Supplements... Part 2

So following on from Supplements Part 1, i thought i'd share the supplements i take and how and why i use them...

I literally began life in the supplement lane 2 weeks ago! Honestly there's no reason why... I just wanted to try something new and see if this time my skin could handle it! I was raised on Cod Liver oil so i guess you could call it revisiting the past!


I was scared that i would break out just like i did when i used to take Biotin a year back, but i made some amendments this time and they seem to be working!

My supplement list: 

Biotin 1000 mcg

Cod liver oil

 MSM 300 mcg.

If you guys remember the Supplements Part 1 post, you may have caught on to me saying that the more the supplements are that you use, the lower the strength (mcg) they should be...Well the reason why i have such a high strength of Biotin is because i don't use all of my supplements in one day. I use Cod liver oil and MSM together, once a day, and Biotin the next day by itself. So my week looks something like this:

Monday- 1 Cod liver oil , 1 MSM

Tuesday- 1 Biotin

Wednesday- 1 Cod liver oil , 1 MSM

Thursday- Biotin

etc 

----

Biotin: Biotin is a water-soluble B-complex vitamin. It is good for hair as it strengthens both hair follicles and the hair shaft which results in thicker and stronger hair.

Cod liver oil: is derived from the liver of cod fish. It has high levels of the omega-3 fatty acids. Cod liver oil is widely taken and known to have a positive effects on the heart, bones, as well as helping to repair wounded skin, hair, and nails.

MSM (Methylsulphonylmethane):  strengthens joints, helps in increasing blood flow, muscle contraction problem and mobility related problems.

x edF

Hair Tag

Stalking the blogs as i do and I came across this cute 'Hair Tag' posted by EbonyCPrincess from Longing4Length. Here goes my take!


1) Top three things you love about your hair:
-  I've never had problems with growing my hair and retaining length
-  My hair is generally quite healthy
-  The way it looks after a blow out. I love the thick look!


2) Top Three things you have learned since being on your hair journey:
-  It is so important to take care of your ends. Retention lies in the ends of your hair, and a simple yet small trim can make your hair go from thin looking to thick.
-  Everybody's hair reacts differently. Always stick to what works for you and not what works for someone else.
-  Heat is not your friend!

3) Top three things you want to accomplish during your hair journey:
-  My ultimate hair goal is to be mid back length with thick hair
-  To show people that although hair is relaxed, it can still be very healthy
-  To fulfill my 3 inches in 6 months protecttive style challenge


4) Top Three things/Products you love:
-  Extra Virgin Coconut oil.
-  My Castor oil challenege mix
-  High buns ( just like the one in the blog header picture!)

5) Top three Hair inspirations (youtube or otherwise):
-  Tracyee from K.I.S.S Her hair is absolutely amazing. Its thick, healthy and long, and her blog is so informative. She has been my ultimate hair inspiration since beginning my hair journey.
-  Sunshyne from Hairlista. 
-  The mumsy... she started the hair journey, I jut have to finish it!

Tag tag tag tag tag Tag tag tag tag tag Tag tag tag tag tag Tag tag tag tag tag you're it !!!

x fi

Supplements... Part 1

Evening lovelies,

I've decided to finally dare the controversial topic of taking supplements to aid hair growth/health. I was on the edge because the topic is just like Marmite! You're either for it, or totally against it...

Either way i'm real comfortable with taking supplements. Don't be fooled though it took me a while to get to this stage! Lets dive right in...

Supplements are formations in the form of tablets, powders or liquids. They are formed in order to supplment your diet and contain vitamins and vital minerals that may in some cases be missing in your diet or that you do not have a sufficient amount of in your body. With regards to hair supplements, supplements such as Biotin, MSM, Cod Liver oil etc contain many vitamins that enhance hair health and growth.

Personally i believe in dietary enhancement via food. However my first point of call is vitamins and minerals using real food, e.g fruits and veg that are jammed packed with the good stuff!


On the other hand supplements work great during those times when you haven't fulfilled your daily vitamin intake, and you need or want to do so without having to cook up an entire meal.


My take on supplements is, they are fine as long as they do not replace food. For example one of my sisters does not drink milk, therefore her taking calcium supplements would be justified... ya dig! 

...All in all there are several things to consider when taking supplements...

* Vitamins and minerals can help protect your body from disease and are great for those who do not consume enough nutrients on a daily basis. They help to reduce the risk of vitamin deficiency.

*Be aware of the strength of the supplements you are taking. In most cases if you use more than one type of supplement they should all be of a lower strength. This is because many hair supplements contain similar vitamins/nutrients and therefore you do not want to take too much of what your body doesn't need. This because this can lead to many issues, one of which i have experienced... Skin breakouts.

* Never use supplements to replace food.

*Observe your skin, hair and body when taking supplements before engaging in everyday consumption.

x edF

When the going gets tough...

Hey guys,


i just wanted to be soppy and say thank you for not abandoning me despite my lack of posts! I flew home last weekend and the weekend before that and each weekend was so busy! Weddings, birthdays the whole sha bang.  Anyway my time in Munich is drawing to an end... 2 more weeks and i'm home sweet home and back to the London routine.


But yes back to the post... the weather was acting real silly last week and i had just straightened my hair... there was no way the rain was going to ruin my journey to the airport na uh...


I guess the term ride or die would apply here right....


Oh what i do for my hair!

x edF

Skincare: Eucalyptus oil facial steam

This week has been a real drag... found out my apartment contract was up and had to do the quickest house move ever! On top of that my internet provider decided it was time to end my contract too!

No internet and a slim chick who can't afford to burn calories by lifting boxes equals a very stressed me!

So i've finally moved into a friends apartment and the move is over, so of course i just had to treat myself to Miss Nia long's very special Eucalyptus oil facial steam! 

No joke guys... i don't think treating myself to Gucci or Prada could have given me the satisfaction i have right now! My face is glowing! Its soft and extremelz moisturised and supple...you really have to take my word and give this badboy a try!

What you need:

1. Heatproof bowl/dish
2. Towel
3. Eucalyptus oil

How to get your steam on:

1.  Boil four cups of water in a pot. Once boiled allow to sit for 2 minutes

2.  Pour boiled water into bowl and add 4-6 drops of Eucalyptus essential oil

3.  Place bowl securely on a table

4.  Sit at the table with your head over the bowl and a towel draped over your entire head 

5.  Make sure your face is approx 15-20cm above the bowl

6.  Allow face to steam for 6-8 minutes

7.  Wash face with warm water and pat dry with damp warm flannel

8.  For the ultimate moisturising experience apply your desired moisturiser immediately.

x fi

Diary of a tress lover : Kara Zeytin | Justherz

For those of you who have browsed the blog, you may have come across my blog love tab at the top of the page. One of the hair blogs i happily stalk means a lot much to me because i've developed a great friendship with the blogger herself! I won't go on, but i'm sure you've seen previous posts and pictures of this fantastic woman... Justherz/ Kara Zeytin. 


We met on Hairlista and have been in contact ever since. Kara recently big chopped and i was shocked, amazed, inspired... i had a million and one questions to ask her, which she was more than happy to answer!

...So i introduce my very own hair inspiration and i'm sure one for those who are relaxed, transitioning and natural... Kara Zeytin/ Justherz...

1) How long have u been on our HHJ? 
I've been on my hair journey since May 2009

2) What is the key to your hair length retention?
The key for me was Moisturising and Sealing my ends daily. Sometimes twice a day. Damp bunning or Baggying my ends, protective styles and trimming. It's all about the ends. If they're healthy you get length and results.


3) What do you do to have healthy hair?
What i do is simply create a regimen and stick to it! I also stretch my relaxers and focus on finding the right products and techniques e.g wrapping the hair for a sleek look or doing braid outs or bantu knots for curls. Also if i flat iron i just lower the heat and stick to one heat pass only, also i have a healthy diet.


4) How often do you trim? 
I trim my ends every 6 months at the salon right after a touch up, (that is how long i stretch my relaxers).  At home i did the Search and Destroy method almost every single weekend. I loved to do that! Just split my hair in 10 sections, grab my scissors and just sit at the window where the sun is fully coming in. The back of my hair was long enough so i could go on and on, on :)

5) What made you decide to transition? 
I fell in love while stretching. Yep..... whilllle stretching. Just fell for my new growth, for the thickness, the way it felt and looked. And by falling in love i was getting tired of dealing with 2 textures e-very sing-le time. But i also think that it was my subconscious telling me 'Hey sis you have some basic knowledge about your hair i think you can handle your Natural curls'. So... i transitioned for almost a year and did some mini chopping along the way until i couldn't take it anymore and BC just like that!


6) What are your future plans with your natural hair? Will you grow it long?
My future plan is to have healthy natural hair, and if that gives me length to my ankles i definitely won't big chop that off  ;) 


7) Will you come and visit us in England soon? :) 
Girl i'm coming over and we will do the pinky thing while sipping a cup of tea!  (lol)

www.kara-zeytin.blogspot.com

x fi

Bad Hair day

I've just finished washing my hair/weave and I'm so upset, my hair felt awful! It turned out so dry and brittle, even my detangling process wasn't good enough to redeem how dry and ashy my hair was.


I even had to skip on airdrying, and blowdry and straighten my leave out hair straight away.That's how bad it was...major flop!


On top of that i was surprised at the mini ball of hair that came out when combing my hair, especially considering the fact that my leave out hair barely sheds! It may not seem like a lot but for the little leave out hair that i have... this is major!

So what caused it?

Today i was so careless with my regime... in fact stupid may be the realest way to describe my regime today. Here is why...


1) I did not pre-poo, i decided to shampoo straight away
2) I tried to avoid going in the shower twice so did the tilt your head over the tub method...and even worse...
3) I applied shampoo and scrubbed without applying water to my hair first! 


I know some of you are probably gasping, but hey i make mistakes too! I can't believe i was daft enough to believe that my hair would turn out fine doing it that way... but I've learned my lesson for sure.


If you want good hair, you need to be ready to take good care of that hair. Right back to the essence of the blog i guess...

Love Your Tresses

Corny perhaps, but oh so true! I will never skip my pre poo session, nor will i shampoo with my head tilted in the shower, and i most definitely won't be applying shampoo to my hair without wetting it first.

x fi

Wonder oil #1 : Eucalyptus oil

There's nothing better than having a multi purpose oil, especially if it's an oil that your fave skinned celeb swears by, and also one that you already use in your hair care regime.


I've been a fan of Nia Longs smooth, flawless, 40 year old face for a long time now! She has such youthful, glowing skin... both in and out of makeup!

I did a post a while back which linked to Nia's skin secrets on B.E.T's Beauty Lounge, so a few weeks ago I revisited the link and analysed every skin secret Nia shared... one especially stood out...

'Sitting in a steam room for 20 minutes, I think, is the secret to why my skin has a youthful glow. it really does keep you moisturized. At home, inside of my steam shower, I add eucalyptus oil and it opens everything up.'- Nia Long

Besides Eucalyptus oil acting as a great stimulating hair oil, it also has many other properties:

Hair

- Eucalyptus oil can help to get rid of dandruff, which in turn can help to promote   healthy hair growth

- Eucalyptus oil can increase the elasticity of hair via increased ceramide production. Ceramides create a protective barrier around your hair thus allowing your hair to hold in moisture and protein

- Eucalyptus oil has anti-inflammatory, antiseptic and antibacterial properties

General

- Eucalyptus oil promotes ceramide production in the skin

- Opens pores and blocked passage ways

- Great for muscular aches and pains

- Improves blood circulation 

I've already started steaming! Its yummy.. supple skin is the way forward! Plus i added some eucalyptus oil into my castor oil mix... ceramides here i come!

x edF