Ailsa’s natural hair care tips
How to Hair Care Pure Natural Hair tips how to use hair conditioner how to care for hair hair care tips beauty tips for hair hair and beauty healthy hair tips
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To Begin You are beautiful, the body is the most extraordinary gift, the gift of life. Celebrate it, enjoy it and look after it.Your skin is the largest organ in your body and the attention and care it receives should reflect that.Your hair is your skin’ s most important accessory organ. Hair is a protein, keratin, filament that grows from follicles found in the skin.
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Ailsa’s natural hair care tips
A few fundamentals There is no magic formula.There are however a lot of little things which taken together will give you healthy luscious hair that reflects your inner health and increases your body confidence.The health of your hair is determined as much by what you put in your mouth as what you put on your head.A balanced diet with lots of fresh fruit and vegetables, is vital to healthy hair. Don’ t restrict your diet just try for balance and moderation. We are what we eat may be a worn cliché but its true. Exercise, regular and gentle, ensuring your heart pumps and your lungs get stretched, is fundamental to healthy hair.You don’ t need to complete marathons, or climb Everest, just regular walks, Pilates or yoga will do.When it becomes an integral part of your week you are contributing more to your well-being, life expectancy and health than any other single factor, and your hair will benefit. Sleep, is as important to healthy hair as it is for the rest of your body, don’ t skimp on it. Washing your hair removes dirt, dead skin cells, hair oils and any hair products you may have put in your hair.
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www.ailsabotanics.com Ailsa’s Guide
Tip 1 Sulphates & Parabens Only use SLS free shampoo (Sodium Laureth Sulphate or Sodium Lauryl Sulfate). Don’ t use shampoos that contain parabens. Sulfates are the chemicals that make shampoos lather up, parabens are preservatives linked with skin irritation and eye problems.These chemicals are unhealthy for you and the environment. Sulfates strip away natural oils in the hair and should be avoided. Only use shampoos with natural cleansers and plant based ingredients.Try and use shampoos with natural glycosides and wheat proteins.
Note One The actual hair shaft which emerges from the skin has no living processes. Once damaged it does not get repaired by the body. So it is important to avoid damage in the first place.Therefore, the first essential of hair care is to avoid or manage damage to the cuticle, the outer layer of cells that provide protection to the hair shaft, and ensure it remains intact. The shine that makes healthy hair so attractive is due to the smoothness of the cuticle. Most damage to cuticles occurs through mechanical manipulation like brushing, applying heat or using chemicals.
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Ailsa’s natural hair care tips
Tip 2 Heat Hot air will damage your hair so when using a hair dryer use a cool setting and make sure your hair is towel dry before you start.Wrap the towel around your hair loosely and let the excess moisture be absorbed. Better still blot your hair with a towel instead. Do not scrub the towel through your hair this roughs up the cuticle and causes damage. Use the blowing action to dry your hair more than the heat and make sure you move the flow across your hair avoiding one spot for too long. Always angle the dryer so that the air blows toward your hair ends. Let a little moisture at the end dry naturally.
Tip 3 Damage Hair is delicate and fragile so be kind and gentle with it.When wet use a comb with smooth rounded teeth. Only brush dry hair. Avoid scratching the scalp with your comb or brush. Natural bristle brushes with slightly softer stems are best as you will avoid damaging the hair and causing split ends by using one. Brushing with a natural bristle brush once a day helps distribute the hair's natural oils nourishing your long strands of the hair. Remember to wash your comb and or brush weekly, in the shower if you wish, with shampoo.Avoid plastic or synthetic brushes as these can introduce static to the hair. Do not adopt hairstyles that strain the hair. Over use of tight plaits and other styles that add tension to the hair can suppress hair growth. Page 5
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Tip 4 Sunlight Regular exposure to bright sunlight can reduce hair melanin and cause damage to hair follicles.When covering your hair avoid headbands, they can cause breakages around your hairline.Wear only satin or silk scarves and do so loosely. Pretty scarves, or even charming hats are an effortless and elegant way to protect your hair and show panache, releasing your inner ĂŠlan. Remember,Vitamin D, the sunshine vitamin, gives an energy boost and may even stimulate hair follicles, so moderate exposure to sunshine while on holiday is healthy.
Note Two Shampooing clears away sweat and natural sebum oil, as well as accumulated environmental particles, from the hair and scalp. Shampoo works by breaking the surface tension of the water allowing the hair to become soaked.The head of the shampoo molecule attracts water to the hair shaft while the tail attracts the dirt and oil on the hair shaft.The process of gently massaging the shampoo through the hair makes the dirt and oil become an emulsion that you then rinse. Sulphate free shampoos are less harming because they do not strip away all the natural oils. Shampoos are acidic and close to the natural pH of hair and help maintain or improve the condition of the hair as they don't swell the hair shaft and don't strip away the natural oils. Page 6
Ailsa’s natural hair care tips
Tip 5 Swimming Just be sure to give your hair some extra love.The damage caused by the copper and chlorine in pool water is no myth.The copper oxidizes against the hair shaft creating a green tint, which on some hair colors is visible. Chlorine is corrosive and dries out and dulls hair by stripping natural oils from the scalp and hair shaft. It roughs up hair cuticles making your hair sticky.These symptoms are a good indication of the damage being caused. To protect your hair from chlorine and enjoy those summer days by the pool you need to keep pool water away from the hair shafts. Shower and saturate your hair with clear untreated fresh water before swimming as this slows down the absorption of pool water. Remember to re-rinse immediately after swimming. Most facilities in sports centers and hotels now have showers pool side so this small measure should be no inconvenience. Coconut oil coats hair with a water-resistant shield that protects it from chlorine and copper. Leaving it in while swimming will help prevent copper and chlorine damage.Argan oil can be used to much the same effect.
Note Three Conditioners smooth the cuticle cells that protect the hair shaft, after they become agitated which happens during shampooing. Conditioners, calm the cuticle layer and help make the hair shiny, manageable and smooth. Conditioners add a physical layer of protection for the hair against physical and environmental damage. Page 7
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Tip 6 Shampooing Wash your hair sparingly and use a good quality natural shampoo avoiding chemicals, SLS - Sodium Laureth Sulphate or Sodium Lauryl Sulfate and parabens.Washing hair too often can leave hair dried out, leached of its natural oils, and upsetting the natural PH balance of the scalp. Aim to shampoo your hair at most every other day or even only twice a week.You should wash your hair as often as you feel necessary to keep it clean but a general rule for oily hair is that you should wash it every day or every other day and for dry hair only wash it two or three times a week.
Note Four Shower in warm water; hot water will dry and irritate the scalp.
Tip 7 Protein Shampoo and conditioner with too much protein can leave your hair feeling desiccated and brittle. Protein is important for healthy hair, but choose conditioners with only natural ingredients.
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Ailsa’s natural hair care tips
Tip 8 Apple Cider Vinegar Every three months or so rinse your hair with vinegar before shampooing.This makes your hair look shinny and clean and is a good treatment for the scalp, besides it treats dandruff. One part organic apple cider vinegar to three parts warm water. Rise your hair afterwards and then wash and condition as normal.
Note Five When shampooing rinse your hair out before applying shampoo then apply the shampoo onto your scalp and massage it gently with your finger tips and work your way outwards. After you are done make sure that you rinse out your hair to remove any shampoo residue that may be left.
Tip 9 Drama Avoid drama.When life gets stressful hair suffers. Major breakups, money trouble, divorce are all bad news for your hair.There are no bottled remedies for this.The best cures for stress are family, friends, exercise, and yoga. Page 9
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Note Six Vitamin D Like most vitamins it is best ingested for maximum beneficial effect. Salmon, grains, and mushrooms are great sources of vitamin D, as is natural sunlight. Vitamin A A true all-around winner, vitamin A is great for promoting a healthy, moisturized scalp, preventing hair from drying out, keeping dandruff at bay, and regulating retinoic acid, too much of which can lead to hair loss, in the hair follicles. The main sources are kidney beans, liver, and eggs and fruits and vegetables like spinach, sweet carrots, and mangoes.Vitamin A is an antioxidant important to healthy hair. It is found in a wide range of foods so you’ ve plenty of choice. Vitamin C Vitamin C is essential for maintaining hair growth. It helps build collagen, which stimulates the follicle to lengthen, and helps break down iron, an essential component of long and strong hair. Eat plenty of citrus fruits, spinach, broccoli, and peppers, all of which contain vitamin C. Vitamin E Vitamin E helps maintain a healthy scalp. Many hair care products contain forms of the vitamin to promote shininess and conditioning. But it is best received as part of a healthy diet, plenty of almonds, kiwi, papaya, sunflower seeds, kale, and spinach. Vitamin H Also known as biotin, research has linked vitamin H or biotin deficiency to hair loss. It is found in avocados, eggs, nuts, and beans, peas and lentils, all of which help give your hair a healthy shine.
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Ailsa’s natural hair care tips
Tip 10 Sleep Don’ t sleep on wet hair. Your hair is at its weakest when it's wet. Sleeping on wet hair causes it to be pulled and strained, producing breakages.
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Rosem a ry & Lem ongra ss S ha m poo
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Ailsa’s natural hair care tips
Ros emary, Chamomile and Eucaly ptus Face Cleans er The subtle blend of Rosemary and Eucalyptus gently cleanses and stimulates the skin, promoting cell renewal Price: £14.50 Size: 150 ml
Ros e Geranium and Jojoba Light Face Moisturizer A natural blend or organic ingredients formulated to moisturize your face and provide protection Price: £14.50 Size: 50 ml
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Ailsa’s natural hair care tips Ailsa Botanics Hartley Wintney Hampshire England
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