Using Water to Make Your Hair Beautiful

We tend to think of hair problems as being an external thing.

In other words, we think that if we only wash with the right shampoo, condition with the right conditioner, or whatever, our hair will be beautiful. If only it were that easy!

The secret to luscious, beautiful hair is internal. In other words, it?s what you put in your body that determines 90% of what your hair will look like.

Hair grows out of the scalp, which is part of your skin. And when your skin is healthy, most of your hair problems are taken care of.

A regular hydration program (our ?20 glasses of water a day? in addition to the other liquids you?re drinking) helps to keep the body free of toxins and other waste products. When the body is not getting enough water, poisons can accumulate in your system. Even if those poisons are not enough to cause you to be noticeably sick (although I would argue that you still won?t be as optimally, vibrantly healthy as you could be) they can still cause your skin, hair, and complexion to be not as beautiful as they could be. So, get going on your water program today!

It?s especially important to maintain a large amount of fluids during warm weather, when your body will secrete a larger than average amount in sweat. And if you?re going to be out in the sun, bring a water bottle along! It sounds elementary, but it?s something that?s easy to neglect, and you?ll neither feel your best, nor look your best if you do.

But I wouldn?t want you to neglect the external uses of water for your hair as well. Water cleans the daily grit and grime from the hair. It especially cleans the pores and follicles of the scalp, enabling them to ?breathe.? And again, during warm weather, you might want to wash your hair more frequently. That goes double for times when you?re out in the sun, or when you?re exposed to a lot of salt water at the beach.

If salt is allowed to accumulate in the hair, it will leave the hair looking lifeless and dowdy. Remember what I said earlier about washing. Water is the primary ingredient for washing. Soaps and shampoos can help, but water is what you need the most, and you should be liberal in your use of it. If you?re on the beach, and there?s a public shower, for example, rinse your hair frequently. You don?t have to always use shampoo -- just make sure you rinse it well! (The same goes for any time you use shampoo: make certain all of the shampoo gets rinsed out).

The shampoo you use should be gentle and easy on the hair. Baby shampoos can be good at such times, because they are obviously designed to be less harsh than some adult shampoos. The primary thing you?re looking for is a very gentle soap to remove dirt you?ve got in your hair.

Conditioners can be useful in helping to revitalize the hair, too. They are especially useful when the hair has been damaged. Damage can come from a lot of factors. Prolonged exposure to the sun can be a biggie. But coloring the hair can do it, too, as well as other chemical exposure.

There are many conditioners to choose from, but one of the simplest and gentlest on the hair is plain vinegar. Before you think I?m nuts, give it a try. The process is easy.

After washing your hair, and thoroughly removing rinsing out any shampoo, pour over your hair a mixture of 1/4 cup of white or apple cider vinegar and 3/4 cup of warm water. (The vinegar should be pure vinegar, without additives. If it?s food grade vinegar, it?s fine to use for this). A warning: close your eyes tightly before pouring this over your hair. While it won?t really hurt your eyes, they will sting if it gets in them.

After putting the mixture into the hair, massage it into your scalp. Then rinse it all out. Your hair will be bright and lively, and will feel wonderful.

The important thing to remember, though, is the water. Make use of it. And your hair will thank you for it.

Jim Huffman, RN specializes in natural and alternative healing therapies. His first book is 'Dare to Be Free: How to Get Control of Your Time, Your Life, and Your Nursing Career,' and is aimed at helping other nurses find satisfying, dynamic careers. His website is http://www.NetworkForNurses.com and his health blog is at http://www.shababa.blogspot.com

Skincare From Your Fridge

Beauty awaits you. Not at the make-up counter. Not at the day spa. Not at the plastic surgeon. It awaits you? in your kitchen.

Your best skin care secrets can come from your diet secrets. After all, you are what you eat. So, in the words of Italian mothers everywhere? Mangia!

When it comes to eating for beauty, the rule is: the fresher, the better. Avoid processed foods whenever possible. The fresher your foods, the more nutrient packed. Keep that in mind when planning and preparing meals. Shop like the Europeans. Buy what you need for a few days, not an entire week. Cook things healthfully, eat from all food groups and vary your diet.

Eat your veggies.

Fresh vegetables, when available, are preferable to canned or frozen. Raw produce has a greater concentration of vitamins and minerals. Less time at the stove, that?s attractive.

All vegetables are beneficial. So, if canned is all you?ve got it?ll do. But remember to hit the market tomorrow. Green leafy vegetables are high in beta-carotene which is essential for healthy hair, eyes and skin. Sprouts prevent wrinkles and age spots. Include some on your dinner menu tonight.

Fresh fruit are great for you any time of day.

Sweeten up your breakfast, indulge in a fruity mid-day snack, have a healthy dessert. Cantaloupe is high in vitamins A and C, which promotes healing and controls oil on skin and scalp. Tomatoes (yes, they are a fruit) are packed with A (wrinkle and pimple fighter) and beta-carotene. Citrus fruits provide great doses of vitamin C.

Again, fresh is best. What a sweetly indulgent way to take care of yourself!

Proteins are building blocks.

Turkey, chicken, fish, eggs, lean beef and soy all provide protein and B vitamins which support hair and nail health, and youthful skin. Prepared healthfully, they?ll satisfy your appetite and your form. Fish, like salmon and sardines, are full of protein and Omega 3 which promotes glowing skin.

Drink water.

Lots of water. It purifies you all the way down to your cells, and speeds the regeneration of damaged tissue. So, even if you aren?t at your best now, you soon can be.

Health and happiness equal beauty.

When you eat goof foods, you're nurturing your body. When you?re nurtured, you feel good. When you feel good, you smile. When you smile, you look good. So eat and enjoy your way to a healthier, happier, prettier you.

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Allison Saunders is a MAC qualified Make-up Artist and the author of an amazing new course, Hollywood Makeup Secrets a step-by-step simple video system for maximizing your inner and outer beauty potential. You can learn more about Allison, and subscribe to her free newsletter by visiting:

http://www.hollywoodmakeupsecrets.com/dt/s.php?id=9

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Botox The Temporary Wrinkle Solution

Botox has made a huge splash in the health and beauty market because of its ability to erase and minimize wrinkles. The stunning success of the BOTOX solution has had beauty enthusiasts lining up to receive their wrinkle treatments. Are botox treatments safe? After all BoTOX is a protein toxin produced by clostridium botulinum bacteria. This is the first cousin to the deadly botulism bacteria.

Botox has been safely used by opthamoligists for over a decade without any serious side effects being reported. This drug has actually been around since the early 1960?s. Originally it was used as a treatment for crossed eyes. The manner in which botox works is that it is injected into the muscle where the wrinkles appear. When the botox is injected into the muscle the frown lines, crow?s feet and laugh lines temporarily disappear. I stress the use of the word ?temporary? because a botox treatment normally lasts about 3 to 6 months. Botox treatments were approved by the Food and Drug Administration as a treatment of muscles that produce frown lines.

Botox injections have quickly become the fastest growing cosmetic procedure and are anticipated to be used on over 4.5 million patients in 2006. They are more popular than breast augmentation. Current botox patients report that after several treatments that the effects of this wrinkle cure last much longer. It is important to note that Botox is ineffective for fine wrinkles because fine wrinkles do not appear because of facial expression caused by facial muscles. On the flipside, the one negative of botox treatments is a slight and temporary drooping of the eyelid. At the present time this appears to be the most important side effect of botox treatment.

While botox has been safely used by millions of patients, it is recommended that pregnant women, or women who are breastfeeding their babies as well as patients suffering from neurologic disease should never use botox.

Botox treatments do not work for everyone. However, over 90% of patients who have been surveyed are extremely happy with this procedure. This temporary cure for wrinkles has created quite a bit of excitement in the health and beauty field. This procedure is administered by qualified plastic surgeons. The average cost for a simple botox treatment is about $200 - $400 for each area that it is applied to.

Ricardo Sanchez Gonzalez is an active health and beauty enthusiast and the webmaster for http://www.more-answers-now.info. He is also a botox patient who is very enthused by the results that botox treatments bring about.