Natural Body Guru

If your sebaceous glands are not producing enough oil to keep it healthy, your hair probably looks dry and flyaway. The protective oils produced by your hair are essential for protecting it from the elements but exposure to sun, wind, heat, and chemicals can damage hair, leaving it frizzy.  Split ends, broken shafts and a rough texture are all signs that your hair is lacking a sufficient sebum coating.

Ways to repair dry hair include:

• Using a very gentle natural shampoo followed by a cream conditioner that you leave on your hair (not your scalp) for several minutes
• Avoiding the use of chemical products such as hair dye and styling products because they can be very harsh on hair and wearing a hat if you’re going to be out in the sun, and a swimming cap if you’re going to be in chlorinated water
• Adding a few drops of oil (coconut, jojoba, olive oil, etc) will give protective moisture to hair if you simply place a few drops  in your hands, rub your hands together and then work through your hair to give it a light sheen
• Drying hair on the low or coolest setting if you must blow it dry
• Combing your hair in the shower with conditioner in it because this is the time your hair is at its smoothest and strongest; otherwise, use a boar bristle brush, which will be more gentle and less likely to tear hair, as well as helping to distribute oil through the hair
• Washing your hair less often and using a weekly deep conditioner
• Having your hair trimmed if you are experiencing split ends- at least 1/2 inch above the splits

When I was younger, I didn’t think too much about skincare. My face was naturally blemish and wrinkle free. I didn’t worry about moisturizing or putting on sunscreen every day. Now that I’m older, I’m much more meticulous with my skin care regimen.

My wake up call came when I looked in the mirror and was surprised by the rough texture and lines I saw forming on my forehead and mouth. I started researching how to keep my skin healthy and looking fresh. I quickly learned that many over the counter skin care items contain harsh chemicals. It took some searching, but I finally found natural healthy skin care products that cleanse and nourish my skin without added toxins.

Tomorrow I am going to tell you how to treat baldness with essential oils but first, let’s talk about stimulating hair growth. Long hair is always fashionable and essential oils can help you have longer hair too. Hereditary factors can contribute to hair loss, as can your overall age and health as well as stress and prescription drugs.

A simple way to strengthen your hair is to use rosemary essential oil. Simply add 1 drop of this amazing essential oil to a cold water rinse when you finish washing your hair. There is no need to rinse the rosemary out because it will give your hair a lustrous shine. The cold water rinse will cause your blood capillaries to contract and that will cause the movement of nutrients into the bulb of the hair or the follicle that feeds the hair. Many of the best selling hair products contain rosemary essential oil.

If your sebaceous glands are not producing enough oil to keep it healthy, your hair probably looks dry and flyaway. The protective oils produced by your hair are essential for protecting it from the elements but exposure to sun, wind, heat, and chemicals can damage hair, leaving it frizzy.  Split ends, broken shafts and a rough texture are all signs that your hair is lacking a sufficient sebum coating.

Ways to repair dry hair include:

• Using a very gentle natural shampoo followed by a cream conditioner that you leave on your hair (not your scalp) for several minutes
• Avoiding the use of chemical products such as hair dye and styling products because they can be very harsh on hair and wearing a hat if you’re going to be out in the sun, and a swimming cap if you’re going to be in chlorinated water
• Adding a few drops of oil (coconut, jojoba, olive oil, etc) will give protective moisture to hair if you simply place a few drops  in your hands, rub your hands together and then work through your hair to give it a light sheen
• Drying hair on the low or coolest setting if you must blow it dry
• Combing your hair in the shower with conditioner in it because this is the time your hair is at its smoothest and strongest; otherwise, use a boar bristle brush, which will be more gentle and less likely to tear hair, as well as helping to distribute oil through the hair
• Washing your hair less often and using a weekly deep conditioner
• Having your hair trimmed if you are experiencing split ends- at least 1/2 inch above the splits

If your sebaceous glands are not producing enough oil to keep it healthy, your hair probably looks dry and flyaway. The protective oils produced by your hair are essential for protecting it from the elements but exposure to sun, wind, heat, and chemicals can damage hair, leaving it frizzy.  Split ends, broken shafts and a rough texture are all signs that your hair is lacking a sufficient sebum coating.

Ways to repair dry hair include:

• Using a very gentle natural shampoo followed by a cream conditioner that you leave on your hair (not your scalp) for several minutes
• Avoiding the use of chemical products such as hair dye and styling products because they can be very harsh on hair and wearing a hat if you’re going to be out in the sun, and a swimming cap if you’re going to be in chlorinated water
• Adding a few drops of oil (coconut, jojoba, olive oil, etc) will give protective moisture to hair if you simply place a few drops  in your hands, rub your hands together and then work through your hair to give it a light sheen
• Drying hair on the low or coolest setting if you must blow it dry
• Combing your hair in the shower with conditioner in it because this is the time your hair is at its smoothest and strongest; otherwise, use a boar bristle brush, which will be more gentle and less likely to tear hair, as well as helping to distribute oil through the hair
• Washing your hair less often and using a weekly deep conditioner
• Having your hair trimmed if you are experiencing split ends- at least 1/2 inch above the splits

Natural hair styles for African American hair include braids, french braids, twists, cornrows, afropuffs and locks. These hairstyles are very cute on my granddaughters but they really did not like to get their hair done. We have now found an easy way to comb their hair and get the kinks and snarls out without hurting their tender scalps.

We use a spray that quickly and safely removes braids and weaves, and allows us to comb through natural hair without damaging it. It is excellent to use after washing, before preparing and while conditioning your hair. The medicated formula will help fight dry scalp and treat fragile hair. It can be used on both natural and synthetic hair. Anyone who is tenderheaded will love this spray.

Adopt a healthy-hair diet. Eat more salmon, sardines, oily fish (or fish oil/DHA supplements), bran, eggs, nuts, avocados and green tea. Avoid red meat.

Wash your hair according to its needs. Over-washing hair can cause it to appear dry and brittle. Many find that as they age their hair becomes dryer and so requires less washing. In some cases it can even be helpful to skip every other shampoo, while still conditioning your hair.

Choose a cut that falls somewhere between your chin and your shoulder blades. Avoid too many layers for thinning hair, and go for thicker bangs when possible. Remember, longer layers help lengthen a round face, while shorter, framing layers will help soften an angular face.

Deep condition hair with natural oils, such as coconut or shea oil. Rub oil into hair, leave in for a few hours, then wash the oil out for a youthful shine.

The first thing people notice about us is our hair or more precisely, the color of our hair. Women are often described as, “the one with the curly red hair, the frizzy haired blond, or the brunette with the asymmetrical cut.” Women have been dying their hair for thousands of years and essential oils can not change the cut or color of your hair but they can enhance your color. Chamomile can lighten blond hair, sage is good for black or brunette hair, and carrot enhances ginger and red hair.

Whatever the color, cut and style of your hair, it should also be thick and shining. Using rich nutritious coconut plant based shampoo with pure essential oils will help normalize oil production, enhance circulation and support the health of your hair and scalp on the cellular level. This will give you the healthy radiant hair we all desire. The scent of a synergistic blend of essential oils provides a complete aromatherapy experience each time you shampoo your hair.

I decided to stop using permanent relaxers on my hair in the late 1990s because I was tired of always getting burned by the chemicals. I wore a huge Afro in the late 1960s so I first went back to that style. I wore several different lengths of Afro hairstyles and I liked how convenient the Afro was; I could wash my hair and just go! I did not like the fact that I never could get my hair cut the way I wanted it. I just had to go with whatever the hairstylist or barber did even though I explained what I wanted them to do.

When my daughter started wearing locks, I did not like the style at all but the longer she wore them the more they grew on me and the more I liked them. Finally, in May 2000, I took the plunge (you really do have to research and psych yourself up to do it) and started my own locks. I’ve been wearing them ever since. My hair eventually grew so long that it hung down to my lower back and I have cut it to shoulder length twice but I’ll be wearing locks from now on.

I searched a long time for natural hair care products to use on my locks and I have used several different things including shea butter to groom my hair. The products I like the best are the ones that use natural ingredients such as shea butter, tea tree essential oil, olive oil and bee’s wax. Just because I wear my hair natural doesn’t mean I don’t do anything to it. I keep my hair clean and groom it daily. I really love my locks, they make me feel spiritual and at one with nature.

Mammals are the only animals that have hair and we humans really love ours. Hair is mostly composed of a protein called keratin. Wikipedia says that this keratin assembles itself into rope-like filaments and these filaments determine the strength of the hair shaft. While the hair shafts that we see on each others’ heads is “dead” because it has no biochemical activity, it comes from hair follicles located under the skin. These follicles  include the oil producing sebaceous gland which lubricates the hair and the erector pili muscles, which are responsible for causing hairs to stand-up when you have “goose bumps.”

Particular care should be taken for African-American hair in natural styles to keep the hair soft and supple. Many hair preparations contain petroleum based products which can cause poor blood circulation, clogged pores leading to dandruff and dry scalp and hair breadage. Why have a natural hairstyle and then groom it with an unnatural product? Instead, use an easy to apply oil for natural styles that contains tea tree oil, shea butter and other natural fruit oils that will soothe your hair and scalp, moisturize it and prevent itchiness.