Holistic Beauty from the Inside Out (30 page)

Brunettes

Brunette hair color is so low maintenance, it leaves natural brunettes a lot more time for fun while blondes are busy fussing with outgrown roots. I may convert to blonde when silver hairs on my head outnumber dark brown ones. But for the time being, I enjoy my natural no-nonsense chocolate brown color, which I can enhance with a lightly diluted infusion of black henna as a rinse, or strongly brewed black tea or coffee for shine and color maintenance.

Black tea is a wholesome yet inexpensive hair treatment. Black tea is rich in catechins, tannins, amino acids, vitamins, minerals, and essential oils. Prepare a very strong black tea infusion (1 cup black tea leaves per 3 cups water) by boiling loose tea with water for two or three minutes and then letting it steep and cool
down for an hour. Rinse your hair after shampooing. This solution also works for blond hair whose owners decided to go a few shades darker without any of the risks associated with conventional hair dyes. For best results, leave black tea on your hair for ten minutes, or until your hair begins to dry naturally. Rinse and style as you prefer.

Henna-based dark and coppery shades require long-term commitment, as you cannot switch from henna to chemicals and vice versa. Still, if you plan to stay in your color family and do not plan dramatic color changes, henna is worth the effort. Today you can find lots of henna-based hair colors offered by such brands as Light Mountain, LUSH , Tints of Nature, and Rainbow Research. Even blondes can try henna now! If you are used to thoughtfully packaged conventional hair dye kits where all you need to do is connect, click, and squeeze, well, henna kits are not as sophisticated. You will need to do some pouring, mixing, and applying with a brush. If you welcome some golden hue to your hair tone, do not cover your hair with a cling film. If you want exact color results, top the henna “helm” on your head with a plastic film and cover it with a towel to keep it warm.

Now you must entertain yourself for one or two hours while the henna works its magic. Here is some time for a bit of yoga, meditation, or, you can finally sort that cupboard in your bedroom, cook a few batches of curry and freeze them, and (how could I forget) do your mani-pedi. Trust me, the results are well worth the wait. Regardless of the henna blend you choose, your hair will become incredibly radiant, less prone to falling out, and overall a lot healthier.

Dark-tinted hair is naturally more resilient to the elements, and therefore can withstand a little apple cider or white wine vinegar diluted in proportion 1 part vinegar to 4 parts water as a rinse. Vinegars act as gentle oxidizers working to break apart the melanin molecules inside the hair shaft, thus bleaching the hair. You can also try this rinse instead of a daily shampoo, if you have not used too many styling products.

Redheads

Speaking of color maintenance, redheads perhaps have the most fun spending the least time fussing about their hair being shiny or resilient. I have never seen a redhead with dull hair full of split ends! But still, that gorgeous sunny mane will benefit from regular shine-enhancing treatments. For this purpose, fruit juices make the easiest, most natural yet immensely effective hair rinses. Carrot juice is the obvious choice, and for a good reason, as it not only colors but also nourishes the scalp with beta-carotene. Citrus juices work their shine-boosting magic, and cranberry deepens the golden hue while imparting a lovely glow to auburn locks. Lighter shades of the redhead family would also benefit from a chamomile rinse: place 3–4 packets of chamomile tea or 1 cup dried chamomile flowers in 2 cups boiling water, infuse for five minutes, cool down, strain, and stream through your hair (no need to rinse out). Darker shades of copper and chestnut will love strongly brewed rooibos tea as a hair rinse after shampooing.

NATURAL HELP FOR HAIR LOSS

We normally shed somewhere between fifty and one hundred hairs every day, but nutritional deficiencies such as lack of protein or iron, ongoing emotional or physical stress, dandruff or eczema, and hormonal changes can all cause your hair to leave its “habitual residence” at a quicker pace, more than a few hundred a day. A recent study found other hidden causes of hair loss in women: multiple marriages, longer sleep duration, higher severity of stress, smoking history, lack of exercise, history of diabetes mellitus, polycystic ovarian syndrome, and hypertension.
¹³⁹
Women are particularly prone to hair loss during times of profound hormonal changes, for example, when they start or stop taking a contraceptive pill or during pregnancy or menopause.

There are many traps and natural disasters that threaten our path to a glowing, strong mane of hair. Thankfully, there are ways to preserve your crowning glory.

Stress can be a major hair scavenger. It has been estimated that physical stress, such as childbirth, can trigger dramatic yet (thanks!) temporary hair loss of up to 50 percent. Thinning hair can be due to a lack of iron, so if your hair loss is accompanied with fatigue, pale skin, headaches, sore tongue, brittle nails, and muscle cramps, you may be well on your way to iron deficiency. Load up on lean red meat, beef and chicken liver, lentils, soybeans, fortified oatmeal, spinach, and green leafy vegetables. An underactive thyroid can also be a cause for hair loss. Foods rich in iodine, such as haddock or cod, can help restore balance, but you must check with your health practitioner to rule out any thyroid diseases.

Hair loss may also be due to poor circulation. Scalp massage with castor seed oil is a very potent, traditional remedy for hair loss, so try to pair a castor oil scalp massage with meditation or yoga. Don’t forget to rub the remaining castor oil into your lashes or eyebrows to help them grow strong. Do not believe in the myth (it’s very common in hair salons) that vitamins rubbed into hair or scalp will stop your hair loss. The only way vitamins can benefit your hair is through balanced diet and careful supplementation.

Handle your thinning hair with care: avoid brushing it too vigorously; steer clear from appliances that pull, scorch, or twist the hair; and ideally leave the hair to dry naturally.

Add good proteins, essential fatty acids, and calcium to your diet; sleep the recommended seven hours at least; and examine your lifestyle for any “hair enemies” such as stress, a “fast-food” diet, too much styling, harsh hair dyes, chlorinated water, or excessive sun exposure without a hat.

When all fails, read these words by a woman whose hair length barely reached two inches, yet who was (and is) the loveliest, most sincere beauty icon of all time: “The beauty of a woman must be seen from in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides.”

Thank you, Audrey Hepburn!

Chapter Thirteen Quick Tips

1. Prepare your own shampoo
   by combining plant oils, glycerine, and essential oils with a basic castile soap. If your scalp is oily or flaking, you can add a few teaspoons of clay to the shampoo so it becomes oil absorbing.
   
2. Coconut milk, fruit and vegetable juices, and apple cider vinegar make wonderful and easy hair conditioners
   . You can splash your hair with juices straight from the container. Dilute apple cider vinegar in plain water for gloss-boosting rinse or in chamomile tea if you want to lighten your locks.
   
3. Vitamins A, B, C, and E, as well as proteins and zinc, are essential for healthy hair growth. If you show signs of deficiency, such as shedding too much hair,
   boost iron-rich foods, and consider supplementing with iron as you might be iron deficient
   —but please consult with your health provider first.
   
4. Oil treatments and hair masks are excellent for all hair types
   , as they help condition the hair and revitalize the scalp.
   
5. Colored hair can be revived
   with homemade colorants containing yogurt, chamomile, coffee, carrots, or cocoa.
   

Conclusion

If there’s one lesson you decide to learn from this book, make it this: you are responsible for your beauty. Period. You are the only person who can decide which beauty products work for you. Only after you start being proactive about your looks instead of reacting to the newest ad, the newest fad diet, the newest “runway look,” only then you will be able to make independent decisions when it comes to your skincare, makeup, and general well-being that will enhance your beauty, inside and out

Another idea worth sinking in: looking good has nothing to do with spending lots of money. You may need to adjust your mind-set, and move away from media-induced constant selfdoubt, self-punishment, and self-belittlement. We have all seen horrible photos of expensive cosmetic surgeries that have gone wrong’. Sleeping well, learning to relax, eating antioxidant-rich foods, and drinking lots of water may easily replace the immediate need of antiwrinkle creams. Relieving stress and avoiding certain food groups in your diet may help erase blemishes without potentially toxic antibiotics or retinoids. Having a pet does wonders to your cellulite (hello, morning walks!) and self-esteem (hello, licking tongues, wagging tails, and adoring eyes!). Stress relief and dietary adjustments will strengthen your hair better than any pill, and a realistic, positive outlook toward aging will allow you to see your true beauty, which stands the test of time.

If you believe that science holds the answer for your beauty woes, think of the parabens and heavy metals that come with many commercial products and supposed beauty cures. Ask any dermatologist when you go for a yearly check-up of your moles and freckles, what she thinks of a whitening cream that contains mercury? Most likely, she will strongly advise you against its use (if she insists that you try such cream, you’d better run, not walk, away from that doctor). Twenty years ago mercury bleaching creams were widely recommended. Not a single dermatologist would question their safety. Today, mercury in cosmetics is banned worldwide. A whole new list of substances, such as parabens, lead, and phthalates, deserve a similar ban. I hope you will proactively rid your shelves of products with dangerous ingredients, before the official ban wipes them off store shelves. Pass on buying anything that has proved to be carcinogenic even in animal studies. That’s right, humans are not rodents. But then again, DNA is DNA . If a substance damages a living creature’s DNA and causes it to mutate or die altogether, there’s a very high chance it will mess up human cells too.

Next time you reach for that pretty bottle, I hope that reading this book will cause you to stop for a second, read the list of ingredients, and ask yourself: Would I eat any of this? Let this question linger for a moment. Then close your wallet, head on to that humble health food store, and grab an unpretentious bottle of herbal body and hair wash. Better yet, grab a bottle of olive oil soap, some essential oils, and some glycerine. Spend two minutes blending them all together. Your hair will be just as clean, and much healthier, and you may sleep a little better, and live a little longer.

Your common sense is your best guide to sorting through the beauty myths, fads, and hype. Remember that the cosmetic industry spends billions of dollars each year to sell you one myth or another. Many of the so-called organic products only give you a sense of safety without being truly natural and safe. Spend a second or two scanning the ingredient list and refuse to buy anything that does not fit your idea of truly pure and natural beauty product.

Set yourself apart from the rest by letting the natural glow of your beauty shine through the artificials our life is filled with. Adopt and nurture a confident, self-reliant, and positive state of mind. After all, your life belongs to you, and you only, not to the smart marketers and cleverly Photoshopped models who make you feel inferior in order to promote snake oil packed in a fancy designer bottle. By making a commitment to natural beauty, you rid your life of synthetic junk and artificial, fake claims. Instead, you fill your life with genuine, priceless things that really matter: a good night’s sleep, a happy smile after twenty minutes of meditation, a gulp of a delicious smoothie made of fresh watermelon and orange, a swish of clean hair free of silicone junk, and glowing skin after a vigorous body rub and a dot of olive oil lovingly massaged in.

Happy mind + clean diet + pure skin = the glow of holistic beauty.

Keep this equation in your heart and mind, and rejoice in the joys of treating yourself with the love and respect you deserve!

APPENDIX A

100 Toxic Ingredients
Found in Beauty Products

This is an updated and revised list of toxic synthetic and natural ingredients currently used in skincare, hair care, makeup, and fragrances. Many of them are banned for use in the United States, Canada, or European Union but may still be found in your cosmetics. Refer to this list anytime you consider buying a beauty product and check your beauty stash for the presence of these nasties. Minimize your exposure to these chemicals, and if possible completely eliminate them from your beauty routine.

5-BROMO-5-NITRO-1,3 DIOXANE:
found in sunblocks and bath
products, this toxic preservative
may be contaminated with carci
nogenic dioxane and nitrosamines.

ALUMINUM CHLORIDE/
OXYCHLORIDE/HYDROCHLORIDE/
STARCH: strong human neurotoxicant;
causes irritation of
eyes, skin, and lungs; endocrine
disruptor; linked to Alzheimer’s
disease and breast cancer; causes
birth disorders in animals; endocrine
disruptor linked to
breast cancer and Alzheimer’s
disease; aluminum compounds
are neurotoxic to humans.

AMMONIUM LAURETH SULFATE:
linked to skin irritation, water
contaminant, may be contaminated
with carcinogen
1,4-dioxane.

AMMONIUM PERSULFATE: found
in hair dyes, it is a strong human
skin irritant and immune syste
m suppresant; for these reasons it
is restricted for use in cosmetics.

BENZALKONIUM CHLORIDE: affects
the immune system, and is
a lung and skin toxicant; can
trigger asthma; restricted in
Canada and Japan BENZOCAINE: this sunblock ingredient
and topical numbing
agent has a proven effect of
whole body toxicity and immune
system damage.