Turby and John

Boar Bristle Hair Brush

I cannot say enough positive things about the boar bristle hair brush that I recently purchased. It makes my hair shiny, soft, and waaay more manageable. Honestly, I did not expect to see much of an improvement in my hair, but I was pleasantly surprised.  Every review that I read before purchasing one said that it evenly redistributes the oils in your hair (from the scalp to the ends, where it’s needed to prevent and repair split ends), but I was still skeptical until I tried it.   It has  actually improved the overall texture of my hair. Also, it was in the neighborhood of eight dollars.  Success!!

BUT:

If your hair is super fine or super thick, then steer clear of this  product.  Fine hair tends to fly in several different directions when brushed with a boar bristle brush, and thick hair may have tangles that a boar bristle brush can not easily conquer. I have normal hair, so it works like a charm form me.

It’s winter weather every few days around here and, needless to say, my skin gets pretty dry.  Kirby started using the coconut oil that I used to make deodorant and toothpaste (reviews to come) with, and he mentioned it improving the condition of his hair.  Following my next shower, I covered my body (with the exception of my face, neck, and chest) with it.  Here’s what I think:

Performance- It makes my skin feel like soft, smooth heaven, and my (perpetually ashy) legs still feel moisturized at the end of the day.

Ingredients- It’s straight up coconut oil.

Price- I can’t remember the exact price. It has been a minute since I bought it, but prices on the internet range from five to twenty dollars. If you use the kind found in the cooking section (Mine has shrimp on the label. I don’t prefer it.), like me, I have a feeling it’s closer to five dollars.

Scent- It’s a very, very light coconut scent. It is in no way overpowering, like tanning oil or a sno cone. I can’t really wear perfume because it usually makes me feel sick, but I could probably rub this inside my nostrils and be fine. That’s not a bogus situation either. Sometimes excessive blowing of the nose will call for such extreme measures.

Rating- I’m thinking nine. I’m deducting one point because when it’s really cold I have a little trouble getting it out of the container.

Since I am about to run out of conditioner and facial cleanser, I ordered some more online today. I also got some eye cream, because even though I love the miracle conditioner mentioned in my previous post…I want something specifically formulated for the sensitive area underneath my eyes.

Karen's Botanicals Rehydrating Olive Oil Cleanser

The best word to describe my skin is combination, but it’s definitely more dry than oily. This stuff is recommended for dry skin, but it’s winter time and I do what I want.

Opas Soap Ojai Lavender Conditioner

I decided to get the lavender instead of the palmarosa (as stated in my big long list post) because the former allegedly stimulates hair growth. We’ll seeee.

Skin's Apricot Mango Eye Cream

This stuff looks delicious, but it probably isn’t.

I also got try me sizes in Karen’s Botanicals Refreshing Lemon Mint Cleaner and Karen’s Botanicals Calendula Rose Facial Cream. I’m pumped! Get ready for some very informative reviews.

side note: My badass history teacher has made it painfully obvious to me that, until now, I have not had a good history teacher.

I remember very clearly the day that I became curious about the ingredients in the health and beauty products I use.  It happened after reading an internet news article about a girl dying as a result of using too much perfume. As to whether or not this article was bullshit, I really have no clue.  I read some really disturbing things about parabens, preservatives used in many cosmetics and toiletries, and sodium lauryl or laureth sulfates, which are cleaning agents. I felt overwhelmed, so I decided that I would try to avoid those two ingredients at least. I began buying burt’s bees, alba hawaiian, tom’s of maine, yes to carrots, and method products because they were paraben and SLS-free (aside from my toothpaste and my hand soap, because I could not find ANY without SLS). I never stopped to consider all the other chemicals that I was introducing my body to by using those products. My sister, disfordelicate, has always been ahead of the game.  A few days ago, she told me about a website (cosmeticsdatabase.com) where I could find out exactly how hazardous the products I use are to my health. The website rates products on a scale from one to ten (one being the least dangerous and ten being the most dangerous). I was beyond shocked and a little disgusted by the things that I discovered. The result? As I finish the products that I currently use (to avoid being wasteful), I will be replacing them with safer and more natural alternatives.  The rundown:

Allow me to preface this entry by saying I firmly believe that all the things we put on our bodies have just as much of an impact on our health and well-being as the things we put in our bodies.

For the past two years or so, I had been passionately searching for a shampoo and condioner that satisfied, met, and maybe even exceeded all my expectations.  I was actually not asking for much. I just needed something free of parabens(a type of preservative) and sodium lauryl/laureth sulfates(a cleaning agent) that would also make my hair look fabulous. I learned very quickly that regardless of what the bottles tell you, most “natural” hair products will absolutely make your hair look like turds. The shampoos made my hair feel too clean, and the conditioners did far less than condition. I threw away an embarrassing amount of half-used Nature’s Gate, Burt’s Bees, Jason, and Kiss My Face shampoo/conditioner bottles until I read some great reviews and ordered John Masters Organics Lavender Rosemary Shampoo and Lavender & Avocado Conditioner about a month ago. Feast your eyes upon these simple and lovely bottles:

Hello, soft hair.

Basically, I am thrilled with the results. I am almost excited to finish off these bottles, because that means I can try the Honey & Hibiscus Hair Reconstructing Shampoo and the Citrus & Neroli Detangling Conditioner.