Homemade Hot Oil Treatment

For your homemade hot oil treatment you will need:

• Coconut Oil- This can be found at the grocery store in either the baking aisle or the vitamin/supplement section. It is in a jar and solid at room temperature.
• Olive Oil- Found with baking supplies also.
• Cup of water
• Towel
• Small mug or bowl (try not to use plastic or it may warp)
• Pot

First wash your hair. This ensures no oils or products can get in the way of absorbing the oil.

Heat up your water to a boil in your pot on the stove. In your cup or bowl you'll need 2 tbsp. of coconut oil and 1 tbsp. olive oil. Sit your cup in the boiling water. Do not submerge, it should be floating. Heating your oils this way will melt the coconut oil and get your mixture warm without getting too hot. Check the temperature with your fingers. This is safe as it should be warm, not hot. Remove your cup or bowl with an oven mitt.

Your hair should be damp, not soaking wet. Dip your fingers in the mix and start by rubbing into your scalp. Move on down the rest of your hair. If you have longer or thicker hair, you may need to adjust the mixture by an extra tablespoon or so. Once you've worked the oil all the way into your hair heat up your towel with a hair dryer or dampen it and stick it in the microwave. This keeps the oil heated and active. Alternatively you can use a plastic cap and rely on the heat from your head.

Once you've wrapped up, go relax and enjoy your little hair spa for about 15-20 minutes. (If you used this time to watch a 30 minute TV show, it's OK  The extra minutes wont hurt.) As a suggestion, I like to use this time for an extra spa feel. Maybe you could give yourself a manicure or pedicure. When your time is up you can rewash your hair and check out how it feels! This treatment is good to repeat once a month to keep your hair in good condition.  

Bleached Hair Repair

Bleaching and dying your hair is tons of fun...until your hair starts thinning and feeling like straw. Can you take care of your hair to avoid damage to your hair? The answer is yes. I've come up with some hair treatments for those of you who bleach often or just want to take precautionary measures after one time.

When you wash your hair, dilute your shampoo with water. You can just do it in your hands if you share shampoo with someone else or just don't want to dilute a whole bottle. The reasoning for this is shampoo strips your hair when it cleans. Ever run out of conditioner and notice your hair feels weird? Bleach does the same but more so, and you don't want to double strip your hair. Be generous with the conditioner as well. Hair dye also has a conditioning effect so dying right after will help more than hurt.

Try to stay away from the blow dryer, especially if you use other heat tools. A hair dryer can be essential in styling though. If you really need it let your hair air or towel dry about ¾ of the way before using the dryer. Another very helpful tool is Pantene's Hair Protection and Shine Spray. I'm sure other companies have a product similar, but that's what I use. You spray it on and rub it into your hair before using your heat (straightener, curling iron, crimper, etc.) and it not only protects your hair, but the slight dampness causes a steam effect which makes your hair style easier.

To really protect or repair from bleach damage I find it helpful to give my hair a hot oil conditioning treatment once a month. If you have a Sally's Beauty Supply near you this store carries the treatments for just a few dollars. If not it should be at any beauty supply store. (There is also the method of making a homemade hot oil treatment, which I will have up soon.) You heat up the oil and apply it to your clean, wet hair and leave it for about 5-10 minutes before rinsing.

These steps should prevent or cure any bleach damage to your hair. If you have any questions or comments, let me know below :)

Why You Should Take Vitamins

For a long time I thought vitamins were just for old people. As it turns out they're good for everyone (and I REALLY needed them). Your body needs protein, calcium, iron, and all kinds of other nutrients. Whose to say all those are in the food we eat in a day? I know I don't check the labels.

I started feeling weak all the time for a short while when I started reading more into health and realized I wasn't getting what I needed. I especially needed help because I have low Calcium and Iron from being lactose intolerant and anemic. There are foods to help this, but there's no guarantee I'll eat them every day. Who would want to eat the same thing every day?

Vitamins are a good way to substitute anything you're missing in your diet. Personally I like the "One A Day" brand. It includes a lot of nutrients you could be missing due to a special diet or just being unaware. There's almost always something you miss without realizing. Getting all of these nutrients every day will make you feel much better and give you energy you didn't have before.  

Wake Up & Stay Up

One thing I hate is waking up because I don't feel awake. Sometimes that feeling doesn't go away and can leave me feeling groggy and lazy all day. So I have a routine that eliminates those feelings for me.

As soon as I wake up, I turn on some tunes (usually some kind of upbeat, dance music) and stretch. This gets my body ready to get moving. Just some basic arm, leg, and back stretches. Then a few crunches and abdominal twists. Sometimes I do leg lifts too. Just a few, not enough for an actual workout. If I want that I can do it later.

Next I make my coffee and drink a cup as I choose my outfit for the day. Maybe dance a little just because the music is still going! Then take a shower, your next awesome wake up call. If water in the face doesn't wake you up, I don't know what will. If possible leave the music to play while you shower. All this unconscious dancing helps shake off the sleep.

Keep your groove going while you dress and do your hair and make up. You should be good to go. I also have another cup of coffee while getting ready, but this works just as well without coffee if you don't drink it. It sounds like a lot of work just crawling out of bed, but its really not. The hardest part is the stretching and working out, which is what initially wakes you. The rest just keeps your blood flowing and body moving to keep the lazy feelings away. Hope this works for everyone else!  

Ear Stretching (Gauging)

When stretching your ears there are a few things to remember. Number one, don't skip sizes! Yes, people have done it but it's not good for your skin. There's also no guarantee that you will have the same result. You can scar your ear beyond repair by stretching to the wrong size. Another thing to keep in mind is, like a piercing, you need to do it quick so your skin doesn't have time to swell. If you try to push your taper through slowly, thinking you can avoid the pinch (you wont), your ear will start swelling. Not only will this cause you unnecessary pain, but you'll most likely never get your taper through.

Try to slide your plugs in behind the taper or put them in soon after stretching. Tapers are meant for stretching not everyday wear. They are too heavy for your ears and can get caught on things easily (especially larger ones!). If your ears feel tight or swollen longer than usual (mine normally take a day) or wont move try taking a hot shower, making sure the water hits your ear lobes. It should help reduce any swelling and make you feel better.

Can't get them in? When I can't get my tapers through, I push them until I feel that squeeze/pinch then band them. They look silly, yes. I do it a few hours before bed to give them rest time, then sleep with the tapers halfway in. When I wake, they've slid all the way through!

You should never bleed or see puss running from your ears. If this occurs, your ears weren't ready or you went too big. Remove the jewelry and clean immediately. If the damage isn't too bad, put in jewelry of your previous size after cleaning to avoid losing your lovely tunnels. If you're bleeding a lot, your lobe is ripped, or it looks like skin is hanging out leave the jewelry out and see a doctor.  

Introduction!

Hi! I'm Beth. Just doing a bit of an introductory post. Beautyful You is my blog on alternative health and beauty. To give you an idea, many of the styles might be referred to as “goth” or “scene.” I wont limit the blog to those styles though. There will be articles as well as video tutorials, which I'll be putting on a YouTube channel. Some things to expect are:

-Fitness tips

-Health articles

-Skin/Hair Care

-Hair Tutorials (E.g. Synthetic dreads, Yarn hair styles, braiding styles,etc.)

-Dye Tutorials (Bleaching, Coontails, Stripes)

-Make up Tutorials

-Accessories

-Product Suggestions (By ME personally, not a paid spokesperson)

That's all I've got for now, but I can promise plenty more! Feedback is always encouraged. I'm writing for you guys, so I need to know what you think. Always feel free to comment or ask any questions you have. Also let me know what you want to see articles, tutorials, whatever :) People are always complimenting my style and skills and asking lots of questions. If so many people have questions, why not answer them all in one place? I'm not a certified expert in any of these fields. I only show my method. Hope you enjoy!