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Only 3?  It was hard narrowing down my list of Why You Should Be Using Organic & Natural Hair Care Products Exclusively.  I talk to all of my clients about the benefits of making the organic switch.  In a nutshell: it’s safer, it’s healthier and it’s sexier!

1. Organic Hair Styling Products can correct, fight and fix dry, frizzy hair.  Look for products that contain SHEA BUTTER, ALOE and JOJOBA. Did you know that many smoothing and anti-frizz products actually contain ingredients that over time will cause dryness and frizz?  It’s true. Watch out for -TOLUENOL; BENZENEMETHANOL; PETROLEUM; BENZYLIC ALCOHOL; PHENYLCARBINOL; PHENYLMETHANOL; PHENYLMETHYL ALCOHOL; ALPHA-HYDROXYTOLUENE; ALPHA-TOLUENOL, BENZAL ALCOHOL and BENZENECARBINOL

John masters at juju salon2. Cost Effective.  Natural, Organic Hair Care Product costs are comparable to conventional salon exclusive products. The Organic Win?  Quality natural hair care shampoos, conditioners and styling products are packed with plant based ingredients and are light on water.  Therefore, less product is needed!  Conventional salon products are loaded with cheap, synthetic additives that literally fill the bottle and offer no utilitarian value. Some of the synthetic fillers to steer clear of: petroleum derived PROPYLENE GLYCOL and PARAFFIN.

juju salon beauty products3. The Scents are Safe & Sound.  Certified Organic products cannot legally contain dangerous synthetic fragrances.  Steer clear of any product that lists ‘Fragrance’ as one of the ingredients.  The chemical cocktail of synthetic fragrances is usually made from petroleum and hormone disrupting Phthalates.  Look instead for scents that are naturally derived or plant-based.

hamadi juju salon products

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I always feel like Fall is the start of the New Year because big changes occur: hot to cold weather, our color palette goes from light and bright to warm and cozy, sandals move to the back of the closet, you get the idea.  The January New Year just doesn’t make sense to me because it lacks the sensory transition that is the hallmark of Fall.

My style and beauty regimes also do a 360 starting in September.  I am saying goodbye to pastel nail polishes, suntans and beachy hair styles.  It’s time for the richness of the season!

NAILS Zoya’s Fall Collection is all about deep pigments and color saturation that make a dramatic statement. Sage, slate gray and purple and turmeric are the hot colors for Fall/Winter.  Look like you own this new trend when you pull your hands from your gloves this season. Zoya is the only polish we stock at juju: 5-free, non-toxic, low fumes and great colors.

HAIR Fall/Winter 2015’s “it” color is Turmeric. Turmeric’s autumn tones for hair color are great because you can turn up the tone or blend in its hues to your hair depending on the look you’re going for.

Turmeric hair color could be a golden, copper, chestnut or henna’d tone.  Try an all over color or a turmeric tinged balyage.

Laurie, on the left, has a coppery base with golden hi-lites.  Voila! On trend and beautiful.

BODY Here’s what Fall and Winter try to do to undermine your skin: Dry indoor heating, cold windy weather and dark dreary days equals scaly, dry and lack-luster.  100% Pure’s Body Butters to the rescue.  Start using them now so you never miss a beat when the cold weather hits.   I love 100% Pure’s rich and creamy Eucalyptus Body Butter: warming, moisturizing and healing.

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So many of our clients at juju are vexed by the frizz. The key to de-frizzing is two-fold, nourishing and re-hydrating the hair coupled with the right products.

HERE ARE MY GO-TO PRODUCTS THAT REALLY WORK!

Start with a DRY SHAMPOO. Over shampooing will dry out the hair, and dry hair, especially on curly girls, will cause The Dreaded Frizz.

I recommend shampooing no more than 3 times a week and using a dry shampoo on off days.  Just sprinkle if it’s in powder form or spray for liquid form, a small amount at the hairline and crown, and work through from roots to ends.  Cocoa Tinted Dry Shampoo by Sevi is a best seller at my salon.

 


LEAVE-IN CONDITIONERS are great for long lasting frizz and fly-away control and can also act as a styling product. Apply leave-in conditioner on towel dried hair, mid-shaft to ends. My clients and I love Hamadi’s Shea Leave-in Conditioner. It’s perfect for those who like to air-dry their hair.

Note: watch out for de-frizzing curl cremes that contain petroleum derived silicones for shine.  After time, this ingredient will dry out the hair and make your frizz worse!

ALOE BASED STYLING GELS

Aloe not only moisturizes the hair, reducing frizz potential, it provides hold and style.  Apply to towel dried hair, midshaft to ends. Try mixing it with your leave-in conditioner for extra thick or frizz-prone hair. I like MGA’s Styling Gel because of its lightness and versatility.

Pure Aloe helps the hair retain water and moisture, re-balances pH levels in the hair and scalp and promotes hair growth!

FINISHING POMADE  Dab a very small amount of a finishing paste or pomade on dried and styled hair to reduce frizz’s ‘Halo effect.’ John Masters Organics’ Pomade with olive and castor oils, really fights frizz and can be used on all hair types.

Make sure you look for the USDA Certified Organic Label and show your support for organic farms and processors.

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move2(b&w)[2]We all want to look and feel out best, right?  We exercise, primp and polish, but often fall short of the mark.  Are ‘bad habits’ getting our way?  Do we avoid ‘good habits’ because they seem boring or just a pain in the ass to do?  I love this sentiment by Seth Godin:

“Habits are great when they help us get what we want. Bad habits, on the other hand, are bad because the shortcut that satisfies us in the moment gets in the way of our long term goals.”

I’ve given this a lot of thought over the years as I get older.  There are a dozen things I should be doing daily to help me feel and look my best, but bad habits are hard to break and good habits are easily forgotten or set aside. Like Seth says, it’s easy to be bad and seemingly hard to be good.

It’s much easier to tackle a few items at a time, so I thought it a good idea to put forth 4 Good Habits  that  I believe are easy to remember, easy to start doing right away and easy to stick to.

1. Moisturize your skin always, no matter what.  After your morning shower and before bed are the easiest time to perform this ritual.  Legs, arms, face and all over.  There are so many benefits to massaging in a moisturizer suitable for your skin type, body area and season.  For summer I’m using Starflower Essential’s rich and nourishing Rose Chamomile Intensive Moisturizer on my face for day and night coverage.

2. Find an exercise routine you like and stick to it.  Religiously, purposefully, moderately, frequently.  I go to an exercise class, the Lithe Method,  4-5 times a week, yoga once a week and walk my dog 2-3 times a day.  I can’t imagine how lousy I would feel if I didn’t.  For me, I usually look forward to sweating it out, jumping around, and getting outside.  I know I’ll feel better when it’s over.  But, when I’m dreading the thought of getting on that mat, I remember that it’s only an hour or two long, it WILL end, and by then, I’ll feel terrific! Classes with great music, great instructors and friendly people motivate me, not to mention the money spent on monthly memberships.  What motivates you?  Find out and act on your findings.

3. Meditate and Journal. I’m lumping these together because I’ve found that their practice and benefits are so similar. And no, as I promised earlier that I would put forth ‘easy’ habits to start, these 2 may seem to be hard habits to form.  Every person I know who tells me they meditate and/or journal regularly, is adamant that the changes brought by these practices are overwhelmingly positive.  First, get some props together: a beautiful journaling notebook, a comfy meditation cushion, a guided meditation CD, a space you create with flowers and pictures of inspiring persons or places, then get on it.  Carve out a regular time in your day to perform this ritual and get to know yourself.  Try Louise Hays’ Meditations for Loving Yourself to Good Health.

4. Eat, buy and use organic.  Surround yourself with nurturing and non-toxic foods, cleaning products, bath and body goods and you’ll notice a change.  It’s good medicine, it’s preventative, it’s good for the Earth, it’s interesting, it’s tastier, it’s expanding, and it brings forth a more beautiful and sensitive you!

 

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3 Best Practices For A Mid-Winter Detox

1. Get Organic Coconut Oil Buy, use, repeat. Best winter related uses include hair care and skin care – just slather it on liberally for instant, super-charged moisturizing;  boosted immune system – its lauric acid fights viruses and bacterias;  proper digestion and regulated metabolism – Holidays, VDay, Fat Tuesday, enough said. A teaspoon or two a day taken orally is an overall health booster.

2. Eat Maitake Mushrooms In short winter days, less sun exposure equals less vitamin D.  Though a vitamin D supplement helps, a tastier way to get your D is by eating some ‘hen of the woods’ or Maitake mushrooms.  1 cup of raw maitake mushrooms contains 786 international units of vitamin D, which is more than the daily intake recommendation for healthy adult men and women. Fyi, mushrooms are the only vegetable that contains Vitamin D. Bonus Points for sauteing in Coconut Oil!

3. Meditate Considering a Meditation Practice? Now’s the time to start.  The benefits of a regular meditation practice can include lessened anxiety, better sleep, mental clarity, more energy and yes, it can beat back those Winter Blues. Check out our First Spring Wellness Workshop on Mindfulness Meditation on March 2nd to learn more about starting or strengthening your personal Practice.  Space is limited, call 215-238-6080 to register.

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No, you don’t have to worry about the long-term environmental effects of 100% organic oils on your hair, face or body.  I know it’s trite word-play on a not so trite current event, but this year’s headlines provide me the perfect platform to herald the virtues of incorporating organic oils into your daily beauty regime.

For Hair:  Look to Ayurvedic oils and herbs like Sesame, Neem, Sunflower, Coconut, and Meadowfoam for lustre, shine, and a good slip for the all important scalp massage. Brahmi, Bringraj, Jatamansi are therapeutic herbs, long-revered for their ability to fortify the nervous system and thus, the entire follicle and scalp environment.  Organic scalp and hair oils smell terrific too, as they are usually scented with pure steam distilled essential oils of Hibiscus, Rose, Rosemary, Ylang-Ylang, Peppermint and Basil.

Hair oils are renowned for their ability to deter thinning hair and hair loss, defend against premature graying, strengthen and nourish the hair shaft, and provide an immediate improvement to hair’s texture.

For Face and Body: Many people are scared of putting oils on their face.  They falsely believe it will lead to break-outs, or it will be too heavy and greasy.  Not true. In fact, many oils including aloe, erand, neem, sariva, and sandalwood actually help clear up congestion because they contain natural anti-bacterial qualities that sooth, heal and calm the skin.

Face and body oils stimulate skin functions, necessary for its elastic retention. Quality oils will moisturize and quickly absorb into the skin.

I love using oils like virgin cold pressed organic Jojoba, St. John’s Wort and Andean Mountain Rose Hip seed.  Other oils of good merit include apricot, almond, borage, black currant seed, evening primrose, rose hip seed, sea buckthorn, comfrey, and carrot seed.

Oils go a long long way.  Use them sparingly for beautiful results.  Bonus? Find a product that is a multi-tasker – one that you can use on both your face and body.

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If I had a penny for each time I heard someone say, “It smells so good in here” referring to our salon and spa, of course, I’d be in financial heaven.  I know that what the clients are actually experiencing, olfactorially that is, is the Lack of a Toxic Scent or Artificial Odor in our stores. No usual toxic voc’s from hair coloring agents, no artificial or synthetic fragrances of any kind can be found at our salon or spa. Synthetic, artificial fragrances can contain toxic chemicals linked to not only allergic reactions but to cancer, birth defects and central nervous system disorders.

That’s why is this so important. Synthetic fragrances are one of the most common environmental toxins around…soaps, shampoos, cleaning products… all of these common household items are loaded with artificial fragrances containing synthetic compounds derived from petroleum including benzene derivatives, aldehydes, and many other known toxins.  Yuck! watch out too for ‘fragrance-free’ items such as shampoos and conditioners, which may contain chemical fragrance ‘maskers.’

Put your pennies in cosmetics, cleaning products and such that contain naturally derived fragrances from pure plant essences.

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