Winter weather, family and friends abound, parties, and more parties…here are some top beauty tips and tricks for your hair, skin, and nails, just in time for the New Year.
Hair:
10. Shampoo your hair only three times per week. And don’t use conditioner on your roots. The natural oils of your hair and scalp are the best thing for them. Conditioning your roots strips your hair of those oils. On the days you don’t shampoo and condition, instead massage your scalp in the shower. This will break up those natural oils and spread them throughout your hair.
9.Nutrition: Vitamins B12, biotin, iron, protein, and the fatty acids found in fish and nuts are vital to maintaining healthy hair.
8. Massage your scalp each day for five minutes. This stimulates your scalp’s blood supply, increasing the blood flow thus helping to dispel nutrients to your hair follicles. It also helps reduce stress. But remember to use the pads of your fingers, not your nails.
7. Don’t use plastic combs. Instead use wooden or cellulose acetate combs. This is because plastic combs have molded seams on them that can wreak havoc on your hair cuticles.
6.When choosing shampoos and conditioners buy those with natural cleansers; such as Aveda, Ojon, and Phyto. Natural cleansers will not strip your hair of its natural oils as much as synthetics.
5. Buy salon products. When you do the math, they aren’t more expensive than those at the drug or grocery store. This is because salon products are at least 80% product and 20% extenders or fillers. Where as the store brands are the reverse. Most people, because they are used to using store brands, use too much product at a time. When switching to the thicker salon products, combine 1/3 of the salon product with diluted water. This will prevent you from over shampooing/conditioning your hair and will ensure that your salon products last as long as they should.
5. Give your self a hot oil treatment. Heat up some olive oil (the amount depends on your hair length) and massage it into your scalp and hair. Wrap your hair with Cyran Wrap or a plastic shower cap. Leave it in at least a half hour, but an hour works best. Rinse with shampoo.
4. Avoid or limit your use of hot water, hot blow dryers, and other such hair tools. The heat can cause stress to your hair. Instead use warm water in your showers, and low heat on your styling tools. If you do use hot styling tools on a regular basis you should use the oil treatment above at least once a week.
3. Eliminate or at least cut back on smoking, sodas, and caffeine. These weaken the body, cause dehydration, and reduce your body’s maximum hair growing potential.
2. Before leaving the house, make sure your hair is completely dry. Wet hair exposed to the elements is more prone to damage, and discoloration.
1. Be careful not to overdo it on shine products and frizz controls. These products often contain silicone, which after just a few applications will coat your hair and can become harmful.
Skin:
10. Use A&D; Ointment instead of Vaseline. While Vaseline is purely petroleum jelly, A&D; ointment also contains lanolin and more importantly vitamins A and D. While commonly known for treating diaper rash, this ointment has been a popular treatment for dry, chafed, cracked, and flaky skin. It also aids with cuts, abrasions, burns and chapped lips.
9. As nice as a long, hot shower feels, it also removes natural oils from your skin. So use warm water instead and limit your shower and bath time to no longer than fifteen minutes.
8. Choose mild soaps with oils and fats added to them instead of strong soaps. Strong soaps strip the oil from the skin.
7. To remove eye makeup, use a soft makeup sponge, or cotton balls or pads and an oil-based product like petroleum jelly. The tissue around your eyes is the most delicate so wipe gently.
6. Before shaving, press a warm, damp, towel or wash cloth onto your skin. This will soften the hair.
5. Avoid antibacterial and antimicrobial soaps. These can reduce the acidity of your skin, which protects against infections.
4. Embrace the following:
Green Tea: antioxidants that reduce inflammation; polyphenols that reactivate dying skin cells.
Fatty fish, nuts, and flaxseed: fatty acids and omega 3’s which allow nutrients to enter cells, and reduce production of inflammatory agents that can damage skin.
Blueberries: antioxidants and phytochemicals neutralize DNA-damaging free radicals that cause cell damage.
Carrots: Vitamin A which is required for developing and maintaining skin cells.
Water: pure, old-fashioned, plain water hydrates cells and aids the removal of toxins from the body and the intake of nutrients into the cells.
3. Protect against both UVA and UVB sun radiation. These cause wrinkles, discoloration, freckles, moles, age spots, and skin cancer.
2. Sleep on clean pillowcases and do not share them. Oils from the skin are absorbed by the pillowcase and can aid in breakouts.
1. When you sleep, pull your hair back away from your face. This is especially important with longer hair as the oils in your hair can also aggravate the skin and cause breakouts.
Nails:
10. Keep your nails and cuticles hydrated by applying petroleum jelly, olive or castor oil at night or whenever they seem dry.
9. Wear rubber or vinyl gloves when doing dishes and other chores. These will protect nails and hands from dirt and harsh cleaners that can do major damage to your digits. As a bonus, apply lotion to your hands before donning the gloves.
8.Wear 100% cotton socks. These are the best at absorbing dampness which is a breeding ground for fungal infections like athlete’s foot.
7. Do not file your nails in a back and forth motion, but rather go only in one direction. Also, remember that wet nails break more easily so never file your nails directly after a shower or bath.
6. Always cover nails with at least one clear coat of polish. This will protect your nails. If you prefer color, use one base coat, two thin coats of your chosen color, and one top coat. Remove the color after 10 days and reapply.
5. Buff your nails on a regular basis. This will increase the blood supply to the nail thus stimulating nail growth.
4. Do not use polish removers that contain acetone or formaldehyde. The ingredients dry out the nails. Instead use removers with acetate.
3. Carry small band-aids around with you. If you crack a nail, immediately cover it with a band-aid and file the nail as soon as possible. Portable mending kits are available at drugstores and cosmetic stores like Sephora.
2. Similar to skin and hair, your nails also function best with a diet rich in biotin-rich foods and essential fatty acids. Examples are eggs, whole grains, liver, salmon, tuna, and nuts. Nails also love sulfur minerals found in apples, grapes, garlic, and onions.
1. And finally, remember, your fingernails are not tools. Use real tools for picking and scraping; and the tips of your fingers (not the nail) for picking things up.
