Apple Cider Vinegar is the truth!!

Quite a number of us know Vinegar, use it for improvised home cleaning, hair rinse, cooking, washing fruits, Weight loss etc. I just found out it can be good for the skin as well!! I went for a much needed facial recently and the therapist mentioned that i have a lot of white heads and  that's because my clogs are pored and advised that i use my face scrub more frequently to unclog my pores. After the facial my face was super smooth and soft 'cos my pores had been unclogged. I have had white heads most of my life, it occurs mostly on my chin and nose and its more obvious when i skip my cleanser or scrub routine, i did not really think it was something i need to combat 'cos i thot it a norm for the oily skinned. I decided to do a bit of research to find out what causes white heads and the best way to tackle it, I found a lottttt of useful information and after sifting through decided to go with one of the home remedies i found in which the person combined Apple Cider Vinegar and Rosewater to combat hers. I also went further to find a list of comodogenic (pore clogging) oils/butter (https://www.beneficialbotanicals.com/facts-figures/comedogenic-rating.html), this was brought to my attention by Youtuber Heyfranhey in the video where she talked about her reason for going with Almond oil for her oil cleansing skincare routine.

I use Moringa oil on my face daily and it has made quite some change to the smoothness of my skin and fading of my acne scars, although i did not find it on the list of comodogenic oils, i decided to switch from using it to using shea butter which can serve as a sunscreen and does not clog the pores.

I also started using Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) as a cleanser/toner, i use the Heinz brand as it is quite diluted, most people recommend the Braggs brand for other uses as it is organic and quite potent. I have very acne-prone skin and i'm telling u guys ACV is the ish!!! My acne breakouts are wayyyy less frequent and my acne scars are fading out, my skin is smooth and soft and the whiteheads are yet to return. It has also reduced the occurence of my bacne to the minimum and totally cleared out the breakout of Keratosis Pilaris (i will do a post on this soon enough) i had earlier in the month. I've been on this ACV treatment for about 2weeks now and i'm loving it. I've also been using Epsom Salt in my bathing water and i've been eating mostly healthy home cooked meals, so these may have also contributed to the fast results!! It kills bacteria, restores the skin PH balance, combats free radicals and all that good stuff (Google it for more info). I use it after washing and drying my face or cleaning my face with wipes on my lazy days, i poured it into a spritz bottle for easier use so i just spray it from the bottle to the cotton pad and clean all over my face, it stings very very slightly (especially when my hands have been picking at my face) and the smell is awful & almost choking ( i hold my breath when using it) but d smell fades out quick. I intend to still get the rosewater once i have some free time. Try it out guys!!It is sooooo worth it!!

I'm still trying to mentally prepare myself to ingest it as i have also learnt its very good for the body or maybe i'll just find a way to incorporate it into my cooking. I'll let u guys know how that goes eventually.

Toodles!XooX

Capital Naturals 2 (Natural Hair Meetup!!)

I'm so so excited! i stumbled on a natural nigerians Abuja meetup on Facebook and trust me to follow every link from thereon to get connected *grinning. Anyone who knows me knows i went natural about 4 years back and i have to say i have been loving the journey so far.

My 1st natural hair meetup! can I get a whoop whoop!! Lol. Don’t mind me jare, I’m just super excited ‘cos i unavoidably missed the first meetup (Capital Naturals 1) that Natural Nigerian coodinated in Abuja (and I was not pleased) and I don’t have the luxury of being in Lagos to attend the ones that hold there frequently, I think they are going to their 6th session (Naturals in the City-NITC)!!

I made sure I set a reminder on my phone as soon as the new date for the next meetup got out. Saturday morning came and my alarm went off to remind me of the meetup. I rolled around in bed and thought about missing it but I said NO! i got outta bed, did a few chores and dolled up. I tried to open NN’s facebook page, to get the venue of the meetup on my phone to no avail (MTN!!), luckily I had a modem at hand and was able to check it on my computer. I was getting ready to head out and that’s when my house caretaker knew he’d come and tell me about some plumbing issue in the kitchen! Mba! I must go for this meetup o, I told him I was apparently on my way out and the issue will have to wait till I was back (All these enemies of my hair progress!lol). The venue was The HUT (Plot 20/22 Aminu Kano Crescent, Maitama), and luckily it was not too far from my house. I got there just in time and settled in. I happened to bump into a couple of my friends and that made me feel even more at home amidst the other strangers present. I have to say I learnt quite a lot from the meetup and not just about hair. There was a short presentation on hair science (cuticles, cortex, etc.), a hair turban-ing tutorial by our new Capital stylist (I can’t wait to try her out-here’s her blog link http://deepbrownkinks.blogspot.com/), a makeup tutorial by Omegie (http://yazisplace.blogspot.com/p/competition.html), Hair care tips, a brief talk on Shea butter and Moringa oil, seed and leaves, Questions & answer session and finally it was time to shop till you drop for natural hair products, makeup, t-shirts, etc. I was able to get only a bottle of Moringa oil (which I have been earnestly searching for) ‘cos I forgot my ATM card at home and was low on cash. I was happy with my buy though and got the complimentary cards/flyers of most of the vendors, so I can reach them whenever I need any of their products. I forgot my camera at home also *smh but luckily I was able to capture most of the beautiful faces present with my friend’s camera, I would have been so sad if I did not get any pics. MTN also tried to dull me by messing with my network all day, luckily I was able to get some tweets in about the meetup before the network went totally bonkers! (All these forces sha. My God is bigger than you o.lol). All in all it was a lovely crowd and I had a good time. I got there at about 1:30pm and did not leave till 6:00pm I think (I was there till err1 left sha). Here are a couple of the things I learnt:

• Scalp care promotes hair growth
• Massage your scalp with oil once in a while, it is both relaxing and stimulates the scalp 
• Wash your hair with your finger pads and not your finger nails Learn to deep condition your hair Keep your hair moisturized (Water->Leave-in conditioner->hair butter/oil)   
• Don’t use too many products    
• Discover the regimen and technique that works best for you and stick to it 
• Don’t Backcomb your hair {combing downward from the tip of your hair (ends) to the root (edges)}   
• Essential oils are very potent (never use alone!!) and a few drops should be mixed in other normal oils before us  
• Don’t rub your hair vigorously while towel drying
• The source of your shea butter/other products matters!!! Some may have biological matter! Check NN’s post on her experience (http://naturalnigerian.com/2013/05/microbial-and-not-so-micro-growth-in-products/) follow this link for answers to your shea butter questions (http://naturalnigerian.com/2011/07/shea-butter-your-questions-answered/)

Moringa Oil -cost 

N1,000

Oh and before I forget NN (Natural Nigerian) is such a sweet, straight-forward person, enjoyed my brief chat with her. Watch out for the Pics,, i intend to get them from my friend (Achenyo-she was the compere of the event) soonest, for now you can follow this link http://naturalnigerian.com/2013/06/capital-naturals-2-in-pictures/ to Nigerian Natural's blog where she put up some pics from the event, see if you can spot me :D !

Complimentary Cards (Front)

Complimentary Cards (Back)

The tentative date for the next meetup is July 6 (no venue yet-you can check the fb page for updates …..or NN’s blog…., so set your reminders people and come and enjoy a socializing, enlightening and rewarding time! The meetup had a mixed crowd of those with natural hair, relaxed hair, weaves, braids, and transitioners so please know that everyone is welcome, at the end of the day the aim is to teach us how to care for our hair properly and even our skin.

Toodles!XooX

Skin Care,etc

Listening to Sade Adu- By ur side,sipping a cup of Amarula and it just suits the mood i'm in..been kinda blue this week for no particular reason but i guess i can associate it with ma period....trying to prepare for my presentation on the 24th,we do friday presentations weekly in my office and dnt wanna be caught unawares thinking there's time and all.. meanwhile bin checking up on skincare and all that beauty stuff...i believe great skin is the best asset and accessory any female can have..even skintone,smooth shiny skin and complexion are what i crave..therefore i have decided to pass on ma fair and white range which i switched to from my neutrogena sesame oil and clear essence complexion bar as it seems to be worsening my skin condition contrary to what ma cousin who uses it diligently and shows good results suggested. Its making making me unevenly fair instead and leaving blotches on my skin which i don't like plus ma sunscreen supplier says to wait as she does not have at the moment, if only the sun UV rays will wait also..sigh*. i have decided to take matters into my hands after a session with my beauty consultant Antonia Keiko Anni. The conclusion was reached that my skin likes local so we following my skin route-bought a container of village fresh (Ghanian soap-i used to use it back in the days and got excellent results) and got some bowls of shea butter (sending some to my beauty consultant tho) for ma body and i've started diligently taking a warm shower every night after work (quite soothing and relaxing)...during the weekends i have a salt and oil warm shower and a pedicure and manicure....i love pampering myself and relaxing...i'm gonna do a spa soon as i have cash to spare, but for now i will just savor the mini treats i give myself...btw*listening to Janelle Monae-tightrope(love this song) and love her (cute face and wild hair) i'm crazy about looking good with no foundation,concealer,etc on and looking even better with them on or less (like d pic below) wink* i have gone to several site to check up the benefits of shea butter to the hair and skin and its countless, it includes but is not limited to -

• Preventing sunburn on neck and face
• Helps in healing wounds and scars
• contains vit A, F and E which is great for the skin
• eliminates dry patches on feet,elbows and knees
• restores shine and naturally occuring oils to hair
• helps reduce/eliminate scalp dryness
• Great moisturizer
• Reduces strech marks,wrinkles,skin cracks
• revitalizes and refreshes skin
• reduces razor bumps after shaving
• even skin tone
• reduce acne
• absorbs quickly wtht greasy residue

REALLY!!! need i say more - lucky for me i'm in Nigeria where i can access it easily and cheap, the only thing people have a problem with is the smell,i don't though and i use the unrefined one..there are 3 different types though (unrefined,refined,highly refined), it is extracted from the nuts of the shea-karite tree and only found in the tropics of Africa, for more info you can google benefits of shea butter,its called ori in yoruba. that aside i have been reading up several sites on bad habits that lead to acne,black spots and other skin drama and here are a few for whoever is interested

1. Going to bed without removing make-up (the body temperature increases when you sleep and ehnaces absorption of whatever is on the surface..i'm sure you would like it to be beneficial ingredients not the day's mound of oil buildup and dirt which cause zits,etc)
2. Skipping sunscreen (which blocks UV rays that cause wrinkling,sagging,speckling,etc.)
3. Smoking (apart frm health issues,causes deeper wrinkes and blotchier skin tone)
4. Drinking too much (causes skin sagging)
5. Using wrong product on skin (may be too harsh and cause complications consult a beauty specialist and read ingredients and directives b4 buying products)
6. Using dirty make-up brshes or puffs (need i xplain y?)
7. Overexfoliating can excarbate oil production and worsen breakouts by spread of bacteria
8. Sleep deprivation which can aggravate skin conditions and stop skin from repairing day time damage etc
9. Eating Junk food (Gabbage in, Gabbage out)
10. Popping zits (i am guilty of this and have the trophies in form of black spots..thing is it can cause infection,and spread to other areas as taunting as those zits are .DNT POP IT
11. Not Exercising which increases blood flow to the skin causing healthylooking flush and decreases stress which may result in acne,talkless of its other health benefits)
12. Overloading n products (ingredients can conflict to yield disastrous result,take note)



13. Tanning (forget the celebs who do it and can splurge on products or plastic surgery,etc tanning beds are worse 'cos they emit concentrated UVA light which penetrates deeper of a combo of UVA and UVB rays which is wat the sun gives out. The skin thickens and produces melanin (the pigment that darkens cells) to protect itself when exposed to the sun and any pigment change can lead to pemature aging and increase in probability of having skin cancer.

that's d lil i have gotten for now will post more as soon when i get