Get your dream hair naturally

We all love our hair, but sometimes we don't show it the love it really needs. Split ends and dryness are not signs of love, but fixing these problems can help us maintain the healthy hair we always wanted. When our hair is healthy, we love it. 


With today's hectic schedules, we might ignore the cries for help, but taking the following steps will ensure health and growth and lead you to the hair of your dreams.

PRECONDITIONER
A preconditioner is a product that helps loosen the dirt and grease in your hair prior to shampooing. 

One natural preconditioner that can be found in any kitchen is lemon juice. When it is 100% lemon juice, you can pour any amount you feel would be enough to precondition your whole head and mix it with 1/3 water. You can spray or rub the solution onto your scalp and hair. This can be messy, so have a towel handy.

SHAMPOO

TRESemme Natural Shampoo, S4.49

Shampoo cleans our scalp. It is not meant to clean the grit in between your strands; water alone should do the job. 

For shampoo, castile soap can be used. Buy a brand that has all-natural ingredients like oils instead of a watered down version of the soap. Castile soap can be retailed up to $15 in stores.

If you're not willing to dish out the extra cash for this type of soap, another alternative is to use shampoos with mostly natural ingredients like jojoba oil. Some of these natural ingredients have been proven to aid in hair growth. Mainstream and inexpensive natural shampoos can be found in any beauty aisle.  

CONDITIONER
A conditioner is a product that is put in the hair after shampoo is washed out to detangle the strands. There are two types of conditioners: shower or regular conditioner and deep or leave-in conditioner. 

Suave Tropical Coconut Conditioner, $1

The regular conditioner is essential to detangling hair right after shampooing hair. You leave it in for about three minutes, then wash it out immediately. Since it's only left in the hair for a short amount of time, you still want one to contain mostly natural ingredients like flower extracts. 


After mildly drying your hair after the wash, you could use a deep conditioner. One natural conditioner that has ingredients and can be found in the kitchen is mayonnaise or yogurt. The thickness of mayonnaise and yogurt as well as the nutrients help remove any leftover residue in the hair. 

Also adding fruit pulp from cantaloupe, banana, mango, or other related fruits can help moisturize and soften your hair. 


Honey, molasses, and maple syrup can be put in your hair and wrapped with a shower cap as an intense conditioner.

MOISTURIZER
For those with dry, coarse hair, moisturizer is a must. Besides drinking several glasses of water a day, a moisturizing cream can bring faster moisture to your strands. Use moisturizers with oils from fruit, particularly olive, almond, and coconut. These oils as prominent ingredients in moisturizing creams have become popular as the main choice to keep your hair healthy.  


DAILY MAINTENANCE
To keep hair healthy every day, you just have to be aware of the products you're using. Some of these products may have ingredients that can be harsh on your hair and hurt your hair in the long term.  

Research questionable ingredients in your products and try to use products that are natural and you are familiar with. Unnecessary brushing and combing also takes strands away.

To see what's stopping you from enjoying the hair of your dreams, take this quiz.

Blue and violet eyeshadow

Image: Tina Phillips/ FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Some of my favorite colors are blue and violet, but I never thought of those colors great for enhancing the eyes. Since blue and violet are the hottest colors for eyeshadow, I've been proven wrong.

Blue and violet eyeshadow dominated the NYFW shows this year. Celebrities even have stepped out in the spotlight with the unique trend. But is the look right for you?

Bare Escentuals bareMinerals Glimpse in Flamenco, $13, sephora.com

It actually doesn't matter. If your makeup is neat, then you'll look good. One thing that does matter is if it's natural. 

Like other cosmetics, eyeshadow has chemicals we have to take time to pronounce, so look for natural ingredients. 

Sephora, the major makeup emporium that can be found in any shopping mall, places a stamp of approval on products made from natural products instead of harsh chemicals. 

Try the blue and violet eyeshadow, but still think green.

Silk vs. polyester: which is the greener choice?

I have, like most people, blouses that look the same. They have that smooth, satiny feeling, but one is made from silk, and the other is polyester. So I wondered which one is the better green choice to wear.

Polyester is made from polyethylene terephthalate (PET), also used to create our plastic bottles. But for our clothes, polyester can be made into fibers to create fabrics. Clothing made from polyester don't absorb stains as easily as cotton.

Jaeger Flock Spot Blouse, $127.50, jaeger.co.uk

Silk is the material produced by the silkworm when it makes a cocoon. The mulberry silkworm produces the best quantity of silk. The worm eats its way through the cocoon, but in silk production, it will be removed so the silk can be unraveled to eventually make our clothes.

Aryn K mint silk blouse, $49, bluefly.com

Polyester is made from coal, petroleum, air, and water, therefore it's the most detrimental to the environment with the resources it needs. But polyester can be recycled over and over. Silk just threatens silkworms, but like many other insects, they can reproduce easily though it's unfortunate we interrupt a part of their life cycles.

Because both materials will hopefully be reused in one form or another, silk and polyester will become green along the way.

Black fashion designers going green

It would be nice if there was more spotlight on black fashion designers period, but I really want to know who's into using the organic cotton, recycling the retro polyester, and making clothes the simple way. 

While this venture is still in the works, I found a website for the Black Fashion Designers Association. Don't you love finding a group you didn't think existed! 

So I'm still going to see who brings the eco-style to the arena, but check out these designers if they're in your area.

REVISED: What I've found so far for black-owned eco-fashion and eco-beauty businesses: 
Bryant McLemore Smith Vintage
FSL Cosmetics
Guillotine Co. Organic T-Shirts
Iram-Inal Designs
Lemlem
Tunji Dada

The Green Shows @ NYFW

Even though Fashion Week in NYC came to an end last week, I'm still in awe with the fashions. And this year, The Green Shows was added to flaunt the fashions of eco-conscious designers.

Luis Valenzuela used recycled goods like lampshades and crystal chandeliers to create his Spring 2011 designs. He's an eco-conscious artist who tries to eliminate waste and use recycled goods to create art.

Auralis uses hemp for her denim, bamboo for her jerseys, and organic cotton for all her fabrics. Don't expect the faded look from her denim jeans. She won't flaunt a style that goes through too many cleaning processes, contributing to energy loss and waste.

 Samantha Pleet makes fun sundresses and outfits perfect for the summer, or if you're a California girl, all-year round. She doesn't have to be extra with being green, but organic materials and handmade styles make her list.

Of course, I had to add the incredible Gwen Stefani. I always loved her L.A.M.B fashion line, but she outdid herself this year. The African tribal wear was the most original trend I noticed for NYFW. I really want that blazer so bad!

Natural hair product: lemon juice

Because I wanted to use more natural beauty and hair products, I learned about the power of lemon juice. 

Lemon juice, which can be bought almost anywhere, is a good pre-conditioner. I massage the lemon juice into my scalp before washing my hair. I leave it in my hair with a shower cap for at least half an hour before shampooing. 

Lemon juice helps remove the dandruff and dirt from your scalp, so when you shampoo, you remove the last of the grime and add volume with the extra cleansing. 


Since it is acidic, lemon juice does sting a little, but it's a good sting when you know the dirt is being  uplifted from your scalp. Pure lemon juice is a better choice, but you can also mix it with a little water if the acidity bothers your scalp.

Vintage find #1

A holiday like Labor Day translates to shopping. Because I'm trying to be more resourceful with material things, I shopped at a thrift store today. Recycling materials is good, but actually using the recycled materials is good, too. Someone's trash is another's treasure.

I found a vintage silk white blouse that seemed perfect to wear to work at the office and for the after office activities. I also found a pair of Antonio Melani ivory sandals you could usually get at Dillard's which sadly happens to be nowhere near where I live at the moment. 

I hope to find more valuable items at thrift stores because I like the idea of donating unwanted goods and buying recycled goods. 

According to the EPA, about 12.4 million tons of textile waste was generated in 2008, or 5% of total municipal solid waste generation. 

So instead of throwing textiles away (unless there's serious, irreversible damage), participating in and supporting the recycling process will reduce the waste.

Natural facial cleanser: castile soap

Once upon a time, I used to wash my face with cleansers containing cocamidopropyl betaine and glycol distearate. Of course, I can barely pronounce these chemical names that supposedly zap zits and give you that fresh face look in the morning. But then the unthinkable happened to me.

I used ProActiv. I never had bad acne, but, in the summer, my skin fell victim to hair product sweat and created mountains on my face. So when I saw those celebrity-endorsed ads, I just had to have it. I used the so-called acne miracle medication and, instead of clear skin, I got an infection. My face burned like a million little volcanoes erupted on my face. To get the chemical-ridden stuff off my face, I had to use something natural.

I found Dr. Bronner's castile soap (~$13.99 at your local pharmacy; I bought a bottle for $4 bucks once at a farmers market). It's literally all natural. The ingredients: water; organic coconut, olive, hemp, and jojoba oils; natural rose fragrance (they come in different flavors), and vitamin E. And I know how to pronounce all those words! 


Well, long story short: my skin cleared up, and I wash my face with the castile soap every morning, and sometimes I wash my hair with it; it's so versatile!) Also, you still get that pleasant sting like you feel like it's doing its job. It's definitely a must-have  natural beauty product.

Fall fashions in, old fashions out

Silky pajamas. Denim vest. Business blouse. These are some of pieces of clothing that had to be sacrificed to welcome fall's new fashions. 

It's hard to depart from clothes that I would still wear, but after the summer, I had to reexamine my closet. Spring cleaning swept through my closet before the summer, so bags and bags of clothing were recycled, but a new season means another cleaning.

I like cleaning out my closet because I'm technically recycling them by giving the gently used items to a donation center. It also helps with decision-making, especially if you have a slight tendency to hoard. 

If you're trying to convince yourself that maybe you would need that tangerine party top someday, think if you've worn it in the past year. If not, get rid of it. I recycled plenty of clothes that I liked, but I didn't see myself actually wearing it anytime soon. 

If you have something in your closet that's nice but doesn't fit right, get rid of it. I'm recycling a sea green dress perfect for a wedding, but it just wasn't fitting my body right. I kept it in my closet for years for those "just in case" scenarios, but those moments never materialized, so I have to give it up for someone else to actually wear it. 

So as fall is approaching us, clean your closets and recycle your clothes.