7 Natural Ways to Lighten Your Hair This Summer

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Do you want to add beautiful highlights to your hair this summer? There are a number of ways to naturally lighten your hair without going to the salon. Here are some ways to naturally lighten your hair color using natural methods.

Sun

Right outside your window is a natural and incredibly strong force that will lighten brown hair in a relatively short time. That is, of course, the sun. You have probably noticed that your hair is usually lighter during the summer when you’re outdoors more. But if you want to know how to bleach hair naturally then simply lie down outside. Cover your body and face with cloth and spread your hair so that it will absorb those pure, golden rays. You will have incredibly beautiful — and natural — hair highlights, and, if you spend enough time outside, your hair coloring will be as light as you could possibly wish.

Hydrogen Peroxide

Hydrogen peroxide has been used to lighten hair for decades although it shouldn't be used for long periods of time. It’s not nearly as natural as sun, but it surely beats a bottle of chemicals from the drugstore. Some people report success with pure hydrogen peroxide.

It is very important to first test out this concoction! Use a Q-tip and test on a small amount of hair near the back of the neck line. In this way, if something really funky happens, it will be hidden by your other hair. Wait 24 hours and see what’s happened and that everything is okay before you go ahead and use the hydrogen peroxide on your hair.

Honey

It turns out that a form of hydrogen peroxide actually forms in honey (it has to be diluted with water), meaning it can be use as a lightener, too! It’s a slightly more complicated process, and is not used with heat, like lemon. For more information, here is an informative post on using honey as a lightener.

Lemon

Lemon juice is a more natural alternative than hydrogen peroxide. One fresh lemon will give you approximately 2 tablespoons of a lemon juice. Mix this juice with approximately 6 tablespoons of water and rub it in to your dry hair [more juice if your hair is long, less juice if it's short.]

Allow the juice to remain on your hair for several hours before you rinse it out.

If you repeat this for several days [the time depends on YOUR hair] you will have very natural hair highlights. Of course, if you also take your lemon juice covered hair out in the sunshine that will speed the process up. The best thing about using lemon juice as a hair colorant is that it looks very natural.

Chamomile Tea

Yes, hair coloring with tea is possible. Freshly brewed chamomile tea is an excellent home remedy to lighten dirty blond and light brown hair without causing any damage. Brew a strong pot of tea by allowing at least thirty minutes for the tea to steep. Allow the tea to cool, and then add a few tablespoons to your conditioner and put the rest in an empty shampoo bottle. When bathing, wash your hair with the tea instead of your normal shampoo, and then condition with the chamomile conditioner mix. Air dry your hair by sitting in the sun if possible. Like lemon juice, chamomile tea slowly changes the pigment of your hair so don't expect extreme results after one application. However, the tea has no potential to dry or damage hair so feel free to use it daily until you achieve the results you want. 

Cinnamon 

Ground cinnamon is another home remedy that will lighten up your strands. Mix three tablespoons of cinnamon in with four tablespoons of your favorite conditioner to create a paste, or you could mix it with honey, olive oil and lemon juice to make a lightening paste. Massage the mixture onto your head and comb it through to make sure your strands are evenly coated for best results. Leave the mixture on your head for a minimum of four hours, though sleeping with it on overnight will produce the best results. Rinse your hair and repeat this process until you achieve the shade you want or to maintain color. Cinnamon has the potential to lighten your hair by two to three shades.

Olive Oil

Olive oil contains lightening agents in addition to its undeniable ability to give hair a certain softness and sheen. It's excellent for counteracting any drying effects lemon juice may have on your hair. Mix a tablespoon or two of olive oil in a cup of water with one tablespoon of pure lemon juice. Massage mixture into hair and leave to soak for 30 minutes. Rinse well; two shampoos may be required to completely remove the olive oil.

Other ingredients to help lighten hair: apple cider vinegar, baking soda, rhubarb, black tea.

Try one, try all, mix them together and use as a paste. Get creative!

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Calcium Supplements Increase Risk of Having a Heart Attack

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You might want to think twice before using calcium supplements. More is not better, synthetic is not better.

An analysis of data on nearly 24,000 people followed for over a decade suggests taking calcium supplements may increase the risk of having a heart attack. This is serious stuff. This is the main finding of a study published online this week in the journal Heart that also concludes boosting overall calcium intake through dietary sources brings no significant benefit in terms of reducing risk of heart disease or stroke.

The researchers say calcium supplements, which are often recommended to the elderly and women after  menopause to protect against bone thinning, should be "taken with caution".

The study is based on data collected on participants who were aged 35 to 64 years old between 1994 and 1998 when they joined one of the German arms of the EPIC (European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition) study in Heidelberg.

At the start of the study the participants filled in questionnaires that assessed their diet for the previous 12 months, and they also answered questions about regular intake of vitamin and mineral supplements.

Their health was followed for an average of 11 years afterwards. During this time, the group experienced 354 heart attacks and 260 strokes, and 267 participants died of related causes.

When they analyzed the results, the researchers ranked them according to levels of calcium intake, and examined them from various points of view, such as calcium intake including supplements, and the effect of supplements alone. They also adjusted them to remove as far as possible effects from other known influencing factors.

They found participants with a moderate intake of calcium from all sources (820mg a day, including supplements) had a 31% lower risk of heart attack than the ones in the bottom 25% of calcium intake.

But those who calcium intake from all sources, including supplements, was higher than 1,100mg a day did not have a significantly lower risk of heart attack than the bottom intake group.

Plus, the researchers found no link between raised or lowered risk of stroke for any level of calcium intake from all sources, which they say reflects the findings of other studies.

However, when they looked at the results for supplements only, they found the participants who took calcium supplements on a regular basis had an 86% higher risk of having a heart attack than those who did not take any supplements at all.

And for participants who only took calcium supplements (that is no other vitamins or mineral supplements), this figure shot up: they had more than double the risk of having a heart attack compared with those who took no supplements at all.

The researchers conclude that their findings suggest:

"... increasing calcium intake from diet might not confer significant cardiovascular benefits, while calcium supplements, which might raise [heart attack] risk, should be taken with caution."

The study has drawn a mixed response, with some saying it adds to those that are questioning the safety of calcium supplements, and others pointing to the study's limitations and calling for further studies to corroborate the findings.

In an editorial in the same issue of the journal, Professors Ian Reid and Mark Bolland from the Faculty of Medical and Health Science at the University of Auckland in New Zealand, write that calcium supplements are "now coming under increasing scrutiny".

They refer to studies that link them to kidney stones and problems with the gut and abdominal symptoms. They also point out that while there is evidence that they reduce levels of cardiovascular risk factors, this does not actually translate into reduction in heart attacks and strokes.

Another point they make is that women who take calcium supplements to protect against bone thinning are already healthier than the women who do not, and the effect is modest anyway, around 10% only.

They say dietary calcium is helpful because it is taken in small amounts that are absorbed throughout the day, whereas supplements tend to be taken all in one go, causing blood calcium levels to spike above normal, and it is this that causes harm, they suggest.

"It is now becoming clear that taking this micronutrient in one or two daily [doses] is not natural, in that it does not reproduce the same metabolic effects as calcium in food," they write, suggesting we should discourage taking supplements to boost calcium intake.

"We should return to seeing calcium as an important component of a balanced diet, and not as a low cost panacea to the universal problem of postmenopausal bone loss," they conclude.

Natasha Stewart, Senior Cardiac Nurse with the British Heart Foundation, said while this study suggests there may be an increased risk of having a heart attack for people who take calcium supplements, it doesn't mean the supplements cause heart attacks. She told the press:

"Further research is needed to shed light on the relationship between calcium supplements and heart health. We need to determine whether potential risks of the supplements outweigh the benefits calcium can give sufferers of conditions such as osteoporosis."

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The First Ever Study to Show How Fructose Affects the Brain

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A new UCLA rat study is the first to show how a diet steadily high in fructose slows the brain, hampering memory and learning — and how omega-3 fatty acids can counteract the disruption. The peer-reviewed Journal of Physiology publishes the findings in its May 15 edition.

"Our findings illustrate that what you eat affects how you think," said Fernando Gomez-Pinilla, a professor of neurosurgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and a professor of integrative biology and physiology in the UCLA College of Letters and Science. 

"Eating a high-fructose diet over the long term alters your brain's ability to learn and remember information. But adding omega-3 fatty acids to your meals can help minimize the damage."

While earlier research has revealed how fructose harms the body through its role in diabetes, obesity and fatty liver, this study is the first to uncover how the sweetener influences the brain.

The UCLA team zeroed in on high-fructose corn syrup, an inexpensive liquid six times sweeter than cane sugar, that is commonly added to processed foods, including soft drinks, condiments, applesauce and baby food. The average American consumes more than 40 pounds of high-fructose corn syrup per year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

"We're not talking about naturally occurring fructose in fruits, which also contain important antioxidants," explained Gomez-Pinilla, who is also a member of UCLA's Brain Research Institute and Brain Injury Research Center. "We're concerned about high-fructose corn syrup that is added to manufactured food products as a sweetener and preservative."

Gomez-Pinilla and study co-author Rahul Agrawal, a UCLA visiting postdoctoral fellow from India, studied two groups of rats that each consumed a fructose solution as drinking water for six weeks. The second group also received omega-3 fatty acids in the form of flaxseed oil and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which protects against damage to the synapses — the chemical connections between brain cells that enable memory and learning.

"DHA is essential for synaptic function — brain cells' ability to transmit signals to one another," Gomez-Pinilla said. "This is the mechanism that makes learning and memory possible. Our bodies can't produce enough DHA, so it must be supplemented through our diet."

The animals were fed standard rat chow and trained on a maze twice daily for five days before starting the experimental diet. The UCLA team tested how well the rats were able to navigate the maze, which contained numerous holes but only one exit. The scientists placed visual landmarks in the maze to help the rats learn and remember the way.

Six weeks later, the researchers tested the rats' ability to recall the route and escape the maze. What they saw surprised them.

"The second group of rats navigated the maze much faster than the rats that did not receive omega-3 fatty acids," Gomez-Pinilla said. "The DHA-deprived animals were slower, and their brains showed a decline in synaptic activity. Their brain cells had trouble signaling each other, disrupting the rats' ability to think clearly and recall the route they'd learned six weeks earlier."

The DHA-deprived rats also developed signs of resistance to insulin, a hormone that controls blood sugar and regulates synaptic function in the brain. A closer look at the rats' brain tissue suggested that insulin had lost much of its power to influence the brain cells.

"Because insulin can penetrate the blood–brain barrier, the hormone may signal neurons to trigger reactions that disrupt learning and cause memory loss," Gomez-Pinilla said.

He suspects that fructose is the culprit behind the DHA-deficient rats' brain dysfunction. Eating too much fructose could block insulin's ability to regulate how cells use and store sugar for the energy required for processing thoughts and emotions.

 

"Insulin is important in the body for controlling blood sugar, but it may play a different role in the brain, where insulin appears to disturb memory and learning," he said. 

"Our study shows that a high-fructose diet harms the brain as well as the body. This is something new."

Gomez-Pinilla, a native of Chile and an exercise enthusiast who practices what he preaches, advises people to keep fructose intake to a minimum and swap sugary desserts for fresh berries. An occasional bar of dark chocolate that hasn't been processed with a lot of extra sweetener is fine too, he said.

Still planning to throw caution to the wind and indulge in a hot-fudge sundae? Then also eat foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, like walnuts, chia, hemp, and flaxseeds, or take a daily DHA capsule. Gomez-Pinilla recommends one gram of DHA per day.

"Our findings suggest that consuming DHA regularly protects the brain against fructose's harmful effects," said Gomez-Pinilla. "It's like saving money in the bank. You want to build a reserve for your brain to tap when it requires extra fuel to fight off future diseases."

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Why Gardening Makes You Happy and Cures Depression

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While mental health experts warn about depression as a global epidemic, other researchers are discovering ways we trigger our natural production of happy chemicals that keep depression at bay, with surprising results. All you need to do is get your fingers dirty and harvest your own food.

In recent years I’ve come across two completely independent bits of research that identified key environmental triggers for two important chemicals that boost our immune system and keep us happy - serotonin and dopamine. What fascinated me as a permaculturist and gardener were that the environmental triggers happen in the garden when you handle the soil and harvest your crops.

Getting down and dirty is the best ‘upper’ – Serotonin

Getting your hands dirty in the garden can increase your serotonin levels – contact with soil and a specific soil bacteria, Mycobacterium vaccae, triggers the release of serotonin in our brain according to research. Serotonin is a happy chemical, a natural anti-depressant and strengthens the immune system. Lack of serotonin in the brain causes depression.

Ironically, in the face of our hyper-hygienic, germicidal, protective clothing, obsessive health-and-safety society, there's been a lot of interesting research emerging in recent years regarding how good dirt is for us, and dirt-deficiency in childhood is implicated in contributing to quite a spectrum of illnesses including allergies, asthma and mental disorders.

At least now I have a new insight into why I compulsively garden without gloves and have always loved the feeling of getting my bare hands into the dirt and compost heap.

Harvest 'High' - Dopamine

Another interesting bit of research relates to the release of dopamine in the brain when we harvest products from the garden. The researchers hypothesise that this response evolved over nearly 200,000 years of hunter gathering, that when food was found (gathered or hunted) a flush of dopamine released in the reward centre of brain triggered a state of bliss or mild euphoria. The dopamine release can be triggered by sight (seeing a fruit or berry) and smell as well as by the action of actually plucking the fruit.

The contemporary transference of this brain function and dopamine high has now been recognised as the biological process at play in consumers addiction or compulsive shopping disorder. Of course the big retail corporations are using the findings to increase sales by provoking dopamine triggers in their environments and advertising.

I have often remarked on the great joy I feel when I forage in the garden, especially when I discover and harvest the ‘first of the season’, the first luscious strawberry to ripen or emergence of the first tender asparagus shoot. (and yes, the photo is my hand plucking a deliciously sweet strawberry in my garden) I have also often wondered why I had a degree of inherent immunity to the retail-therapy urges that afflict some of my friends and acquaintances. Maybe as a long-term gardener I’ve been getting a constant base-load dopamine high which has reduced the need to seek other ways to appease this primal instinct. Though, I must admit with the benefit of hindsight, I now have another perspective on my occasional ‘shopping sprees’ at local markets buying plants for the garden.

Of course dopamine responses are triggered by many other things and is linked with addictive and impulsive behaviour. I suppose the trick is to rewire our brains to crave the dopamine hit from the garden and other more sustainable pursuits and activities. As a comment on PlanetDrum stated, “all addiction pathways are the same no matter what the chemical. As long as you feel rewarded you reinforce the behavior to get the reward.” 

So in other words it all comes down to the fact that we can’t change our craving nature but we CAN change the nature of what we crave.

Strengthening the Case for Organic

Glyphosate residues deplete your Serotonin and Dopamine levels

Of course, for all of the above to work effectively and maintain those happy levels of serotonin and dopamine, there’s another prerequisite according to another interesting bit of research I found.  It appears it will all work much better with organic soil and crops that haven’t been contaminated with Roundup or Glyphosate-based herbicides. This proviso also extends to what you eat, so ideally you’ll avoid consuming non-organic foods that have been grown in farmland using glyphosates.

A recent study in 2008 discovered that glyphosate, the active ingredient of Roundup, depletes serotonin and dopamine levels in mammals.  Contrary to Monsanto claims, glyphosate and other Roundup ingredients do perpetuate in the environment, in soil, water, plants and in the cells and organs of animals.  One study found glyphosate residues in cotton fabric made from Roundup-ready GM cotton can absorb into the skin and into our nervous and circulatory systems.

No wonder there’s so much depression around, and stress, and all the addictions and compulsive disorders in the pursuit of feeling good. I think back on when I moved to Sydney in 1984 for a few years and was contacting community centres in the inner west to see if there was interest in permaculture or gardening classes. A very terse social worker snapped at me “listen dear, we don’t need gardening classes, we need stress therapy classes”, and promptly hung up on me with a resounding “Huh!” when I replied that gardening was the best stress therapy I knew.

So enjoy the garden, fresh organic food and make sure you have fun playing in the dirt on a regular basis.

Written by Robyn Francis.

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Spotlight on: 65 Year Old Raw Foodist Karyn Calabrese

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Meet 65 year old vegan raw food pioneer and the forever young Karyn Calabrese.

Her positive attitude and boundless energy have helped her maintain the longest operating raw food restaurant in the United States. Karyn’s passion for clean living and her love of life are her greatest motivations. She has been eating a plant based diet for over 40 years, and feels amazing despite her family history working against her: her mother, grandmother and great grandmother died at ages younger than she is now.

Her motto: “If you don’t take care of your body, where are you going to live?” 

Karyn has been featured on many national popular television programs such as The Oprah Winfrey Show, CBS Sunday Morning News and NBC’s The Today Show, plus featured in Chicago’s two largest newspapers the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun-Times. She has also been honored with the First Annual Raw and Living Foods Golden Branch Award in 2002 for introducing the idea of raw and living foods to the greatest number of people in mainstream society.

 

She says,

"I have more energy then I know what to do with. I truly believe it is the life style I lead…I had every allergy known to man. I was a mess — terrible skin, so I became vegetarian first, then I became a vegan, then I met Dr. Ann Wigmore after reading her book. It was the next thing for me to move forward to becoming a raw foodist.”

Over thirty years ago, she used raw foods and detoxification to heal herself of her physical ailments and has since been a radiant example of the incredible benefits of plant-based living.

"People have so many excuses why they can’t be healthy: “It costs too much,” “It’s too far away,” “It’s too difficult,” “It’s too hard,” “I don’t have the time.” You have a myriad of excuses why you can’t take care of the most magnificent and the best thing you’ll ever be given in your life, right? So, my statement is helping people to remember that if you don’t take care of the most magnificent thing you’ll ever be given, you’ll have no place to live."

With the unfortunate passing of her mother at age 48, grandmother at 50, and great-grandmother at 60 due to health problems, Karyn became determined not to repeat this sad family history, but to create a healthful future for herself.

"I don’t know what illness is; I don’t know of being tired, it just isn’t a part of my world or my vocabulary. And I directly relate that to the lifestyle that I have evolved into. So because I was a very sickly child and a sick young adult – I had every allergy known to man, I had terrible skin, I had PMS, I was constipated all the time – my mother had introduced to me to vegetable juicing."

She goes on to say: "So I kind of started the vegetable juicing. And the more I did, the more I wanted to learn, because I believe that we intuitively know what’s right for ourselves; we’re born knowing from God telling us how to take care of our bodies. We’ve just forgotten because the world is so bizarre, and there’re so many bizarre things out there to attract your attention. So, as I started cleansing my body with the vegetable juices, I developed a natural repulsion to red meat.

And once again, I don’t believe it’s a natural human instinct to eat dead flesh. I think it’s a learned experience, and I think everybody does it so it feels comfortable. But I don’t think it’s natural to human beings. And so, my body evolved into being a vegan. I haven’t had meat, fish, chicken or dairy for over 40 years now, and it has served me very well. I don’t get sick, I don’t get tired, I went through menopause with no symptoms, I’ve got the same body I had at 16."

Video of Karyn

Karyn's website

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13 External Things To Do For Healthy Hair

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13 very helpful external tips, for getting and maintaining beautiful and healthy hair, that you may not have known about.

stimulate your scalp

A healthy scalp is essential if you want to have healthy hair. Massaging your scalp for 5 minutes a day can make your hair stronger, thicker, and grow in faster. You can choose to do it dry, or use an oil or scalp treatment to assist you. You can even do it while you are shampooing. Massage stimulates your scalp's blood supply. The blood brings nutrients to the follicles and that helps the follicles do their work. As an added benefit, scalp massage is a great stress reducer. Less stress=more beautiful hair.

Remember to use the pads of your fingers, never your nails. Spread your fingers apart and place them firmly on your head. Start at the base of your neck and work your way up to your front hairline. Move in little circles. You may feel tingly; that's your improved circulation. 

argan oil

Argan oil is proving to be one of the best oils for hair treatments around. It has been labelled a ‘miracle oil’ by everyone who uses the oil whether on their hair, skin or body.

This liquid gold oil has so many benefits when used in any hair treatments and it leaves hair silky, smooth and full of lustre. If you have slightly damaged hair from over styling, this is one of the best hair treatments you could ever use to restore the natural shimmer and shine to it in no time at all.
I recommend this argan oil. 

use less shampoo or none at all

Your hair produces its own natural oils which promote healthy hair. Shampoo strips your hair of these naturally beneficial oils and conditioner basically artificially replaces these oils promising to leave your hair soft, shiny, voluminous, frizz free, the list goes on and on. Why fix what isn't broken?

The body, when given the chance, is designed to balance itself. Hair follicles produce sebum to moisturize and protect the hair. When natural oils are stripped by shampoo, especially if you wash daily with harsh cleansers, the follicles compensate by producing more sebum, making your hair look and feel greasy. You often don’t realize how much your shampoo is damaging your hair, especially if you use a conditioner, which provides a quick but temporary solution.There is a large following of people who either cut back on shampooing or forgo the shampoo all-together. They call it the no-poo method. Read more about the no-poo method here and here.

amla oil

The secret to beautiful hair in India, amla oil is widely-used in India and can help to enrich and nourish your hair. Amla is beneficial when applied to the hair because it infuses nutrition into your hair follicles promoting pigmentation (color) of the hair, and it prompts hair growth. Amla bolsters the strength of your hair’s roots, and helps maintain luster and hair health. Amla oil is said to prevent infections of the scalp. Here is some recommended oil. You can also use the powder.

shea butter

Shea butter provides moisture to dry or damaged hair from the roots to the very tips, repairing and protecting against weather damage, dryness and brittleness. It also absorbs quickly and completely into the scalp to rehydrate without clogging pores. It is particularly beneficial for processed and heat-treated hair. It is an excellent treatment for dry scalp. It restores luster to damaged hair. Its anti-inflammatory properties heal damaged scalp and help clear any infections. It works well against dandruff too. It also helps to de-stress hair that has been affected for too long by pollution. Damaged and brittle hair can be conditioned and revitalized by its moisturizing properties. It soothes and softens dry hair. 

As shea butter is light and non-greasy, it can also be applied as a leave-in for hair. This will help to shield hair by locking or concealing the moisture in. 

use cold water 
You likely know that scalding hot water is a no-no in the shower; it robs skin of vital moisturizing agents, making chaffing and chapping more likely. Guess what? The same methodology applies to your hair as the skin on your head (scalp) is a key player in maintaining the health of your locks. So, when you're washing up, stick to warm or room temperature water when possible, and rinse out conditioner with cooler water to lock in the hydrating, conditioning benefits.

coconut oil

According to one study, which compared mineral oil, sunflower oil, and coconut oil as possible products for nurturing and conditioning hair, coconut oil was the only oil that reduced protein loss for both damaged and undamaged hair. These findings were true when used as either a pre-wash or post-wash grooming product, but coconut oil achieved the greatest results when used as a pre-wash treatment. 

Part of the reason for this is because coconut oil is hydrophobic, meaning it repels water.

So when applied as a pre-wash conditioner, it inhibits the penetration of water into each strand, which would otherwise cause the cuticle, or surface of the hair shaft, to rise, making it prone to damage and breakage.

Furthermore, when applied as a pre-wash treatment, a small amount of the coconut oil is able to penetrate deeper into the hair shaft during the wash, when the hair fiber swells slightly.

use natural ingredients

Many hair care products on the market are actually working against your goal of strong, healthy, lustrous hair. Most shampoos contain harsh detergents and drying ingredients that strip the sebum from your hair. Understanding the basics of healthy hair helps guide your decision to embrace natural or do it yourself hair products and forgo mass-marketed products.

Ingredients to avoid if you want beautiful hair:

Isopropyl alcohol
Mineral oil and petroleum
PEG
Propylene glycol
Sodium lauryl sufate
Sodium laureth sulfate
Chlorine
DEA
Fragrance

turn down the heat

Although you may be tempted to blow dry, curl, straighten, perm or color your hair (or, do all of the above), consider the ramifications of overdoing it. The more you process your locks (be it to tweak the color, texture or look of your hair), the worse off you are in terms of overall hair health -- including shine and softness. Scale back on what you do: for example, use heat styling tools every other day (rather than daily), and color treat every three months (rather than every six to eight weeks). Your hair will look so much shinier and have less split ends as a result, says actress and model Natalie Dickinson. 

mix it up

It's not just a myth: your hair can become immune (so to speak) to a shampoo and conditioner. With prolonged use, you may not see the desired results you once did. What to do? Keep a second stash of products in your shower, and twice a week, swap your standard for your secondary. 

use hair products with protein

If your hair needs protection from breaking, increased luster and smoothness or added control, protein enriched hair product, such as shampoos, can add the benefits you need. They actually penetrate the hair shaft and repair.

For instance, corn protein has a higher weight, meaning its properties are more suited for restoring shine to dullness resulting from over-styling or coloring treatments. 

Rice protein on the other hand has a lower molecular weight and is best suited for penetrating to help rebuild protein bond responsible for making hair's tensile strength high - reducing split-ends and tearing.

Silk protein, probably the most widely known, provides flexibility allowing hair to shape and hold its style.  This adds improved smoothness and softness lowering friction while brushing, combing, or while using styling tools such as flat irons.
There are many other protein sources. Here is a homemade protein conditioner

use ceramides

Ceramides are naturally occurring lipids (or fatty materials) found in the hair fiber or naturally in the skin.
 

Think of ceramides as hair glue. Without them, our cuticle layers would simply fall off and unhinge themselves, rather than gently weather and erode, from the constant damage they endure. Damaged hair has typically exhausted its natural supply of ceramides, and is often brittle, dry, and difficult to manage as a result. Many hair products contain synthetic, lab-created ceramides to help replace the ceramides naturally lost from the hair during regular washing, styling, and chemical treating. Ceramides are needed as a part of any basic moisture and protein conditioning plan to restore the hair’s health.

Ceramides perform a “barrier function” and help reduce the hair’s overall porosity. Ceramides bind to the hair fiber in damaged, vulnerable areas to help prevent natural moisture and protein loss that occurs when we manipulate our hair. Natural ceramides keep the hair fiber tight, and cuticles flat so that the hair shines and has low porosity.

Oils containing ceramides

Barley Malt Oil
Eucalyptus Oil
Hemp Seed Oil
Kukui Oil
Sunflower Oil
Walnut Oil
Wheat Germ Oil

apply a hair mask

Mash a ripe avocado (pit removed) with one egg (from free-range, happy chickens) and some oil of your choice, then apply to wet hair. Avocados are rich in vitamins, essential fatty acids and minerals that will help restore lustre to your hair, says Stephen Sanna, expert colourist at the Pierre Michel Salon in New York City. Leave on for at least 20 minutes, then rinse several times. Repeat once a week for damaged hair and once a month for healthy hair.

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Modern Life Increases Our Loneliness, Technology to Blame

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The demands and technology of modern life are leaving people feeling increasingly isolated, recent research by the Mental Health Foundation has concluded.

Technology allows us to separate ourselves from reality – moving people away from the real to the imagined, from the emotional to the controlled,” observes Derek V. Smith, t he author of A Survival Guide in the Information Age. He sees a darker side to the proliferation of personal gadgets and the use of technology in daily life. “Escaping into technology, someone can create false worlds, identities and experiences.”

Technological gadgets are keeping people apart and breaking down our society.
 
Malignant Self-Love author Dr. Sam Vaknin echoes this lament. "Technology had and has a devastating effect on the survival and functioning of our core social units, [rendering it] atomized and anomic." Elaborating, he adds, "Modern technology allows us to reach out, but rarely to truly touch. It substitutes long, meaningful and deep relationships with kaleidoscopic, brief, and shallow interactions."

It seems to not only be wrecking havoc on interactions across society, but is even breaking down intimate relationships. In what Italian filmmaker Michelangelo Antonioni eloquently calls "the great emotional sickness of our era," people are finding themselves increasingly detached and drifting away from intimacy.

"It is not that I don't value friendships," says Chelsea, an overworked forty-something who puts in 10-hour days at her high-tech company. "But often with work and personal schedules, it is hard to coordinate a meeting time with friends."

Joe Vajgrt, a part-time college student and a full-time employee, blames not only scheduling but also fatigue. "I'll be planning on spending time with people, but when the time actually comes around to see them, I prefer to stay home to recharge my batteries."

Social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace make it possible for him to keep in touch with hundreds of friends, but he admits feeling even more isolated after spending time online because such virtual connection removes the personal element of communication.

Perhaps most telling about the dwindling state of friendships is college student Justin's reaction to my question of how many friends he has. "Friends or 'friends'?" he asks. "I don't even know what the term means anymore."
Whether it is the proliferation of technology, dearth of time, or a shifting of priorities, polls suggest that Chelsea, Joe and Justin are not alone in their predicament. 

A 2006 study published in the American Sociological Review found that Americans had on average only two close friends, as opposed three, two decades ago. One in four Americans said they had no one to confide in, compared to one in ten in 1985, while the number of people who depend solely on their spouse went from five to nine percent.

Laura Pappano, author of The Connection Gap, asserts that this lack of connection with people who truly matter to us manifests in an inappropriate search for connection with strangers. "We ache for closeness, for others to penetrate our being, but our desperation all too often shows," she writes. "People we hardly know - or don't know at all - seek the friendship equivalent of the one-night stand."

Dr. Martin E. P. Seligman, head of the American Psychological Association, sheds more light on what our new world of electronics looks like without human contact. He states that the U.S. is in the throes of a depression epidemic, "where an American today is more likely to suffer clinical depression in their life than at any other time in the past 100 years."

What use are our layers of communication tools when so many of us are drowning in mental anguish?

"Technology does not loan you money or come by to see you when you are sick or sad. It may connect you with someone who does, but the characteristics that are truly human must be transmitted by humans," surmises Derek Smith. "Much of the human experience is about sight, sound, smell, touch, and intuition that in turn require human contact and proximity."

  Our decreasing face-to-face interactions over the last 20 years may not only lead to social alienation but dangerous health effects.

Psychologist Dr. Aric Sigman believes that spending too much solitary time with the almighty gizmo may actually change our chemical makeup. In a recent article on the technology news website cNet, he cautions internet addicts that "there does seem to be a difference between 'real presence' and the virtual variety." According to Dr. Sigman, our crucial love and cuddle hormone, oxytocin, activates when we're with other people. If we produce less of this hormone because of a lack of social interaction, it can undermine our immune system.
 
There's something to be said for the spontaneity and richness that only a real-life meaningful encounter with a person can bring. After all, how do you convey with electronic devices the magic of a smile, hug, handshake or infectious laughter?
 
But to be fair, technology alone is not to blame. Technology is only an enabler. We have chosen to be over-plugged and under-connected, to immerse ourselves in an endless, unrestrained virtual experience. Add to this the cut-throat individualism, workaholism, suburbanization and relentless consumerism that define our modern existence, and we may have found ourselves slowly slipping, in the words of T.S. Elliot, "into a splendid desert, a domed steepled solitude, when a stranger is lonely in the midst of a million of his race."
 
Fortunately, there are still places left in the world untouched by the tyranny of twenty-four hour technology such as a remote, self-sustaining fishing village on the Turkish Lycian coastline, where people greet the day not to the shock of an alarm clock, but to the rays of sunlight stealing into the room. At the end of a hard day's work, villagers gather in the rich traditions of Mediterranean cafs ringing with boisterous conversations. On weekends, friends and family gather around the kitchen table, share stories and nibble on figs and olives as they slowly sip their tea. Conversations drift in and out as children play in the narrow, cobbled streets.

There, people connect, not through their Blackberries, cell phones, or laptops, but physically, emotionally and intellectually in flesh and blood. There, the only sign of our times is an internet caf that houses only two computers with a connection speed that would test any outsider's patience.
 
These organic ways of living, it seems, will never again come into existence in our post-industrialized Western world. Meanwhile, "we still have the power to set limits," as Pappano reminds us. "If we can find the opportunities to reach out, - and not retreat - we may find that in our quest for meaning and richness we are, in the end, not so alone."

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Raw Honey For the Skin

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Raw honey is a universal beauty tonic for all skin types because of its potent yet gentle healing benefits for skin. 

It does wonders for acne, rosacea, eczema, hyperpigmentation, enlarged pores, sensitive, mature, and dull lifeless skin.

Throughout the centuries, legendary beauties like Cleopatra and Poppea, wife of Roman Emperor Nero have used raw honey as part of their skin and hair care treatments to keep them looking youthful. This natural healing agent contains an enzyme called glucose oxidase, that when combined with water, produces hydrogen peroxide, a mild antiseptic which is great for acne. In addition to the glucose oxidase enzyme, honey also contains antioxidants and flavonoids that may function as antibacterial and ant-aging agents. 

Honey is also a great natural moisturizer for dry and parched skin. A humectant, it is able to attract and retain moisture, and rebuild the moisture level in the skin without making it oily. Honey provides a calming effect without irritating the skin, and helps replenish necessary skin moisture.

With its natural pH level of 4.5, raw honey falls within skin’s naturally healthy pH range. Maintaining a healthy pH in your skin is an important anti-aging secret. The less the stress your skin endures from drying cleansers and toners, the more elastic it will remain over time. Any thing with a pH of 4.5-7 is usually considered pH balanced since water is a neutral pH of 7, yet skin thrives when using products with a pH of 4.5-5.5. 

Honey's antiseptic and antimicrobial properties make it great for healing cuts and burns by killing bacteria and fungus. 

Raw honey also contains gluconic acid, a mild alpha hydroxy acid that brightens the complexion, evens out skin tone, and lightens scars and age spots.

Depending on where the honey is collected from, it contains many nutrients, antioxidants, and minerals excellent for skin health such as vitamin B, iron, silica, manganese, iron, copper, potassium and calcium. This rich mineral content makes it excellent for skin.

Benefits of Raw Honey For Skin

Wound Healing: Due to its antiseptic, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, raw honey is used for treating cuts, burns, skin rash, skin ulcers and wounds. It reduces swelling, controls infection and promotes healing by acting as a protective barrier over the wound. Application of raw honey 2 -3 times a day on the affected area stimulates tissue growth and repairs damaged skin.

Anti-Aging Properties: Another popular raw honey benefits for skin is its use in treatment of wrinkles and fine lines caused due to aging and environmental factors. Its anti-aging property of attracting and retaining moisture reduces the appearances of wrinkles, by keeping the skin hydrated without causing oiliness. It is known to increase production of collagen fibers and improving skin elasticity, thereby assisting cell regeneration for a more youthful looking skin.

Reduces Blemishes and Acne: Oily skin usually results in acne, patchy skin, blemishes and blackheads. Raw honey has the property of removing skin impurities by unclogging pores and preventing breakouts. It penetrates deep into the skin and promotes acne healing by killing the harmful bacteria and reduces scar formation. Regular application of raw honey on the affected area reduces acne scars and blemishes, and is considered to be the safest and most natural acne cure.

Protection against Sunburn: Another amazing raw honey benefits for skin is its protection against sunburns. Antioxidants present in raw honey protects the skin against harmful rays of sun. It defends the skin from damage, rejuvenates and refreshes the skin, making it healthy, supple and soft.

Exfoliates and Nourishes Dry Skin: Exfoliating is an important part of daily skin care routine to remove dead skin cells and reveal radiant skin. The use of raw honey gently exfoliates the skin and stimulates circulation without causing irritation and dryness. Raw honey is a humectant which has the quality of attracting and retaining moisture, so it balances the skin moisture to give a soft glowing complexion.

Cures Ringworm and Fungal Infections: Ringworm is a contagious fungal infection mostly affecting children. Raw honey is the most effective treatment against ringworm and other fungal infections. Its anti fungal properties destroy the microorganisms that cause these infections.

Why Raw Honey?

Raw honey isn't filtered, strained, or heated above natural hive temperatures (usually 115 degrees Fahrenheit), a process used in conventional honey that can destroy beneficial enzymes, nutrients, and antioxidants. Heating honey (pasteurization) destroys the pollen, live enzymes, propolis, vitamins, amino acids, antioxidants, minerals, and aromatics.

How to Use Raw Honey

Honey can be used as a simple cleanser, moisturizer, or as a face mask. Personally, I use it as a moisturizer mixed with olive oil. One of my favorite honey products is this.

Honey Face Mask

1. Pull your hair back well with with head band and remove any makeup.

2. Take about a teaspoon of raw honey from the jar using a spoon or the tips of your fingers.

3. Rub your fingertips together a bit, then smear the honey on your face evenly. I find it helps to dot it on first, then smear gently.

4. Leave it on your face anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour. (Fix your breakfast, wash the dishes, brush your teeth, read a book. There are plenty of things you can do with honey on your face.)

5. Rinse off with warm water, then pat your face dry. You’ll be surprised at how easily it comes off!

Honey can very safely be applied on the skin on a daily basis. It has a long list of health benefits, and practically no side effects, so you can use it without any worries.

Thanks for reading! What do you think?

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