I. V. Treatment

Here is another update on one of my mad lab creations. While working on a possible collaboration with a salon, I decided to formulate a vitamin treatment. I wanted it to repair damage hair and as always give it moisture. Preliminary formulary includes a vitamin complex, glycerin and coconut endosperm. In the end it should help promote hair growth, protect hair color and repair dry, brittle hair. While working out the formula a thought dawned on me, why not call it IV (intensive vitamin) and work it out as an additive to other hair and bath products. The list was almost endless: conditioner, shampoos, hair and face masks, body washes and of course a stand alone therapy.
I am such a genius, sometimes I scare myself. My stylist is back, so that means, I have my volunteer pool back. I will still keep my product testers as they will serve for at home use challenges.

FYI: the deep moisture cream is a hit. Everyone loves it. I will use the scented monoi de tahiti, to help provide a natural fragrance but that is the only change I foresee doing.

Winter Skin

So it is about to snow again here in Philly which made me think about today's post. How to protect your skin from this horrible winter weather. Like it or not, cold weather can have a devastating effect on even the best of skins. Add to that conditions like eczema and psoriasis and you have a major disaster. In my case, my hypothyroid condition is the cause of my chronic dry skin and hair. But there is a way to beat the system or at least trick it for a little while.

Your skin is the guard against major infections. Moist supple skin keeps the really nasty bugs out. When you allow your skin to become dry, it makes it hard enough to crack allowing breaks in the skin, breaks in your protection. Not only that, but dry skin is itchy skin, so you find yourself scratching a whole lot more. This scratching can cause further break down. All this can lead to tired looking skin, making you look tired and OLD! (not for me :( )

Well what to do:

Help with your barrier protection. Take lukewarm showers (sorry) Really hot water further dries out the skin by encouraging evaporation (that's the steam) from your epidermis (uppermost layer of skin). That evaporation means water is being lost and water equals moisture. After the shower apply a nice oil. A lot of people recommend baby oil but baby oil is nothing but mineral oil with a scent. Mineral oil can provide temporary smoothness but over time will block the pores of your skin. Besides that it doesn't even provide nourishment to help with the building blocks of skin construction. Instead, use something like extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil. These oils are very nourishing and absorb very quickly into the skin, so no need to worry about greasy clothes. You may also try jojoba oil. Jojoba oil is more like a liquid wax but it mimics our skin natural sebum (oil) production making it a perfect moisturizer.

You may also try using a whipped butter. The most commonly used whipped butter is shea butter. This butter has been used for centuries by Africans for all sorts of skin conditions and has even been proven to provide a light spf. You may buy whipped shea butters from shops and stores like mine or you can make your own:

approx 2 oz raw shea butter
1 oz of vegetable oil like olive oil

A good egg beater

Whip mixture until light and fluffy, be careful splattering may occur in the beginning stages. No melting is necessary

you may also add essential oils for scent: lavender, bergamot, jasmine and rose make lovely scented whipped butters

Hello World

I decided to start blogging for a couple of reasons. First and foremost, I like to share my view on the when, why, what, how and where in the world of hair, skin and more. Also, because I make all of my own skin, hair and baby products people ask me a lot of questions, and this is a way to share that information. Lastly, having a medical and chemistry background, I would like to clear up a few things about how and why things work like they do. Not to get on a soapbox, but it bothers me when the wrong information gets out there.

So a little bit more about myself:

I am a wife and the mother of two boys, Solomon age 3 and Miles age 1 month. I live and work in Philadelphia dealing with children of all ages. I started making my own hair products about 2 1/2 years ago after being disappointed with what I found on the store shelves. My hair stylist actually noticed the difference in my hair and loved it. I gave her a sample, she began using on her clients and thus Natural by Design Cosmetics was born. It is still more of a hobby as medicine is still my first love but I love being able to let my mind roam free and come up with products that work better than the store brands.

I take it seriously, and I am always trying to improve my products. So product testers are always welcome (rules do apply)

so if there is something you want me to explain or if you have an idea for an item you want me to explore let me know.

visit my shop on etsy: www.nbdcosmetics.etsy.com