.  They have a delicious scent and are light on the skin.  I also make my own face oils and have experimented with all kinds of oils.  Once I finish the batch that I have in my cabinet, I’ll be making some more to try!

It’s also time to switch to a light lotion.  I always need to help my skin with moisture.  However, I can get away with a light lotion during the warmer months, rather than a thicker lotion or cream.

Hair Care

If you’ve been following my blog for a while, you’ll already know that I’m a big fan of reverse hair washing.  I just love the results and I continue to wash my hair this way.  With the added humidity that comes with Spring, my hair can get a bit frizzy. I find that a weekly hair mask is just what it needs to stay under control.  My favorite mask right now is plain coconut oil.

How do you pamper your skin during the spring months?

This post is part of the GiG Spotlight #5: Spring Fever.  Thanks to Caity of Moi Contre La Vie and Mari of I Love Green Inspiration for hosting this wonderful event.  Are you wondering what GiG is?  It’s the Girls Inspired Group.  Click on the image below to check out their blog and join!

Tips for Healthy Hair

I’ve struggled to care for my hair properly for a long time now.  While I was pregnant, it got a bit easier and now I think I may have figured out what works for me!

Hair looks great during pregnancy

While I was pregnant, my hair grew so well!   I used to leave the bathroom floor littered with strands of hair after my shower.  However, that all stopped while I was pregnant.  My hair got thicker and was looking great.

I got in the habit of applying a hair mask at least once a week and washing my hair backwards.  All of that lead to me having the best hair I had ever had!  Woo hoo!

Post-Pregnancy Hair

As soon as my son was born, I adopted a new hair style.  It was a top knot secured with a butterfly clip. I admit, it’s not the most elegant look, but it keeps it out of my face and away from my son’s grabbing hands.  I can put it up whether it’s wet or dry and it’s a passable look. Did I mention that it’s quick too?

About 10 weeks after my son was born, my hair started to drop again.  I had expected it, so I wasn’t too distressed.  Fortunately, it wasn’t more than usual, so I felt like my hair was just getting back to normal.

I completely stopped applying my hair masks after my son was born.  I just kept forgetting to think ahead and prepare one!  I also stopped blow drying my hair completely.  When I’ve had some down time, blow drying my hair simply has not been the first thing on my mind!

Healthy Hair

A few days ago, I decided it was time to put some attention on my precious locks.  I applied a simple hair mask of coconut oil to my hair about 30 minutes before washing.  I also decided to blow dry my hair, just for the fun of it.  I thought it would be nice to have a different style, even if it was just for one day.

Who knew that it would take three times as long to dry my hair?!  Seriously…it used to take me 10 minutes at the most.  I must have worked on my hair for at least half an hour.

So, why is that?  Well, I can only come to one conclusion.  After not blow drying my hair for several months, my hair is far less dry than it used to be.  So, instead of drying out on its own, it took a lot of work to get those locks looking sleek!

Alia’s Tips for Healthy Hair

Here are my tips for healthy hair.  Keep in mind, these are all based on my own experience only.  I am certainly not trained in this field and I’m no expert by any stretch of the imagination.  Rather, these are the things that have worked for me.

Carrot Banana Hair Mask

– Apply a hair mask to your hair every so often.  I try  to do it weekly, but as you can see from above, it doesn’t always work out.  You don’t have to use coconut oil on your hair.  There are lots of different recipes out there.

– Wash your hair backwards. I have been doing this for months and I love the way my hair turns out.

– Minimize the amount of blow drying and curling/straightening that you do to your hair.  If you can, let it air dry.

– Brush your hair before you go to bed.  This helps spread the natural oils throughout your hair.

– Don’t wash you hair every day.  Rather, wash it every other day or even less often.  I tend to wash mine twice a week, though since my son arrived, I’ve kind of lost track of the days!

What are your secrets for keeping your hair shiny and healthy?

Go Deep! A Treat For Your Locks

I’ve been dying to try out some DIY hair masks and over the past couple of months, have finally had a chance.  The experiments have been fun and I’ve got a few favorites.

What is a Hair Mask?

Hair Masks are great at providing deep conditioning to your hair.  It’s not something I would recommend doing every day.  However, it’s a nice weekly treat, if you can make the time.  The ingredients of a hair mask can vary.  There are masks you can buy and there are lots that you can make at home with regular ingredients from your kitchen.

Years ago, I used to indulge in a hot oil treatment every few weeks.  It felt great on my hair and was easy to manage.  I also used to do overnight treatments of mayonnaise on my hair.  It worked great, but I wasn’t a fan of the “scent” of mayo on my head all through the night.

Recently, I’ve been venturing into my kitchen to find ingredients.  In all cases, I reversed washed my hair.  After the hair mask, I shampooed, but didn’t have a need to re-condition my hair again.  Here’s my assessment of my experiments so far:

Avocado/Egg Hair Mask

I mixed half an avocado (mashed) and a beaten egg in this mask.  The mixture was pretty thin and it spread easily throughout my hair.  I massaged it into my dry hair and let it sit for about 30 minutes.  I rinsed it out in the shower with cold water. (You never want to use hot water when there is egg involved, in case you accidentally cook the eggs!).  After rinsing, I shampooed my hair and skipped the conditioning step.

Not only was my hair not tangled at the end of it, it was so soft.  My hair felt great!

This mask also works great if you add honey to the mixture.  It makes the mask a bit thicker and easier to handle.

Coconut Oil Hair Mask

This hair mask had only one ingredient – coconut oil.  I massaged the oil into my dry hair and let it sit for about 20 minutes.  I loved the smell of coconut while I was doing this.  Unfortunately, I think I used too much that day, because it took my several rounds of shampoo to wash out the coconut oil.  Perhaps I should have had an ACV rinse on hand to help me get the excess out.

I tried this a few weeks later, using less oil (maybe 1.5 tsp in total).  I was able to wash it out easily with my regular shampoo.

Both times, my hair felt great afterwards and I would recommend it, provided that the amount of coconut oil used is scant!

Carrot/Banana Hair Mask 

I was inspired to try this hair mask after reading Stilishbabe’s blog.  I blended two small peeled and chopped carrots with half of a banana, 1 T of Manuka honey and 1 tsp of coconut oil.  I did my best to massage the mixture into my hair.  However, it was quite crumbly, so it was a bit of a challenge.  I let it sit on my hair, under the cover of a shower cap, for about 30 minutes.  Before getting into the shower, I shook out my hair to get most of the mixture out.  Then, I washed my hair with my regular shampoo.

This mask was a bit more work than others and it was worth it.  My hair was soft and shiny at the end of it.

Have YOU Tried a Hair Mask?

Have you ever tried a deep conditioning hair mask? If you have, was it worth it?

If you haven’t had a chance to try one yet, go for it and try one of these easy recipes!

Wash Your Hair Backwards!

A few weeks ago, I started washing my hair backwards.  Or, maybe a better way to say it is that I’ve started washing my hair in reverse order.  First, I condition and second, I shampoo.

Is That Co-Washing?

Nope.  Co-washing is different from what I’m doing.  Co-washing is when you “wash” your hair with conditioner only.  The theory behind it is that by conditioning your hair, without using a shampoo, you are adding moisture to your hair without stripping it.  You would apply your conditioner and then rinse it out after it has sat on your head for a while.  Many women swear by this method of washing their hair. 

Reverse Hair Washing

By conditioning my hair first, I ensure that it gets lots of moisture. I gently massage it into my scalp. I’m also sure to cover the tips of my hair.  I leave it in for about 10 minutes while I shower and then rinse it out.  If I were to stop there, I would end up with quite the build up in my hair (I learned that the hard way), leaving it feeling heavy and greasy over time.  So, I use a bit of shampoo to get the excess conditioner out.

The Benefits of Reverse Washing

The first time I tried this, I was worried that my hair would be full of knots and tangles at the end of my shower.  I couldn’t have been more wrong. I have long hair that goes to the middle of my back and I had no problem running a comb straight through it.  Phew!  I had no need for an extra leave-in conditioner or to have a war with my hair. 

Even better, my hair felt softer and looked shinier when I was done.  I’ve now had those great results for a few weeks, so I know it wasn’t just a one time thing!

Who Else is Reverse Washing?

As much as this was a personal discovery for me, I’m not the only Reverse Washer out there!  Reverse Washing is referenced in the book No More Dirty Looks and also on their blog.  They’ve had a great experience with Reverse Washing as well!

How has Reverse Washing worked for you?

Have you ever tried washing your hair in reverse?  If you did, how did it work for you?  If haven’t had a chance to try it yet, would you be willing to give it a shot and tell me how it worked?  I’d love to hear from you!

Tea Tree Oil – Nature’s First Aid

Origins

Tea Tree Oil is indigenous to eastern Australia’s tea trees.  It’s Latin name is Melaleuca alternifolia and it is also known as Australian tea tree oil or Melaleuca oil.

This oil has a strong camphor-like smell.  To be honest, it’s not my favorite scent.  However, it works great to clear a stuffy nose!

The oil itself is clear.  If you purchase it, be sure to get it in a dark glass bottle to  protect it from light that can reduce its potency.

Uses

Tea Tree Oil has long been used a natural remedy.  It has been used to treat acne, athlete’s foot, dandruff, and skin infections.  It should always be used in a diluted form and should not be ingested.

Tea Tree Oil is used in creams, shampoos, lotions and other skin care products. It’s even found in some toothpastes and mouthwashes.  These are considered safe since you should not be swallowing either the toothpaste or the mouthwash.

Tea Tree Oil is not recommended for women who are pregnant or breast-feeding.

From Natural Shampoo to No Shampoo

During the summer, I made the switch to natural shampoo.  It took a bit of trial and error to find one that worked well with my hair, but when I found it, I was very happy with the result.  The one I ended up choosing was Aubrey’s Blue Camomile Shampoo and Conditioner.

Right after I settled on this great option, I started reading about the “no poo” movement.  I was intrigued and of course, decided to try it out.

So, I made myself a baking soda rinse.  I used it for the first time over a month ago.  After the first time, my hair still felt a bit dirty, so I made myself an apple cider vinegar rinse for the next time.  Sure enough, using the vinegar rinse helped get that clean feeling in my hair.

Over the past month, I have experimented with the amount of time between “washes”.  I definitely have to “wash” my hair more often than when I was using actual shampoo.  If I rinse my hair every other day or every two days, it looks and feels pretty good.

As a backup, I have used a dry shampoo from time to time to help absorb some of the oil when I don’t have time to do a full wash.  All in all, I’m very satisfied with myself.  I loved the natural shampoo and have it on hand in case I feel the need for a good lather in my hair. And of course, I will still work on formulating my own shampoo.  In the meantime, I’ve found a gentle way to keep my hair clean and have reduced the number of chemicals in my daily routine!

How do you bring balance to your day?

I have a busy day job.  It’s dynamic and challenging and I love it.  I also find it exhausting at times, due to the demand on my time and energy.

Experimenting with skin care products is a great relief for me.  I get to be creative and try out different things.  I get to experiment with scents, textures and viscosity.  It’s very different from my day job and it provides me with the right balance.  I also love sharing my creations with my family and friends and finding out what they like and don’t like about each one.

As a side benefit, I’m learning lots of tidbits about adding balance to my day.  I recently started brushing my skin in the morning again.  I found out I love it!  It’s a great way to start my day and knowing that I get to do this helps me drag myself out of bed each morning.

I’ve also cut a lot of unnecessary chemicals out of my life.  By making a simple change to a natural soap, I realized that I didn’t need my store bought moisturizer anymore.  And by using dry shampoo a couple of times a week, I’ve cut the times that I have to wash my hair in half each week.  That means I have more time to spend on other things.

How do you bring balance to your day?

How often do you wash your hair?

As I’ve been researching the topic of natural hair care, I’ve found a few articles that talk about how often you really need to wash your hair.  Some people wash their hair every day and others wash their once or twice a month.  Why such a difference?

All on its own, your body’s sebaceous glands produce sebum.  Sebum waterproofs and moisturizes your hair.  When left unwashed, sebum can accumulate in your hair and you can get that look of unwashed and oily hair.  This causes us to shampoo our hair to get rid of the excess oil.  However,some shampoo gets rid of so much of our natural oils that we have to then condition our hair and replace the oil we just removed.  That sounds a bit redundant to me.

The fact is, until recently, frequent hair washing was not common. It wasn’t long ago that women used to go to the hairdresser once a week to have their hair washed and styled for the entire week!  Over the last sixty years, that trend has changed in North America.  Now, it is largely unacceptable allow your hair to get too oily.  Now, we largely choose to strip the oils out and promptly put them back in with a conditioning product.

As redundant as hair washing sounds, the fact is that when I don’t wash my hair every other day, it gets very oily.  It doesn’t feel great and it looks worse!  Some have turned to dry shampoo.   This product is formulated to absorb excess oils and remove the need for excess washing.   They’ve been used for many years and are seeing a bit more popularity right now.  There are a variety of ways to make them and they are certainly for sale in regular stores.  Can you guess what I’m going to try making next?