Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Split ends and healthy hair. Part 1.


First of all, split ends are a problem most women have to deal with sooner or later.


The trouble with split ends is that they damage ends of the hair shaft and can increase the damage to the entire hair strand if not cared for soon enough. (Think rips in panty hose. Once the hole is there, if you don't mend it, it'll run bigger and bigger until you can't even wear them anymore. Same concept: these little breaks in your hair can get bigger with time too).

Unfortunately, the only cure for split ends is to actually cut them off. But we can prevent them if we take the proper precautions. First let's take a look at what causes them.

Heat damage from styling tools is a huge part of this. Blow driers, straighteners, curlers, and triple barrel wavers can style and dry your hair by heating up the hair shafts and therefore shaping them. The heat is very drying and damaging. To help with this, try and cut down on styling by letting your hair air dry, or by investing in a heat-protecting product to apply before hand. They have sprays, mousses, and gels, and even shampoos and conditioners to protect your hair from breaking and losing elasticity due to heat. Check out my favorite in John Freida hair care.

Environmental damage from wind, cold, heat, and dryness in the air can be a problem too. Did you know that UV damage doesn't just affect your skin? It penetrates the hair shafts, too, and fries them! In the summertime, wear hats or use UV protective styling products, such as this complex from Fekkai.
In the wintertime, be sure to cover hair and add moisturizing products to your regime. My favorite is the Dove Daily Moisture Therapy Replenishing Mist.

Improper detangling techniques like cheap combs or brushes, using your fingers, or anything else that snaps or rips your hair. Make sure to invest in soft bristle brushes like boar hair, and wide tooth combs. Never brush wet hair! When your hair is wet, it loses elasticity that it would normally have when it's dry, and can cause unwanted damage. Combing might take a little longer, but it's worth it.

Trimming with inferior scissors can cause uneven cuts in the bottom of the shaft, and could end up damaging your ends as much-or more- than they were already.

Overwashing hair. Overwashing has long been overlooked. It's actually not healthy to wash your hair every day. If your hair is used to it, it might be uncomfortable to go without, as your hair will seem greasy or oily when you do not. However, you have trained you hair to react this way, and you can reverse it. Try switching to washing your hair every other day, so you are not constantly depleating your hair and scalp of its natural oils. You'll find that within a week, going a day without washing won't make your hair greasy at all. It will still have a nice, clean look to it, as your hair no longer has to over-produce sebum and oils like it used to.


Wednesday, July 21, 2010

DIY Face Scrub & Mask

Oatmeal Honey Scrub



Smooth, relax, and hydrate your skin with this easy scrub- made from all natural ingredients found in your kitchen!

Mix together:

-2 tsp plain yogurt
-1 T ground oatmeal (preferably the non-instant kind)
-2 T honey
-1 tsp lemon juice

Once the mixture becomes a paste, wet your face and apply it in gentle, circular motions.
If you like, keep it on your face for another 10-15 minutes to get all the good stuff soaked in.
The honey in the scrub locks in moisture, yogurt softens the skin, lemon juice reduces redness and spots, and the oatmeal exfoliates. Just try not to eat it!

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

My favorite skincare staples- Face Masks!










My four staples in my regime! They're miracle workers, and I promise you'll love them :)


1. "Be Fine Food Skin Care" clay warming mask $15.99 at BeFine.com
The mask warms up upon contact to open pores and flush out impurities.
The all natural products are stocked full of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory
properties that give your skin a clean and fresh glow, minimizing redness,
bumps, and toxins. Clay components absorb extra oils.

2. "Biore Self-Heating Mask" $8.99 at Biore.com
This mask heats up on contact with water, which relaxes the pores and allows
you to strip away all the gunk stuck inside. Works on acne and freshens up
your entire complexion.

3. "AcneFree Therapeutic Sulfur Mask " $6.97 at Walmart.com
The sulfur and copper extracts in this mask are huge acne-fighters. Reduces
redness and bumps and helps prevent new pimples from popping back
up. Tightens to purge out the pores and soak up oils on the skin's surface.

4. "Queen Helene Mint Julep Mask " $3.69 at Sally Beauty Supply
The tingly mint cools the skin and the clay dries to soak up all the excess oil
seeping from your pores to clog them up. Stop acne in its tracks by preventing
any new impurities sticking to the extra sebum on your face!


In order, these are my Fab Four. Remember to cleanse your face ahead
of application, and to help your skin soak up extra goodness, use warm
water or steam your face beforehand to open up the pores and boost the
mask's effectiveness.

Remember to wash it off thoroughly and apply some light moisturizer to
balance out the oils that were stripped by the clays!

Good luck! Now get those baths running, take the phone of the hook, and
soak all your troubles- and skin problems- away.

Monday, July 19, 2010

Skip the intro- let's talk about makeup.




















What's in for Summer/Fall 2010?

According to Sharon Feiereisen of thefashionspot.com, high-impact hair and makeup is on the rise!

We're starting to see this trend pop up in Fall 2010 Haute Couture shows, from Christian Dior Couture. Tom Ford, Chanel, Givenchy, and YSL offer an array of colors in their cosmetic lines to complete your collection. Bumble&Bumble never fails in its hair-care products, and are definitely worth the money!
(photo credit: thefashionspot.com)