Tag: all natural beauty products

Mayonnaise Hair Mask for Moisture, Shine and Growth

I have studied herbalism for many years and enjoy using the knowledge that I have gained to create both simple and complex herbal remedies, delicious teas, tisanes and brews, and to make natural skin and hair care products. I get to share a lot of this knowledge in my weekly column on hellogiggles.com as The 21st Century Herbalist. Once a week I like to repost the column here, just in case you missed it!

Original publish date: July 05, 2012

DIY Hair Care Month begins! Years ago I was told the slathering mayonnaise on your hair will make it soft and shiny. I had to try it and it worked. Of course, I couldn’t just leave it at that. I had to improve it! I had to make my own. I’ve lost track of how many versions I’ve created but below you’ll find my favorite Herbal Mayonnaise Hair Mask recipe. For those of you that would like to keep it simple, I’ve also included the “Super-Basic” and “Basic” Mayonnaise Hair Mask recipe. All three recipes follow the same “Use” instructions below.

Super-Basic Mayonnaise Hair Mask

– 1 c. of all-natural, full-fat mayonnaise

Basic Mayonnaise Hair Mask*

– 1 large (or 2 small) egg yolk(s) at room temperature
– 1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
– 5-6 tbsp. base oil of your choice (select one or a combination): olive oil, jojoba oil, grapeseed or coconut oil

Follow mixing instructions below.

*This recipe is based on the best benefit for your hair; it is not the tastiest mayonnaise for eating…though you could.

Herbal Mayonnaise Hair Mask

1 large (or 2 small) egg yolk(s) at room temperature – softens your hair
1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar – adds shine, restores pH balance, removes residue and product build-up
1 tbsp. powdered** rosemary – encourages hair growth
1 tbsp. powdered** sage – encourages hair growth
1 tbsp. powdered** burdock root – softens your hair
1 tbsp. powdered** nettle – adds shine, encourages hair growth and moisturizes the scalp (good for dandruff)
1 egg white – adds shine

Optional:

For light hair: 3 tbsp. lemon or lime juice
For dark hair: 3 tbsp. walnut hull concentrate***
For red hair: 3 tbsp. alkanet root concentrate***

The 21st Century Herbalist: Volume 1, Issue 17

It’s week 2 of DIY Skin Care Month and today I’m talking cleansing. It’s the first step in any good skincare regime (cleanse, tone, moisturize). At first it can sound so basic — my face is dirty, I will wash it — but it gets a little more complicated than that. What if you also need to remove makeup? What if you have acne, or dry skin or oily skin or just went for a run and there’s sweat pouring down your face?? Synthetics, chemicals, naturals, organics…whew, it can get exhausting. How do you sort through it all and come up with a solution that meets your skin’s needs? You ask The 21st Century Herbalist on HelloGiggles, of course!

Before we get to the specific cleansing tips and the recipe that I have for you, let’s start with the basics. These are tried and true methods for cleansing the skin and getting the greatest benefit with the least amount of damage, regardless of skin type.

1. I said it last week and I’ll say it again…hydrate. Any dermatologist, doctor or grandmother will tell you, water is the key to a healthy complexion. In order for skin to remain healthy and resilient, it needs to be properly hydrated from the inside out, so make

The 21st Century Herbalist: Volume 1, Issue 15

It’s the last week of One Ingredient…One Great Fix Month and as promised in last week’s post about milk, this week is all about honey! I don’t know who it was that first thought to smear this sticky, golden goo all over themselves, but I’m sure glad they did. Honey is incredibly beneficial to your skin and easy to use. You’ll want to make sure you’re using raw honey because the high heat used during the pasteurization process can destroy some of the naturally occurring compounds that make honey so great for your skin.

Honey as a Cleanser
Honey is a gentle, all-natural cleanser that won’t dry out your skin like soaps can. To use it, keep a bottle of honey in the shower

The 21st Century Herbalist: Volume 1, Issue 13

It’s week 2 of “One Ingredient…One Great Fix” Month and this week I’m chatting about hydrogen peroxide. You may know it best by its use as a cleanser for minor cuts and scrapes, and of course by its classic packaging. Found in the first aid section of your local drug store, it’s the one in the dark brown plastic bottle topped with a white cap and a basic label displaying its contents. This brown bottle of hydrogen peroxide is so much more than just a first aid solution, its also the active ingredient for, what I’ve heard is, a billion dollar industry — teeth whitening.

Next time you’re in the drug store, grab a bottle of hydrogen peroxide and walk it over to the oral hygiene aisle. Check the active ingredient for most of the whitening toothpastes, mouth washes and whitening cream, gel and strip kits, it probably says hydrogen peroxide. If it’s not the active ingredient, I’m willing to bet that it’s still listed somewhere in the ingredients. That’s the same stuff that you’re holding in the brown bottle and it only costs about $3.

Orange Peel and Clary Sage Bath Mix

My second column as The 21st Century Herbalist at HelloGiggles has posted. Stop on by to check it out!

Orange Peel and Clary Sage Bath Mix
Ninja herbalism: efficient and crafty old school solutions for the modern world, prepared in under 15 minutes.

This week’s herbal blend is a bath recipe that I’ve designed to cleanse and reinvigorate your skin. The powerful astringent quality of the orange peel and sage work together to effectively clean your skin and help to reduce blotchiness and body acne. Orange peel’s antioxidant and high vitamin C content help promote a healthy, glowing complexion, while the sage and epsom salts detoxify and disinfect. This bath is ideal for oily, acne prone skin and is safe for teens and adults.

If you have leftover powdered milk and ground oatmeal from last week’s Calming Oatmeal Facial, you can modify the recipe below by adding: 1/4 c. ground oatmeal, 1/4 c. powdered milk and reduce the epsom salts to 1/4 c. Add the remaining ingredients as listed.