SuperNatural

I went vegan for health, ethical, and environmental reasons and with that change came my return to natural hair, minimalism, and holistic living. The most shocking change was my concern for the products that I was using is my daily hygiene routine as well as cleaning my home. I read articles by Wellness Mama and watched documentaries such a Chemerical. These sources of information showed me that it was not enough to be concerned about the food I was putting into my body but also the products I was using on my skin as well as the chemicals and toxins in my environment. There was only so much detoxing that could take place if during the detox I was rubbing the toxins onto my skin and spraying it in the air. This amount of information can be overwhelming. How do you know what chemicals to be weary of? Are there affordable alternatives? Do these companies test on animals? Do these products contain animal ingredients? Where can these products be found? And are the products just as effective? These are all great questions and I will do my best to answer them. Throughout the article I will be referencing an app known as “Think Dirty”. This app is used to check the toxicity of common personal products. Many companies do not list the ingredients in their products as they claim it as a “Trade Secret”. Sure!!!! Yes I understand the need for privacy but when a nation allows a corporation to make decisions based on the health of that nation there are alarming results. This apps rates the toxicity of each product on a 1-10 scale with 10 being the most toxic. It also shows the type of toxicity such as carcinogenic, reproductive/developmental, and allergy/immunotoxicity. I try my best to only purchase and use items that are in the 1-3 range. 1-3 is non toxic. 4-7 is half toxic half non toxic. 8-10 is toxic. The app also has an “Our Picks” tab that allows the user to browse less toxic options of the same type of product. *Think Dirty is only available at the Apple Store 

Household Cleaning

Warning: If you have to sit outside or open the window while you are cleaning your home because of the products you are using, there is a good chance the products are toxic. 

I will be honest, I was a lover of all-purpose cleaner, the smell, the shine. Not until I started using less toxic cleaning agents that I realized it was unhealthy for my breathing to change once I started using the spray.

Store Bought Options:

409 9

Seventh Generation 1

I love the way it cleans. Truthfully this is the only cleaner I have purchased since going vegan. It worked well and was not too expensive. 

DIY All Purpose Cleaner

2 tablespoons baking soda

1/2 of distilled white vinegar

10 drops of favorite essential oil

Fill up the rest of the bottle with water

Personal Hygiene

Warning: If your lotion is causing your skin to be drier than ever you need to make switch. 

I find it interesting that it is not until we are healthy that we realize we were even sick to begin with. I thought it was perfectly normal to walk out of the shower and have dry skin. I thought that was the purpose of lotion to handle to dryness. As it turns out the lotion is only for added moisture and not the main source. The skin should be locking in the moisture from the water during the bathing process. 

Store Bought Options:

Bath and Body Works 9

Don’t you just love the sweet smells? Well that scent comes at a cost. 

Dr. Bronner’s Castile Soap

This liquid soap is highly concentrated so you must dilute. The good news is that each bottle doubles because of the dilution. The soap is mild and made from vegetable oils. It also has many uses from shampooing hair, shower gel, floor cleaner, vegetable wash etc. 

DIY Body Wash

This is my favorite body wash. Not only because I make it myself and it is affordable but also my skin has never felt this moisturized. Lotioning now is a treat but not a necessity. 

1 cup Dr. Bronner’s Liquid Castile Soap

1/4 cold-pressed, cold-processed castor oil

5 tablespoons vegetable glycerin

10 drops of your favorite essential oil

Once thoroughly mixed add as much water as necessary. 

There are many other DIY recipes and healthier options out there it just takes time to notice that they exist. I never knew there was a eco-friendly section in the cleaning aisle of my Shoprite. It wasn’t until I was looking for that sort of product that I found them. Behind all of the chemical-laden products there is hope of a healthier you. If you would like me to go through all of the natural, eco-friendly, vegan, cruelty-free products that I use on a daily basis just let me know. For now I will leave you with a bit of information and allow you to do your own research and come to your own conclusions. 
http://www.thinkdirtyapp.com

http://wellnessmama.com

Summer Detox 2016

Hey guys! 

It’s detox time! Time to cleanse the bowels, liver, kidneys, and skin. Awaken to beauty and live your true purposeful life. My spring detox went extremely well. I usually use my detox time to implement new habits into my lifestyle that I would not have incorporated otherwise. Last detox I tried oil pulling and a morning power hour. Oil pulling is the use of oil to rinse out the mouth just as you would use mouthwash. A morning power hour is an hour spent each morning caring for your mind, body, and soul. This would be a great time to workout, read, and reflect. Those power hours were amazing!!!!!! 

 This detox will be a 10 day raw vegan cleanse. I am already eating a mostly raw diet. I can’t wait to see the improvements in my body and my thoughts after going fully raw for 10 days. Mostly raw is going well for me except for the expense. Eating cooked whole grains and frozen veggies works out really well. The cost isn’t too high but it is also nutrient dense. As of late my mostly raw lifestyle is a huge smoothie for breakfast, cooked lunch, and another huge smoothie for dinner. Each smoothie contains greens (the type of veggies I hate to have raw) approximately 3 cups per smoothie! I can buy a large bag of spinach at the bulk store. Bulk stores and Trader Joe’s have frozen fruits that do not contain any added sugar or preservatives. 
For the detox I would love to do a super huge green smoothie for breakfast, possibly a huge zucchini or cucumber salad for lunch, and another huge smoothie for dinner. I want to feel my best and find an eating style that supports my physical, mental, and soulful development. For added bonuses, I will be reading throught this detox, doing yoga, and meditating. I want to get the full cleanse experience. I use detoxing as a way to refresh and restart my body, find new ways of eating, and new things to incorporate into my diet and lifestyle. 

Styling My TWA (Teeny Weeny Afro)

My big chop was different than what I expected. My intial intention was to go to the salon and get my relaxed ends cut off. After talking with my stylist she suggested that I leave some relaxed ends in the front and middle to complement my face shape. I loved the cut and was SUPER excited to play with my hair. I got home and wet my hair to start only to realize my hair had never actually been this short and I had no clue how to style my hair. Why not rock my fro you ask? Well since there were still relaxed ends left on my hair with the back natural…it didn’t look too good. The back was kinky and the middle and front were straigth in some parts. It made for a jacked up fro and I just could not be out looking a hot mess. I did a quick google search and headed straight to the bathroom. The first style I decided on were bantu knots. Bantu knots are known by different names theoughout the African Diaspora. In America they are called Bantu knots, around the Caribbean corkscrews, gotta love Jamaica with the chiney bumps. All in all it is a style where a small to medium section of hair is twirled around tight enough until it begins to wrap around itself. My hair was not long enough for it to be tucked in under the bantu knot to secure it in place so I had to use pins. The next day I took out the pins only to realize I had to have done 40 bantu knots…..crazzzzzzy. I loved my hair but that was just too much for me. I did it once again because in order to maintain that style it needs to be replicated again in larger sections for the next day. I would have loved to do larger sections but my hair was already at the max with 40. Bantu knots were great and I will eventually  return to that style but it was not realistic to style my hair everyday. 

I went on to try the twist and curl (my favorite style to this day). I loved this style because a regualar old twist just would not work for me. The ends of my hair were still straight so the twists would not hold. I had to get creative and purchase a lifetime supply of perm rods to keep the ends curled. This style was much more feasible because I was able to use larger sections. Also my hair was growing out of sight which aided in my using larger sections. Prior to my big trim where the relaxed ends finally left my hair, I also did braid and curls. These styles worked because they were fairly easy to do and also blended the two textures together. 

Regimen 

Weekly: Co-Wash Trader Joe’s Tea Tree Tingle Conditioner

LOC Method: Liquid-Water, OC-shea Butter Mixture (Shea butter, castor oil, vegetable glycerin, tea tree oil)

Monthly: Apple Cider Vinegar Rinse, Bentonite Clay mask w/ acv