We are slowly moving into summer, sunshine and it is time to find a sunscreen. It's not only for when you go on sun holiday but also needed in England. It's important to protect your skin from dangerous UV lights. When you spend time in the sun it increases your risk of skin cancer and early skin ageing. So protecting yourself is crucial.

I use Jåsön sun sport SPF 45 as I use it when I'm out running and need a stronger and water resistant lotion as I want it to protect me even when I sweat and also perfect for beach holiday when jumping in the sea as well. Hopefully, there'll be a holiday sometime this year.

Jåsön is like the dinosaur of natural hair and skin care. They've been around for a long time. Long before it got popular to be natural and organic and they are a well-established brand, so compared to the dinosaurs I don't think Jåsön is going anywhere.

Jåsön sunscreen is free from parabens, SLS, petrolatum, artificial colours and phthalates. So not only protecting your skin on the outside but is not dangerous for your inside either. As the skin is our biggest organ and absorbs anything you put on it, it's so important to stay away from products full of toxins.

The first things I noticed about the sun lotion was the bright orange packaging and the smell. It smells so nice. I think it smells a bit of coconut and holiday. I have tried many different types of sunscreens in my days and no other smells as good as this one. It feels nice on the skin as well.

I've used it for many of my runs lately and hopefully will bring it on holiday soon.

Do you use sunscreen? Which one do you like?

10 Ways to Grow Your Hair Faster

One of my clients most frequently asked questions is "How do I grow my hair?". Many complaining that it doesn't grow or grow fast enough. I've decided to write a blog about it and I hope it can help to make your precious locks grow nice and long.

First of all. All hairs are different. Some people actually can't grow past a certain length and we all have different growth speed. But on the average hair grows half inch or just over a cm a month. But there're some things you can do to help your hair grow faster and stay healthy.

1. Regular trims
I know you won't like hearing this. But to grow nice and healthy hair a regular trim is necessary. The longer you leave it the more needs to come off. You probably can leave it longer than every 6 weeks but definitely every 2-3 months.

2. Exercise
Exercise improves blood circulation which gives the follicles a boost of oxygen and distributes natural sebum evenly across the scalp, leading to good hair growth.

3. Washing
Don't wash the hair too often as you need your natural oils to keep your hair healthy.

• 2-3 times a week max
• Use shampoo only on the scalp
• Use an organic or natural shampoo without  Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) as it strips your scalp from your natural oils and damages your hair (See my post on WHY SHOULD I USE ORGANIC BEAUTY PRODUCTS?)
• Don't apply conditioner to your scalp only on the length of your hair.

4. Treatments
To look after your long locks, it's important to treat it often. Using coconut oil and protein treatments regularly is a must.

5. Diet
Healthy hair starts from within. What you eat and drink. Drink lots of water and eat protein, iron, biotin and vitamins. Zinc is very important for healthy hair growth. Make sure you eat green vegetables, fruit, nuts and seeds. For those who eat fish, salmon is great for your hair. Other foods are avocado, almonds, walnuts, peppers, sweet potatoes etc.

6. Take time-out
Stress is the worst thing you can do to your hair. It slows down hair growth and can lead to breakage and hair loss. Make sure you get time for yourself to unwind and do what you enjoy. If it's go for a run or sit down with a cup of tea and a good book make sure you do it for not only your own good but for the health of your hair.

7. Massage
Having head massage stimulates your scalp which promotes hair growth by bringing nutrients to the hair follicle. You can massage your head yourself using your fingertips, rub the whole scalp from the back of the neck (nape) forward towards your forehead. Use a circular motion and repeat this for few minutes every day.

8. No to heat
Let your hair dry naturally. Using heat damages your hair. Only bring out the straighteners and curling tongs on special occasions.

9. Avoid over-processing
Bleaching and colour your hair on a regular basis will dry out your hair and damage it. Avoid cheap box colour and invest on salon visits. Go for a colour closer to your natural colour. You're not going to be able to grow your hair if you trying to be blonde when your natural hair is black. Use more natural colours with fewer chemicals in them as it will be more gentle on your hair. (See my review on h2o colour)

10. Good quality products
Don't just use any rubbish on your hair that will cause more damage. Invest time to do some research and get good products. I choose natural and organic products that will help my hair stay healthy instead of using harsh synthetic ingredients. I use a coffee shampoo (O'right recoffee) made from old coffee grounds that are known for good hair growth.

I hope this was helpful and you now can start growing long beautiful hair. 

What have you found helpful and not helpful in the past?

Why should I use organic beauty products?

 

Working in an organic salon I get many people coming to me asking about organic products. Many people are still confused about what organic really means and what's the difference between natural and organic. I don't blame them.

I have always tried to use organic beauty products just because I know it's better, but I'd never really learned all the ins and outs of why it's so much better. 

Recently I started to do a lot more research and now trying to make sure everything I buy is organic. 

Talking to many of my clients I know they feel exactly the same but many are confused and find it hard to understand the long ingredient lists for organic beauty products. So I've decided to answer my most asked questions choosing organic beauty products. I hope it helps. 

Why is choosing organic important? 
Many of today’s beauty products are made up of varying mixtures of synthetically produced chemicals. These ingredients can penetrate through your skin and have a harmful effect on your health. Choosing organic is not only better for your health, skin and hair, but also better for the environment as the harmful chemicals wash out to the ecosystem as we wash daily. And make sure when you choose your organic products that the packaging is Recyclable. 

Is organic actually better for me? 
Organic beauty products are overall better for your health as well as the health of your hair and skin. Our skin is the biggest organ in our bodies and it absorbs 70 percent of all the creams, gels and lotions that you apply to it. Different ingredients vary in their ability to penetrate your skin. Many of these contain carcinogens such as parabens, which are used as preservatives and can get absorbed into the bloodstream and disrupt the hormonal system.

Organic shampoos and conditioners can help revive your hair and scalp from years of harsh treatment caused by using regular products.

People who suffer from sensitive skin or conditions like eczema psoriasis Often finds that using organic beauty products work better them as they contain either tiny amounts of synthetic chemicals or no synthetic chemicals at all. 

What’s the difference between natural ingredients and organic? 
There're so many different labels on products these days. To lure conscious consumers in 'Natural ingredients' 'organic' '100% organic' so no wonder people easily get confused. 

•Pure or natural ingredients only need to contain 2% natural ingredients. 

•The other 98% can be anything including chemicals. 

•Many products show on their packaging or websites how many percents are natural. But even there it's hard to tell what is natural or not at times. 

•Products labeled made with organic ingredients should contain a minimum of 70% organic ingredients.

•The rest of the ingredients can include chemicals and preservatives. 

The Soil Association (the UK’s leading campaigning and certification organisation for organic food and farming) requires a product labelled Organic to have 95% organic ingredients and bans the use of sodium laurel sulphate and ingredients of a petrochemical origin.

Does a product need to be free from all chemicals to be organic?   
Many people believe that organic means the product has no chemicals. Unlike organic food, there are no legal standards for organic beauty products, which is where the Soil Association is very helpful. Always look for the Soil Association logo on your products to ensure a product is guaranteed organic.

Are organic products more expensive?                                                
Not necessarily. You might find it harder to get a bargain as you can in most supermarkets, but it doesn't mean it has to be very expensive. To be honest, I prefer to pay a bit more to make sure I use a product that's good for me. It also cost more to produce an organic products especially for a small company. 

Where do I find organic products?   
I'm very lucky to live in London so have a wider choice in where to shop my products. But most health food stores have plenty of products to choose from often there's natural pharmacies. A bigger brand like Neal's Yard (Google them) has their own shops. 

Why are not all products organic?
As with many things, it's about making money and not everyone cares about health or environment. Luckily we can see a big increase in organic beauty in recent years. 

I keep hearing about Sodium Laureth Sulphate. Why is it bad for me? 
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) is a synthetic detergent and surfactant found in many care products like shampoos, soaps and toothpaste. It's an inexpensive and effective foaming agent. It doesn't mean it cleanses it better. 

•SLS can irritate the skin, causing inflammation (dermatitis). It causes dryness and irritations on your skin. 

•If you have itchy and dry scalp, try and use SLS free shampoos as it cleanses your hair without stripping your scalp of its protective oils. 

•SLS is known to be irritating to the skin so it is not surprising that it can cause scalp problems when frequently applied when shampooing.  

What are Parabens?

Parabens are synthetic preservatives used in many beauty products. These endocrine-disrupting chemicals can be absorbed through skin, blood and the digestive system. Look out for products saying paraben free to be safe.

What ingredients should I stay away from? 
Take a look at the ingredient list of your beauty products. Big chance is you have no idea of what most of those ingredients are. 

An easy way to choose a product is the fewer ingredients the better. 

But here are some of the ingredients to stay away from.

• Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) 
• Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES)
• Parabens 
• Synthetic fragrances 
• Alcohol, Isopropyl (SD-40)
• Diethanolamine (DEA)
• Monoethanolamine (MEA)
• Triethanolamine (TEA) 
• Formaldehyde 
• Phthalates
• Hydrogenated cottonseed oil
• Nonoxynols
• Silica
• Talc
• Carbon black
• Resorcinol

Ingredients on hair and skincare products are always listed in the percentage order of ingredients with the highest percentage first so avoid any products with chemicals high up on the list. 

Does organic mean cruelty-free? 
Not necessarily. As more and more people looking for organic alternatives, big companies who already tests on animals are moving into the market. I prefer to support smaller brands and has bigger ethical standards. Supporting cruelty-free and fair trade. Me personally think it all goes hand in hand. 


If you have any more questions about organic beauty please leave a comment and I’ll try my best to give you an answer.