Charcoal? On your hair??

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I know you have already heard…. The big rave right now for skin care is activated charcoal.  And for good reason.  Activated charcoal draws bacteria, poisons, chemicals, dirt and other micro-particles to the surface of skin.  This helps to fight acne and helps to give you a flawless complexion. Charcoal is not metabolized or absorbed by the body, but it can be used to treat some poisonous bug bites and disinfect some wounds. 

Knowing that it is good for our skin in general, would we get the same benefits on our scalp? 

Sure!  Why not?

It can absorb dirt, grime, excess oil and other impurities and it can remove build-up left by products which contain silicones and waxes.  But additionally, dandruff, redness, oily and itchy scalps may be relieved with activated charcoal.  So there are definitely benefits to giving yourself a charcoal treatment on hair and scalp.

But let’s talk about product build-up for minute.  We know it makes our hair and scalp look and feel dirty but it is so much more important than just that.  Build-up clogs the pores on our scalp and our hair follicles.  That results in all kinds of problems, most importantly, stunted hair growth. 

If you’d like to try an activated charcoal treatment on your hair, there are a couple ways to tackle this.  If you already have a charcoal treatment for your face, you can go ahead use it as a scalp treatment before you shampoo or it can be mixed in with your shampoo.  The activated charcoal will work on your scalp and hair the same way as it does on skin;  by pulling out toxins and by purifying it.

Another option is that my company has developed an activated charcoal gelee hair masque and have made it a free gift during the month of May for its VIP customers market partners.  So I received mine this week and I tried it this morning.

This hair masque claims to purify the scalp and remove build-up but what is great is that it also lightly hydrates with coconut oil to reduce dryness and flakiness and your hair looks and feels thoroughly cleansed.  Adding the coconut oil is great to ensure that the charcoal on its own does not dry out your hair and scalp.

I loved the results.  It made my scalp and hair feel so clean without feeling dried out or like straw. 

So, like I said, this is a great treatment to ensure your scalp and hair stays clean of waxes and build-up.  So I highly recommend doing it once or twice per month.  You can use a charcoal treatment formulated for your face but make sure you really condition your hair because it is not formulated to ensure your hair is hydrated afterwards.  If you’d like to try our charcoal gelee masque, message me  and we can chat about how you can get it.  But it is only available for free until the end of May so touch base with me soon.

Take care of those beautiful locks!  Remember, your hair is the crown you never take off!

I LOVE TO FEEL THE WIND IN MY HAIR! 

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So, what is it about open air that we love?  I’m not sure but the idea of a convertible, a motorcycle or a boat takes us away to that place of freedom, regardless of the cost.

HOWEVER, if you are like me and have long hair, one of the biggest costs is actually our hair!  We get home from a day of boating on the Intercoastal Waterway, taking our 1988 Mercedes 560SL (yep!  That’s right!) downtown, or a motorcycle out on a country road or better yet, on the Blue Ridge Parkway.  And if you’re really brave…  Tail of the Dragon (look it up).

Well, as much as we love that feeling of the wind blowing through our hair, at the end of the day, our hair is a total wreck!!! And once we put a brush through it, we’ve done permanent damage.  It makes me so sad…

So, here’s my best advice.  Don’t give up doing what you love.  After all, a part of my Blog is about “Living Life”.  So here are a couple of tips and tricks to continue doing what we love but saving our hair at the same time.

When I’m in my convertible, I NEVER drive anywhere, even a few blocks down the road to drop my daughter off at school, without grabbing an old-school Scrungee and quickly twisting my hair up into a tight bun.  Regardless of the amount of wind, this will keep it all nice and tight so the ends will not get tiny little knots all over.  Once I get to my destination, I take the bun out, fluff it out and I’m good to go!

If you read my last blog, you know that I also LOVE LOVE the beach.  The same goes for boating.  I keep my hair up in a tight knot.  When I let it down, it’s very easy to brush out.

Now, I have to admit, I don’t have a motorcycle.  My husband used to have bike but gave it up before we met for reasons that I will not go into here.  But the concept is still the same.  Long periods of time with the wind whipping our hair to its potential demise.  Unfortunately, a bun doesn’t work great if you’re a biker because you really should be wearing a helmet (mama bear coming out now).  Wear your helmet!  A good way to protect your long hair while biking is two long, tight braids.  That will keep all of those layers and ends tucked nice and tight so they aren’t whipping in the wind.  Plus, it looks really cute!

IF, you come in after a long day of enjoying your boat, convertible, Hog, …whatever, and you still have little tangles everywhere.  Please do not try to just brush or comb through.  This is will either pull your hair out at the root, break it off half-way down, or at the very least, create micro-damage.  Micro-damage occurs when you brush your hair and you hear those tiny little pop sounds.  NOT GOOD!  Your hair is stretching and almost breaking part-way through making that hair strand weak and damaged.

So, before you brush, find a really good detangler and spray all over before you brush.  I actually have a couple FAVEs, one is my daughter’s children’s detangling spray.  The other is technically not a detangler but a split end mender.  It’s cream and it doesn’t take much.  But I use that when my hair feels tangly.  I rub in one tiny pump (about a pea amount) and it combs right out.  AMAZING!  And my hair still looks healthy and beautiful when it’s not flying in the wind!

Take care of your hair!  After all, it’s the crown you never take off!

Life’s a Beach!!!!! (I know, that phrase was used up in the 80’s)

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So, one of my most favorite places in the world to unwind and relax is the beach.  If you have felt the sun and tasted the salt on your lips, then you don’t need to ask why.  

 My main goal at the beach is truly relax.  As much as I love all beaches (doesn’t matter which state or even continent), there are many where you do anything and everything BUT relax.  I love a weekend trip to those places but they are not my regular go-to places.

My favorite…. Bald Head Island, North Carolina. 

No cars, no street lights, porch lights are frowned upon because we don’t want to disturb the sea turtles… and no bridge to the island.  You start off by taking a passenger ferry over to the island.  Take a look at my featured photo on my homepage.  That is a glorious picture of the harbor at BHI.  Just gorgeous!!!

There are a couple great restaurants, a great outdoor wine bar, a golf club and a beach club, a super relaxing spa, several great boutiques and miles of beaches with very few people on them. So don’t think you won’t have fun!  There is mucho fun to be had!

Just make sure you wear your sunscreen and wear a hat!!!  We don’t want the sun damaging your gorgeous skin and hair!!!  I love the beach but, as you know, I’m all about anti-aging, looking beautiful and feeling confident!! 

 OH!! And watch out for those gators!!!

Here’s a list of my faves on the island!!!!

Drop me a note if you want to hear more about BHI!!!  I can’t talk about it enough!