Tag Archives: growth

May10

Ingredients 101 : : Sea Kelp

Posted on May 10, 2013 by Lauren

Hey-yoooo!!! (<—ya’ll know Jason Pitts from the TV show The Game?! lol)

Back with another Ingredients 101 post! Check out my last two in case you missed them! Mango Butter and Stinging Nettle. I again want to kindly reiterate and preface this post by saying that I am NOT a scientist, doctor, expert, etc. and I find my info on different ingredients by doing lots of research on the internet, trying different things on myself, etc. PLEASE always do your own research on anything you decide to try out for yourself, and always consult a doctor if you are taking certain medications, are pregnant, etc., k? :o)

Alrighty then….. so today’s ingredient focus is a not so popular ingredient but it intrigues me none the less. It’s something I recently incorporated in my hair/health regimen. It’s sea kelp (seaweed)! Yup! That scary looking, smelly stuff from the ocean that washes up on shore lol I was actually debating if this should be considered a “supplement” post since I talk more about the benefits when ingested but this ingredient is definitely found in products that are applied externally… Oh and sorry in advance for the long post lol

sea_kelp_lacocobella

There are a bunch of different kinds of sea kelp and they differ depending on geographical locations, etc. but all sea kelp are a form of sea vegetable! Yup, it can be consumed! All the sushi lovers already know this, duh! :o) Sea kelp can be eaten, taken in the form of a supplement, powder and can be found in many cosmetics.

Sea kelp is EXTREMELY high in nutrients that have several benefits for your body, skin and of course…hair! It contains a plethora of vital vitamins and minerals that are essential for healthy hair and growth (very potent too!) Some include B vitamins, vitamin A, C, D, E and around 30 different minerals including magnesium, iodine, folate, iron, zinc, potassium, copper and calcium. I also read that it contains the highest natural concentration of calcium of any food and is 10 times more than milk! That’s pretty impressive if you ask me, who knew! It has also been known that people experiencing hair loss and dry hair often have a deficiency in these vitamins and minerals so it’s important to consider if you are getting enough of these vitamins and minerals in your daily diet! On the contrary, I learned that If you have too much calcium in your diet, it can block absorption of magnesium so it’s important have a balance between the two minerals (that’s why when you buy calcium supplements it almost always contains magnesium also, makes sense now!). Also, people with zinc deficiencies tend to have thin, fine hair, because zinc helps regulate hormones and how the body uses proteins (which all relate to hair growth since our hair is composed primarily of proteins!)

Now since I’ve been talking about the benefits of sea kelp when it is ingested, there are a couple other health benefits which includes weight loss (<—you know that got my attention lol). It’s said that the iodine in sea kelp helps regulate the thyroid gland which controls our bodies metabolism. So I figured, hey, why not lol thyroid problems run in my family (even my dog has a thyroid problem lmao!! and YES for those who care, I have had my thyroid tested and it is normal but perhaps this can give it a boost? hehe).

I also learned that the thyroid hormone, thyroxin, helps regulate how long hair stays in its dormant stage. So the shorter the time the hair is dormant, the faster and longer it grows. This makes a TON of sense because, going back to my dog lol, I realized he had a thyroid problem because he has always had problems with his skin and hair so when I took him to the vet one day, they had a sign on the door that said “Signs your pet may have a thyroid problem” and hair loss, dry flaky skin were all listed as symptoms! So now he has to take meds every day and his hair has drastically improved! I have also seen sea kelp listed in many dog foods and many people actually feed it to their dogs as well!

Sea kelp is also said to help with anti-aging because the iodine is also said to help remove free radicals that accelerate aging in blood cells. This is why so many anti-aging beauty treatments use seaweed and sea kelp. Also, studies have also concluded that the alginates in sea kelp can help reduce fat digestion and absorption!

I want to focus on the iodine and iron real quick, PLEASE be careful with these minerals. Many people who have shellfish allergies is because of the iodine. Also, if you consume too much salt in your diet already, you may want to consider that because most salts already contain iodine and too much of something isn’t always good! Also, since sea kelp contains so many minerals and nutrients in such high quantities, you wouldn’t want them to interact with anything else going on in your body, especially if you are taking meds or have existing health problems. Iron is also known to be toxic if consumed in excessive amounts, so always consult a doctor if you are considering adding something like this your diet!

Alright, so I opted to add sea kelp to my life in two forms: the supplement and the powder form. I bought both of them from VitaCost. I bought the 660mg capsules when they were having a buy 1 get one free sale lol and I have been taking them for about a month down, one capsule daily.

What made me want to start taking the supplement was a friend of mine, who is half-Japanese, mentioned that her mother recommended it because consuming seaweed is a huge part of the Asian culture and they contribute having long, thick healthy hair to eating the seaweed. I debated on actually buying seaweed snacks (Annie Chuns and Trader Joe’s has some) but I just couldn’t bring myself to doing it lol. I can NOT get over the smell lol but hey, some people love the taste and smell! So the supplements work for me, they are a bit stinky but nothing unbearable. I haven’t noticed a HUGE difference or anything as far as my hair goes but I feel like my hair is a bit thicker and stronger. I have also noticed less shedding. If I have any growth, it is most likely due to the Bee Mine Bee Sensitive Hair Serum that I am still using as well. I have seen an improvement in my skin though! My skin has been quite clear and I rarely get pimples like I almost ALWAYS have. As far as weight loss….well….we know diet has a lot to do with that lol. I have in fact started going back to the gym so lets see what happens with that lol I will continue to take these daily, since I have two huge bottles lol, and see what happens as more time passes.

The second form of sea kelp that I have added to my life is the powdered form. I actually bought it for my dog to mix in his food (going back to his skin problem) but he REFUSES to eat it!!! lol it really must be that bad if my lil greedy dog won’t even eat it lol!!! Some people add it to shakes and other foods but again, I just can’t do it. As soon as you open the bag, its like a huge whif of a smelly sea lol. So since I didn’t want the giant 1 lb bag of organic powdered sea kelp to go to waste I figured I would add it to my ayurvedic and clay treatments! And I love it!! I am going to post a treatment I made soon using the powder so I will go more into that in that post but when sea kelp is applied externally, it provides nourishment and strengthens your hair, all those vitamins and minerals are excellent for your hair and scalp! It also helps protect your hair from environmental damage, similar to how clays work in our hair, so it has a detoxifying effect. Sea kelp even has an exfoliating and cell-regeneration effect which is great for the scalp. It also has those wonderful fatty acids which help reduce frizziness, provide moisture, penetrate the hair shaft, enhance softness, are anti-microbial, anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, and anti-viral. A couple of products I have heard people use that contain sea kelp are the Jason Pure Natural Soothing Sea Kelp Shampoo and Conditioner (I’ve never tried either yet, someday).

Well, I think I’ve talked enough about sea kelp for now so I’m gonna end this post here lol let me know if any of you use or take sea kelp and how you use it, any results, any good products, etc.!

Peace!!

Apr22

Growth : : Bee Mine Bee Sensitive Hair Serum & Mango Serum UPDATE

Posted on April 22, 2013 by Lauren

Growth : : Bee Mine Bee Sensitive Hair Serum & Mango Serum UPDATE

Hello! Awhile back I made a post announcing my unofficial campaign for hair growth (check out this post if you missed it) and I listed a few things I planned on trying out this year to see how much length I could gain. Although health should ALWAYS trump length goals, I feel that I am at the point where my hair is very healthy and I can focus on length. Length and health go hand in hand, if your hair and SCALP are healthy, your hair WILL grow!

So I wanted to use this post to introduce the next topical growth remedy as well as give an update to the last one. I started using Bee Mine’s Mango Sulfur Serum in the beginning of March and applied the serum to my scalp, focusing on my edges, about twice a week (any more frequent it would have been too oily for me). I can honestly say this stuff works! I didn’t do an extensive length check photo shoot like I did when I did my Viviscal update (end of February) too much work lol BUT I do have something I can show you hehe…ok don’t laugh…

I found this random grey hair in my edges lol that shows where the color from my last henna treatment ends lmao!! Hey whatever works! I have only done 2 henna treatments, I posted about my first one mid-february and I did the second treatment that following week which would make it around the last week of February. So the place where the henna color ends and the grey starts is the new growth from the end of February (which was around the start of me using the Mango serum…hopefully you followed all of that and I didn’t confuse you lol).

So I say all that to say, I gained about an INCH of growth in my edges since the end of February! I was actually extremely surprised because I wasn’t even sure if my edges would even continue to grow! I sort of wrote them off in the same category as the hair in my eyebrows—they just stop growing when they reach a certain length lol but I guess I was wrong! They grew! Are are still growing! Check out the EXTREME close-up shots of my grey hair! lmao! I think I am going to keep my grey hair so I can continue to see if my edges are still growing hehe

The Mango serum not only worked on my edges but it definitely worked on the rest of my scalp as well. I noticed I have a new layer of fine baby hairs all over my head, similar to the ones I posted about back in June 2012. That means, the serum stimulated the follicles where I may have had hair fallen out of or where “inactive” for lack of a better word. Either way, it’s doing something making something grow! I also noticed that my new growth is very soft and my curls seem a bit looser! I even noticed growth in my kitchen in the back i.e. the hairs at the nap of my neck lol THIS is amazing because now when I brush my hair up into a bun, I don’t have these random curls wanting to fall back down. They actually stay up and in place.

I will DEFINITELY keep this in my hair growth arsenal BUT I am going to put it down for a little while because…..I will be trying the non-oil version of Bee Mine’s growth serum! (yes, I know, the obsession with Bee Mine continues…)

It’s called the Bee Sensitive Oil Free Hair Serum which is basically and oil-free alternative to their original serum. I am extremely excited about this because it is difficult for me to use oils on my scalp during the warmer summer months because my scalp is naturally oily and I get a lot of build-up so this is PERFECT for me or anyone with similar issues. It was actually created for people with dermatitis, eczema and psoriasis It retails on Bee Mine’s site at $15 for 8 oz. and only comes in the mango scent (which is yummy and juicy smelling). The ingredients are amazing and are what’s most attractive to me but then again ALL Bee Mine’s ingredients are amazing, they are 99% All natural AND organic!! I also love that it is in a spray bottle which means easy application. Oh and read the reviews on the Bee Mine site, 5 star product, AGAIN!

Product Description
Bee-Sensitive ~ Oil Free serum comes to you by popular request for our family members with scalp conditions that prevents the use of oils. We’ve formulated this oil-free hair serum with love to help soothe the scalp and promote a healthy environment for optimal growth. The soothing and healing properties of organic aloe vera juice paired with select herbs can assist in alleviating the discomfort of many scalp conditions. Feel the calming and stimulating and effect of this oil-free serum and keep your hair looking beautiful and healthy. Specially created for those with dermatitis, psoriasis, eczema and other sensitive skin conditions. Also great for those wanting growth without the buildup of oil while in wigs, half wigs, braids, lace fronts, kinky twists, etc. Directions: Use daily or every other day for best results.

Ingredients
Organic Aloe Vera Juice, Herbal Infused Purified Water, Ayurvedic Herbs, Select Herbs, MSM, Fragrance, Paraben & Formaldehyde Free Preservative. 99% Natural & Organic

Like all the other hair growth remedies I have tried so far, I am going to try this for one month without using anything else on my scalp so I can see how well this product works on it’s own. The main ingredient in the oil-free serum is aloe vera juice which is known to promote hair growth as it is a natural astringent. This also means it is perfect for oily scalps. It also contains my beloved ayurvedic herbs, I don’t know exactly which ones but they are all amazing either way. And last, it contains MSM which natural sulfur, the same thing in the other Mango serum. Sooooo it’s basically a bomb combination of hair growth greatness lol

I plan on using this each time I twist my hair, probably 2-3x a week and I will check back in with you all on this in about a month!!

Mar1

Growth : : Bee Mine Mango Serum with Sulfur

Posted on March 1, 2013 by Lauren

Growth : : Bee Mine Mango Serum with Sulfur

I have been DYING to try this!! I got this about a month ago with my other Bee Mine goodies that were sent to me but I had been waiting to finish my Viviscal trial before I started using this. You know how hard it is to see this bottle every day and not use it!? Lol well the day has finally come :o)

It’s the Bee Mine Mango Serum with Sulfur. It’s a 100% natural and organic hair growth serum and retails on the Bee Mine website for $16 for an 8 oz bottle. It comes in Mango scent and also in the original Strawberry Kiwi Scent. You can also buy this from CurlMart but only in the Strawberry Kiwi scent. Bee Mine ALSO has this serum in a No Sulfur formula (for those with allergies to sulfur or with relaxers or other chemical services) as well as an Oil-Free spray formula which I think I will add to my “Hair Growth To Try” list. Bee Mine has a growth serum for everyone! Bee Mine even has all of their products in trial sizes! I love how Tracey, the owner, keeps the customer needs in mind. So you can buy the smaller size, see if you like it (which you most likely will), then buy the larger size! :o)

The serum is actually their signature product, the owner Tracey, began losing her hair awhile back due to health complications so she created her own remedy. She started off making it for family and friends which turned it into a business! I need to ***SIDEBAR again to rant about Tracey lol. I can’t say anything but amazing things about her because she is a BEAUTIFUL spirit, the light in her shines BRIGHT! She is SO helpful, SO kind, just an amazing being (I can only imagine what she’s’ like in person!). That alone makes me want to support her and her business, the fact that her products are AMAZING makes it that much better. She is a living testimony that when God has his hand on your efforts, you will succeed. Just check out the reviews on her site, she has so many and they are all 4 star or above (ALL the serums have 5 stars!). I am just in awe by her!! :o)

Product Description
This is one of the Original Serums if you are not allergic to sulfur or have any health problems this would be the one for you. How to use: Please perform a patch test prior to full use. Shake bottle prior to each time. Apply sparingly to scalp only a little goes a long way. Massage thoroughly throughout your scalp concentrating on the areas that need it the most. You will need to use a moisturizer on your hair after each use to make sure during the process any Serum didn’t get on your hair.

If you are doing any chemical service to your hair such as a perm, relaxer or dye job please stop using the Serum 7 days before the chemical service and shampoo prior to the service and wait 7 days after the service and shampoo before you start using the Serum again. Enjoy and use consistently for healthier stronger hair.

Ingredients
100% Organic Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Prunus amygdalus dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Vitis Vinifera (Grape Seed) Oil, Select Ayurvedic Herbs, Sulfur Powder, Essential Oils, Fragrance (Phthalates Free) & Vitamin E Tocopherol Oil.

The serum looks and feels like a regular oil (since it is oil based) and has a juicy mango fragrance added. I will admit that it does have a slight sulfur scent but you can’t smell it after you’ve had it in your hair for awhile. It is nothing intolerable or overbearing. It is meant to only be applied to the scalp and it’s also recommended that you moisturize the strands of your hair after because sulfur may be drying for some people but some even say the serum makes their new growth really soft and manageable! So i guess you will have to pay attention to how your hair responds best to it.

The bottle has a little flip nozzle at the top which makes it easy to apply somewhat, I still think I may pour it in a needle point applicator bottle to make it even easier and give me bit more precision. It is not a thick oil so a little goes A LONG way! I made a mistake my first use and went a bit over board and had an oily forehead, neck and ears lol!! definitely user error and I also forgot that your head warms up the oil which was why it traveled down from my scalp. I will now just use a few drops in each section lol Oh and I will be applying this 2-3 times a week—basically the same time I re-twist my hair up at night. You can use this daily but my scalp naturally gets oily and I have to wash my hair once a week.

I have never used a product with sulfur so I was really intrigued by it, especially since I have yet to see someone say it did not work for them (unless of course they were allergic to it which is why you should definitely do a patch test first!) and NO this is not the same sulfur in the Sulfur 8 hair grease from back in the day lol. The kind of sulfur in the Bee Mine Serum is great for hair growth because it enhances your natural growth when it is used in conjunction with a carrier oil, which in this case is the coconut oil, grapeseed and sweet almond oils. I believe this sulfur is methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) which is an organic sulfur that actually occurs naturally in the body! (who knew!) It helps grow bone, hair, nails, tissues with keratin base, so it makes sense that this would help grow hair!

I also REALLY love that this serum contains ayurvedic herbs and essential oils which have ALL helped contribute to hair growth for me already so I am hoping the sulfur gives my hair and even large boost!

So there you have it, my intro to the Bee Mine Hair Growth Serum! I will report back on my results in about a month and let you know how it works! In the mean time, go to Bee Mine’s online store and check out the reviews! If anyone wants to join in on this challenge me go for it and let me know! :o)

Feb26

Growth : : Viviscal update

Posted on February 26, 2013 by Lauren

Growth : : Viviscal update

Hey ya’ll!

About a month ago, I posted about my challenge to see how long my hair could grow this year and I provided a list of remedies I planned to try out throughout the year. I listed the natural oral supplement, Viviscal, as one of the things I wanted to try and I just finished my first 30-day supply (check out my intro post on Viviscal here). I made sure I didn’t use any other growth remedies (except drinking my teas and doing a couple ayurvedic treatments) at the same time so that I could attribute any difference to the vitamins.

I DEFINITELY noticed a difference in my hair!! Not so much in the growth department, it says you need to take it for 3-6 months to really see a difference in growth BUT I can’t begin to tell you how much thicker my hair is! It’s a lot thicker and much denser. I can really tell most when I’m doing my hair, especially in the shower. I was amazed, since Viviscal nourishes your hair from the root up, it’s like it was like my strands all got collagen injections and plumped them up lmao!! So as a result, my hair is much stronger, has more elasticity, it’s fuller and has more bulk to it. I also feel like my roots are much stronger as well. My hair and scalp don’t feel so fragile and tender anymore. It just feels much healthier overall.

Another thing I noticed, although not related to my hair, my nails were a LOT thicker! My nails aren’t really brittle or anything to begin with but they have become even stronger! When I polish them, it looks like I have on gels and they kept their shape for a long time without me having to file them. I am ALWAYS working with my hands so having a chipped nail or two is common for me. So yea, this helps with nails too! :o)

If you are considering trying an oral supplement, PLEASE be sure to check out the labels/ingredients and make sure you don’t have any allergies and are not nursing or pregnant. Not all supplements work with everyone’s body chemistry. My results may be different from the next person’s. Some people may experience more growth than thickness in the first month or maybe no difference at all! This is not a miracle pill but it could give your hair a little boost :o)

I am in no hurry to reach a certain hair length, so my hair growth challenge is just a fun thing to see how long this sutff on my head can grow. As with all things, you have to have patience and consistency since our hair all grows at a different rate. I feel like this is something I would need to take long term to really see GROWTH but the health of my hair outweighs the importance of growth any day.

I would continue taking Viviscal right away but I do have a few other things I would like to try first :o) (stay tuned for those!) I want to try each remedy on its own to be able to assess what really works for me. I also want to see if it’s one of those things where as soon as you stop taking it, the benefits revert. I will give it another month to determine if the results revert. If they do not, I will definitely purchase Viviscal and continue to taking it regularly!

Ok PLEASE forgive these photos of me lol taking length check pics is not the easiest task lol I had to bend and twist a bit. I probably should have done this when I first started taking Viviscal but like I said, I didn’t notice much growth….just thickness and health. So anyways, please disregard the bare face, chunky chunks and pale skin due to the flash lol…please proceed!

To give you an Idea of my starting point, here’s a pic of the longest part of my hair about a month ago. I can say I maybe got 1/2 – 1in of new growth…

Here’s my hair at the longest point in the very back of my head. Its about to my bra strap, right below my shoulder blade. My hair is cut into layers to it has different lengths all over.

I got a little nifty and figured I would put a pink line in the pics so you can see where the piece of hair I am stretching is starting from my head. It’s hard to tell otherwise. Sorry I didn’t have a ruler or anything, that would be just too much work lol I already had my boyfriend doing enough by taking the pics lol

So this pic is from the middle of the back of my head to right at my shoulder blade.

This shot looks so dumb lol but anyway, this is the length from directly at the top of my head (the crown) down, falls a little below my shoulders. I know you can’t see the strand I am stretching but it’s in there, I promise lol Why does the flash make my hand look white though? o_O

This one is from a little above the middle of my head but more to the side, kinda above my ears. Bout two inches below my shoulders. Sorry my hand is blocking the ends of that piece.

Another silly looking shot lol this one is pretty self explanatory — my hair in the front. It’s about 4-5 in below my chin, to my armpits/right above my cleavage. You can see how my ends are so much thinner than my roots because that’s where my damaged hair from dying it awhile back is. At least its growing out and I can just keep trimming off those damaged ends.

The shot below is the lower side part of the back of my head, so I pulled it from the back over my shoulder. About to my armpit again.

Here’s the exact middle of the lower back of my head, pulled over my shoulder. The longest part of my head.
viviscal_results_length_check5_lacocobella

Here’s the front side, pulled this piece about two inches from my center part.

Here’s the immediate sides, right above my ears. It’s a little below my armpit. This part amazed me because I ALWAYS had/have problems with my edges and this part of my head, especially when I had a relaxer. I guess because the sides are always on the pillow when I sleep, it’s right where my scarves are tied, and back when I used to wrap my hair when wearing a relaxer, it had that tension from being brushed up or down (if that just made any sense lol). Either way, I am glad my edges are thickening and actually growing!

So there you have it, the ins and outs (front, backs and sides lol) of my head. Stay tuned for my next growth product….I will refer back to these pics as the starting point for that!

Feb25

Ingredients 101 : : Nettle — New Series!

Posted on February 25, 2013 by Lauren

Ingredients 101 : : Nettle — New Series!

Hiii!!

I know I try out lots of products and I am always ranting and raving about how much I love them all (which I do!) but the main reason why so many products work well for me are because many products have similar ingredients And what I mean by ingredients, I mean all Natural and/or organic ingredients! My hopes are not that you feel the need to go out and buy all the products I love, they are that you find the ones that consistently work the best for you and that you stick with what works! (unless you enjoy trying new things and switching it up like me lol thats ok too hehe).

So I say all that to introduce a new series I plan to do here on the blog….Ingredients 101! A few times a month, I will highlight various ingredients I regularly see pop-up on the labels of my favorite products. Now that I am aware of them and their benefits, I search for and gravitate towards other products that also contain them. I also always check the labels to see if there are any other unique natural ingredients I may not have known about.

God created the earth and EVERYTHING in it and he gave us millions of natural resources for our benefit!! The mixtures and combinations of natural ingredients are endless and I am always discovering something new. Of course I have to add my disclaimer, I am NOT a botanist, herbalist, doctor, etc. so I can not make any health claims BUT I can speak from my experience and share from personal research. As with all things you try on/in your body, do your OWN research or consult the professionals! I’m just a lil ole blogger :o)

PLEASE remember that with ALL herbal remedies please take caution as herbal remedies are not for everyone, especially if you are a child, nursing or pregnant. Do your own research!!! I can only speak on what has worked for me and the things I have tried on myself!! Many herbal remedies can yield side effects and interact with other drugs so PLEASE take caution, k?

So My first Ingredients 101 post will be devoted to Nettle (a.k.a. Stinging nettle or Urtica dioica) but check out a few old posts that I have highlighted a few other ingredients: Aloe Vera, Coconut Oil, Essential Oils.

Image via Wikipedia

The first time I saw Nettle appear (or at least paid attention to) was when I first bought products from Shea Radiance (check out this post, this post and this post) and I was intrigued. I saw it was in the extract form, which is probably the most common form you will find herbs in “liquid” products (maybe in powdered form too).

Nettle is a plant that is native to northern Europe, Asia and other parts of the world. It produces little flowers and its leaves and stems are covered with prickly hairs that actually give you a stinging sensation if touched, thus giving it its name “stinging nettle”. It’s a natural defense mechanism for the plant! The prickly hairs also release chemicals like histamine too. (I know, sounds kind of scary right lol) Both the root and the leaves of the plant can be used for medicinal purposes and can be found in its pure form (leaves/root), powder, teas and of course, the extract.

The main benefit of nettle for hair is it helps promote and stimulate growth because it increases blood flow. It also can thicken and strengthen hair and also help restore hair color back to its natural state. Nettle can also eliminate dandruff and make your hair feel more silky and revitalized

Here are some additional health benefits of nettle. Depending on what form you use it in and whether it’s used externally or internally, the benefits may vary:

Treatment of arthritis and joint pain;
Muscle strain; tendinitis
Treats anemia, gout, eczema, hay fever
Insect bites
Supports joint health
Contains vitamins A and C, and minerals potassium, calcium and manganese
Contains antioxidant flavonols, phytosterols, lignans and more
Prostate health support
The tea is a natural diuretic, can relieve eczema and acne and remove warts when applied topically

traditional_medicines_nettle_leaf

So for my experiences with nettle, beside seeing it in some of my hair products, I purchased the Traditional Medicines brand tea from VitaCost about a month or so ago, remember this post?! (Oh and NO I am not an affiliate of Vitacost or anything like that, just a huge fan. They have a HUGE selection of all natural stuff us Naturals love….and anyone who loves natural, healthy living :o) ) Fortunately, this herbal tea can actually be found in your local grocery store, you don’t really find the “less popular” herbal teas in major stores, which is why I tend to always shop at VitaCost, plus their prices are great!

Anywho, I am a tea lover, I try to drink tea at least twice a day. I always switch it up and mix different kinds to get various flavors and medicinal benefits. I figured Nettle would be cool to try because of all the health benefits it claims. The flavor is alright, the box describes it as hay-like and slightly bitter. It’s definitely tolerable but not the best. This is one of those teas I have to mix with one that tastes good to me. I still force myself to drink it to get the benefits :o)

I also have used the nettle tea in a couple herbal tea rinses mixed with some other teas (I guess I should make a post about that huh lol). I also like using the leftover of the rinses in my spritzer mixes, they only last about a week though if you keep them refrigerated. I also use the tea to mix my ayurvedic pastes (gotta try it in my henna too hehe)! So even if I don’t feel like drinking the tea, I can still benefit from it externally and can hopefully promote growth. I’ve only had the tea for about a month so I can’t say I have seen growth because of it but it’s definitely a part of improving the overall health of my hair and scalp.

You can also get an internal dosage of Nettle by taking herbal supplements. Again, you can find this brand and other brands on VitaCost or anywhere else you can purchase herbal supplements. I personally don’t care to take supplements because I can be very forgetful when taking vitamins sometimes so I prefer the tea. But if you don’t care to drink tea, this is a good alternative if you’d still like to reap the internal benefits of nettle.

And last, another way to get benefits of nettle is through the extract. I believe this is the most common form you will find nettle in hair products and it is also the most potent form of the plant. I have not tried this in its pure extract form but eventually I would love to try it and make my own hair tonic as well as use it in my spritzer mixes. I would also love to make my own oil infusions using the leafs and letting it distill for a few weeks, just some things on my to try list :o) As far as hair growth goes, nettle is probably best when applied topically to the scalp (to stimulate the growth duh!) but the extracts can be ingested by adding the specified dosage to beverages or I guess just dropping them in your mouth?? I dunno, check the labels on that one lol

So that about sums up all I have to say about nettle today lol :o) I am interested to hear your thoughts and what products you guys have seen nettle appear it!

Jan25

Growth :: Viviscal Introduction

Posted on January 25, 2013 by Lauren

Growth :: Viviscal Introduction

*waves* Hiiiii!!!

Yesterday you may have seen my post about my inspiration for growth this year and the first new item on the “To Try” list is Viviscal.The sample I was sent is a drug-free, oral dietary supplement that helps with thinning hair (which I am trying to remedy at the crown of my head) and also promotes existing growth which I seem to have going on hehe :o).

I’ve heard/seen lots of reviews on this supplement so I am curious to see how it works for me! The recommended intake is 2 tablets daily for a minimum of 3-6 months, I only have a one month supply so I’ll see what happens within that one month. I was happy to see that this product contains biotin which I have taken in the past. Oh and it supposedly helps grow stronger, longer nails…I’ve never had a problem with my nails but hey, can’t hurt :o) You can buy it from their website for $49.99 and online on sites like drugstore.com for $39.99.

Product Description
Nourishes thinning hair and promotes existing hair growth* from within. At Viviscal® we understand hair. Statistics show that a whole range of factors, including stress, hormonal changes, overstyling, poor nutrition, age, menopause, post-pregnancy, and medication can impact on the health of the hair and hair growth with one in two women and men experiencing the distress this can cause at some stage in their lives.

Viviscal Extra Strength dietary supplements are scientifically formulated with the exclusive marine complex AminoMar™ which helps to nourish thinning hair and promote existing healthy hair growth* from within. These nutrients help nourish your hair during the Anagen phase of the hair growth cycle. Only Viviscal supplements contain the proprietary marine complex AminoMar™ (450 mg per serving).

Viviscal Supplement Facts
Serving Size: 1 supplement; Recommended servings per day: 2 (equivalent to 2 supplements);
Serving per box 30 days (60 supplements); Tablet weight: 768 mg

Amount per serving	Amount	% Daily Value**
AminoMar^TM Marine Complex	450 mg	†
Vitamin C (from Acerola Powder and as Ascorbic Acid)	59 mg	98%
Niacin (as Niacinamide)	12 mg	60%
Biotin	120 mcg	40%
Iron (from Ferrous Fumarate)	10 mg	56%
Zinc (from Zinc Oxide)	11 mg	73%
Horsetail (stem) Extract	36.7 mg	†
Millet seed extract	7.5 mg	†

Other Ingredients: Microcrystalline Cellulose, Maltodextrin, Hydroxypropyl Methyl Cellulose, Silicon Dioxide, Magnesium Stearate, Sodium Carboxymethyl Cellulose, Artificial Orange Flavoring, Modified Starch, Glycerol. CONTAINS FISH INGREDIENTS (SHARK).

I will be sure to post my progress with Viviscal after I use up my 30 day supply and do another mini-review of the next hair growth item in a month or so! I am excited for this challenge. Patience is a virtue and I consider myself a very patient person so I am just going along with the ride and seeing where it takes me. :o)

Jan24

Goal for Growth 2013

Posted on January 24, 2013 by Lauren

Goal for Growth 2013

Hey girlies!

The other week I posted a pic of the length of my hair as of January 2013. My growth was a SUPER shock to me because I rarely check the length of my hair and my shrinkage makes it difficult to tell. So my main focus for last year was to focus on the health and my SCALP to help re-grow in the hair that was falling out. I will of course ALWAYS focus on the health and scalp but I was so inspired by the length I had gained that I was hey! I really CAN grow my hair long! I was convinced that my hair reaches a certain length and then plateaus but I proved myself wrong lol

So I say all this to say, I am going to try and keep going! Who knows, maybe I can get my hair down to my WAIST! ***fingers crossed*** lol I really want to focus on growing out these annoying layers and really nourishing my edges and my center part/crown more than anything.

So I am preparing an arsenal for this challenge.Check out a working list of some things I plan to try/continue:

Viviscal — I’ll be posting a mini introductory post tomorrow
Bee Mine Mango Serum with Sulfer — I am going to start this after I finish one month of Viviscal; I’ll do an intro post when I start (check out the reviews on their website!! Excited!!)
Jamaican Black Castor Oil — I probably won’t start this for a couple months but I will put it on the list for now since a few of my readers suggested I try this; I’d mix this with my EO’s
Herbal Rinses — Never done these before so I need to see what its about! I was told to try catnip!!
Continue Drinking Herbal Teas — A reader of mine suggested I infuse the teas in my spritzer mix so I will be doing this too! (thanks lady!!!!)
Continue Ayurvedic Treatments — (neem, brahmi, shikakai, amla and more! I want to try some new powders along with my ole faithfuls. On my “to try” list is bhringraj, hibiscus and I think I may give in and try henna……
Stimulating Brown Sugar Scalp Scrubs — added 1/29

If you know of any other remedies that really help with growth PLEASE post in the comments below!

As I find any other “Hair Growth” remedies I will be sure to share the wealth with you guys. Just remember, health is always first for me and then growth usually comes along after that! :o)

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***PLEASE READ— I don’t know what it is but God has blessed La Coco Bella SO MUCH ALREADY this year! I told you 2013 is going to be a great year! Not just for my blog but all around, this is just a sliver of what is going to happen this year!! So far, I’ve received a slew of products to try out and share with my readers!! It was like the floodgates were opened for some reason. I’m really excited to share some of these awesome finds with you guys! It’s hard sticking to just one post a day lol

But the main thing I wanted to share is that I really want to express my deepest gratitude to the people/companies who have trusted me to share their products with an audience they may not have reached before and to introduce my readers to products/brands they may not have ever heard of before. I truly hope for a positive/successful pay off for ALL of us :o)

I want to again reiterate that I am NOT paid for ANY of the product experiences I post or associated with companies in any way. Blogging for me is in no way a self-seeking venture or about “getting free stuff”, etc. I sincerely want to share some of the great things I’ve discovered out there for our hair because I know how difficult and discouraging having natural hair can be at times…and if it helps a small business grow then that’s an added blessing and I am humbled to be a beacon to help make that happen! God always has a purpose for everything and I keep him in the center of all that I do so perhaps this is just part of his will (you know he’s a mysterious like that lol).

Any way, I know I don’t need to explain myself but I wanted to lol because in the next few months, you will see quite a few posts that mention I was given/gifted products and I don’t want you to pass any judgement :o(

Sooooo keep checking back for lots of product experiences!!!!! Thanks ladies (and gents if you’re out there!) :o)