As we are about to embark on a new year a lot of us make lists on things we would like to change, achieve or try. For some of us our lists will include family resolutions, financial saving plans, health related promises and yes Hair goals. I wrote an article about how I like to set my hair goals whenever a new year rolls along on Global Couture.
Setting hair goals for the New Year
In the article “Setting “hair goals” for the New Year”I touch upon the “Keep It Simple Stupid” (K.I.S.S) principle that I personally find helpful. While it is great to dream and think big, it is important to try and keep our plans and goals realistic as well because if we don’t, we might end up being extremely disappointed & demotivated when we are unable to meet our goals (which might have been unachievable in the first place due to improper planning and unrealistic goals). I also touch upon the importance of a hair journal/dairy and how keeping one can really be helpful as the weeks and months go by. (Read my previous post about Hair Journals)
As for me, I have a few hair goals/resolutions that I will be sharing with you in my next post. Do you have any for 2015? I would love to hear what they are.
At long last I have a skin care tutorial & video! This is going to be about my DIY Body Butter Bars, I LOVE these gems! They are excellent for the winter months when the weather is cold and dry resulting in dry and sensitive skin.
Body Butter Bars
I have 2 different recipes my CoSheaCo Bars (I add some exfoliating ingredients to make a few exfoliating Body Bars) and my Simple CocoaCo Bars which only consists of 2 ingredients.
What are Body Butter Bars?
Literally they are bars made up of oils and melted butters to help moisturize and seal in moisture. You can add additional ingredients to make them super moisturizing e.g. glycerin/honey/agave nectar or coffee beans/dried roses/dried lavender/sea salt etc to make them exfoliating Body Butter Bars. They can be used in place of lotions or creams after a shower or bath.
Ingredients
CoSheaCo Bars (recipe yields 6 large and 3 small bars)
125ml Unrefined Cocoa butter (4.2oz)
80ml Unrefined Shea Butter (2.7oz)
60ml Virgin Coconut Oil (2oz)
40ml Coffee infused almond oil (use any carrier oil of choice) (1.4oz)
1 teaspoon glycerin (optional) – can replace with raw honey (my teaspoon is 0.1oz or 3ml)
20 drops grapefruit essential oil (optional) – use any essential oil of choice. (If you are pregnant do not use essential oils!)
CocoaCo Bars (recipe yields 4 small bars)
Instructions
1. I slowly melt the butters using a double broiler in a heat proof glass bowl. 2. I take the melted butters off the heat and add the Virgin Coconut Oil. 3. I add the other ingredients (e.g. Glycerin, Coffee infused oil and Essential oil in the CoSheaCo bars) once I know the butters are not really warm. 4. If you are making exfoliating bars put your chosen ingredients (coffee beans and rose petals) in the molds and then pour the melted butters and oils into the mold. 5. I let the mixture sit on a counter for a few minutes and then place the molds in my fridge. I prefer setting mine overnight (let them set for no less than 4 – 5 hours until they are completely firm, longer if possible). 6. Once they are set, gently pull back the edges of the molds and the bars will slide out.
I use silicon molds but for the purposes of this demo I also used metal molds in case you don’t have silicon ones.
Making CocoaCo Bars
Making CoSheaCo Bars
Storing the bars:
I always store my bars in the fridge in an airtight container. Since I do not use Beeswax in my recipe there is the potential of the bars melting in warm climates or hot households (more likely in summer) but I do not risk it so I store all but the one I will be using in the fridge*. The fridge and airtight container also helps to keep the bars from going “off” too quickly, but the general shelf life of the bars should be 6 months – 1 year since no bacteria inviting ingredients (e.g water, Aloe Vera juice etc) are used in combination with the oils and butters in the recipe. I keep the bar being used in an airtight container in a dark cupboard in my bathroom room.
* There is nothing “wrong” with beeswax, it is a natural ingredient but I choose not to use it simply because it tends to sit on my skin and I do not like that feeling (I have sensitive skin). There are thousands of Body Butter Bar recipes online that follow the same ingredients I use but also include beeswax.
How to use:
After a shower I don’t completely dry off all the water with a towel, I then rub the bar between my dry palms and apply like I would a body cream. The bar will help trap in moisture from the water and also add amazing benefits from the butters and oils. With the exfoliating bars I rub the bar itself onto my skin to get the additional scrubbing effect.
Benefits of the ingredients used:
Cocoa butter – is known for its deep hydrating and moisturizing properties due to its high fatty acid content. It is said that the butter can help reduce stretch marks and the fact that Cocoa butter is packed with antioxidants, means that it can help fight off free radicals and skin irritations such as eczema and dermatitis.
Coffee bean infused almond oil – is rich in vitamins A, B, D, and E, has been used to improve the skins complexion and its emollient properties soften the skin. Almond oil is quickly absorb into the skin and has healing and hydrating properties. The coffee bean infusion helps to tighten the skin giving you a youthful fresh glow, reduce the appearance of cellulite, reduce redness and skin inflammation and is known to fight free radicals thanks to the antioxidants contained in caffeine.
Coconut oil (Virgin) – is very good at re-hydrating the skin because it is absorbed into the skin and conditions, moisturizes, and softens the skin. Coconut oil naturally clears away dirt, grime, and dead skin cells and due to its anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties. The oil acts as a good protectant against skin irritations and rashes. It is known to soothe insect bites, flaking skin and mildly sun damaged skin.
Glycerin (Vegetable) – is a natural humectant that draws moisture onto the skin by extracting it out of the air. Apart from its ability to draw in moisture, it is also known to help retain moisture in the skin. This makes Glycerin a great agent in fighting rough, dry, irritated and dull skin. It also makes it an excellent skin plumping product.
Grapefruit essential oil – aside from its delicious scent, it has antiseptic qualities and helps to clean and clear congested skin and to treat oily skin.
Rose petals & Coffee beans – used as exfoliating ingredients to help remove dead skin cells and stimulating blood flow.
Shea butter – is highly moisturizing, improves the skin’s softness, suppleness as well as soothes burns. Shea butter can also be used as a mild “sun protectant”, soothes, moisturizes and is an effective anti-aging & anti-wrinkling butter.
I have a video on my YouTube Channel (below) showing you exactly how I make both Body Butter Bars.
Have you used/made a Body Butter Bar before? What is your favorite? I would love to hear from you 🙂
I made a quick video to say thank you for all the support I’ve got over the last year, which has been a wonderful year by the way. I truly appreciate every single one of you! While saying THANK YOU is not nearly enough to express how much all of your support means to me I can only reiterate I really do appreciate every single comment, follow, share, like, question, suggestion and message of support I’ve received from you, so THANK YOU again!
I also explain what I will be doing on my YouTube Channel, this Blog as well as the other social media platforms I am on (Pinterest, Instagram, Bloglovin). I basically plan on sticking with what I know best and am most comfortable in, DIY’s and a few styling videos. I do plan on doing more styling videos/tutorials and will try my best to be a little more creative 🙂
Along with that I also shared my Christmas Eve and Christmas Day hairstyles which, you probably already guessed were simple! Yes, I was being true to myself.
My Christmas Eve updo – Flat twist with a pompadour
Christmas Day style – I just pinned down my hair and had a little bump at the front
So with the buildup to Christmas over now comes the buildup to New Years Eve. I am still not sure what I will be doing in terms of hair but If I come up with something a little more exciting than a simple flat twist I will record a video ;).
Hey Maicurlies, So it is that time of year again and apart from spending time with family and friends, the other thing I enjoy is dressing up for the occasion. These are just a few ideas for a Christmas Eve dinner outfit (left) and a cute little number to ring in the New Year (right). Wishing you, your family and loved ones a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year in advance!
I wrote a new article for Global Couture that I think a few of us might have/are/will go through as a naturalista: Hand In Hair Syndrome (HIH).
Hand In Hair syndrome and how to try to combat it
In case the term is new to you all it basically means it that you “suffer” from constantly touching your hair – your hands are constantly in and and around your hair.
During my hair journey I was always touching my hair, wanting to feel my natural texture and play with my curls. Admittedly I will sometimes still play with my hair whenever I am really digging a style. In case you “suffer” from a bad case of HIH, I provide a few potential consequences of the syndrome as well as a few solutions to try and stop touching your hair in the article: “Hand In Hair syndrome and how to try to combat it”.’
Do you “suffer” from HIH? What steps do you take to try and stop touching your hair throughout the day?
Some of you might have noticed that I LOVE using hibiscus for my hair and you can tell because I’ve made a few posts and videos all about hibiscus such as: (here) where I talk about the benefits, (here) where I talk about making your own hibiscus powder/petals and (here) where I explained how I infused hibiscus petals in oil. Yes I am obsessed!
Today I wanted to talk about why & how I make a Hibiscus tea spray using the petals.
Hibiscus Tea Spray
Benefits recap:
Helps grow healthy hair
Stops excessive hair shedding
Provides the hair with a boost of luster and bounce
Soothes scalp irritations
Adds a natural shine to the hair
Strengthens the hair
Helps reduce dandruff due to its moisturizing properties
Helps conditions the hair
Adds deep red/purple undertones to the hair*
*The red/purple tones are not that apparent in dark hair, it appears more as an undertone but in light, bleached or dyed hair, the red/purple tones is more noticeable.
Ingredients of the spray
1/4 cup Hibiscus petals
1.5 cups Water
1 teaspoon Glycerin (optional – you can substitute this with another ingredient see below)
1 teaspoon Neem infused coconut oil (you can use any Carrier Oil of choice)
5 drops Grapefruit Essential oil (you can use any Essential Oil of choice)
For some, hibiscus can be drying on the hair due to its high acidic content therefore you can add other ingredients to the tea to make it a little moisturizing. So apart from the hibiscus, I also use water (obviously) which is great for the hair. I also add glycerin – a humectant that draws moisture in the air to the area applied. (If your hair does not like glycerin you can substitute it with honey, Aloe Vera Juice, Agave Nectar or omit it completely). My DIY Neem Infused Coconut Oil is great for reducing hair shedding, reduces breakage, is known to help slow down premature graying & the appearance of grey hairs and the fact that coconut oil is known the penetrate the hair it works from the inside out. I added Grapefruit EO because well for one it smells awesome, it helps fight dandruff, keeps the scalp clean and helps to slowdown bacterial growth in the tea. Always store the tea in the fridge!
“How to”:
All you do is boil the hibiscus petals in the water for no more than 5 minutes and then allow it to come down to room temperature. Once cooled down add the remaining ingredients (neem infused coconut oil, glycerin and grapefruit essential oil) and stir really well. Transfer it either into a spray bottle or a container you will use to pour over your hair and presto you are done.
How I use my Hibiscus Tea
I like using a spray bottle because I can control how much/little is applied instead of pouring the tea all over my hair. I apply on dry hair and then cover with a shower cap for 1 – 1.5 hours before washing it out. I generally apply it before co-washing or doing my Wash Day Process and then proceed with styling. I store the bottle in my fridge and it lasts for 1 week – 1.5 weeks absolute max and then I make a new batch.
Do you use Hibiscus Tea for your hair? If so how does it help the overall health of your hair?
Did you know there are all kinds of teas you can use for your hair as a herbal rinse or spray, depending on the benefits you want to get and your hair needs? I of course have 2 favorites: hibiscus and green tea.
What are Tea Rinses/Sprays?
Basically it is brewed tea that you either pour over your hair or spray onto your hair (once it is at room temperature). Some might choose to rinse the tea out later while others let it dry on their hair. I do both depending on which of the two teas I am using (rinse) hibiscus tea (leave on) green tea.
*While teas are excellent for your hair, too much of a good thing can be bad therefore if this is new to your routine and hair I recommend rinsing out the tea. The information provided is for educational purposes only. I am not a doctor nor a medical professional therefore, please consult with your personal doctor or a medical professional before starting anything new and if you are pregnant always consult your personal doctor or medical professional.
Some of the benefits you can get from using tea rinses are:
Circulation in the scalp
Stimulation of the hair follicle – leading to hair growth
Easing scalp irritations
Clearing up dandruff, itchy or flaky scalps
Reducing excessive hair shedding
Reducing breakage – by strengthening the hair
Cleansing the scalp & hair
Increasing hair manageability
Restoring luster, body and bounce
Conditioning the hair
Herbal Tea Options
Black Tea – Reduces hair loss and shedding, adds sheen, naturally darkens the hair, provides softness and manageability.
Calendula – Nourishes the scalp, helps elevate scalp irritations due to its anti-fungal properties and brightens blond hair.
Chamomile – soothes an irritated/itchy/sore scalp, known to help with dandruff, provides sheen to the hair and relieves stress. It brightens blonde hair and brings out blonde highlights on light brown hair.
Green Tea – Helps to combat hair loss, soothes the scalp, aids with scalp irritations, darkens the hair, provides the hair with strength and reduces breakage.
Hibiscus – Provides shine, conditions the hair, has astringent qualities, reduces hair shedding and breakage and provides a deep red/purple tone which appears as an undertone in dark hair and is more visible in light/blond/bleached hair.
Linden Flower – provides strength to weak hair, aids in hair growth, conditions dry & brittle hair and provides circulation to the scalp.
Sage – invigorates and cleanses the hair and scalp, known to help reduces excessive hair shedding and hair loss.
I will have two separate posts for my favorite tea rinses next!
Do you use tea rinses/sprays for your hair? If so which are your favorite, I would love to hear from you!
I mentioned in a previous post that I have been experimenting with making a super strengthening Protein Deep Conditioner (DC) to help not only with breakage but also shedding. So far so good! I have a new Protein DC that my hair seems to really like but I will state that this is really quite “strong” so if you have Protein sensitive hair I would avoid trying this!
I ALWAYS do a Moisturizing DC afterwards to restore balance and the hair’s elasticity levels back to normal. If you use too much Protein you hair might snap of when manipulated therefore always I repeat always do a moisturizing DC afterwards (regardless of how strong/weak the Protein DC might be).
For this Protein DC I use a “special” ingredient which is Gelatine. Now for those of you who are vegan or vegetarian I would suggest not doing this because of the contents of Gelatine. For those of who who eat jellies or certain deserts like Penna Cotta then it shouldn’t bother you (yes I am a Penna Cotta fan).
Gelatineis mainly made up of the amino acids, glycine and proline found in the bones, fibrous tissues and organs of animals (which is why vegans and vegetarians might not like the DC). It is a really good source of protein that strengths, adds shine, protects the hair from split ends and helps prevent breakage.
Recipe:
1 Egg yolk – packed with protein to help strengthen hair strands
1 teaspoon plain gelatin powder – very strong protein helps strengthen the hair and reduce breakage.
1/3 cup green tea & hibiscus tea – helps hair shedding, provides shine and the green tea is known to darken the hair, prevent premature graying while the hibiscus helps highlight red tones
1/2 cup* Conditioner ( I use Suave Naturals Aloe & Waterlily) you can use any conditioner you want
2 teaspoons Coffee Infused Almond Oil – known to help stimulate growth & help reduce shedding (you can use any carrier oil of choice)
*I use a lot of conditioner to coat my hair which is quite long, you can use less for shorter hair or more if you have thick hair.
Protein DC
Mixing Instructions:
Bring the green and hibiscus tea to a boil and let it cool down till it is warm.
Sprinkle the gelatine over the warm tea (not hot) and stir stir stir.
Separate the egg yolk from egg whites (I use the egg white for a face mask – not nice smelling but effective!)
Put egg yolk and conditioner in a container and whisk for 1 minute till fluffy and creamy.
Add the Coffee Infused Oil and cooled down gelatine tea to the egg yolk conditioner and whisk for a few seconds.
Application
I apply on damp hair that has been cleansed. Applying on cleansed hair means there is no product build up/ dirt as a barrier between the hair and DC.
I cover my hair with a shower cap and a wet warm facecloth on top to keep the DC warm. (You may need to rewarm the wet facecloth but do not put a HOT facecloth on your head. I also would avoid using a heating cap because this could potentially “cook” the egg yolk and harden the gelatin while on your hair)
I leave it on for no more than 1 hour, rise and then follow up with a Moisturizing DC.
Have you used a Protein DC with gelatine? If so how? If you plan on using this DC I would love to hear from you!
It feels like it’s been forever since I made a styling video (it has been) so without further ado, I want to share my “how to” tutorial of my Big Bun with a Side Bang.
Big Bun with a Side Bang
Now, I have to give credit where credit is due: I actually got inspired to do this style through one of Mo Knows Hair amazing videos. I did make some alterations to my version such as not working with blow dried hair and I also formed the bun a little differently to hers but the concept came from her. Please check out her video here like I said, she is amazing!
I have a few images of the steps (below) along with a video of how I did the style on my YouTube Channel.
I unravel the overnight twists
Separate the twists with Almond Oil on my fingers
Separate a section at the front for the bang and pin away
I spray a little leave-in around the top of my hair and make a ponytail
I put 2 bobby pins about 1/4 down the bang
Pull the rest of the hair over to cover the bobby pins and have a side bang
Tuck away the ends of the bang
Separate the ponytail into 3 and then roll and tuck each section
Maicurls 