Natural Beauty | I'm a Natural Chick

Natural Essential Oils: The Many Uses For Essential Oils.

Source: idiva.com via Aaliya on Pinterest

You ever wonder about all those essentials oils out there and which is right for you. There are so many and pretty much all of them have some sort of health benefit. Whether it is soothing , relieving stress, or stimulating your hair follicles to help produce growth.

Essentials oils is not something that has just come around in the new age of natural living. No, but in fact essentials oils have been around for centuries to remedy a variety of ailments both physical and emotional.

For example some of the benefits of essentials include oils like peppermint which are great for digestion while others like grapefruit have been known to have fat melting properties.

I know that sounds all new because essentials are pretty much known to help produce a state of relaxation or calming.

But yes, there are many uses for essentials oils.

So here I am going to explain Four essentials oils to you and how to use them.

First on the list is: Rose Oil

Rose oil has several uses including being used as an antidepressant, anti-wrinkle, to treat chronic bronchitis and asthma and to help improve sexual potency. It’s also used to induce calming and relaxation. And is said to be able to heal emotions and trauma by bringing warmth to the heart and soul.

Rose oil can also be used as a great spritzer right after a facial or even during.

It’s often blended with other calming oils to produce an all encompassing calming effect and blends well with Patchouli, Cedarwood Oil, Bergamot,Sandalwood, Chamomile, and Ylang-Ylang. You can place it in a lotion and apply it directly to your skin.

Rose is great for massage oils and bath products. You can also place in a diffuser and enjoy the scent in a room that you find calming.

For instance your bathroom, bedroom or study.

Second on the list is: Lavender Oil

Lavender oil may be the most common essential oil used for relaxation. You can find it in the grocery store isles in lotions, bath gels, shampoo and even candles. Lavender is everywhere. In addition to being wonderful for relaxing and calming, lavender oil can be uses as an analgesic, diuretic, styptic, rheumatism, muscle pain, depression, headaches, hypertension, insomnia, stress and skin diseases.

I find that whenever my kids have a hard time going to bed or just to restless a nice warm bath and some quiet music does just the trick. If you’re looking for some great music for kids imagery for kids does just the trick. Or, you might Mr. Relaxation, I play this in their room almost every night and they are out.

No joke!

Like Rose Oil, you can combine it in a number of personal care products, drip it into your bathtub, or you can place it in a diffuser and enjoy it throughout your home.

Third on the list is: Jasmine Oil

Jasmine has a most recognizable fragrance and is commonly used as an aphrodisiac, to treat headaches, for fatigue, to soothe coughs, to improve and tone skin and to calm menstrual issues. Jasmine is also tremendous oil for calming.

Yes, it is one of my favorite, great smell too!

While jasmine oil is more expensive than just about any other essential oil, it is very powerful oil. To use you can blend into personal care products like bath gels, massage oils and lotions or you can place a few drops of jasmine oil in a vaporizer and let it permeate your yoke. * Burners and vaporizers*

Burners are great for getting the effect going really fast some of my favorite include the Gifts & Decor Ceramic Mini Oil Warmer Trio Tea light Candle Holder Set brand. One great Vaporizer would be the Aura Cacia Diffuser – Aromatherapy Vaporizer with Oil.

Jasmine oil blends well with Bergamot, Rose, Sandalwood and Citrus oils.

Fourth on the list is: Chamomile Oil

Chamomile oil, both Roman and German, are wonderful for their calming and relaxing properties. They also help with treating PMS and other menstrual and menopausal problems and to heal and regenerate tissue.

Many practitioners recommend using Chamomile to treat irritable children and colicky infants. To use, blend in massage oil, place a few drops in the bath, blend into lotions and creams and place a few drops in a vaporizer or diffuser.

To create a powerful relaxing effect you can blend Chamomile with jasmine, lavender or rose oil.

Essential oils have many wonderful properties. Which fill your home with a sense of peace and calming, consider diffusing one or a blend of the above essential calming oils. And for those extra stressful days, add some to a bath or a vaporizer and enjoy the relaxing benefits.

Then don’t forget that glass of wine to top it off.

I’m just saying.

P.S. I would love to know if you use essentials oils and which ones.

Filed Under: Natural Beauty Tagged With: essentials oils

You Can Find Inexpensive Natural Beauty Products!

By naturalchick Leave a Comment

There are many ways these days to get your hands on natural beauty products. No matter what store you turn to from wholefoods, CVS, and even Publix. Most stores are now carrying some form or brand of all natural beauty products. However, even though you can find these products most natural beauty products can be expensive.Especially in a tight economy where many of us are pinching penny’s.

But, not to fret.

Being able to find inexpensive natural beauty products is not that hard , in fact there are quite a few out there.

Step 1.

You want to make sure you always willing to shop for a deal. Many natural beauty companies are constantly holding sales on their products. Many up to half off. In order to find these deals you need to head online. Companies such as Eco-mom offer products already at a discount and even give you an extra 25%constant savings when you sign up for their message list. You can visit them by clicking here.

Pure Citizen allows you to find beauty products and evening clothing up to 70% on daily deals when you sign up to be notified. I love pure citizen you can always find a beautiful steal! You can find then here!

Step 2.

Second using natural beauty products will teach you and show you that many of the products are able to be used in more than one way. Essentially
giving you more bang for your buck . For example Shea butter mixed with essentials can be used on both hair and skin. So in the long run you are actually saving allowing you to get rid of the toxic filled lotions.

Step3.

Be willing to buy in bulk, many companies offer coupons such as wholefood when you buy more than product at a time.

Step4.

Look for swaps, there a quiet a few sites online that offer beauty swaps to people who are product junkies and are looking to exchange out products
for example. My natural hair events is someone to look into if you would like to swap out some products.

With more and more natural beauty companies coming on the scene each year, because yes the demand is growing. You will be able to find and locate
inexpensive natural beauty products.

Filed Under: Natural Beauty

Products I’ve Used This Past Year

By eashe 1 Comment

I have received a ton of emails of people wanting to know what products I have used on my hair through out the past year. Although I have used on a ton of products there are a couple that have been my staple go to products. Going natural as regards my hair has been learning process and I continue to learn new things all the time about my hair. In which I quickly learn what works and what does not work for my hair.

I’m not one to keep using something just because I bought it and my hair does not like it, I’ll either give it away or something.

However, I do continue to come back time and time again to a few couple of products mentioned in the video below.

Which are:

Vegetable Glycerin
Jane Carter Leave in Conditioner

A new shampoo that I am trying is the Milcreek Naturals Heena shampoo for luster and shine. Having a 4c hair type my hair tends to lack shine, so I decided to give this one shampoo a try and so far I am pleased.

Filed Under: Natural Beauty Tagged With: all natural hair care, black natural hair care

Going Natural – Everything I Hoped For And More

By naturalchick 21 Comments

You know I was thinking, about natural hair and things and the beauty that goes surrounds natural African American hair, kinky hair, textured hair and curly hair. How over the past decade a new movement has come about of new women wanting to showcase what god them and the true beauty that is them.

I have been natural on and off since high school, more natural than relaxed but I have always worn my hair in its braided state or w/ something to cover it up and never in its true form until the short period when I was pregnant and decided to get locks.

The whole locks things lasted almost two years until after the birth of my last son, and then I took them out to get my hair relaxed again, because I hated staying to one thing. Having a more eccentric style and the whole straight relaxed thing did not last long either. I love the texture of natural hair the kinks and curls that come with it, I love the spins and waves the knots and all that embellish it.

So that is when after the last time that I had a relaxer and my hair was to my shoulders, I ended up changing hair stylists because I had moved. Somehow when I changed stylists she changed relaxers on me and my hair did not take well to the change. My hair became over pressed and started to break off from the creamy crack. It broke off so much that I decided the hell with that, and decided I am goingback natural for good the hell what anyone thinks.

I ended up doing my big chop in late, late April of 2010 and now it is late July of 2010 and I am loving my natural hair with out the stuff on my scalp causing irritation and all that crap .

My hair is healthier, thicker and is growing at rate that I never thought it actually did. It actually grows a little more than a half an inch per month, which is good because that means instead of an average 6 inches per month, I would have about 7 and possibly than some!(I found this out from measuring my hair over a period of four months.)

But that brings me to the question to ask you, how did you feel when you did your big chop, or how are you feeling about going natural?

If you are sitting on the edge, and wondering if it is something that you want to do let me tell you, it is more of mindset change than anything else. Once you are able to get over the stump and realize the true beauty that is you. This comes with research into natural hair care, the history of the negative connotations towards black hair and actually learning how to take care of your hair.

Than you will have understanding, with understanding comes wisdom about your hair and that brings freedom to be what you want to be and who you are.

I love that I have went natural and hope those that are sitting on the bench do the same………

P.S. I would love to hear your comments on the whole going natural situation. Wanna know more about mindset change and the whole history of black hair in America than you read my post by clicking here!

Photo: c0urtesy of fyeahcurls

Filed Under: Natural Beauty Tagged With: big chop, black hair going natural, going natural

Paraben Free beauty Products – What You Don’t Know

By naturalchick 3 Comments

There are many chemical ingredients to avoid in skincare products,

Many women today use a wide range of skincare products. These products might include cleansers, moisturizers, toners, and shampoos and they might be used several times a day throughout most of their adult life. Women have come to rely on these products and spending on them has reached unbelievable levels. But do most women ever take the time to read the ingredients listings on these beauty products? Do they know what they are using and if they might be putting potentially dangerous ingredients on their bodies? Most women probably do not. It may never occur to them that ingredients considered unsafe might even be used in the products offered to consumers.

Unfortunately, there are many skincare products on the market that have questionable and dangerous ingredients. Some of these ingredients include synthetic fragrances, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate or SLS, Phthalates, and Parabens.

But what are they and why should they be avoided?

Parabens are preservatives put into beauty products to extend their shelf life. They have no benefit to us…only the manufacturing company. They do in fact have adverse effects for us though, including estrogenic qualities. They have produced abnormal hormonal effects following application on laboratory animals, particularly males, that resulted in decreased testosterone levels and other varied abnormalities. They have also been found to accumulate in the breast tissue of women with breast cancer.

For more information on Parabens Click Here to read Not Just a Pretty Face, I got the book a while back and it explains in great detail about the chemicals we are putting on our bodies on a regular basis.

Phthalates are a group of chemical compounds that are basically used as plasticizers (substances added to plastics to increase their flexibility). It is hard to imagine that we need plasticizers in our skincare products but you can find them in cosmetics, soaps, and various lotions. High Phthalates doses have shown hormonal activity in animal studies and have resulted in damage to the liver, the kidneys, the lungs, and the developing testes.

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate or SLS for short is an ingredient that gives a product like a shampoo or facial cleanser its foaming ability. Most people equate cleaning ability with the amount of suds or bubbles created, so companies use SLS to give us the impression that it is an effective cleanser. SLS is a known skin irritant and when companies test new healing ointments or crèmes, SLS is the irritant they first rub on the skin to irritate it so they can then see how well their new product works to heal the inflammation. SLS can infiltrate the eyes, brain, heart, and liver with potentially harmful effects according to the journal of the American College of Toxicology. SLS can cause rashes, eczema and other skin irritations. Even more shocking is the fact that some products containing this ingredient are labeled as “natural” or organic because SLS is a detergent derived from coconut oil.

Synthetic perfumes or fragrances can contain hundreds of chemicals. Some, such as methylene chloride are carcinogenic and others might cause headaches, dizziness, coughing, vomiting and skin irritation.

These ingredients hardly sound beneficial or even appropriate for our skin care needs. So what can you do to avoid these dangerous ingredients? First, read the ingredients labels carefully and search for them online to do some research into negative effects. Find out exactly what they are and what they do before you put them on your skin. Second, find reputable companies that offer organic and 100% natural products. This may be a tall order since there is no regulation for organic bath and body products in most countries. Ask around and you will be able to isolate ethical companies using safe ingredients. Third, try making some of your own skincare products. When you make your own you know exactly what is in them and you can feel comfortable that they are safe.

P.S. Don’t forgot to read more about Beauty Secrets of the Bible By Clicking Here!