HAIR TLC

Winter.....Not only can it create havoc on our skin, making it quite dry, itchy, and flaky during the colder months, but it can also take a toll on our lovely locks.
From dry, brittle hair full of split ends to frizzy, static-prone tresses, our hair needs a little extra DIY TLC every now and then to keep it look its very best. But how do we look after our hair in these cold months? Hair masks ofcoursee!

With the dramatic change in temperature comes a change in how you manage, treat, and style your hair. Starts with simple habits, such as letting your hair air-dry, can cause more damage than you realize. I usually opt for air dry for less damage in warmer months. The structure of your hair can be weakened. Wet, or even damp hair can freeze and break more easily, causing split-ends which we all hate! These split ends then cause your hair to look even more damaged and dull. Compound that with dry, static-causing air and you’ve got one hairy situation going on.

To avoid this make sure you completely dry your hair before leaving the house, and try to only wash your hair every other day. That way you help to lock your hair’s natural moisture into each strand, protecting it against the harsh elements.
If you find your hair still feels a little dry or damaged, try conditioning it up to four times a week.

No matter how good (or bad) my hair looks, the cold weather will dry out my scalp causing irritation and flaking. 

If you tend to have dry hair or split ends, boost up your hair care with a weekly DIY hair oil treatment.  Here are a few of my favourites:

• Apply olive oil (cooking oil) I know that probably sounds bizarre but olive oil cooking out is fantastic!  Apply all over your hair and scalp, massage in thoroughly, cover your hair a shower cap or plastic bag if you don't have a shower cap and leave in for 20 minutes. Shampoo as usual, but avoid conditioner maybe just on the ends if you have knotty frizzy hair.
• Boil ½ cup of water, then add ½ cup of olive oil.  Warm up the mixture for a couple of seconds approx 30-40 until warm (make sure not to over heat the mixture) Once it cools down to the point that it won’t burn your scalp, mix well. Massage into your hair, cover with a shower cap and leave on for 15-30 minutes.  Wash as usual.

Glossy Shine: For a shine boost during the winter, every couple of weeks pour 1 cup around 30ml lemon juice through your hair after shampooing.  Rinse well and condition as usual. This will add shine and smooth the cuticle. 

The Sweet Life: So you need 1/2 cup honey, 1/4 cup of olive oil and 1 egg yolk... Mix mix mix! Apply to hair, cover with shower cap and leave on for 30 minutes. Rinse and shampoo as usual. This is always brilliant for soft skin, highly recommended face mask. Two in one hair and face mask, what more could a girl want! 

WINTER HAIR TIPS

We can officially say summer is over! ugh :( I think us Brits were lucky this year, the weather turned out to be quite generous. The fun is over time to take out the woolly sweaters and fur boots for the cold months ahead. As for our Autumn well it was probably the best Autumn we have had, warm and humid. Just perfect. We are fully prepared for the weather change but is our hair? carry on reading to find out what hair care tips you need this fall.

Choose a warmer shade girls!
Lets begin with hair colour. Hair is naturally lighter in the summer and darkens during the colder months. So, if you’re like most and dye your hair with the change in season, it’s a great idea to choose a warmer shade such as, caramel, golden, and auburn hues. I dip dyed my hair around a month ago a golden/light brown shade it was way too copper tone for my likings so I have been carrying out a treatment which removes copper golden tones and darkens the hair colour, just what I need for this cold weather. My hair is now slowly turning to the light brown caramel tone which I absolutely love, perfect for winter! Being brave I cut around 4 inches off my length, it got to the stage where I was just so bored of my hair, waking up and just feeling like a complete and utter slob with horses tail! It needed a change and I'm so glad I went for it, best my hair has ever looked in my opinion.

Trim split-ends
If you’ve been watching your locks grow, now is the time to touch them up! You don’t have to opt for a full restyle haircut if you don’t want to. You can simply brush up your current hairstyle , which is cutting the smallest amount of hair around an inch. Leaving you length, yet without those unsightly split ends. Going for a regular trim will also make your hair easier to style and give it more volume and bounce this fall.

Conditioning Treatment
In the colder months our hair turns so dull and dry. Our bodies slow down and lazy all we want to do is wrap up in a ball under a duvet. I wanted to share my little hair conditioning treatment with you all, this treatment is very good for damaged and split ends. These kind of treatments are pricey at the salons so here's my home made quick and easy conditioning treatment! follow the instructions below for luscious moisturised hair this winter. A little advice for girls with hair that becomes oily really quickly, only apply this once every two weeks and do not apply to your roots!

1. Wet hair
2. Apply Conditioner
3. Cover your hair with a shower cap or plastic bag
4. Leave in your hair for 1 hour
5. Wash out as normal
6. and tadaaaah say hello to gorgeous luscious locks!

MIRACLE OF ALMOND OIL

When it comes to hair oils I like to stick to natural oils. Why? because all products like Moroccan Argan oil etc from drug stores have many other chemicals mixed into the product to speed up the process and for quick results. My favourite oils have to be Almond oil, coconut oil and olive oil. Almond can do wonders to your skin, hair and general health, making it a popular ingredient in many beauty products. I'm going to roughly talk through hair and skin benefits of using almond oil.

Most oils I have used have a pour-cap mechanism, which can release a lot of product in one go so girls be careful! As you can see above I have removed to cap lid and replaced it with a spray bottle cap, as I'm not a fan of oil getting messy or falling onto my bedroom carpet. Its much easier with this spray bottle cap. But be careful not to spray too much as washing it out might take around 3-4 washes. I learnt the hard way!

 Almond oil naturally is scented of almonds, some brands can be sweeter than others but I find most have an earthy undertone to them. The scent is barely visible once used however, and doesn't tend to be overpowering or artificial. Hair oils are a hair care product, but tend to come with a hefty price tag - as a cheaper and pure alternative I apply a small amount of almond oil.

Hands & Nails

I love to use almond oil on my hands after doing the washing up or cleaning and even after hairstyling as hairspray can make my hands feel all yucky! My hands are left overly dry and rough after all the above. The oil sinks in nicely and leaves them feeling instantly replenished. It's definitely not something I would carry about in my handbag but around the house it's ideal. Another thing I love using my almond oil for is a cuticle oil, it rubs around the nail nicely without leaving a greasy feeling on my fingers. If your like me sometimes have dry skin, peeling or even darkness around your finger nail, then almond oil is brilliant to sort these minor problems! It smoothes and softens my cuticles in an instant, they push back well without any pain and feel nourished after use, I'd say its definitely improved the appearance of the skin around my nails.

Hair

I have been using almond oil on my hair for a couple of months now, I'm obsessed with my hair! I have been testing different oils and this is definitely one of my favourites. I didn't really know the value of this oil until I used it and its actually AMAZING! definitely recommend I bought my KTC bottle above from a Cash and Carry for around £1.99. Super cheap I know! Almond oil is a rich source of vitamin E which is an antioxidant that protects and repairs scalp and hair. Almond oil apart from hair growth also nourishes the hair follicles and smoothens the hair cuticles. Not only does it helps in less hair fall but also has shining property to the hair. Now you can achieve the sleek polished hair in no time. My ends were a slightly dry on the ends and now I have sleek fresh ends. I'm not one to get lots of split ends  as I hardly use heat and I do cut my hair regularly. There are many home remedies available for the organic people who can combine almond oil or just use it plain on the hair for better results. To tame the mane honey can be added with almond oil to get rid of the frizz. Apply this treatment an hour before washing your hair, wash you hair as normal. Another trick I have tried is mixing almond oil into conditioner but I found this treatment made my hair way too silky so I would only advise this for girls with frizz bomb hair!

Benefits of Almond oil:

- Nourishes hair and smoothes hair cuticles.
- Makes hair long, strong and thick.
- Massaging with almond oil adds shine to the hair. 
- Controls hair fall.

How to apply almond oil to your hair and scalp - Apply a small amount onto your palm or 4 sprays if your using the spray application. Dip your fingertips and apply gently on your scalp. Massage slowly in small circular motions and relax. Remember to massage slowly, quick movements will cause hair loss.

Skin

Making good use of almond oil I mainly use this product to lighten dark circles, as I believe its a more natural treatment. I have had a look at eye creams to lighten dark circles, however nothing has grown on me and I feel all these high street products only help short term, not long term. I hoping to make sure I don't get dark circles at all although my eyes have a little darkness recently as I'm a night owl and hardly drink water! I apply almond oil to my under eyes every night before bed, pour a little oil into a bowl, dip the cotton bud into the almond oil and gently apply under the eyes. Leave on for the night and wash in the morning with lukewarm water. Be careful not to apply too much, if any almond oil leaks to close to the eye its very very painful and itchy! I learnt the hard way guys, so definitely avoid applying to eye lashes or too close to the eyes.

Listed below are benefits of almond oil for the skin. Beautiful skin will be no more just a dream.

- Improves complexion and retains glow.
- Moisturises better and deeper.
- Soothes skin irritation and inflammation. 
- Delays ageing process. 
- Lightens dark circles .
- Relieves dry and itching skin.
- Nourishes the skin. Makes it smooth and soft. 
- Cures chapped lips and body rashes.

Dandruff Alert

Dandruff.. eugh I hate it. Its possibly one of the worst hair problems, I tend to get dandruff when I don't use head and shoulders shampoo. Dandruff is the result of excessive peeling of the scalp. Normally scalp cells are naturally renewed and eliminated in the form of extremely tiny, invisible flakes. However, some factors can cause this process to intensify, with clusters of dead cells then forming two types of dandruff. Dry dandruff, which is small and fine, detaches and falls. Greasy dandruff, which has coarser and larger flakes, tends to stay in the hair and on the scalp.

What to do on a daily basis:

Regardless of the extent of your dandruff, you should avoid using overly strong hair care products (which claim to do a handful of things, stick to the simple hair products) and washing or drying your hair at too high a temperature, ditch the hairdryer girls. Anti-dandruff shampoo developed for each type of dandruff will help eliminate the problem. To help reduce or even completely get rid of dandruff I would recommend adding green tea to your diet, drink plenty of water avoid staying dehydrated, use oils such as olive oil, almond oil, coconut oil and argan oil to help reduce dandruff. Try to wash your hair max 3 times a week, allow your natural sebum (oil) to come out and cover your strands, I'm not saying have greasy hair but try not to wash out natural oils and allow them to penetrate through your hair. Foods, you want to avoid. baked food, yeast, cheese, vinegar and alcohol.

GREEN TEA

 

 

We all want long thick hair but it can be hard work achieving it. Thought I would share a hair tip, for long thick hair! Do you know that green tea benefits your hair and scalp? the hair benefits that you can get from green tea.

- Hair growth stimulation
- Soothes psoriasis and dandruff.
- Strengthens an conditions hair

If it seems that your hair is growing too slowly and you want it to grow faster, then green tea may be the answer to your problem. According to experts, the epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) found in green tea can help in hair loss prevention. This strong antioxidant has been found in researches to be an effective hair growth stimulant.

Soothes Psoriasis and Dandruff

If your familiar or suffer with psoriasis your probably searching for the best treatment to help, by using green tea on your hair can reduce the symptoms of psoriasis by reducing the inflammation. Apply green tea an hour or two before showering. It is also recommended to drink green tea, maybe replace your daily coffee or tea. Green tea is also great for dandruff (yes, dandruff!) so if you have flakey scalp make sure you get your daily dose of green tea to sooth skin and calm dandruff.

Me personally I dislike drinking tea, the taste is vile in my opinion! so if your like me you can apply green tea to your hair by using a natural shampoo that includes green tea as the active ingredient. You can also rinse your hair with green tea after using your regular shampoo to treat your dandruff or psoriasis.

When choosing a shampoo with green tea, choose one that doesn’t contain any harmful chemicals. Some green tea shampoos contain parabens or sodium lauryl sulphate which are harmful chemicals that may cause scalp irritations, so that's something to note down when shampoo shopping!

Strengthens and Conditions Hair

Green tea hair products can also strengthen and condition your hair because it contains panthenol, vitamin E, and vitamin C, which are all ingredients in most hair conditioners.

The vitamin E in green tea helps restore damaged or dry hair, while the vitamin C helps protect your hair from UV radiation. The panthenol in green tea softens and strengthens your hair and helps prevent split ends.

You can also get these hair benefits by drinking green tea, but the best method is to apply a green tea hair product directly on your hair. Choose a hair product that contains EGCG or real green tea extract. I hope this little green tea chit chat has helped those of you wondering why green tea is recommended for good hair growth and health!

Why you will never go back to a regular hair brush after using the Dtangler

Well hello there! Hope you have had a lovely day! I haven't posted for a while as I've been so busy with the Hair by Zara online store. Today I would like to talk about something different. I barely talk about my own products on my blog so today I thought I would take the opportunity to tell you girls more about the new Dtangler hair brush which is available on Hair By Zara, as a couple of you have messaged regarding more details on the hair brush.

When it comes to hair brushes, I'm quite picky I like to make sure the look of it is quite soft and won't damage my hair. I absolutely hate brushes which hurt my head and tug at my hair, it's possibly the worst feeling and since I've been using the Dtangler, brushing my hair couldn't feel anymore relaxing and soothing.

The best couple of things about this brush is it dramatically reduces breakage, split ends and any damage to the hair. It has been made with perfectly placed bristles to easily flow through your hair, perfect for those who wear hair extensions, have long hair or curly hair and even brilliant for children! Your probably thinking children, how can a brush be beneficial for a child. Well often children will avoid their parents when it comes to brushing their hair (yes, I was a victim of hair tugging by my mother!) because children don’t see it as necessary because it can feel like torture, hair knots and tangles are a painful problem for many kids, especially long hair girls. Removing the knots is not only frustrating for the parent, but also painful and uncomfortable for the child, making him or her not want to brush their hair, with the Dtangler brushing becomes an enjoyable experience, the brush easily glides through the hair from scalp to end with almost no resistance. Smooth, pain-free detangling. This unique Dtangler brush is so easy and comfortable to use, the best thing about it - 99% less hair loss which is brilliant, because don't we alI hate hair fall! Gently detangles hair while simultaneously adding luscious volume and shine.

I love this brush and have one for myself and my clients! I carry this hair brush around in my hairstyling kit as it works so well after curling hair and want to achieve the loose bouncy curls, the Dtangler removes any harsh ringlet curls adding voluptuous volume and natural bounce. It's also great that I don't have to tug at my clients hair which is pretty awesome because the last thing I want is screeching clients! The small compact handbag friendly Dtangler is the best tool you can have if your head sore too!

Who is this hair brush suitable for?

1. Children 

2. Curly hair

3. Long hair 

4. Knotty hair

5. If your head sore 

6. Combing out curls

7. Guys who have long hair

 The Dtangler hair brush is available on Hair By Zara for only £10 (FREE UK DELIVERY)