My Current Obsession - Innisfree Camellia Shine Hair Essence

Anyone who knows me knows that I still have very long, virgin hair. The reason for that is because I am looking to donate my hair, but I am so obsessed with taking care of my hair that I did a mini blog on Hair 101 and how to prevent split ends when I first started the blog. For the most part, I really care for my hair and have minimal heat damage as well as minimal combing. 

I recently found a product that I have been obsessed with because it promotes healthy hair. The Innisfree Camellia Shine Hair Essence is one of the best sellers in Korea for hair care. It is enriched with camellia oil from Jeju island. It's for all hair types and promotes a healthy shine which can be used daily. Simple run the product through your hair (I suggest running it through your ends only if you are on a budget). After doing so, you can simply pair with your regular products. Because I do not use any, I just use this as a nutrient to keep my hair healthy.

Like many other products that claim to help keep the hair healthy, the Innisfree Camellia Shine Hair Essence is one product that actually works. It keeps my hair healthy and reduces the number of split ends. Although it claims to provide the hair with some kind of shine, there isn't great shine behind the product, but it works in maintaining. For those who do not have the time to care for your hair by conditioning and using olive oil to soak the hair, this would be a great product thats quick and easy to use. 

DIY - Hairspray

I am big on DIY items, especially those that are less damaging for the body. Hairspray is full of chemicals and such, therefore I finally decided to blog about the DIY hairspray. Simply use a misting spray bottle that you have sitting around. Boil 1/2 cup of water and when bubbly, add a minimum of 2 teaspoons of sugar. For those who wish to have a stronger hold, go for a tablespoon of sugar. This hairspray will last for a week. If you wish to double the shelf life, you can add a bit of alcohol and it will last for two weeks. 

After the sugar has fully dissolved, pour into the spray bottle and store it into the fridge for 20 minutes or so. When spraying, be sure to spray in thin layers because it is not your typical hairspray. You can maximize the hold by spraying more layers after waiting for the previous to dry. 

Food Goods - Lemon

We all know lemon is great for beauty fanatics. It not only helps to slim down weight, but it also helps to promote a healthy body. There are many things that you can do with the handy lemon which calls for you to stock up in your fridge. Lemon is great for Vitamin C intake so if you're low on oranges, swap it for a lemon.

• Daily early morning drink. Mix cold water, honey, and lemon cleanse the body when you wake up. Be sure to drink this on an empty stomach. You can use warm water if you want, but it is not recommended because the heat kills many benefits of lemon and honey. For those who can endure water and lemon directly, it will help you to efficiently detox and lose weight. A whole lemon mixed with a  cup of water is suggested for those who are over 150 pounds and unhealthy, half of a lemon for those who are 150 pounds and healthy. 
• Teeth Whitening. This is by far my favorite and most recommended for both men and women. Simply squeeze the fresh juice from half of a lemon, rub with table salt and baking soda along the teeth. Baking soda is known to help whiten teeth, but lemon gives it that extra boost.
• Smooth skin. For a simple mask, mash an over-ripe banana with fresh lemon juice and apply to the face and hands for clear and smooth skin. There is also the less messy alternative of a teaspoon of honey, a teaspoon of olive oil, and quarter teaspoon of lemon juice for the hands, elbows, heels and drier areas. I suggest covering up the area for ten minutes with a plastic bag or old pieces of clothing and wash away to reveal beatified skin. 
• Dark spots. There are many areas that women are insecure with when it comes to the body which include underarms, elbows, and dark spots on the face. Simply rub fresh lemon juice on the area for ten minutes and wash away. Over time, the color will gradually lighten. 
• Dandruff treatment. Mix a few tablespoons of fresh lemon with olive oil and rub it into the scalp. I suggest using a shower cap to soak in the treatment for 15 minutes and follow the regular shampoo and conditioner. 
• Itchy scalp. Mix an egg white and lemon juice, massage into the scalp of your head and soak in the treatment with a shower cap for an hour. Follow with your regular hair wash routine. I suggest to practice this twice a week for a month.
• For those with psoriasis, lemon juice also helps to strengthen the liver enzymes because the liver can make more enzymes from fresh lemon juice than any other food element. Therefore, having half a lemon to a whole lemon a day (depending on your health) will help to clear up your psoriasis. 
• Yellow nails. If you're like me and use nail polish just about daily, the winter colors are probably not so healthy for your nails. Dark colors may turn your nails yellow. Simply brush your nails with lemon juice and baking soda. This will help to lighten the color, not fully revive your natural born color.

Its amazing how the many foods found around the house can help in daily grooming and beauty care. The best thing is the DIY items save a ton of money which adds up when it comes to beauty products. Good luck!

Food Goods - Tea

Here’s another banger with tea goods. I figure after my absence this weekend and the importance of tea for a night out for all the birthday boys and girls, I should share the other great deeds tea has as well. There are different types of teas that have different benefits, but here are the few:

• Great cleaning tool around the house – Brewed tea can help to clean and shine wood furniture. Put in a spray bottle and it will help clean fingerprints from glass which can be used on mirrors and windows. Leave tea soaked in the toilet seat for a few hours and brush the stains away. To clean carpets, sprinkle dry used green tea leaves and leave for 10 minutes and vacuum.
• Improve skin – Simply wash your face with calendula flower tea rather than benzoyl peroxide to soothe acne. Green tea will work just as well, but be sure to use the best natural and organic leaves possible.  
• Condition dry hair –After a regular hair wash, skip the conditioner and rinse your hair with unsweetened tea and leave it in for ten to fifteen minutes. Rinse again with water and enjoy.
• Soothe a sunburn – Simply pat skin with cooled chamomile tea for the anti-inflammatory effect. Dry and broken skin may be irritated by this, so be careful.
• Soothe tired eyes – Warm, wet tea  bags are shown t soothe pain around the eyes and reduce puffiness.
• Lose weight – Drink tea after every meal to help lose a few pounds without having to sacrifice what you want to eat n the regular. It also helps to break down all the oily foods that you consume which is great in reducing any illnesses. 

So next time you're out in a restaurant, order a cup of tea before splurging on coffee. It will not only help you stay awake, but it has many great uses as well. 

Hair 101 - Less Split Ends, Less Tangle

Building off of my blog about Hair 101, I’ve got a few inside tips on less split ends and tangle. I threw a few tips on that blog, so do a little recap before reading this one! This blog is meant to compliment that one :]

I recall my grandmother yanking my hair so hard with a comb when I was younger because I had so many knots in my hair. Being that I have fine straight hair, I didn’t think it was possible to have so many problems, but it sure was. A few daily tips when caring for your hair:

Run your fingertips through your hair when conditioning. After conditioning your hair from the bottom up, with the leftover conditioner in your hands, run your fingertips through your hair from the top down with a constant motion to separate any knots. Its best if you section off your hair in three or four parts.This will separate your hair and provides a better condition.

Sleep with your hair up. I don’t know how many girls have complained about waking up with a messy head because of the way they sleep. My mother’s doing since I was younger was to pull your hair as if you are tying a pony tail on the top of your head (where Alphalpha’s hair sticks up), lay down on your pillow and let go of the hair over your pillow. Your hair will stay out of your way as you sleep and won’t be as crazy in the morning. This has got to be the best thing for preventing knots and tangle in the hair. It's also a way to keep your hair from getting in your way while you sleep, especially if you're cuddling with someone.

Hair 101

A woman's hair is a crucial aspect of her beauty. Based on the natural flow and color of one’s hair, you are able to tell how healthy your inner organs are. I don’t know about you, but the healthier my hair is, the more confidence I have in myself. I feel that working out gives my hair a healthy shine, less split ends and even is a darker tone. Working out isn’t on everyone’s schedule, so I have a few tips that can help you achieve a healthy head of hair.

• Try to wash your hair with cold water. If you can endure a cold shower, you are on your way to healthier hair. Hot water is not good for your hair because the heat from the water will only damage your hair, causing more split ends. This is even worse when you have colored hair because it will lighten your color quicker than just using cold water. Of course I don’t suggest you to use cold water throughout your whole shower, try switching your water to be cooler than normal and if you can, pull off the showerhead and run the cold water through your hair.
• Wash your hair every other day. Try not to wash your hair daily because you are washing away a lot of nutrients in your hair. This prevents your hair from becoming thick and strong. I know it may be hard to not wash your hair every day because of the summer sweat, but you should try! Plan around your schedule and organize activities that require you to wash your hair in order to refrain from washing daily.
• Condition your hair. Conditioning your hair will prevent split ends and reduces tangling in your hair which makes it easier to take care of. Be sure to use the same conditioner as your shampoo. Many people do not think it makes a difference and tend to use a different conditioner because they haven’t finished a bottle. Try not to do this because when you use the same shampoo and conditioner, you are throwing more goods at your hair which will keep your hair balanced. If you don’t have conditioner or not the same kind, soak your hair with olive oil and use a shower cap to condition for 30 minutes or so prior to washing.  
• Condition from bottom up, not from the top down. When you condition your hair, you do not want to pop a blob of conditioner on the head of your hair. Being that I have long hair, I use a heck of a lot of conditioner and when I used to condition my hair starting at my scalp down, I ended up losing a lot of hair as well. I thought I was stressed, but it turns out that I was just washing my hair the wrong way.
• Do not comb your hair when wet. In general, a comb isn’t good for your hair because you are forcing knots to separate and tugging on your hair. When you run your comb through your hair, it may not be smooth and that is where the problem is. After you shower, your hair is sensitive when it is wet so combing your hair will only cause more split ends. I suggest running your fingers through them if you really want to straighten it rather than using a comb. If that doesn’t work, remember to use more conditioner at the ends next time—just remember to condition at the ends.
• Let your hair air dry. It is much better to let you hair dry naturally than running a blow dryer through it. Like I mentioned before, heat is extremely damaging to your hair which will cause more split ends. Therefore, it is important to not blow dry you hair too much. I don’t really blow dry my hair anymore, maybe once or twice in the winter because I’m dying to go to sleep and it’s just so cold that my hair takes forever to dry up. Yes, I don’t even blow dry in the winter. Just plan enough time to hang around before you sleep for your hair to dry up, sleeping with a wet head will only lead you to have severe headaches later on.
• Use cool wind to blow dry your hair. If you want your hair to dry quicker, I suggest using the cool option on your blow dryer. This will take a little longer to dry your hair, but it is better than the air dry method. Be sure to wipe your hair as dry as you can with a towel before blow drying. If it gets too cold for you, you can switch over the heat to low for a few seconds and switch back to cool air.
• Use a thermal protector before applying heat. If you must blow dry, straighten or curl your hair, remember to use a protective spray or gel that you can run through your hair to prevent any further damages. Heat is bad for your hair and when you’re constantly throwing heat at it, it will only damage your hair more and kill any life in your hair.
• Wear a hat. When you’re outside for a long amount of time try to wear a hat to protect your hair from the sun. If you have a scarf around your neck, throw it on your head. You may look like a fool, but it’s worth the look for flawless hair—especially the compliments.