The No Poo Method? How does it work?

What is the No Poo method? No Poo meaning No ShamPOO. So how does it work to wash your hair without shampoo? You might wonder....

I have been using the No poo method for more than a year now and my hair is shiny, healthy and manageable. The reasons why i picked this method for my hair because i want to avoid the toxicity of conventional shampoos. Do you know that most of the store-brought shampoos contain alcohol, silicone, toxic ingredients and some might be carcinogenic. That alcohol dries out your hair, causing you to produce more oils. Which is why you have to wash your hair more often. Which is why your hair will get very greasy while you transition. No poo does not dry out your hair.

Basically, washing your hair without any shampoo can call "No poo method". Most people practice this method by using handmade shampoo bar (All-natural ingredients), Baking soda, and clay...etc.

For now, i only use Shampoo bar to wash my hair which i make it my own. When i wash my hair , i use the shampoo bar work from the end of my hair towards the scalp. The bar leathers so well and i massage my scalp for 2-3 minutes before rinsing it. If my hair is greasy, i wash it twice. After i'm done with shampooing. I mix a small amount of  AVC (Apple cider vinegar) with about a cup of water to rinse through the hair (work like a conditioner). ACV detangles the hair follicles, seals the cuticle and balances the hair's pH levels. Don't worry about your hair will smell vinegary, I DIY hair oil with some lavender and tea tree essential oil and i use it daily.  (I will post a DIY Argan hair oil recipe soon). You will have to remember, there will be an adjustment period which can last a few weeks to a few months. (i gave up the no-poo method about a few weeks until i found a suitable shampoo bar.) Your hair will be reacting to the surplus in oils, due to the lack of shampoo (which are full of alcohol and toxic ingredients.)  Play around you will find the best method (either Shampoo bar, Baking soda or Clay) for your hair. 

Have you tried the no-poo method? Please let me know how it all works out for you. 

Kiki x 

Loving Our Feet

Hey Lovelies !!

Have you ever think of spoiling your feet at home? Like relaxing on a chair and having your feet soaking in warm water? Oh, to top that off, you put on facial mask. I know, right! That feeling of enjoying the very moment!
Well, I think our feet are important so we need to spoil them every time we have the chance. Especially, now that we are entering spring. During summer time, we want to have our feet looking good in our flip-flops, sandals, gladiator and flat shoes and all those sexy looking shoes!

I don't have perfect feet. Either I have to deal with cracking heels or hard skin and ingrown toenails. I know, as a woman I am expected to have beautiful feet. Therefore, I feel the need to pay more attention in caring my feet. I want healthy feet, happy feet. For that reason, I do pedicure for my own feet every 2 weeks at home, an alternate way of going and spending money at a salon.

Here's what I do:
1. use foot file to get rid of cracking heels.
2. clean dirt/fabric that usually are hidden between toenail and skin/nail-bed.
3. soak in warm water with additional of some ACV (optional). This takes about 10 to 15 minutes. Then dry them completely with towel.
4. trim toenails when necessary. Usually after shower/soaking, toenails are softer and easier to be trimmed.
5. use nail buffer to smooth and make toenails shiny.
6. massage some cuticle oil that has Vitamin E on toenails and spoil toes by massaging them. (alter cuticle oil with tea tree oil for toenail problems).
7. put some foot gel/cream or body butter for smoothing and soothing. I like peppermint because it feels refreshing.
8. for treating cracking heels and hard skin, I put on socks for extra moisture. Otherwise, I leave them open.

Toenail Problems
For those who have toenail problems (ie. my husband and my friend, some part of toenails are not sticking to their nail-beds; I think this works for foot fungus as well) : put some tea tree oil onto the toenails with problem before going to bed every night and leave it overnight. Since toenails are growing so slowly, the treatment should continue until at least 6 months. A complete toenails could take one whole year to fully regrow.

Picture source: www.feetfirstcardiff.co.uk/commonfootprob.html

Additional Tips :
1. toenail treatment work better if we always let feet dry, so try not to wear socks/slippers while at home.
2. additional foot spray is recommended to soothe our feet, especially if we only wear shoes that don't require socks. Spray will help freshen feet and reduce odor. Choose natural tea tree spray if possible.
3. If you like to put on nail polish on to your toenails, it's fine. As long as you remember to clean it off completely after one or two weeks and leave it breathe for at least 48 hours before applying another color.

Our feet will be healthy happy feet once we do this in regular basis. No more feeling ashamed of having ugly feet, instead, we welcome pretty flip-flops and sexy sandals!
Have fun caring your feet! And always keep our natural beauty!


-dora-

Essential Oils

What are they? What are their benefits?

Hello Ladies!!

Now that we know that OIL is essential for our skin and that it can be used as substitute for moisturizers only without harsh chemicals, we might be curious about what are essential oils? What make them different with other oils?

I personally am not a scientist or an expert in herbs; however, I do like green thingy and looking for alternatives: anything for a better health and life. Like other people, I also have some problems with my skin: dryness that causes flaky skin sometimes, allergies, rashes, dull-looking skin, etc. This condition motivates me to keep learning about skincare and the ingredients that are used.

What is Essential Oil? It is a concentrated aromatic liquid that typically 100% pure which means no other ingredients in it. Sources (Online Herbs Suppliers) say that 100% pure EO doesn't contain carrier oils, diluents and any other ingredients. That means EO is not oil! It is a super concentrated hydrophobic from plants/herbs which processed by either distilled steaming or cold pressing. Because it's highly concentrated, using EO by itself (without dilution or carrier oil) may cause irritation or breakout. Ouch!

Despite it may cause irritation when being used alone, EO is believed to have many benefits such as anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal agents, stress reliever, skin soother, and moreover it has variety of good aromas. Not only known as aromatherapy agent, EOs are commonly used in lotions, soap, air fresher spray (the easiest way to use it, just dilute few drops into some water in a spray bottle), getting rid of fleas, 2-3 drops on pillow may help you to relax and sleep for insomnia problem.

Please note, that some EOs are good only for oily skin, some are for all types of skin. Since I have dry skin, I really have to pay attention of this too. I had breakout a long time ago because back then I didn't know that the concentrated oil needs to be diluted. Therefore, you should learn before buying.
Here's some tips:
1. the most common EOs people buying as starter are: lavender, tea tree, peppermint (cmiiw).
2. make sure you have carrier oil or other substance to mix with your EO; olive/coconut oil are easy to be absorbed by our skin without clogging pores.
3. some EOs can be used for spray either for fresher air or getting rid of fleas/bacteria/bugs, such as: eucalyptus, lavender, tea tree.
4. however, note to no.3, some EOs also maybe good and helpful for dogs but not for cats. They may be very toxic for cats. For me, since I have cats, I limited the usage of EOs to reduce the risk being exposed to them.
5. make sure to buy EOs with "100% pure" label as they should be all natural. If you can find Organic, that's even better.
6. I would recommend if you're pregnant or about getting pregnant to not put on your skin/body, as I read most of the labels say not for used if you're pregnant.
7. If you are not sure of buying or using EO, I encourage you to get natural skincare such as: face oil, eye serum, lotion that have EOs in their ingredients. I use skincare from Qi Qi Naturals and she uses EO in most of her products.

Last but not least, I hope this could help anyone. I personally love and use EOs, I like the aroma and I believe they are such a good remedy to prevent stress, bug bites, helping to relax, and they can also be put into our skincare as anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial or anti-viral agent. Keep healthy ladies! And keep natural :)

xo,
Dora

My Simple Toner and Conditioner Recipe:
1 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
2 tbsp distilled water
1 or 2 drop of Lavender EO (or Chamomile if you like)

Apple Cider Vinegar, My Best Friend

Fighting Acne and Dark Spots

I believe most of you know or have heard or have used Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV). Well, up to December 2012, I was a non-believer. A few months prior, all of a sudden I had few pimples every single day. I'd tried using all kind of acne ointment (Oxy, Clearasil, Clean & Clear, Proactiv), you name it. I even tried toothpaste! Pimples would come and go, but at least I still had three active pimples a day. It was so embarrassing as if I never take care of my face and it makes me feel dirty. The more I stressed out, the more acne would show up. In Dec 2012, my roommate suggested trying ACV which she had in the fridge. So, I gave it a shot. I used it every night after shower as toner (3 water : 1 ACV) and I let it on my face until right before going to bed. I would brush teeth and rinse my face and then I put my night cream. Hence, the ACV usually stayed on my face at least two hours. It was a miracle. The pimples didn't add up and the active ones were healing in 3-4 days! I did some research and found out that the acidity in ACV helps reducing pore size which also makes my face cleaner. Now, I've been using ACV for over a year and I have changed the ratio into 1:1 since my skin is now used to ACV. Some people are comfortable with 2 water : 1 ACV. You can decide your own ratio by adjusting water to the most comfortable your skin with. I've noticed that ACV has helped to even out dark spots that caused by those damn pimples. Really! I've never felt my face so clean ever. I must admit during my period, I get one or two pimples. However, since I use ACV, pimples never grow bigger as they used to. I am very pleased. So, here's some notes from me about ACV and my face skin

1. Acid level in ACV helps reducing pore size, it means skin will be much cleaner. This is how ACV fights acne.

2. You can adjust your own ACV toner. As beginners, start from 4 water : 1 ACV. Here’s a good toner recipe, use 2 water : 1 ACV ratio with few drops of Essential Oil of your own pick. Lavender Essential Oil is a good choice since it has good smell and works as an antibacterial agent. I personally use cotton ball when applying, others use spray bottle. Again, your choice!

3. ACV helps to even out dark spots. It may not be as quickly, however, slowly but sure!

4. As starter, get Organic ACV.

Fight Warts

I’m using ACV to fight my wart. I use a small piece of cotton ball and soak it with ACV, put on top of the wart and use a bandaid to fasten and let it overnight. I do this right before I sleep. I will update once I get rid of my wart, about how long it takes to completely get rid of it.
(Update on 02/20/14, I probably didn't do it right, somehow I got my skin burnt after using over a week, I scratched my skin a lot and I think that caused the burn and all that. However, I do notice a smaller wart now even though I stop using it. I recommend to stop using if you feel uncomfortable/burn or if it doesn't help with warts. I mean it works to some people, so I think you still can give a shot, why not? But don't hurt yourself. In the experience of burning, I found a good remedy to soothe the pain, I use my conditioner formula: 2 water, 1 ACV and mix it with alcohol, it worked! I was amazed!)


Health Booster

Every now and then I take a teaspoonful of ACV to help boosting my health. It is believed that ACV helps from the inside regarding our skin and health. ACV can help to detoxify and help lymph systems (allergies and stuffed nose). According to Reader’s Digest, ACV prevents indigestion just by sipping before eating. Try drink this 30 minutes before you eat: 1 teaspoon ACV with 1 teaspoon of honey and a glass of warm water.

Hair Conditioner

It sounds weird but some people use ACV as conditioner. Kiki also use it as conditioner to make her hair smooth and shiny. She says to mix half water and half ACV (with few drops of Lavender/Chamomile Essential Oil) after shampooing. I have to admit that she does have smooth and shiny hair. She adds to use Coconut Oil mixed with (raw) honey once a week for hair mask. Microwave it a little bit and apply to hair by massaging and leave it about 15-20 minutes. Then wash off with shampoo and conditioner. Coconut Oil is believed to cleanse
and help scalp, and in her case, she uses it to fight her split-end hair.

Foot Bath

Yes! Literally. Not only it helps soothing ache and swollen feet, ACV works as antibacterial agent when combined with warm water for foot soak. You could use either half water half ACV or 2 water : 1 ACV. It takes about 15-20 minutes to soak feet. For toenails with problem, I recommend to put a drop of Tea Tree Oil overnight. I think ACV works to clean through and helps with the healing process meanwhile TTO works as antiseptic. I am currently dealing with my husband toenail that almost detached from its nailbed and will keep this blog updated.

My note: since I don’t feel comfortable with soaking (too much trouble), I soak a cotton ball then put one drop on each clean toenail and let it dry by itself. Eventually, I put TTO overnight. Now you all know why I consider ACV as my best friend. Not only it has tons of benefits, it’s easy to find ACV and seriously, you don’t need to pay expensive skincare (yet may contain harsh chemical ingredients) to be healthy and look pretty! Give it a chance! Good luck!!

-dora-