Thursday, May 17, 2012

Hair and skin health



blah!
don't like this picture. I blinked.
Day 2 with coconut milk mixture

For the past couple of months I have been experimenting with what people would call crunchy living,  well somewhat crunchy. All the DIY stuff I have been finding on Pinterest has fueled the fire.
I have made my own deoderant, gone no-poo for washing my hair. And trying to create a healthy body wash/hair wash-conditioner/ face cream with coconut milk, apple cider vinegar, tea tree oil, honey, and coconut oil. I haven't tried it as a body wash yet. I am hoping to find a good all natural bady wash to add to the mixture
The no-poo was a flop. My hair is very dry and frizzy normally and the baking soda/apple cider vinegar method just made it more so. Now I am using my coconut milk concoction in my hair and am liking the results.  I will probably still use the baking soda once or twice a week for a clearifying wash. I wouldn't use this with normal to oily hair.

 My recipe so far is
one can of coconut milk- I eventually will start making my own coconut milk for more all natural product
1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp of tea tree oil
1 Tbsp of coconut oil
1 Tbsp honey

This is more of a coditioning milk than a washing method.
It is doing wonders for my dry hair and dry scalp. I am also using it on my skin in general for moisturizing. As a facial moisturizer it is making my face feel really smooth. I am worried about breakout though and am only using it once a week. So far so good

Of course I realize that it's not just what you put on the outside of your body that creates healthy hair and skin. It's what goes into the body. So here is what I have found on hair and skin health.

For skin and hair
Chia seed
Raw honey

Top 10 foods for Hair health

Healthy Hair Food No. 1: Salmon  - Omega 3 fatty acid, B-12, and iron
Healthy Hair Food No. 2: Dark Green Vegetables - vitamins A and C
Healthy Hair Food No. 3: Beans - protein, iron, biotin, zinc
Healthy Hair Food No. 4: Nuts -  alpha-linolenic acid an omega-3 fatty acid , selenium, zinc
Healthy Hair Food No. 5: Poultry - protein
Healthy Hair Food No. 6: Eggs - biotin, and vitamin B-12
Healthy Hair Food No. 7: Whole Grains - zinc, iron, and B vitamins
Healthy Hair Food No. 8: Oysters - zinc
Healthy Hair Food No. 9: Low-Fat Dairy Products - Whey , casein, calcium
Healthy Hair Food No. 10: Carrots - Vitamin A

Foods for skin health
Water, WATER, water, did I mention water?
Omega 3 fatty acids
Foods high in antioxidants-
Tumeric good for outside and inside, ginger, acai berry, pomegranite, blueberries,etc. Keep your fruits and vegetables colorful, different ones have different antioxidents

And of course use sun screen for UV protection.
*Oils that contain natural sunscreen
red raspberry seed oil, carrot seed oil, wheatgerm oil, macadamia oil are some examlpes. Red raspberry and carrot seed oil being the hightest if SPF level.
Have not found a good recipe for the sunscreen.
*Most sources say that it is uncertain how much of these oils to use and how long these oils would provide protection.

1 comment:

  1. I just saw this today. Lots of great tips! I really have to try the coconut milk recipe. Thanks for posting!

    ReplyDelete