Product Review: Bobeam's ACV & Bentonite Clay Shampoo Bar

Curl cream, curl jelly, leave in conditioner, hair lotion, hair butter, hair spray, oil, aloe vera gel, Ecostyler gel, homemade gel....You name it , the list can go on and on.  Some of us use a lot of products on our hair to get that twist out just right, lay those edges nice and smooth for our up-do, or make our wash and go curls POP! 

Because our hair thrives on moisture, we tend to shy away from shampoo.  We know certain shampoo can strip our hair of its natural oils and make our hair feel very dry and brittle.  Therefore, some opt to just co-wash.  Co-washing is the process of using conditioner to cleanse your hair instead of using shampoo.  This is normally okay and a lot of people swear by it.  

I'm one of those people who hardly ever used shampoo to wash my hair, maybe every 2 months or so.  I always reached for my ole' faithful Avalon Organics Biotin Conditioner  and go to town.  But about a month or so ago, I decided that I needed to give my hair a good cleansing, a good clarifying cleansing.

To read more about my cleansing of choice, click here. 

Until next time, keep moving forward!

Nikki

Oils, Oils, Oils...So many to choose from!!!

When I first decided to put the creamy crack to the side, I will admit that like most women who decide to embrace their curls, I was overwhelmed.  I really wanted to make sure that I did everything right.  I wanted to ensure that I gave my hair the proper treatment to stimulate growth and most importantly, be the healthiest it can be!

I've always been the type of person who preferred a natural remedy when it came to my health and well being.  I abhor the thought of taking prescription medicine.  I'm one of those people who will just let a cold or flu take it's course, that is until I just cant endure the body and head aches anymore.

While learning about my hair, I realized that my hair can get very dry quickly if not properly moisturized.  I also learned very quickly that using certain oils made my hair very oily and greasy.  That was not a good look at all!  So during my research on how to achieve healthy, long natural hair, I was pleasantly pleased at all of the natural products that were suggested, especially oils that I already had.

Click here to continue reading.

Until next time, keep moving forward,

Nikki

Make That Lipstick Smooth, Girl! How I Relieved My Dry, Flaky Lips

With this harsh, Artic weather we've been experiencing in Virginia lately, I've noticed that my lips have become unusually and extremely dry.  They have become chapped and cracked which is not attractive at all and I just couldn't understand why.  I mean, every night I apply my Maybelline Baby Lips lip balm to keep my kissers moist which promises 8 hours of moisture.

So after a week or so of no improvement, I Googled the ingredients of the lip balm to try to figure out why it isn't working.  Among the long list of ingredients I couldn't pronounce (red flag #1) I found that it contained petrolatum (red flag #2.)  Hmmm, that got my wheels turning and my research continued.  Petrolatum is sold as a skin ointment and approved by the FDA as a skin protectant.  However, some side effects of  this petroleum byproduct are premature aging, suffocating the skin, aggravating acne and has also been found in breasts tumors.  After reading that, you know where that ended up....the TRASH!!!

So, now what do I do?  I'm constantly licking my lips which is not healthy for my lips either and my favorite go to lippie, MAC's Diva, is no longer gliding on smoothly.  Oh!  Houston we have a problem!

So I decided that my kissers needed a little TLC.  Just like exfoliation is great for our skin, the same applies for our lips.  Again my wheels are turning.  I looked in my bathroom and found my Tree Hut Shea Sugar Body Scrub that I absolutely love.  I could use this on my lips but then I decided to put on my kitchen chemist hat and came up with the below recipe for a lip exfoliant.

OATS AND SUGAR LIP SCRUB RECIPE

1/2 tsp GROUND OATS
1 tsp BROWN SUGAR
1/2 tsp GRAPESEED OIL
1/4 tsp VITAMIN E OIL
1/4 tsp HONEY

To grind the oats, I used my ole faithful Hamilton Beach blender, no food processor, just a regular blender did the job well.

Mix all the ingredients together.
Apply a small amount to your lips and gently rub for about a minute or so.
Gently rinse or wipe off with a warm damp cloth.
Now, enjoy your luscious smooth lips!

This is super easy to make with ingredients that you probably have in your kitchen pantry already.

I would love for you all to try it and let me know how it worked for you.  Say bye bye dry lips!!  MUAH!

Until next time, keep moving forward.

Nikki