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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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I guarantee that you’ve had dandruff at least once in your life.  Sadly, many of us have had it more that once and seem to battle it on and off. Get to the root of the problem and stop dandruff from ever coming back again!

Seborrheic dermatitis, or dandruff is a very common affliction.  The brunt of the blame lies squarely on the harsh synthetic ingredients found in most conventional hair care products AND our obsession with over-shampooing our hair.

An overly-dry or oily scalp provides the perfect environment for dandruff to thrive. This is often caused by over-shampooing with cleansers containing Sodium Laural/Laureth Sulphates, PEGs, artificial fragrances and parabens.  These synthetic, cheap and potentially harmful ingredients* contribute to inflammatory and compromised skin conditions which in turn can lead to dandruff.

Poor diet and hygiene can also cause dandruff by encouraging fungal and bacteria growth on our scalp.

Fight off the flakes with these 4 easy and natural steps:

Shampoo less.  Our obsession with squeaky clean hair has become a bad habit for many of us.  Try using a dry shampoo between washings or ‘shampoo’ your hair with only conditioner.  Make sure to rinse thoroughly with this practice.
Only use natural and organic shampoos and hair care products.  Look for shampoos that contains tea tree oil, lavender oil, zinc, sage and aloe. DIY: add a few drops of lavender or tea tree oil to your favorite organic shampoo .  And remember, steer clear of synthetic, chemically laden ingredients will only worsen the problem.
Try a natural pre-shampoo treatment.  Massage your scalp with coconut oil for 5 minutes before you shampoo your hair.  Coconut oil contains naturally occurring antimicrobials and fungicides that help quash fungal and yeast growth.
Rinse your hair with Apple Cider Vinegar.  ACV naturally balances your scalp and hair’s pH.  Shampoos and soaps make the skin and scalp more alkaline which can compromise its ability to fight off fungus, a leading cause of dandruff.  ACV’s pH of 2.5-3 can rebalance the scalp.  Mix one part ACV with 2 parts distilled water.  In the shower, pour the mixture all over  wet hair and massage in for a few minutes.  Rinse well and condition  Added Bonus: ACV removes excess oil, water contaminants and product build-up leaving your hair soft and silky.

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You think you’re ok: you apply a a facial moisturizer with SPF, put on your make-up and go!  No brainer, you’re covered right?

Guess what?

 

For proper skin protection, you need to re-apply sunscreen every 2 hours!  How’s that going to happen when you’re wearing a full face of make-up?

Here’s How in 3 Steps:

Start with a tinted moisturizer with SPF protection, like 100% Pure’s Fruit Pigmented Tinted Moisturizer SPF 30; http://www.100percentpure.com/products/fruit-pigmented-tinted-moisturizer-golden-peach

Finish with a loose or pressed powder with SPF like bareMinerals’ Mineral Veil Finishing Powder Broad Spectrum SPF 25.  This powder can be re-applied repeatedly throughout the day to not only protect against sun damage but also to correct shine and ensure an enduring polished look. http://www.bareescentuals.com/bareMinerals-Original-SPF-25-Mineral-Veil/USmastermineralveilSPF,en_US,pd.html

Finally, carry with you an SPF Facial Spritzer that can be used throughout the day.  Supergoop’s Defense Refresh Setting Mist SPF 50 should be used right after make-up application and can be reapplied throughout the day. Don’t worry, it won’t mess with your work of facial art! http://www.supergoop.com/shop/defense-refresh-setting-mist-spf-50

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It’s spring, soon to be summer, and that means we’re outdoors again with fresh air and sunshine!  Though we should be wearing sunscreen all year long (ahem), many of us only think about it when the sun is out and the weather is warm.

Before you slather and go, consider this: many members of the medical community believe that  ingredients found in conventional sunscreens are causing hormonal disruption, thyroid alteration, endometiosis in women and may in fact contribute to cancerous tumor growth.*  There is an active debate among researchers as to whether or not these ingredients, specifically Oxybenzone and Octinoxat, are highly toxic or innocuous.  Why wait for the results?  There over 100 effective sunscreens out there that do not contain these ingredients.

And remember, your skin is your largest organ and capable of absorbing a percentage of what we put on it.  Follow these tips and you’ll be able to make the healthy choice when it comes to skin protection:

DO choose a natural, mineral based sunscreen that contains titanium dioxide and/or zinc oxide because they provide strong sun protection with few health concerns.

DO use a sunscreen that gives both UVB and UVA protection. Did you know that the term SPF only refers to protection from UVB rays, the rays that cause sunburns? Make sure your sunscreen also protects you from the harmful UVA rays that penetrate deep into our skin causing all sorts of mischief!

DO apply sunscreen liberally and repeatedly during sun exposure to achieve the product’s SPF rating.

DO add tinted UV-protective film to your car’s side and rear windows since UVA penetrates glass.

DON’T buy or use any sunscreen containing Oxybenzone, Octinoxate or artificial fragrances.  Stay clear of retinyl palmitate too, a form of Vitamin A, which may speed up the growth of skin tumors and lesions, according to FDA studies.

DON’T rely solely on sunscreen.  DO wear a hat, UV blocking sunglasses and a ‘Rashguard.’ Sun Protection clothes provide greater total UVA/UVB sun protection than typical summer clothing or a typical 30 SPF sunscreen.

DON’T use sunscreen powders or wipes.  These delivery methods have been proven to be ineffective.

DON’T use a sunscreen with an SPF higher than 50.  Sky-high SPFs give a false sense of greater sun protection and can tempt you to stay in the sun too long.

My Picks for Best and Safest Sunscreens: All Terrain TerraSport SPF 30, Badger Sunscreen SPF 30, Kiss My Face Kids’ Natural Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30, Juice Beauty SPF 30 and Supergoop Everyday SPF 30.

* See The Environmental Working Group’s The Trouble with Sunscreens, 2014, www.ewg.org

 

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Whether it’s “functional food” or “natural beauty products,” we consumers are asked to navigate through hundreds of products that claim to promote health and wellness. These claims live on the front of the product, in big eye-catching fonts, reminding us that we’re not getting enough: oat bran, hemp seed, goji berries, Omega 3’s…AND that our skin is blemished and our hair is dry because we slather on paraben-laced chemical sludge. Ever leave the Whole Foods with a bunch of new supplements, protein powders, probiotics and the like, in desperate hopes of warding off the big “C”?

In the beauty biz, it seems that all of the new professional hair lines are touting new products that are Ammonia-free, sulfate-free, paraben-free, and full of unadulterated god-given argan oil.  Here’s what their not telling us, as loudly that is.  If you simply turn the product around, put on your readers and give yourself a minute or two, you yourself can determine if said new product is really healthy and really worth your money.  So what if the shampoo is sulfate free and contains organic burdock root? If there’s ‘fragrance’ listed, you’re exposing yourself to pthalates…endocrine disrupting chemicals.  Or if a Nonylphenol compound is present (a chemical which helps dissolve oily grime into water in cleaning products) you should be equally horrified.

In today’s Health section of the New York Times, an article about the “slick marketing” of healthy foods, inspired this post. “[s]hoppers are being bamboozled by slick marketing. Many people grab products with healthy claims on the front of the package and overlook crucial nutritional information, like calorie counts, in the small print on the back.”  Bravo.  But, What The Cuss?

Federal Regulators are only now investigating outlandish health claims.  Do I trust that they’ll mind the  hen house? Emphatically ‘No.’  Both the cosmetic and the food industries are sorely lacking in marketing claims’ oversight.  Bottom line:  read the labels. Google an ingredient a week to discover what really is in your Tinted Aveeno Moisturizer with SPF.

Best source ever?  The Environmental Working Group’s Cosmetic Database.

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Ok. So I’m not talking about the cheap shampoo and conditioner product that men think they need.  I won’t even go into what the ingredients may be in such a product…..

Here’s a helpful list of tips and suggested uses for double duty products.  The list that can help you simplify your organic product retinue and keep your whole body healthy and fabulous! Beauty Product Streamlining (“BPS”) is fun and easy.  And here’s why:

1. An all-in-one BPS is great for travel, choose a smaller container and receive a bonus: TSA approved.

2. Look to an oil.  An oil that combines a hardy carrier oil with beneficial essential oils can triple duty for hair, body and face; My newest favorite, hands down is Skin and Bones Hair, Face and Body Oil.

3. Don’t think “Shampoo and Conditioner.”  Try thinking only Conditioner.  Back burner your shampoo for a few days and rely only on your conditioner.  Many good quality organic conditioners actually contain ingredients that will remove excess oils, build-up and dirt.  Your shiny new hair will thank you!

4. Soap bars that cleanse and exfoliate.  Genius!  Great for cleansing, cellular turnover, ingrowns and tired sallow skin.  Try John Master’s Ginseng and Citrus exfoliating and cleansing bar.

5. Sometimes, a fabulous pomade can double as an even better dry elbow or rough heel salve.  I swear that I always rub the leftover pomade from styling my hair onto my upper arms and elbows.  Try Sevi’s Blue Yarrow Hair Pomade made with pure organic castor oil and comfrey.

6. And the opposite is true.  Try a emollient body butter on your fly-aways or to provide lift and texture to your ‘do.  Woodsprite’s Get Whipped Shea Butter in Grapefruit Mint does the trick!

7. Back to oils, my favorite.  Ditch the Pthalate laced, allergy inducing, eye-watering department store perfumes.  Instead, slather on a rich, healing and aromatic oil.  Dr. Alkaitis’s Organic Nourishing Oil leaves your skin glowing and deliciously scented.  A great unisex “parfum” that is green and totally modern!

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Missed our latest workshop? What a shame!  On October 4th, national health and beauty expert Jolene Hart, graced juju organics with a bounty of natural beauty tips.  Of course we all know to avoid SLSs and parabens, but Ms. Hart drew deeper and provided us with the why’s what’s and how’s of combining good diet and de-stressors to really bring out the best in our own Natural Beauty!

Check out her beauty blog, Beauty is Wellness, and see for yourself what a difference a natural approach to beauty makes!  Here’s an easy recipe from Jolene for at home beauty…great for facial re-hydration and a luminescent glow!

Oatmeal & Raw Honey Mask

1 cup organic oatmeal
1 cup filtered warm water
1/2 cup raw honey (go raw or miss out on natural enzymes that hydrate and gently exfoliate)

Combine the oatmeal and warm water in a small bowl and allow the oatmeal to absorb the water. Add the honey and mix well. Apply the mask to a clean face, leave on for 30 minutes and rinse with warm water. This mask is moisturizing, soothing and exfoliating-and great for dry skin!

Enjoy!

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Though there are dozens of organic herbal and plant-based infusions that should be listed as an ingredient in your anti-wrinkle creme, here are my top picks:

1. White Willow Bark, also known as Pussy Willow.  The inside bark of this plant is rich in naturally occurring salicylic acid, a marvelously gentle tool for cellular turnover when applied to the skin. White Willow Bark is also an anti-imflammatory for oily, combination, acne or blemished skin and scalp. Great relief for rosacea, psriasis, eczema, dandruff and any skin or scalp condition that produces redness and/or inflammation.

2. Retinol liposomes from Vitamin A.  The ultimate source of the vitamin A is carotene. Look for the listing of organic yellow vegetables (carrots, tomatoes) and yellow fruits (papaya, mangoes) in your brightening creme.  Reduce fine lines, clear your pores and (again!) speed up cell turnover with these essential vitamin A carriers.

3. Rosa Centifolia is known for its anti aging components when applied to skin.  Packed with antioxidant for keeping those free radicals at bay, tannins, which have a toning effect on skin, emolient (moisturizing) ingredients, as well as anti-viral and anti-bacterial ingredients. Think roses for dry, weather-beaten skin too.  Really! We’re all, young and old, in need of some skin protection in this extremely cold winter weather.  Add to this blasting furnaces and dry indoors, and anyone’s skin can look grim no matter what the age.  Roses to the rescue!

4. Vitamin C Glucoside.  Think tart refreshing citrus!  Its brightening power and collagen stimulator are just two of its charms.  Another great provider of antioxidants (we need these internally and externally!) Vitamin C Skin Care is an important component of most anti-aging skin care regimens. Topically applied Vitamin C is proven to help protect the skin from photo-damage from sun exposure. Vitamin C taken orally does not have the same skin care benefit – it must be applied directly to the skin.

One more, one more…what to choose… Carrageenan/Irish Moss is an all natural anti-wrinkle miracle ingredient …what about green tea with its above-average antioxidant power?  burdock…..Nope I’m choosing….

5. Borage…don’t let the name fool you, there’s nothing boring about its aid in the pursuit of youthful skin. Borage Oil was used in ancient Rome to enhance natural beauty. It was even used by ancient beauties like Cleopatra and Nefertiti. Borage’s composition contains omega acids that are not only beneficial for the skin but are very effective in skin repair. Consider this a green beauty tip via antiquity!

Once again you’re reminded to READ YOUR LABEL! Before you spend a dime, read the listed ingredients and watch for these top 5 to appear. If they don’t, keep looking!  What are your top 5?  Creative criticism and helpful insight wanted!

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Ok I get it…it’s the 3rd day of the new year, and yes, it’s COLD!!! with the wind chill, it’s barely 0. And I have to walk my hounds? The only, literally, only thought that cheers me at this moment, is the delight I take in slathering on my Vanilla Creme Organic Shea Body Butter – Woodsprite – the Best!

Banish flaky, chapped, red, raw, ashen, frozen, aged, wintry skin…FOREVER! Woodsprite’s Get Whipped, a salon and spa favorite – buy it when it’s in stock ’cause it flies off the shelf, works even better than it smells. Rich Fair Trade Cocoa Butter, Kukui Nut Oils, Avocado and Madadamia Oils enliven the time-tested, dry skin cure-all Shea Butter base. You cannot live without this in the winter.

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