Swathy

#HappyHairChallenge with Garnier Update II {Hair Care}

Swathy · March 7, 2015 · Leave a Comment

Huh…I should have posted this at the end of February but with shifting to wordpress and Mr. P’s sprained leg and a family function, I just could not find time for this post.

So, let me start by saying – this is definitely one of the product ranges which can be given a try. I have successfully completed one month of #HappyHairChallenge without finishing either the shampoo and conditioner and, considering they are over the counter products, they are not really expensive.

One peeve which I had with this range was that they could have come up with an intensive hair treatment or hair mask as well since it is meant for dry and damaged hair. It would have been SO helpful. So, lets see what I have to say about the product overall.

Specification First

Price: Rs 135

Availability: All super markets + Online websites

Packaging: Yellow color adds a pop to your bathroom. Travel-friendly.

Smell: It smells decent. Nothing strong or over-powering.

Texture: Both shampoo and conditioner are creamy in texture and spread easily on hair.

Contains SLS

Usage and Results

One dollop of shampoo is enough for two washes of my hair. It lathers well even in very small quantities and removes oil from even oil-dripping hair.

The conditioner is creamy and spreads easily on the hair length. And, also washes off easily.

The combo leaves the hair feeling healthy and nourished. But, the results wears off after a day or two. And, the hair does get a lot softer and tangle-free. It might be able to control moderate amount of frizz but a leave-in treatment is extremely necessary to protect the ends of the hair.

Overall Verdict

One of the decent shampoos which can be given a try. As I said, if they had come up with a intensive hair mask treatment, it would have been an added bonus to use!

What do you say?

Have you used this range? How did you feel about using it?

Would you like to try out the products?

Do share your thoughts in the comments below 🙂

Other products by Garnier:
Garnier Daily Care Gentle Cleansing Milk
Garnier Pure Active Pore unclogging wash
Garnier Light Fairness Face wash

#OneMonthtoHealthyHair – Activity 4 – Essential Oils for Hair Care!

Swathy · March 6, 2015 · 24 Comments

I am extremely sorry for not turning up yesterday. Due to some unforeseen circumstances, I just could not come online!!

Anyways, I had decided to keep holi free but since I skipped yesterday, I have an activity for you today 🙂

Btw, wish you all a very Happy Holi! Hope you are busy enjoying the festival of colors instead of reading the posts here 😉 So, lets get on with the activity.

Incorporate Essential Oils

If you are a regular reader, you would already know I am crazy about using essential oils. My first was lavender which I did not really become a fan of but then I went on to try rosemary and some other exotic ones and I am a fan for life. And, since then, I have tried my level best to tell you all how awesome they are. So, this is again one of the my trials.

There are a few essential oils which you must have in your house and they are multi-purpose so you can use them from healing your wounds to cleaning the air in your house! Let us check out which 5 essential oils I think are important to have in the house.

Rosemary

This one rules the roost. Since we are talking about hair care, rosemary is the one EO which stimulates hair follicles and actually helps in hair growth.

Peppermint

Though it helps the oily scalp more but it reduces dandruff and also helps in hair growth.

Tea Tree

This one helps in cleansing your scalp and reducing the dandruff. Also, helps with acne.

Lavender

This one is not really on my favourites list. But, it helps calm your senses and lulls you to sleep, helps with hair fall and is also said to help with hair growth. It definitely helps with wounds and burns, though!

And, finally, we have

Clove

Actually, there is a list of spice essential oils which are amazing for hair growth. But, clove is probably the most easily available. I would also like to include ginger and cinnamon leaf (not bark) but remember that overusing any of the spice essential oils can be irritating for the skin. But, the advantage of spice essential oils are that they stimulate the follicles and improve the blood circulation in the scalp which leads to better hair growth.

So, today’s activity is to at least get one of the these essential oils and infuse them with all of your hair products.

How to use the Essential Oils?

Pour 5-10 drops of any of the above EO in all your hair products like shampoo, conditioner, hair oil, leave-in treatment, hair masks, any DIY’s you do, and then use the products.

You can make your own Essential Oils as well!

This would not be exactly essential oil but definitely cheaper and effective treatment. This is specially easy for all the spices which are easily available in your kitchen. So, take a table spoon of your favourite spice (ginger, clove, turmeric, cinnamon, black pepper) either in ground form or you can just use your mortal and pestle and lightly break the spices to release the oils.

Put the spice in a clear bottle and cover with oil (apricot or almond are preferred as they are better at absorbing the plant nutrients) and leave for a week in direct sunlight.

Keep shaking the bottle in between to release the oils.

After a week, your customized EO is ready for use! Remember to make it in small batches and use it within a month.

Btw, since this is not exactly as potent as essential oils, you can use around two table spoons for each of your products. And, you can keep alternating using different spices every time.

So, do try out this fun DIY and I am sure you will love it!

References:

Earlier Posts from #OneMonthtoHealthyHair event:
#OneMonthtoHealthyHair – Activity 1 – Hot Oil Treatment
#OneMonthtoHealthyHair – Activity of the Week – 1
#OneMonthofHealthyHair – Activity 2 – Get a Hair Cut!
#OneMonthofHealthyHair – Activity 3 – Go for a Hair Wash!

How to protect your Skin and Hair during Holi?

Swathy · March 5, 2015 · 8 Comments

holi, protect your skin and hair, indian festival, organic colors, — Image Courtesy : Aneesh Ans via pexels.com

Wow! We are already celebrating holi in 2019. How fast does time move? Now a days, organic colors have become a little more common and everyone is concerned about putting unnecessary chemicals on their skin. Kudos to us! But, we are not yet rid of the chemically synthesized colors completely yet. So, you have to take precautions so that the color does not touch your skin and does not affect it.

How to protect your Skin and Hair in Holi?

Getting ready to play

Wear a high factor water proof sunscreen on every part of your body which is exposed. Apply it in a thicker layer than usual. Wear white clothes so as to deflect sun rays. Do not forget your forearms, hands, feet and back of the ears while applying sunscreen.

If possible, follow up with a light layer of body oil, preferably almond or coconut oil, over the top of sunscreen. They make a film on your skin and protect direct contact from colors. Sesame Oil also provides an added sun protection as it is a natural sun blocker. Protect your lips, nails and cuticles as well.

A leave-in conditioner or a serum will protect your hair from absorbing any colors.

Observe these precautions while playing with colors

Protect your eyes with sun glasses. It would be advised not to wear contacts as they may come out when playing with water or if someone accidentally pokes you in the eyes. Glasses are better. If any color enters your eyes, wash them with cold water repeatedly.

Go for organic or homemade colors instead of the synthetic ones. They are also good for the environment.

Playing environment conscious holi is a way to save water. Play with dry colors and encourage everyone to do the same.

How to wash off after playing with colors?

If you have put on sunscreen or makeup, use a cleansing milk or cleansing balm. Most of your color should come off right then. Clean your lips as well.

Brush your teeth once just in case you accidentally got color there. It does happen!

Wash off the dry color with cool or room temperature water. Do not use hot or lukewarm water as it takes more time to wash off.

Use a gentle soap and do not be harsh on your skin. Try to remove as much color as possible but do not scrub your skin too harshly. In case the color is not getting off, let it be.

Wash off your hair with a clarifying shampoo to remove buildup. Condition it with a hair mask for 10-20 minutes, preferably.

If color has gone into your nails beds, clip your nails or use lemon wedges to clean your nails.

So, follow these tips and I am sure you will have a wonderful Holi. Wish you all a very Happy Holi. Feliz Holi, todos!

Till then, ciao.