9 Most ineffective moisturizing practices

You’ve heard it before, over and over again — moisture is everything when it comes to natural hair health. Still, many naturals struggle with keeping their curls, kinks and coils well-moisturized. Perhaps you’re guilty of one of our 9 ineffective moisturizing practices. Check it out; 1. Moisturizing dirty hair/hair that has product buildup The objective of moisturizing is to apply water-based product that penetrates the cuticle (outer layer) of the strand and infuse the cortex (inner layer) with water. If there is too much dirt or product on your cuticle, then there’s little chance that any moisturizing product you apply will make it to the cortex. 2. Using butters or oils as moisturizers With the exception of a few oils, like coconut oil, that can penetrate the strand — oils and butters will sit on the OUTSIDE of your strand because they are SEALANTS, not moisturizers. Their purpose is to lock in moisture — not apply it. If your hair is feeling dry, and you apply a butter or oil, you are just weighing down dry hair, making it more brittle and susceptible to breakage. 3. Using water based products without sealing Just like oils and butters aren’t effective as moisturizers, water-based products — and water itself! — isn’t effective at moisturizing unless it’s sealed in. Water quickly evaporate out of the cortex unless a sealing product is applied to the lock it in. *Note: Spritzes are a great daily moisturizing solution as they contain water, which penetrates the cuticle, as well as oils, that seal the water in. While they aren’t heavy-duty enough to provide long-term moisturizing, they are great as a daily refresher, in between moisture and seal sessions. 4. Under-moisturizing Just like your body can be thirsty way before your throat actually feels parched, natural hair can need moisture way before it feels crunchy and dry. Start by moisturizing your hair at least once a day. If, in the following hours, your hair feels wet and mushy, you can cut your moisturizing down to every other day. If it still feels dry, then you might need to up your moisturizing to twice daily. 5. Neglecting the re-moisturizing process after a shampoo Shampooing is a bit of a paradox when it comes to moisturizing — you are dousing your hair with water, while also stripping your strands of dirt and natural oils that help lock in moisture. So, in a sense, your hair is getting dryer as it gets wetter. The squeaky, super dry feeling your hair has after a shampoo is lack of lubrication, and its critical that it be replaced. Be sure to deep condition after every shampoo and follow up with a moisturize & seal. 6. Using styling products as moisturizers The primary purpose of styling products is NOT to improve the health of your hair. Just like the primary purpose of moisturizing products is NOT to sculpt and style your hair. There are some crossover products that can do both, but most will not. Liquid styling products might look tempting as a fill-in when you need a moisturizer but they might contain alcohols and mineral oil that will dry your hair out in the long run. 7. Focusing on roots instead of ends Your ends are the driest part of your strands and most susceptible to breakage. The natural oils that your scalp secretes don’t travel down far enough to coat your ends, so it’s important that you are proactive in protecting them. Work moisturizing product into your hair from root to tip. Some naturals even limit their product application to the bottom 75% of their strands. 8. Over Moisturizing Properly moisturized strands don’t feel soggy and wet, they feel supple and strong — even when they’re dry. Applying too much moisturizing and sealing product can leave your hair perpetually wet, making it difficult to style. Be even-handed with your product application. Not only will it make styling easier, but it will save your bed spread, couches, car seats, and anything else your hair comes into contact with. 9. Deep conditioning/steaming for hours While there are a few treatments, like henna, that require long-term application, most deep conditioning treatments need 30 minutes or less. Many naturals feel that keeping treatments on overnight helps with softness and moisture, but an increasing number are realizing that 30 minutes (or whatever time the product instructions say) is just as effective as 8 hours. Keep in mind that the makers of your conditioner have tested the product, and know how much time it takes to be effective. www.blackgirllonghair.com

Why not baby oil?

The topic for the day is baby oil (also known as mineral oil, magnesium hydroxide, paraffin, paraffin oil, propelyne glycol, and petroleum). For the longest time, african american women have been using baby oil as a moisturizer on their skin, as well as their newborns. Do you, and your babies a favor and trash it!! I'll tell you why... Mineral oil is one of the inexpensive byproducts made from petroleum. Any oil that uses petroleum as a base can be damaging to the body from the inside out. How is that? (I'm glad you asked:-) The largest organ of your body is the epidermis, the skin. Like all of your organs, it is specialized for particular functions. For the sake of not going off topic, I want to discuss what baby oil stops your body from doing,-- breathing oxygen into the body and excretion of toxins out of the body. With the lifestyle we live and the food that we consume, it is enough that the liver is working overtime to sift through and squeeze anything good that is coming from the average diet. Baby oil acts as a plastic wrap, and we all know what happens when you place plastic wrap over someone's face, they can't breathe. If you are putting this stuff on your skin, it can't breathe, or properly eliminate toxins. Your kidneys and liver are working overtime, storing within the things that would've been excreted through your skin, possibly causing cellular mutation. You may be wondering why you or your child has a skin disorder-- acne, psoriasis, eczema, premature aging, etc. Well, oxygen is not getting into the body, and toxins are not getting out. While baby oil makes the skin appear smoother and more moisturized, the long term affects are the opposite of what is required for optimal health and wellness.If you are looking for something to moisturize, purchase mineral oil-free lotion and mix in some Extra Virgin Olive Oil or Extra Virgin Coconut Oil. Your skin will thank you for it now, but most of all, later...Just my thoughts!! Sincerely with *LoVe*, Danica Norris CEO, Wellness Coach

4 Hair Benefits of Aloe Vera

4 Hair Benefits of Aloe Vera Via AloeVera.com Hair issues, such as hair loss or thinning, excessive frizz, dryness, or oiliness, as well as scalp conditions, including dandruff, scaly, or itchy skin plague, millions of Americans each day. Aloe vera shampoos and conditioners have been around for years and serves as an ideal alternative to commercial hair products. For gorgeous, healthy looking hair, try natural aloe vera. Promoting Hair Growth Aloe vera can be used as a safe and natural treatment to prevent hair loss. It is great for both men and women to promote new hair growth in places that have experienced hair loss or significant thinning. Aloe vera stimulates the production of new hair and may even lessen the effects of Alopecia. Nourishing Shampoo The aloe vera plant is packed with essential vitamins and minerals that aid in restoring hair’s strength and beauty. When combined with coconut milk and oils, such as wheat germ oil or jojoba, aloe vera gel can make a revitalizing shampoo that not only works to prevent hair loss but also promotes new hair growth. Aloe vera gel can be added to favorite shampoos to deliver nourishing benefits. When combined with herbs, essential oils, and plant extracts, the nutritive benefits of aloe vera are multiplied exponentially. Reducing Dandruff The natural enzymes found in aloe vera can soothe and moisturize the scalp, helping to eliminate the scaly dryness that causes dandruff. It also helps to increase blood circulation in the scalp, which works to stimulate the production of moisturizing oils. Aloe vera reduces the dry, itchy feeling that accompanies dryness or oiliness. It keeps the hair’s natural oils in balance to prevent excessively oily or dry scalp. Aloe vera also brings a refreshing and cooling sensation to the scalp. Natural Conditioner Aloe vera acts as a natural conditioning agent that restores the hair’s sheen, luster, and shine. It not only makes the hair soft, but it also enhances strength and suppleness. It naturally combats frizz but does not have the greasy buildup that many hair care products leave behind. Regardless of the scalp or hair’s condition, whether too oily or too dry, aloe vera can restore the proper balance. It has amazing results for promoting hair growth as well as staving off hair loss. Say goodbye to expensive and often ineffective hair treatments. Try aloe vera, nature’s own remedy for restoring health and beauty to hair.

Supplements for your Natural Locks

What supplements do you use for your natural hair growth? i have been using Hair supplements from New Body products.

HIR (Hair) is a formula designed for those who take pride in the health of the hair. This formula rejuvenates the skin under the hair, supplies hair food, purifies, stimulates hair growth, cleans, fights dandruff, heals, and stops split ends and hair breakage. $15.85 inbox me for ordering
see: http://awealthydiva.webs.com/

On my LeNaturelle Hair Journey at OneTrueMedia.com

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Ingredients to Avoid using

During our daily personal care regimen, most of us have exposed ourselves to more than 200 different chemicals, and often the same dangerous chemical in multiple products. A recent surge of media attention reveals new concerns about detrimental ingredients that are affecting our physical health. An article in USA Weekend says: "The EPA is increasing research on dozens of synthetic chemicals (pesticides, plastics, and industrial pollutants) that may be juggling your hormone signals. After reviewing nearly 300 studies, the EPA concluded that ingredients in shampoos, dyes, and other everyday products may be playing havoc with hormones that control reproduction and development".



How about so-called “natural” products? Since there are no regulations about what is “natural”, the term is often abused and many such alternatives have the same dangerous ingredients as the products they claim to replace. Consumers must be educated and aware. Of the hundreds of toxic chemicals used in personal and skin care products, we have chosen some of the “Worst Offenders”. If you learn about even these few and start reading ingredient labels, you can avoid some of the most serious carcinogenic and hormone-disrupting chemicals. PLEASE TAKE ACTION NOW!! The health and well-being of you and your family depends on it!



Alcohol ( Isopropyl ): As a solvent and denaturant (A poisonous substance that changes another substance’s natural qualities), alcohol is found in hair color rinses, body rubs, hand lotions, after-shave lotions, fragrances, and many other cosmetics. A petroleum-derived substance, it is also used in antifreeze as a solvent in shellac and diluted essential oils. According to A Consumer’s Dictionary of Cosmetic Ingredients, ingestion or inhalation of the vapor may cause headaches, flushing, dizziness, mental depression, nausea, vomiting, narcosis, anesthesia, and coma. The fatal ingested dose is one ounce.



DEA (diethanolamine), MEA (monoethanolamine), TEA (triethanolamine): DEA and MEA are usually listed on the label in conjunction with the compound being neutralized, so look for names like Cocomide DEA or MEA, Lauraminde DEA, and so on. These are hormone-disrupting chemicals known to form cancer-causing nitrates and nitrosamines. They are almost always in products that foam, including bubble baths, body washes, shampoos, soaps and facial cleaners. On the show “CBS This Morning,” Dr. Samuel Epstein, professor of environmental health at the University of Illinois, said, “Repeated skin applications of DEA-based detergents resulted in a major increase in the incidence of two cancers – liver and kidney cancers.” John Bailey, head of the cosmetic division of the FDA, says that the new study is especially important since “the risk equation changes significantly for children.” Tests at the University of Bologna in Italy found TEA to be the most frequent sensitizer used in cosmetics, gels, shampoos, creams, lotions, etc.



FD & C Color Pigments: According to A Consumer’s Dictionary of Cosmetic Ingredients, “Many (pigments) cause skin sensitivity and irritation…and absorption (of certain colors) can cause depletion of oxygen in the body and death.” In Home Safe Home, author Debra Lynn Dadd says that “colors that can be used in foods, drugs, and cosmetics are made from coal tar. There is a great deal of controversy about their use, because animal studies have shown almost all of them to be carcinogenic.”



Fragrances: Most deodorants, shampoos, sunscreens, skin care, body care, and baby products contain fragrance. Many of the compounds in fragrances are carcinogenic or otherwise toxic. “Fragrance on a label can indicate the presence of up to 4,000 separate ingredients. Most or all of them are synthetic. Symptoms reported to the FDA have included headaches, dizziness, rashes, skin discoloration, violent coughing and vomiting, and allergic skin irritation. Clinical observation by medical doctors has shown that exposure to fragrances can affect the central nervous system, causing depression, hyperactivity, irritability, inability to cope and other behavioral changes.” ("Home Safe Home", author Debra Lynn Dadd)



Mineral Oil: Used in many personal care products (Baby Oil is 100% mineral oil ! ). This ingredient actually coats the skin just like a plastic wrap, disrupting the skin’s natural immune barrier and inhibiting its ability to breathe and absorb the Natural Moisture Factor (moisture and nutrition). As the body’s largest organ of elimination, it is vital that the skin be free to release toxins. But mineral oil impedes this process, allowing toxins to accumulate, which can promote acne and other disorders. It also slows down skin function and normal cell development, resulting in premature aging of the skin.



Polyethylene Glycol (PEG): This is used in cleansers to dissolve oil and grease as well as thicken products. A number after “PEG” refers to its molecular weight, which influences its characteristics. Because of their effectiveness, PEGs are often used in caustic spray-on oven cleaners, yet are also found in many personal care products. Not only are they potentially carcinogenic, but they contribute to stripping the skin’s Natural Moisture Factor, leaving the immune system vulnerable.



Propylene Glycol (PG): As a surfactant or wetting agent or solvent, PG is actually the active component in antifreeze. There is no difference between what’s used in industry and what’s used in personal care products. Industry uses it to break down protein and cellular structure (what the skin is made of), yet it is found in most forms of make-up, hair products, lotions, after-shave, deodorants, mouthwashes, toothpaste and is even used in food processing. Because of its ability to quickly penetrate the skin, the EPA requires workers to wear protective gloves, clothing and goggles when working with this toxic substance. PG’s Material Safety Data Sheets worn against skin contact because PG has systemic consequences such as brain, liver, and kidney abnormalities. But there isn’t even a warning label on products such as stick deodorants, where the concentration is greater than that in most industrial applications.



Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) & Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES): Used as detergents and surfactants, these closely related compounds are found in car wash soaps, garage floor cleaners, and engine degreasers, yet are even more widely used as major ingredients in cosmetics, toothpaste, hair conditioners, and about 90% of all shampoos and products that foam. In the article “Dangerous Beauty”, Mark Fearer shares that, “In tests, animals that were exposed to SLS experienced eye damage, along with depression labored breathing, diarrhea, severe skin irritation and corrosion, and even death….according to the American College of Toxicology.” Children’s eyes are also at risk: Studies indicate SLS kept young eyes from developing properly by possibly denaturing (dissolving) the proteins and not allowing for proper structural formation. This damage was permanent.” Still other research has indicated SLS may be damaging the immune system, especially with the skin. “Skin layers may separate and inflame due to its protein-denaturing properties.” One of the most dangerous of all ingredients in personal care products, research shows that “SLS combined with other chemicals can be transformed into nitrosamines, a potent class of carcinogens that cause the body to absorb nitrates at higher levels than eating nitrate-contaminated food.” According to an American College of Toxicology report, SLS stays in the body for up to five days. Other studies show that SLS easily penetrates the skin and enters and maintains residual levels in the heart, liver, the lings, and the brain. This poses questions of its being a serious potential health threat through its use in shampoos, cleansers and toothpaste.



Urea (Imidazolidinyl) & DMDM Hydantoin: These are just two of the many preservatives that release formaldehyde (called “formaldehyde donors”). According to the Mayo Clinic, formaldehyde can irritate the respiratory system, cause skin reactions and trigger heart palpitation. Exposure to formaldehyde may cause joint pain, allergies, depression, headaches, chest pains, ear infections, chronic fatigue, dizziness, and loss of sleep. It can also aggravate coughs and colds and trigger asthma. Other possible side effects include weakening the immune system and cancer. Formaldehyde-releasing ingredients are very common in nearly all store brands of skin, body and hair care, anti-perspirants, and nail polish. A more complete list of products that contain formaldehyde can be found in the book by Doris J. Rapp M.D. titled, Is This Your Child’s World?



TRICLOSAN is the largest rage in the arsenal of anti-bacterial chemicals, included in detergents, dishwashing liquids, hand-washes, soaps, deodorants, cosmetics, lotions, creams, and even toothpaste. In 1998, Americans snatched up $540 million of these products, without proof they even do what they claim (Good Housekeeping Institute Report, Good Housekeeping Magazine, March 1999).



But is triclosan safe? The EPA registers it as a pesticide, giving it high scores as a risk to both human health and the environment (US Environmental Protection Agency / Webpage - epa.gov), and the USP recently proposed a new monograph for the specific testing of triclosan. It is a chlorinated aromatic, similar in molecular structure and chemical formulation to some of the most toxic chemicals on earth: dioxins, PCBs and Agent Orange ( James Menoutis and Angela I Parisi-Menoutis. Triclosan and its Impurities. Technology Review Series - Quantex Laboratories). Its manufacturing process may produce dioxin, a powerful hormone-disrupting chemical with toxic effects in the parts per trillion; one drop in 300 Olympic size swimming pools (CQS.com website). Hormone disruptors pose enormous long-term chronic health risks because they interfere with the way hormones perform, such as changing genetic material or fostering birth defects. (Debra Lynn Dadd. 1990. Non-Toxic. Natural and Earthwise. Jeremy P. Tarcher).

Triclosan is a chlorophenol, a class of chemicals suspected of causing cancer in humans. Externally, it causes skin irritation, but since “phenol can temporarily deactivate the sensory nerve endings….contact with it often causes little or no pain.” (Linda Mason Hunter. 1980. The Healthy Home. Pocket Books). Internally, it can lead to cold sweats, circulatory collapse, convulsions, coma and death.” (Debra Lynn Dadd. 1992. The Non-Toxic Home and Office. Jeremy P. Tarcher). Stored in body fat, it can accumulate to toxic levels, damaging the liver, kidney and lungs and can cause paralysis, sterility, suppression of immune function, brain hemorrhages, decreased fertility and sexual function, heart problems, and coma. (Debra Lynn Dadd. 1990. Non-Toxic Natural and Earthwise. Jeremy P. Tarcher).

All these chemicals are persistent organic pollutants (POPs). “They are chlorinated, persist in the environment, and accumulate to higher and higher concentrations with each step up in the food chain…Once absorbed into the body fat, it is almost impossible to eliminate POPs. (World Wildlife Fund. Reducing Your Risk: A Guide to Avoiding Hormone-Disrupting Chemicals). “Employing a strong anti-biotic agent such as triclosan for everyday use is of questionable value as it takes a shotgun approach to killing all microscopic organisms while destroying the beneficial bacteria in the environment and in our bodies. These so-called friendly bacteria cause no harm and often produce beneficial effects such as aiding metabolism and inhibiting the invasion of harmful pathogens.” (M. Angela McGehee, PhD. In Biology and Marine Sciences, Personal Correspondence).

Boston-based microbiologist Laura McMurray and colleagues at the Tufts University School of Medicine say that “Triclosan is capable of forcing the emergence of “superbugs” that it cannot kill. And experiments have shown that it may not be the all-out germ killer scientists once thought it was….Using triclosan daily in the home - in products ranging from children’s soaps to toothpaste to “germ-free) cutting boards - may be unwise.” (Maggie Fox. Common Disinfectant Could Breed Superbugs. Health and Science Correspondent). “Public health officials have blamed the indiscriminate prescription of anti-biotics by doctors for the spread of drug-resistant bacteria. The Tufts study suggests the recent widespread use of anti-bacterial agents in everyday products might have similar results.” (Joseph B. Verrengia. New Products Feared Breeding Tougher Germs. AP Science Writer).

Special Note on Chlorine: Although chlorine isn’t found in personal care products, most such products don’t protect against chlorine’s damaging effects. Exposure to chlorine in tap water, showers, pools, laundry products, cleaning agents, food processing, and sewage systems can contribute to asthma, hay fever, anemia, bronchitis, circulatory collapse, confusion, delirium, diabetes, dizziness, irritation of the eyes, mouth, nose, throat, lung, skin, and stomach, heart disease, high blood pressure, and nausea. It is also a possible cause of cancer. ("Is This Your Child’s World?" Doris J. Rapp, M.D.)
Other Harmful Skin Care Ingredients Include:

Alpha Hydroxy Acids (Glycolic, Lactic, AHA, etc.), Aluminum, Benzophenone, Benzalkonium, Chloride, Butylene Glycol, Diazolidinyl urea, Ethylparaben, Methyparaben, Petroleum, Polyquatemiums, Prophlparaben, Polyvinylpyrrolidone.