Natural Hair care treatments from your kitchen

Natural hair care lovers will be intrigued to know what leading Trichologist Phillip Kingsley thinks of natural hair care treatments that you could find in your kitchen.

Unfortunately his take isn’t too promising. Amongst the old wives tales, Beer, Eggs, mayonnaise, olive oil, green tea, rainwater, lemon juice, chamomile tea, witchazel, banana, fabric softener, tomato ketchup, vodka and artificial sweetener have been suggested. I don’t know about you, but some of these products don’t really seem old enough to be amongst an old wives tale suggested item. Maybe more like something someone has poured on their head in experimentation perhaps...!


It seems that most of the above have their downfalls, and amongst the top downfall is the smell they leave in your hair. No surprise there! For instance, Beer does leave hair looking fuller due to the hops and barley, but you’ll smell like a brewery! Vinegar will leave you hair looking shiny whilst also leaving an equally unattractive stink and also re-distributing the oil along the hair shaft. Egg is just as good as any cheap conditioner but stinks like an English breakfast if it’s washed out with hot water-Mmm! Not so Nice. If its body and volume you’re looking for you could try Coca Cola, but it does leave your hair a bit sticky.

For colour enhancements, lemon juice acts as a natural bleach, but the results are unpredictable due to varying acid levels, Chamomile tea is also recommended for lightening hair but may leave your hair looking rather brassy. There is some good news though in the form of our use with everything Tomato Ketchup may which maybe the cure for green hair from swimming too much... a bit unpredictable though I hear! But here's a useful natural haircare tip - for some reason adding a little pinch of artificial sweetner to you hair colour helps the colour take better! No idea why though.

If you're sufferering from greasy hair - Vodka, will just completely strip the hair of moisture, so is not really a help. Witch hazel has got the thumbs up from Phillip as being of genuine use when applied to the scalp. If you’re looking to add moisture, then fabric conditioner is reeally not to be used as it is likely to leave you with a rash due to the chemicals! And although Banana sounds like a real spa treatment and smells lovely, Phillip tells us that it does not penetrate the hair shaft!! Not doing so well are we?

Last but not least Phillip says that Olive Oil will do nothing for your hair accept for leaving you looking like you’ve been drowned in a rain shower. I think you’re meant to wash it out after Phillip, twice to be exact, don’t follow with conditioner and your hair is left full, shiny and your scalp healthier….. and if you use natural rainwater, you'll find its alot softer on your hair and will leave your hair shiny and bouncy. you'll just need to collect it cleanly though.

If you're really not that brave you could choose a ready made natural haircare product, that smells nice too, seems the better option to me!!!

Natural Hair Care Treatments from the Local Offi that help your Hair Grow!!

Natural Hair Care lovers and especially men looking for natural balding treatments will be savoring a new meaning of binge drinking with the latest natural hair re-growth treatment from Michael Winner!!

Michael Winner uses Regaine on his head to re-grow hair and swears by it, he has recommended it to Hollywood actors and loads of famous people all who’ve had winning results! Not exactly natural I hear you say, but the trick is in what he does before he applies it. Firstly, he shampoos his hair , then he warms up a can of beer in a bowl of hot water until its warm and then pours it over his head (one can is sufficient). Without washing the hair he leaves his hair to dry naturally, and just dabs off the excess that drips on his face. Once his hair is dry he applies his regaine as usual.

“Thanks to this routine, not only did my hair grow back, it was also thicker. It was lustrous. But it was yellowish (nothing to do with the beer; it just sometimes happens to people with white hair)”

Maybe you could use a natural hair colour after that Michael to get you looking truly young again!

Natural Pregnancy Tips for Staying Fit and Well

Natural pregnancy product loving mama’s to be will be interested to hear the latest news in a leading publication today.

According to experts, Pregnancy is the most important time to stay fit and healthy, not by trying to loose weight, but rather by eating healthily and staying fit.
Fitness expert Jane Wake says that “Your body will respond to good food and exercise."

Instead of eating for two you only need an extra 300 calories a day. So choose healthy snacks and not sugary foods. Make sure your diet is balanced and avoid food fads. Get plenty of leafy, green veg like broccoli, lettuce, cabbage and spinach, which are packed full of folic acid. Try to eat these with a fat source like a salad dressing or some cheese, as your body will absorb nutrients more effectively. We recommend organic foods as they maintain the nutrients and haven’t got the chemicals. As a rule, the darker the leaf the better it is for you. You can't risk some foods as they can be harmful to your baby - these include uncooked meat, un-pasteurised cheese, eggs and pate. Avoid nuts if your family has nut allergies and discuss how much fish is wise with your GP.

You also need more water - two to three litres a day. Limiting tea and coffee to one or two cups a day, or going for decaffeinated is best.

Take gentle exercise everyday, such as walking, or swimming and do gentle exercise to firm up your pelvic floor muscles.

Jane recommends the following exercises “Think of your pelvic floor muscle as being like a hammock strung between your coccyx and your pubic bone," explains Jane. "Exercise by pulling it up (as though holding in a pee), holding for a second, then releasing. Do 10 sets at least three times a day. Your tummy muscles will contract, strengthening them too."

It’s also important to keep your stomach muscles strong but Never do sit ups, as they will damage your stomach muscles forever. Instead Jane recommends the "sideways lift". Imagine your belly button is in a lift going horizontally back to your spine. There are five floors. Ground floor is letting your tummy relax, pull it up to reach first, then second and on to fifth floor. Relax back down the floors and repeat 10 times. Hold each floor a few seconds - but don't hold your breath!
Strengthen back muscles by "rocking the baby". Stand with feet parallel and arms folded: rotate from side to side as though rocking a baby to sleep. This works muscles and eases tension from spine to buttocks.

If you’re expecting a baby and looking to have as natural a pregnancy as possible then keeping fit and healthy, eating well (preferably organic in our opinion), avoiding toxins and environmental pollutants and using natural pregnancy products is the best advice you can follow for a safe and healthy pregnancy.

Natural Health and Wellbeing harmed by excess Antioxidants

Natural health lovers will be disappointed to hear the latest news that excess Antioxidants can have a harmful effect on our health. But not for long! Mainly highlighted is the creation of breathing difficulties in elderly people. Excess doses of Antioxidant were found to have caused an imbalance of Pro-oxidants in the body (these are normally known as the evil twin of Antioxidants). The research is based on studies from Kansas State University in the U.S. where they tested animals with different doses of antioxidants. Now not to sound a sceptic, I fully support scientific research but it’s likely that these animals were probably given really, really high doses of antioxidant and that too in an artificial format.

Natural forms of Antioxidant come in the form Broccoli, Blue berries, Sweet potatoes, Lentils, Goju berries and Yogurt amongst other things and are essential as part of a balanced diet. These antioxidant rich foods are meant to combat aging, harmful effects of environmental pollution, smoking, stress and disease. In addition, all those that are dedicated to natural skin care will know that anti-oxidants are important for keeping us looking young.

Unfortunately, over farming and soil depletion have left our fruits and veg depleted of many of the important rich nutrients that we need on a daily basis. Therefore a good Antioxidant created from as natural means as possible helps to replace what is not there any longer. Intelligent people will realise that everything in moderation is good for us, too much protein has its side effects, as does excess fat, as does excess water, but neither can we survive without them.

Natural beauty comes not just from using pure creams and potions, but mainly from a rich varied natural diet, regular excercise and plenty of water. So if you want to look and feel well, antioxidants are still well on the list, but just in moderation

C&A Re-Confirms it’s commitment to Organic Cotton Clothing

C&A - The major high street organic clothing retailer have said in a statement issued in eco textile news that “C&A remains committed to being one of the leading textile retailers in the market for organic clothing,” as they continue to believe that “a growing number of our customers are interested not just in up to date fashion that offers value for money.

“The high demand for textiles made from organic cotton also shows the customers’ high regard for a sustainable quality of textiles as well as a sustainable development in the cotton growing industry.”

This commitment comes following the claims made in the German Financial Times about contamination of Organic Cotton with Genetically Modified Strains. C&A also revealed that it was currently undertaking an in-depth investigation into the allegations made in the paper.

“We have contacted the certifying authorities and are actively investigating the validity of the details of the report. We will conduct an immediate in-depth-investigation on site in India,” the company said.

Certified standards for organic or ‘Bio-Cotton’ as it is known in certain European markets require that no genetically modified cotton seeds are used in its cultivation. “Accredited certification agencies have the responsibility to ensure that this is the case,” concluded C&A . The investigation continues, it is likely that the accrediting bodies will be coming under fire with much pressure from retailers globally to ensure that the matter is in hand.

Purity of H&M Organic Clothing Under Fire

H&M the high street clothing chain, have come under fire for reports that their eco conscious organic clothing may be contaminated with GM strains of Cotton from India.

According to German Independent lab Impetus, roughly a third of cotton samples tested contained genetically modified cotton. This was traced back to India, which is responsible for more than half of the global supply of organic cotton which is used by H&M and many other clothing manufacturers worldwide.

Monika Buening of the Federal Consumer Affairs Agency has said that although H&M are not to blame directly they should have been more vigilant. This is an issue now for the entire organic cotton industry and will need to be addressed by all manufacturers in order to retain confidence of the market. buyOrganics will be issuing requests to all its organic clothing suppliers requesting further information and clarification on the matter. This may involve checking samples from other labs to substantiate whether the claims are true, and having more independent tests done. The majority of clothiing at buyOrganics is Bamboo with very few lines being made of organic cotton.

Can Makeup be dangerous during pregnancy?

A recent article posted by DANIELLE ROSE in northjersey.com points out the difficulties that pregnant women face in trying to avoid toxins, eat healthy and take care of their developing baby.

A firm follower of using natural products, Danielle often makes up her own blends and potions to ensure that she stays well and healthy. What’s wonderful is that the type of things that she blends herself, are mostly made of products you would use to cook with. That is the true beauty of using natural products. However creating safe makeup is not something that can easily be created from home.

Danielle points out that although most women will switch to organic foods, quit drinking and leave toxic jobs such as painting the nursery to their husband, they often don’t realise that what they put on their skin can be just as important to baby's health. So natural skincare products should be picked carefully. Daily moisturizers, makeup, foundation all sit on the skin for hours.
Danielle points out that the skin is a porous organ and it absorbs lotions and makeup into the body, along with the chemicals they are comprised of, which is the whole basis of nicorette patches and contraception patches.

According to Dr. Alan Greene, author of "Raising Baby Green," many cosmetics and sunscreens contain what are called nanoparticles, particles so tiny that they permeate the skin and body tissues quickly and deeply.

A regular issue of concern that Danielle raises is the difficulty of really knowing what is in the product you are buying, coupled with the fact that the list of ingredients that are safe during pregnancy varies from source to source. In addition, manufacturers are not required to list all the ingredients on the product label and chemicals can get hidden under generic terms such as ‘fragrance’. I recently had a customer who was buying organic shampoo and I pointed out to her that it contained Rosemary (Which is not considered by general aromatherapy circles to be suitable for pregnant women in the first two trimesters) I suggested that she switch to another shampoo which contained gentler ingredients such as lavender, the smell of which is also less likely to turn a pregnant woman’s stomach. Lavender naturally helps ease nausea. Some other natural herbs and essential oils - basil, birch, cinnamon bark, sage and tarragon should not be used during pregnancy.

Also a beauty product listed as "organic," may not always be organic. Many high street brands and less scrupulous brands may only add a few organic ingredients to a concoction of other less favorable ingredients. One of Danielle’s favorite sites and mine too for determining the safety of skin care products is cosmeticsdatabase.com. It rates thousands of cosmetics on a scale of zero to 10 with 10 being a high hazard and zero being low.

Another good resource Danielle uses is Greene's book. In his chapter "The Bathroom," he lists and explains the types of ingredients to be wary of and many safer alternatives to the common cosmetic.

Danielle recommends making your own moisturizer , body scrubs, and facial masks using simple ingredients such as olive, grapeseed, safflower and walnut oils. For instance you can add oil to Epsom salts to create a safe and effective scrub. Blending with Essential oils should be done more carefully, however. Essential oils are concentrated plant matter and should always be purchased pure (not blended with other ingredients) and used diluted in the proper proportion with a base oil (never used directly on the skin).

For many of these reasons sighted by Danielle and other beauty experts in the field I’m really particular that buyOrganics check ingredients, only take on reputable brands and help customers one to one as much as possible make the right choice. We have special herb blended teas by Earth Mama to sooth many pregnancy ailments such as morning sickness, postpartum blues and even a blend to help your milk increase naturally when breastfeeding baby. Coupled with pure natural skincare and makeup products that do not contain nanoparticles, parabens or phthlates, and that we have vetted ourselves for purity, you no longer need to blend away yourself!! And can just purchase and apply with confidence.