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Repair Chlorine Damaged Hair-DIY Natural Remedies & Products

I’ve been getting compliments on my hair lately and how healthy it looks. I used to swim regularly for years, and took a year break this past year. One upside of that was focusing on getting my hair back to looking healthy after so much chlorine damage.
Below are DIY remedies & products you can use which helped me tremendously to get my hair back to being healthy:
HAIR MASKS ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀

▫️Coconut oil mixed with Castor oil, or coconut oil alone in my hair overnight. Wash it in the AM. I always have the best shine the next day after doing this one. Make sure to put a towel or extra sheet on your pillow.
You can also do this for a few hours if overnight isin’t an option. For those of you not into DIY, or who want to switch it up, I also use really like using Lani Hair
▫️Avocado, Banana, Manuka Honey and Peach. Mix these in a blender (swipe right👉🏼), leave it in your hair for 30+ minutes. The longer the better!
For the non-DIY version, check out Voyage Hair Spa, fresh organic fruit based hair masks.
▫️Mayonese and Egg. Mix these and put it in your hair for at least 30 minutes. Rinse first with cold water (otherwise the egg will cook), then wash normally. ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀

▫HAIR RINSE ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ️ Apple Cider Vinegar – This helps remove to product build up, particulary helpful for me since I had so much chlorine build up. It also can help to keep your hair and scalp healthy, helping to reduce dandruff as an added bonus. Rinse your hair with this after shampooing and conditioning. Let it sit for a couple of minutes, then rinse with water.

▫️Baking Soda. I also would sometimes add baking soda to this mix and really focus on scrubbing my roots to get out extra chlorine residue/build up. ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀

HAIR MAINTENANCE: From January -June I got a trim 4-5 weeks. Before that, I was getting a trim every few months and now I am in between the two time frames since a fresh trimmed look got pretty addicting.

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Organic Tinted Moisturizer

My new skincare addiction is Organic Tinted Moisturizer by Sanre Organic Skinfood.⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Why I love it:

🔹 Its all natural and organic (for real) ⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀

🔹It makes my skin glow in the off summer months

🔹It doesn’t clog my pores or make me break out (my skin is sensitive to breakouts) ⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀

🔹I can continue to use it into the spring/summer, get a nice glow without overexposing myself to the sun ⠀

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I got this product a few weeks ago after trying a sample tinted moisturizer from a non-natural company and loving the way it made my skin look. The problem was, after using it for a week long, my pores started to clog with the toxic ingredients in the product. This was another reason (in addition to always looking for more natural products) to look for something with more pure ingredients. ⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀

I’ve been putting the tinted moisturizer from Sanre Organic on my face as a lotion during the daytime to test it out everyday over the past week and a half. After, I’ve been putting on the hibiscus tea on my checks (the trick I showed in my video 2 posts ago). When doing this, I’ve had people comment on my “tan, glow, Caribbean tan”! I even went out to dinner last night and used the same process INSTEAD of using foundation/bronzer/blush on my face and did my (eyes/lips) as per usual & it looked great. ⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀

The Ingredients are ALL ORGANIC (except for the iron oxide & titanium dioxide)

INGREDIENTS: Safflower Oil, Grape Seed Oil, Purified Water, Beeswax, Aloe Vera Gel, Iron Oxide, Titanium Dioxide, Citrus Extract, Essential Oils of Lavender, Rosemary, Jasmine Absolute, Sweet Orange, Thyme, Patchouli, Hyssop

I also have been using their products for a few years now and really love them. Their ingredients are the real deal- all natural and organic and not just marketed that way. I feel so comfortable knowing I can trust this brand when I use it.

Two of my other favorites by them are:

C-LOVE . I love this for my neck, chest and eyes or for face if I’m super dry. It smells AMAZING

Footsie Fiesta. I’ve never been one to use foot lotion, but I was very impressed with this. The texture and smell is perfect for the feet, locking in moisture and helps to relax.

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Hibiscus Tea Bags As Natural Blush

🌺HIBISCUS TEA BAGS AS NATURAL BLUSH🌺Missing my tan/sunkissed look from Colombia. I started using Hibiscus tea bags to get a natural sunkissed look on days I am not putting face makeup on. I really look so different when I have a healthy tan or glow vs when I haven’t seen the sun in months. I only wear makeup a few times a week, mainly when I go out. I mainly just put some lipstick/stain on and recently like to also add the hibiscus to make my face look more lively. ⠀ ⠀

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I was going for a subtle look, but you can also achieve a more red color if desired. This has been staying on super well for me! ⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀

You can also freeze the tea bags prior to. The frozen tea bags wakes up the skin and the hibiscus tighters and gives a natural flush ⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀

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Other benefits of hibiscus for your skin:

🌺Helps with age spots

🌺Encourage an all round fresher, younger, smoother looking complexion. ⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀

🌺The natural acids present in Hibiscus help to purify the skin by breaking down dead skin and increasing cell turnover & can help to control acne breakouts.

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Moisturizing Hazelnut Body Polish-from leftover Nut Milk pulp

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Ingredients:

  • 2 cups raw unsalted organic hazelnuts
  • 2 tbsp local raw honey or manuka honey
  • 1 vanilla bean or 1 tbsp vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup coconut oil

Directions:

  • This body polish is from leftover ingredients from my post on how to make your own Nut Milk.
  • After draining the ingredients with your Nut Milk bag, add coconut oil to finish off the scrub.

Benefits for skin:

  • Hazelnut benefits:
    • Contains 86% of the recommended daily allowance of vitamin E. Vitamin E: protects skin from the harmful effects of ultraviolet radiation, such as skin cancer and premature aging. Keeps this skin hydrated.
    • Essential fatty acids also keep skin hydrated.
  • Honey benefits
    • Moisturizing
    • Anti-bacterial
    • Heals wounds

I use Ellie’s Best Nut Milk Bags to make this recipe. Use code Deanna10 at checkout to get 10% off your order!

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Hormone Balancing Body Scrub

What we put onto our body is just as important as what we put into our body. The epidermis, or skin, is the largest organ in the human body and everything we put on topically gets absorbed into our body. In today’s western society, many people have hormonal imbalance due to toxic environmental factors and the food we eat. There are many skin products on the market which also have ingredients that can disrupt your hormones.  Also, artificial hormones are given to beef and dairy cattle to make them grow faster. When we eat the meat or dairy from an animal, we are consuming vitamins as hormones or steroids that were fed to the animals, disrupting our endocrine system in our own body. This causes many health problems and disease when ingested over extended periods of time. Some (more intuitive) symptoms from hormonal disturbances include PMS, period cramps, breast tenderness, irregular periods (for women) hormonal acne and more.

This scrub is made with Ylang Ylang essential oil and Primrose Oil. Both help regulate the hormone balance in one’s body. Below I listed all of the ingredients. I also went into further depth of the benefits of Primrose Oil and Ylang Ylang.

Ingredients

  • Coconut Oil- 1 cup
  • Avocado Oil- 3 tbsp
  • Sea Salt- 1 cup (or until desired scrub texture)
  • Primrose Oil – 3 tbsp
  • Ylang Ylang Essential Oil- 10 drops
  • Citris Bliss Blend Essential Oil – 10 drops

Ylang Ylang:

  • Helps balance hormones
  • Promotes healthy skin and hair
  • lifts mood while having a calming effect

Primrose Oil:

Primrose oil, obtained from the seed of the evening primrose plant. This oil is best known to help balance out hormonal levels.

Hormonal Health: This helps with hormonal related problems including PMS symptoms like menstrual cramps, breast pain, acne, depression, irritability, unclear thinking or menopause disorder. Primrose could also help with Polycystic ovarian syndrom (PCOS) which is an endocrine disorder that could occur in women who are of reproductive age. This can impact a women’s fertility and could lead to ovary cysts, irregular menstrual cycles, acne and other irregular symptoms.

Evening primrose is a rich source of Omega-6 fatty acids, which is one of the main reasons it helps with hormonal function in the body. This includes gamma linolenic acid (GLA) which is essential for the proper functioning of the body. In particular, those who have lower levels of GLA are alcoholics and diabetes patients. This deficiency can cause rheumatoid arthritis symptoms and cardiovascular disease. Taking primrose can help with alcohol withdrawl. The human brain is prompted by GLA, which makes prostaglandin (a type of hormone). This helps in managing alcohol withdrawal symptoms like seizures and depression. It indirectly protects the nervous system and liver.

Skin Health: Evening primrose oil is considered the best remedy to cure eczema and many other skin-related problems. GLA, mentioned in the previous paragraph, a fatty acid content in this oil is essential for skin health. The oil is safe to apply to sensitive skin to help with skin hydration.  Primrose can also boost blood circulation, which prevents and treats tired looking skin and under the eyes when applied topically 2x a day. This oil also helps to nourish hair, scalp and nails.

For more, check my Instagram at @nychamptonshealth


References

“Evening Primrose Oil Treats PMS Pain & Infertility.” Dr. Axe, draxe.com/evening-primrose-oil/. Accessed 27 Feb. 2017.

“Essential Oil Usage Guide A-Z.” Essential Oil Usage Guide A-Z, doterra-oil.blogspot.com/p/essential-oil-usage-guide-z.html. Accessed 27 Feb. 2017.

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Organic Homemade Body Butter

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Ingredients:
  • 1c Shea Butter
  • 1/2c Coconut Oil
  • 1/3c Olive Oil
  • 5 drops Tea Tree
  • 30 drops Eucalyptus essential oil

Directions: Mix oil and heat in double oil until melted. Put in fridge for about an hour to solidify. Storing in glass instead of plastic is essential when it comes to oils. Phthalates, a group of chemicals found in plastics to make them softer. They are Endocrine (hormone) disruptors & are oil soluble.

I realized I’m not a fan of olive oil on my skin (some people like it.) Next time I will try another base oil (sesame, jojoba, almond etc.)⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Essential Oil Breakdown: You can trade out Tea Tree and Eucalyptus for different essential oil of your choice. Eucalyptus is an antiseptic and can help with skin infections, bug or mosquito bites and cuts. It helps relieve muscle pain. It is also cooling and refreshing. It is a stimulant and can remove exhaustion and mental sluggishness. It can be effective for helping with stress. Rubbing this all over your body in the morning and breathing it in all day sounds good to me! Tea tree is well known for its antiseptic and anti-fungal properties. It can be effective with toenail fungus and athletes foot, so this could be a great hydrating foot cream. Tea tree has also been shown to fight against MRSA, a type of staph infection which is resistant to many antibiotics. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

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Simple Lip Scrub

image14Ingredients 📝

  • 1tsp honey
  • 1tsp coconut oil or olive oil
  • 1tsp sugar

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Directions:

Mix together in bowl and apply to lips. Massage for about 30 seconds and wipe off. Moisturize your lips after and/or apply lipstick for the night. The natural Chapstick I posted 3 days ago is perfect to use after the exfoliant.

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This scrub gives your lips a healthier, fuller look. I love these coconut oil packages from Trader Joes to take with me traveling. Use one pack & pack of sugar to take with you on the go. Be aware that plastic is oil soluble so this is not ideal to use all of the time & much safer to buy oils in glass bottles

Fore more, check out my instagram @nychamptonshealth

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Salt Scrub

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Ingredients📝

  • Sea Salt
  • Epsom Salt (more intense exfoliant than sea salt)
  • Coconut Oil
  • Almond Oil
  • Avocado Oil
  • Vitamin E
  • Lavender Essential oil

Benefits of using salt on your skin:

  • Kills bacteria on the skin
  • Exfoliates the skin
  • Promotes Circulation
  • Magnesium, calcium, sodium, and potassium are critical for proper cell-to-cell communication, so replenishing the skin with minerals can help restart the signaling processes that slow down with age.

For more DIY cosmetics, check out my instagram @nychamptonshealth

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Natural Beach Waves Hairspray

The Beach Waves Hairspray gives a beachy, tousled, wavy or curly effect (as seen in photo). Sometimes I will just use it on my roots if I am looking for more volume. image1-2

Ingredients:

  • 2 tbsp sea salt
  • 1 tbsp epsom salt
  • Lemon essential oil (to make hair lighter & for scent)
  • Lavender essentail oil
  • 1 cup filtered water

For more check out my instagram @nychamptonshealth


Why I ditched my mainstream hairspray: Two very common toxic ingredients in hairspray include fragrance and ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate amongst many others.

  • Fragrance: The major concern with fragrance is that it is not required by law to disclose the individual ingredients used to produce it. Companies can add anything into their product and dub it as “fragrance” which could be a mix of synthetic and natural ingredients.
  • Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate. Has been nominated to The National Toxicology Program in 2006. It is a known and studied endocrine disruptor, effecting estrogen and thyroid activity. It affects several body functions including body development, brain functionality and metabolic activity. Estrogenic disruption has been linked to breast cancer.

Moisturizing Hair Masks: This hairspray is drying to the hair due to the salt. Below are some good natural combinations you can try.

Coconut Oil Hair Mask

  • Put Coconut oil all over hair
  • Put a towel over your pillow or hair in a shower cap and leave in over night.
  • It takes a good few washes to fully get the coconut oil out of your hair.

Mayonnaise & Egg Yolk Hair Mask

  • 1 cups mayo
  • 1 egg yolks
  • 1 cup of olive oil
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • Put on Shower Cap or Saran Wrap. Wrap in a warm towel to help Mayo penetrate into hair.
  • Leave on for 30 min.
  • Shower

References

“Campaign for Safe Cosmetics-working for Safer Cosmetics.” Safe Cosmetics. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 Nov. 2016.

“Home – National Toxicology Program.” U.S National Library of Medicine. U.S. National Library of Medicine, n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2016.

“Household Products Database – Health and Safety Information on Household Products.” U.S National Library of Medicine. U.S. National Library of Medicine, n.d. Web. 8 Nov. 2016.

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Teeth Whitening Formula- Homemade & Natural

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Ingredients:

  • Coconut Oil
  • Turmeric
  • Activated Charcoal
  • Bentonite Clay
  • Mix these four ingredients together. Below are the approx ratios I used for Turmeric, Activated Charcoal and Bentonite Clay. Mix the coconut oil until you get a smooth paste-like consistency.
    • 3:6 Turmeric
    • 2:6 Activated Charcoal
    • 1:6 Bentonite Clay

Directions:

  • Brush your teeth with this for a few minutes and leave it on your teeth for 2+ minutes before brushing your teeth normally. Sometimes I will leave it on for 15 minutes if I have time.
  • Do not dip your toothbrush into the mix. Use a wooden or plastic spoon NOT use metal. Bentonite Clay & Activated Charcoal both bind to metals and toxins. If you use a metal spoon, you reducing the clay & charcoals ability to remove metals from your mouth.
  • For maximum results, oil pull with activated charcoal mixed into the oil in the AM & use this formula before brushing teeth in PM.

I used to use Crest White Strips whenever I wanted my teeth to look really white. They worked extremely well within a day or within a few days. People would always comment on how white my teeth were when I used them.
However, my teeth were always sensitive after using them and since I’ve been using them on and off for 10 years are permanently sensitive. I also noticed my bottom teeth are slightly translucent toward the top. Once I started working in finance 3 years ago and not getting much sleep, I was drinking 1-2 cups of coffee s day and noticed my teeth started to get more yellow. I’ve been hesitant since to use the white strips due to the sensitively (being in only 24) and am glad I came up with this formula that’s non-toxic and healthy for your teeth and mouth!

For more, check out my Instagram @dshamptonorganics