My Hair Routine Saturday

This Saturday I dont plan to go anywhere.  I have been up to 4 am most nights and I am determined to get things done around the house and get some rest.  I will be home doing the laundry and cleaning.  So when I wake up I will:

• Apply my pre poo oils to my scalp and massage for 5-10 minutes.
• Put a plastic cap on my head and do the laudry and clean my home.
• After 8-10 hours I will shampoo my hair with Elasta QP Moisturizing Shampoo.
• Detangle my hair while dripping wet.  Then Pat my hair dry as much as possible with a towel.
• Apply my beloved Aubrey Organics Honeysuckle Rose Conditioner with a little EV Olive Oil added.
• Put plastic cap and sit under hooded dryer for 20 minutes. (Oh I can feel it now.  Hair like butter.)
• Distribute evenly 3 spritz of Giovanni Vitapro Fusion.
• Use a quater size of Ultra Black Hair Lotion Creme Moisturizer
• Seal my ends with Coconut Oil
• Last, loose bun and my head wrap as a protective style.

Read a book and go to bed.  I have to get up early on Sunday.

Coconut Oil

Oh my beloved coconut oil.  Oh how I love thee.  LOL.  I use coconut oil in my pre poo and during moisturizing and sealing.  I have seen the benefits to my hair.  It conditioned my hair.  Helped repair dry hair. Also prevent me from having dry hair.  I thank God for coconuts.   I love the smell of coconuts also.  I use coconut oil topically but I have since read article that it's good for a persons health if it's used internally. 

All I know that Extra Virgin Coconut Oil had done wonders for the health of my hair.  I don't know the science behind it or why.  I have my B.S. in Business Management not in chemistry.  So I will refer you to http://www.organicfacts.net/.  Below is some info from the site.  

What is Extra Virgin Coconut Oil?


We often get to hear about extra virgin coconut oil. What is this extra virgin coconut oil? How is the extra virgin coconut oil different from virgin coconut oil?

As a result manufacturers make their own definitions and sell their products. Virgin coconut oil is normally referred to coconut oil that is prepared using mechanical means without the addition of any chemicals.

According to the Asian and Pacific Coconut Community, which has provided APCC Standards for Virgin Coconut Oil, "virgin coconut oil is obtained from the fresh and mature kernel of coconut by mechanical or natural means with or without the application of heat, which does not lead to alteration of the oil". When one refers to coconut oil as extra virgin coconut oil, the word 'extra' is indeed extra. The APCC does not mention anything about extra virgin coconut oil. Hence for practical purposes, extra virgin coconut oil, in my opinion, should be considered as virgin coconut oil.

Health Benefits
The health benefits of coconut oil include hair care, skin care, stress relief, maintaining cholesterol levels, weight loss, increased immunity, proper digestion and metabolism, relief from kidney problems, heart diseases, high blood pressure, diabetes, HIV and cancer, dental care, and bone strength. These benefits of coconut oil can be attributed to the presence of lauric acid, capric acid and caprylic acid, and its properties such as antimicrobial, antioxidant, antifungal, antibacterial, soothing, etc.


The human body converts lauric acid into monolaurin which is claimed to help in dealing with viruses and bacteria causing diseases such as herpes, influenza, cytomegalovirus, and even HIV. It helps in fighting harmful bacteria such as listeria monocytogenes and heliobacter pylori, and harmful protozoa such as giardia lamblia. As a result of these various health benefits of coconut oil, though its exact mechanism of action was unknown, it has been extensively used in Ayurveda, the traditional Indian medicinal system.

Composition
Coconut oil consists of more than ninety percent of saturated fats (Don’t panic! First read to the last word. Your opinion may change), with traces of few unsaturated fatty acids, such as monounsaturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Virgin Coconut Oil is no different from this. Let us have a bit detailed study of this.

•The Saturated Fatty Acids: Most of them are Medium Chain Triglycerides, which are supposed to assimilate well. Lauric Acid is the chief contributor, with more than forty percent of the share, followed by Capric Acid, Caprylic Acid, Myristic Acid and Palmitic.

•The Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids: Linoleic Acid.

•The Monounsaturated Fatty Acids: Oleic Acid.

•The Poly-phenols: Gallic Acid, which is phenolic acid. These poly-phenols are supposed to be responsible for the fragrance and the taste of Coconut Oil and Virgin Coconut Oil is rich in these poly-phenols.

•Certain derivatives of fatty acid like Betaines, Ethanolamide, Ethoxylates, Fatty Esters, Fatty Polysorbates, Monoglycerides and Polyol Esters.

•Fatty Chlorides, Fatty Alcohol Sulphate and Fatty Alcohol Ether Sulphate, all of which are derivatives of Fatty Alcohols.

•Vitamins (predominantly Vitamin-E) and minerals.

•A bit of moisture.

Hair Care
Coconut oil is one of the best natural nutrition for hair. It helps in healthy growth of hair providing them a shinny complexion. Regular massage of the head with coconut oil ensures that your scalp is free of dandruff, lice, and lice eggs, even if your scalp is dry. Coconut oil is extensively used in the Indian sub-continent for hair care. It is an excellent conditioner and helps in the re-growth of damaged hair. It also provides the essential proteins required for nourishing damaged hair. It is therefore used as hair care oil and used in manufacturing various conditioners, and dandruff relief creams. Coconut oil is normally applied topically for hair care.

Skin Care
Coconut oil is excellent massage oil for the skin as well. It acts as an effective moisturizer on all types of skins including dry skin. The benefit of coconut oil on the skin is comparable to that of mineral oil. Further, unlike mineral oil, there is no chance of having any adverse side effects on the skin with the application of coconut oil. Coconut oil therefore is a safe solution for preventing dryness and flaking of skin. It also delays wrinkles, and sagging of skin which normally become prominent with age. Coconut oil also helps in treating various skin problems including psoriasis, dermatitis, eczema and other skin infections. Therefore coconut oil forms the basic ingredient of various body care products such as soaps, lotions, creams, etc., used for skin care.


Premature Aging (This is a real good benefit)
Coconut oil helps in preventing premature aging and degenerative diseases due to its antioxidant properties.

You can go to L.A.D.Y STORE to purchase Extra Virgin Coconut Oil and Book

How to Pre Poo

Pre Pooing is applying oil or conditoner to your hair before shampooing.  Poo is short for shampoo.  Pre Pooing is used to protect your hair from harsh cleansers in shampoo that can cause hair dryness. Another benefit is conditioning. 

There are soooo many oils, emolients, and conditioners that one could use to pre-poo their hair.  I say choose your favorite and give it a go.  There are some who pre poo with conditioners for 1-8 hours.  Then shampoo.  Then that't it.  Others will pre poo, shampoo, then deep condition.  Some use protein conditioners and other use moisturizing conditioners.  You could even add honey and glycerin to your pre poo.  There is no one right way.  I say know your hair.  Get to know what it needs at that moment.  Then choose your pre poo.  That's if you want to do it at all.  For a pre poo with conditioners, I've heard it's not good to go beyond 8 hours. 

I choose to pre poo with oils only.  Well most of the time.  Sometimes I will add honey.  I make sure I use oils that penetrate the hair shaft.  Oils such as, Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Emu Oil, Avocado Oil and Amla Oil. That's just to name a few. 

I use a mixture Amla Oil by Garrysun.com, EV Coconut Oil, EV Olive Oil, and essential oils.  I combine them in an applicator bottle.  I use the applicator bottle to apply the oil to my scalp only.  Then I massage for at least 3 minutes.  While massaging I finger comb by hair to loosen any tangles and allow the oil to reach my ends.  I place a plastic/shower cap on my head, do housework or write posts.  I pre poo from 2-12 hours.  With oils I dont have to worry about how long the oils are left in my hair.  It's just oils.  After pre pooing I shampoo or cowash, deep condition and last moisturize.  Then back to protective styling.

Pre pooing has benefited me greatly.  It has stopped the dryness I had after shampooing.  No more dry hair means that I can retain my growth.  It has also stregthened my hair.  The Amla Oil that I use has a mass of ingredients that are known to stregthen and condition hair.   

I use my pre poo mix twice a week.  On Tuesdays, when I cowash and Saturdays, when I shampoo.

Another Amla oil I am going to try next is Dabur Vatika Coconut Oil.  I cant wait to get it and use it.  I heard wonderful things about it.  It has some great ingredients and I heard there isn't any mineral oil in this one.  Garrysun.com Amla oil does not contain mineral oil either.  If you tried Dabur Vatika, give me a review of the product.

L.A.D.Y STORE has a wealth of hair products available to you.

 

Hot Drugstore Find of the Week: CVS Round Cotton Pads

Hello Divas!

I hope your Wednesday is fantabulous! It is sunny in the Atl today. Yeah! It is such a nice break from the constant rain.

Divas I am out of my favorite facial cotton pads. CVS Round Cotton Pads are the best cotton pads I have ever used. Why are they so good? First I love the price. You get 80 pads for $2.25. Plus sometimes they are on sale for much less with your CVS card. In addition, I only need to use one pad to completely remove all the excess oil, dirt, and makeup from my face. Previous brands I used would take 2 pads to completely clean my face, not the CVS brand. I firmly believe the pad' thickness and slightly large size contributes to why it works so well! These pads do a whole lot! A 80 pack will last me for at least 2 months. I am getting mucho bang for the buck! You can purchase CVS Round Cotton Pads online here or at any CVS. Divas make sure check to your CVS circular so you can catch them on sale!

Toodles!

Coconut Oil = Beautiful Hair

Hello Divas!

I hope your Monday is wonderful! Today I must gush about the fabulousness of coconut oil. I first learned about the benefits of using coconut oil on my hair from DE of Beauty Logic. It is her secret for Beautiful Hair! Well since DE raved about coconut oil so much, I started using it 4 months ago. Per DE's suggestion, I apply a liberal amount of organic coconut oil to my scalp (I also massage my scalp) and hair the night before a salon visit. After my hair is washed and styled, my hair is super shiny, bouncy and just healthy. In addition, my stylist is amazed at how fast my hair is growing. My hair has not grown this fast in years! In addition, if my hair is a little dry, I apply a teeny teeny amount to the ends of my hair and it works like a charm. Plus I use it on luxe baby's hair. It is great for moisturizing her hair...its organic and all natural. Perfect for luxe baby. As DE suggested, I use Spectrum brand Organic Coconut Oil. You can purchase it at Whole Foods. A 14 oz. bottle retails for $9.00. You can also purchase it online here.

And ladies you must read Beauty Logic. Fabulous!

Toodles!