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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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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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John masters at juju salonAs the beauty industry becomes inundated with organic and all natural products, what is the best way to financially navigate through all of the choices presented?  How do you know what the best value is out there?  There are $8 bottles and $28 bottles of shampoo on the proverbial shelf, what’s the difference?

Much of the price differential is Products Marketing 101: are the products recognizable because of an extensive and expensive marketing campaign?  Often, organic beauty product lines that grace the opening, full-page spots in Organic Spa magazine are probably the priciest.  I mean, what does your gut tell you about Origins’ Dr. Weil organic product line?  Origin stores are firmly planted on the priciest retail real estate available…could that influence the price of their products?

That’s not to say that smaller, less known brands, are necessarily less expensive. Confusing!

In other words, “who knows?!”  I know.  And here’s how you can know too.  Read the label.  It’s that easy.  If a company selling organic beauty products fails to list ALL of the ingredients on its label, don’t even consider buying it.  Here’s some tips for understanding the ingredients and consequently, what the true value of the product may be.

What’s the ordering of the ingredients?  Having “water” as the first ingredient listed may explain why it’s price tag isn’t too high. And if it is high, ask yourself why.  How much of the total product is derived from organically, bio-dynamically and/or wild harvested plants and herbs? If there’s a long list of “chemically” sounding ingredients following “water” and preceding rose hips, don’t bother tossing it in your shopping cart.  It needs to be clearly indicated that the plant/herbal ingredient is organic, bio-dynamically grown and/or wild harvested plants.

USDA Certified Organic, Oregon Tilth – Certified Organic, Campaign for Safe Cosmetics are all important monikers for your product to wear. But know that getting a product “Certified Organic” is an expensive and lengthy process.  Some smaller companies haven’t secured the seal and can’t place it on their labels, even though the ingredients are as organically white as the driven snow.  Again, look to the label and make your decision from there.

Making a change in your beauty regime is as important to making a change from synthetic to organic beauty products.  Read labels, use less, use wisely and if on a budget, buy only what you truly need to use on a daily basis.

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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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What better way to let Jack Frost know what you think about his weather?  In addition, I for one, am tired of the oh-so-sleek-keratin-treated-toxic-formaldahydey-mammal-pelt look!  This beachy, bumpy, voluptuous look not only tips its hat to Pre-Raphaelite muses, but is downright simple, natural and gorgeous.

Here’s how you can do this at home:

Shampoo and condition your hair before bed and towel dry your hair. Evenly distribute either  John Master’s Sea Mist (sea salt and lavender styling spritz), an organic aloe vera based gel or other product with hold to it, in even sections throughout your hair. If you have thick or wavy hair, apply some curl-creme or leave-in  to smooth your curls and discourage frizz. With your fingers or a comb, distribute this mixture through your locks.

Then, either gently twist small or large sections of hair or scrunch your hair before you fall asleep.  When you awake, you’ll have big, sexy tousled hair!  Don’t be in a hurry to wash your hair for a few days, the ehem…dirtier…the hair, the better the look.  Enjoy!

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