Tag Archives: Nettle

Mar23

Hey there :o)

OK I have finally tried and reviewed ALL the products from Karen’s Body Beautiful that are available in select Target stores NOW! The last review is on the Secret Weapon Restorative Hair Treatment which retails for $25 for 4 oz and $38 for 8 oz on KBB’s site and also on CurlMart 4 oz for $25. YES I know, I know, KBB’s price point is a bit on the high side BUT you really are paying for what you get, high quality, all-natural, consistency in results and a little goes a long way. I’ve mentioned in the past that I was an avid user of the Sweet Ambrosia, it was something I ALWAYS made sure I saved up for and my hair was probably the healthiest it had ever been (that was back in 2008). It’s definitely worth the investment. Oh and if you missed my other posts on KBB product experiences, check them out below:

The thing I LOVE most about KBB (besides the fact that her products are all natural and work phenomenally well AND consistently) is that there is literally a product for EVERY need that a natural may have. You know how we have SO many steps, rituals and practices in maintaining our hair, and KBB recognizes that and literally has a product for every step of the way. It makes being natural really easy if you hate having to search around for different products or if you don’t like mixing up a bunch of different things. KBB already has it covered for you!

Now,I don’t mean that KBB’s products are like a “system” where its like Step 1, Step 2, Step 3, I mean that there is a product for every need and hair type i.e. moisture, spritzer, sealing, hold, treatment, pre-poo, condition, scalp, etc. etc. I also love that some of her products have multiple uses, not just what’s indicated on the labels. PLus they all work really well together so you can mix and match! It’s just an extremely well-rounded line of products and you can clearly tell the KBB listens to what us naturals need, how we use our products and I am sure she uses her own stuff on herself! I just love it! :o) ….and now you can buy all this right down the street from Target! #winning :o)

But ok, let’s stay focused lol back to the Secret Weapon Restorative Hair Treatment….

Description
Karen’s Body Beautiful Secret Weapon Restorative Hair Treatment is a velvety textured deep conditioning pre-shampoo treatment that strengthens, repairs and restores tresses. Filled with Argan, Carrot Seed, Aloe Vera Oils, Pygeum, Nettle, & Saw Palmetto Extracts and Rosemary & Rose Otto Essential Oils.

Melt Secret Weapon in your palms. Thoroughly massage into hair and scalp. Leave in hair for at least 20 minutes or even overnight (wear a shower cap). Shampoo and condition. Use weekly

Ingredients
Palm Oil, Lecithin, Argan Oil, Vegetable Wax, Citric Acid, Vitamin C & E, Aloe Vera Oil, Pygeum & Saw Palmetto Extracts, Stevia, Silica, Rosemary & Carrot Seed Essentials Oils, Biotin, Nettle & Rose Otto Essential Oil. Glycerin Free. Paraben Free. Silicone Free. Sulfate Free. Protein Free

This product is really unique to me. I have never seen a pre-made product intended for pre-shampooing (see, this is what I mean by KBB has a product for everything a natural already does!). Most pre-poo treatments I’ve ever done or hear others talk about are just applying oil on their hair and sleeping with a plastic cap overnight. So this takes that practice to another level. You still get the benefits of the oils but this contains other enhancing ingredients like the stevia, silica, biotin and all those delectable essential oils :o) It is unscented which kind of saddened me because you know I love KBB’s scents. Oh well :o)

I apply this creamy, emollient treatment the night before wash day on dry hair. It surprisingly has a lot of slip so I didn’t have to go overboard on the application. I leave my hair in about 4 sections, pin them down close to my head (for comfort sleeping), place a shower cap on, then my scarf over the plastic and go to bed. The next day, I rinse out the treatment, wash and condition regularly. I really, really like how strong my hair feels after this treatment! You can definitely tell that it penetrates your strands. I didn’t have as many snap, crackles and pops after my hair was dry!

This is definitely a higher end product and my hair is pretty healthy at this point (by the grace of God and good hair practices!) so I don’t think I would buy this regularly but I definitely would consider treating myself to this maybe 1-2x a year to give my hair a strengthening boost. If you are trying to recover your hair from damage from maybe heat or color (or even relaxer!) and trying to nourish it back to health, this may work wonders for you :o)

Feb27

Ayurveda : : Tulsi Powder

Posted on February 27, 2013 by Lauren

Ayurveda : : Tulsi Powder

Hey there!

Ok so I just want to apologize to all the English and grammar teachers out there lol I know some of my posts may be a little painful to read because there are sometimes typos and grammatical errors. I know I should proof read more but ~~ain’t nobody got time fa dat~~ I try to knock these posts out a quick as possible, plus I tend to type as if I am speaking sooooo….sorry!!! lol Can’t say they will get any better but just letting you know that a) yes, I am educated lol Howard University educated in fact, I know how to spell and all dat lol :o) and b) I am aware of my typos and try to go back and fix them when I can, if I ~~care~~ happen to re-read a post and come across them! What it really comes down to is, you know what I am trying to say either way!!!! :oP hehe

Had to get that off my chest lol moving along….

So I tried a new ayurvedic powder! This time it is the Holy Basil also known as Tulsi! I was at my local Indian market re-upping and came across this one and figured I would give it a go. I only got one box because I wasn’t sure how well I would like it. It was my usual Hesh brand and only $1.99 so what the heck. I have seen it sold on other ayurvedic powder retailers and I have found that tulsi is one of the more inexpensive powders, I guess it’s more common I suppose.

Tulsi is a type of basil plant (it’s not the same as sweet basil which is common in italian cuisine) and is part of the mint family. It has antiseptic and antibacterial properties and is considered an anti-pollutant. It helps alleviate skin and scalp issues like dandruff, itchy scalp, ringworm, scabies, eczema. It protects and moisturizes your scalpYou can also use it on your face to treat blemishes and acne. It acts as a deep cleanser, I have seen it listed in many ayurvedic facial soaps as well :o)

It appears as more of a green color in its powder form but when I mixed it with herbal teas, it turned into more of a brown. For this mix, I used an herbal tea mixture of nettle, burdock, lemongrass and catnip (<—thanks Aja!). Also, this is one of the BEST smelling ayurvedic pastes I have ever used! It is a sweet, minty kind of scent that was very pleasant I can’t say the same for other pastes lol so that made it much easier to tolerate :o)

I applied the paste on freshly washed, damp hair this time (I normally skip the wash part and let the pastes do the washing, I think may start washing first just because lol EXCEPT with shikakai….O_O ). I section my hair in half down the middle and then section each half into 3 smaller sections.

I found this this paste was a bit difficult to apply because it was a bit gritty and didn’t distribute well. It’s definitely a thicker paste. I had to keep adding more and more water and even a conditioner (used my Trader Joe’s Tea Tree Tingle) with a lot of slip to try to make the process go a bit smoother and it still didn’t make much of a difference. I also spritzed each section to dampen it even more as I went along. Luckily, Hesh gives you a good amount of powder in each box that I had enough to cover my whole head.

After I applied it, I pinned up each section and sat under a plastic cap for about 30 mins. I couldn’t let it sit much longer because it started to run down my face and neck. Had to keep a towel around my neck lol These pics look kinda nasty but whatever, ya’ll know you look the same when you do these treatments too lol

So, as much as I love ayurveda, I am not sure I will incorporate tulsi into my regular regimen (brahmi and amla are still my favs…henna is creeping up in there but i have a few other new ones I plan on trying and sharing with you VERY soon hehehehe). Applying the pastes are a feat in itself and dealing with the tulsi just made it even more difficult, perhaps it was the crop, the brand or other factors. I know Hesh is not THE best brand but I never have any problems with any of their other powders. Maybe I will try it again from a different brand and see if it’s easier to deal with. It also did not rinse out very well either. I had to shampoo again and “wash” with conditioner several times to really get it out. A good thing is It definitely got rid of a little itchiness I had going on and helped a LOT with hair fall. Hair fall is one of the main reasons I do these treatments so maybe that is enough to give tulsi a try again…but I’m in no hurry *sigh* oh well! At least it smelled really good and I had some benefits from the teas!

Has anyone tried tulsi paste?! It’s on my “To Try” tea list lol

Jan20

Attention Tea Lovers!

Posted on January 20, 2013 by Lauren

Attention Tea Lovers!

Hello :o)

I am a lover of all things natural and that includes tea! I just love the ritual of drinking tea and the comfort it gives me. My absolute favorite tea is Peppermint tea, my mother put me on to it so it always reminds me of her :o)

So I was browsing vitacost.com for some teas and other things and I came across burdock root, horsetail, lemongrass and nettle teas and was like “heeeeeyyyy I know that stuff! I seen it on the labels in some of my favorite hair products!!” lol so I had an epiphany lol why don’t I try the teas and hope they do something for my hair and skin!!

*****DISCLAIMER!! I am no scientist or doctor and can’t make any health claims for anything I try so PLEASE do your own research before trying anything on yourself! ESPECIALLY if you are pregnant or nursing! Some herbal remedies are NOT meant for everyone so RESEARCH, RESEARCH, RESEARCH!

Now that that’s said…..here are the teas that I purchased from Vitacost. I am sure you can get them other places but I think Vitacost has the prices beat. I always drink tea with a spoonful of raw honey :o)

Nettle Leaf — Alright tasting; its tolerable lol I can drink it alone with honey
Horsetail Grass — Not the best tasting; I usually steep with peppermint to blend the flavor
Burdock Root — see above lol
Lemongrass (not pictured) — My fav of the bunch, tastes tart, lemony; really good with honey and lemon

Not sure how much of a difference these will make and I have to drink like 3-4 cups a day, so if there are any results, I probably won’t see them for awhile BUT I will keep drinking them. Tea in general has so many health benefits so if it’s not my hair and skin, hopefully something else in my body is benefiting :o)

I also noticed on vitacost that these herbs are also sold in pill supplement forms and extracts so perhaps I may try those after I drink up all my tea. If decide to not drink up all the tea, I can use them to make herbal rinses or mix with my ayurveda treatments so I’ll make use of these bad boys some how!

Hey, it’s just an experiment so I thought I would share :o)

— What are your experiences with these herbs?! Products, teas, supplements, extracts, etc. PLease share!