Girly thread v. soft hair and pretty faces

[Mariposa]

I am still totally addicted to anything involving coconut, whether it be drinking coconut milk, adding VCO to my beauty and diet regimen... thanks for the recommendation initially, MC. The stuff is truly magical.

It might be a substitute, Lacey, for those of us whose pores would blow up like balloons with the Vaseline-containing preparation you posted about My mom used a mineral oil-based cream on her face (we had identical skin) and never broke out, though, so maybe it is not oil in and of itself that those with oily skin should avoid - just certain kinds?

Glad your hair returned to normal with the conditioner and regimen you figured out.

I am still loving the variety of Possets fragrances COTB recommended. I've been too sick to feel pretty lately but now that I'm getting better, it's time to take care of the dry winter skin and look forward to spring.

 

[rat tat tat tat]

dfrs I have a question for you (and anyone else who's been through this!)
My man suffers from really bad dandruff because he wears a hard-hat all day every day. He uses Head N' Shoulders but it doesn't really help much. Is there anything better that he could try, any hairdressers secrets for dandruff??

if he puts some gel in his hair the dandruff will go away, or not "gel" but cocunut oil or vaseline will work as well...selsun blue makes a good antidandruff shampoo

 

[ocean]

n3o-
Burt's Bees makes a great shampoo bar for dandruff but I can't find what it is called..... if you know of somewhere that sells Burt's Bees you may want to look there (they may not make it anymore??) We bought it about 2 yrs ago......
I would suggest going for a shampoo/conditioner with no Sodium Laurel Sulfate which dries out your skin...... Actually, before I read dfrs's advice for me on buying salon products (which I did before switching to organic products) I went out and bought Pantene products.....I figured I would give in and buy something NOT organic and natural and I think the SLS in the Pantene Shampoo dried out the oily problem I was having-

 

[CHiLD-0F-THE-BEAT]

N3o, I'm pretty sure Terry White chemists here in Australia have a deal with Burts Bees and offer their whole range.

Also, a question about your awesome sounding foot treatment Lacey - I've heard people say that you shouldn't cover your feet with anything when they have moisturiser on them due to bacteria being able to build on the feet. I have friends who only wear thongs or plastic sandals once they have moisturised their feet so they don't slip over.
I used to slather my feet in Fair Trade Foot Lotion or Pied De Pepper (depending on the season) and pull on some socks to make them super soft and smooth, but now I'm paranoid about getting horrible skin issues if I stick them inside socks!

In other news, after all of this talk about SLS I've finally made the change. Well, it's the second time I'm attempted it. A few years ago I started using LUSH solid shampoo and conditioner bars but stopped after a year or so and started using salon brands because of the great sales pitch my hair stylist gave me.
Cut to now, and I've just started throwing [Australian Organics into my online trolley when I do the shopping. I've only just started using them - literally just this week - so it's too soon to do a review, but I'm hoping to notice some positive changes soon. Even if it's just feeling better about the informed choices I'm making regarding my hair.

 

[mariacallas]

^^Really? (about the bacteria thingy...) If you do the moisturising bit right after a nice bath or shower and right before bed, I don't think you'll have a problem with that at all. I've never heard of that being an issue and never experienced it myself either...

I can't imagine moisturising my feet and wearing thongs or walking, I'd slip right outta them and possibly injure myself or twist an ankle!

Mariposa...VCO is my only beauty secret and it's not much of a secret at all! I wish everybody would know just how good VCO can be for them in more ways than one!

PS. Burts Bees is the bomb. I got a huge jar of the Carrot Day Cream and the Body Lotion and it's so deliciously heavenly and good for my skin

 

[Khadijah]

N3o, I'm pretty sure Terry White chemists here in Australia have a deal with Burts Bees and offer their whole range.

Also, a question about your awesome sounding foot treatment Lacey - I've heard people say that you shouldn't cover your feet with anything when they have moisturiser on them due to bacteria being able to build on the feet. I have friends who only wear thongs or plastic sandals once they have moisturised their feet so they don't slip over.
I used to slather my feet in Fair Trade Foot Lotion or Pied De Pepper (depending on the season) and pull on some socks to make them super soft and smooth, but now I'm paranoid about getting horrible skin issues if I stick them inside socks!

ehh...no.....Its moisture, like WATER, wet feet from a shower, from sweating, etc, not moistureIZER, that can give u bacteria problems, lol. Like, if your feet are wet and not properly dried it can give a friendly environment for bacteria to form in, but the moisture from water, and from lotions, are 2 very different things, and lotion on a clean dry foot aint a good enviroment for bacteria to breed and spread in.

I mean, i learned all about foot and hand bacteria, problems of the nails and skin on hands and feet, all the diseases and afflictions, and proper care and treatment of all that shit in beauty school, and its definately recommended to put cotton socks over feet with moisturizing lotion on them.

Whoever told you that is probably lacking a basic understanding of how that wuld even work, or misunderstood something they heard, or is just repeating somethin they heard, becuz it wouldnt even "lock" anything in...Cotton socks are extremely breathable, and allow air to circulate pretty well if u dont wear some supertightass socks.

When you wash and dry your feet from any sweat or grime they mighta picked up from bein insde shoes without socks, or sweatin all day , or watever, and they are cleaned off and dried with a clean towel, there aint nothing to risk by putting on lotion from a bottle that aint been contaminated with any kind of touch by dirty hands on the opening, etc.

If you have clean feet, clean hands that you are applyin the lotion with, clean socks that are made of a nnatural fiber thats breatheable and dont "seal" in any moisture lettin ur skin breathe and air circulate, there aint much of a chance that bacteria will just spontaneously generate on your feet overnight.

Anyways, they wouldnt suggest that kind of treatment, as a way to care for your feet, to ppl who is training to be professionals at foot and hand care, u know? Even if i didnt have any of the knowledge behind why it aint bad, I could still rest assured that I doubt they would teach us dangerous practices that could be unhealthy, when there is such a huuuuge , seriousass standard for sanitation in the field.

U should try the lotion/socks thing, it really does do a nice job on ur feet, and its no work for you, magic while u sleep !

 

[scubagirl200]

k so one of my guy friends asked me about how to get rid of his dark circles under his eyes. he seemed kinda embarrassed to ask but it was so cute! i was at the mall the other day and i asked them for treatment options and the lady said he would need one bottle of eye treatment brightener cream and then a shade of foundation that matched his skin color so it didn't look weird under his eyes. each bottle was $50. my friend can't afford that, so i was wondering if anyone knew of a brand that works the same for cheap? maybe target?

thanks

 

[CHiLD-0F-THE-BEAT]

Lacey, I've been waiting for your response! I know you're something of a beauty expert and I love reading everything you have to say, that's why I asked you specifically about this bacteria story my friends have thrown around.
I'm so pleased to hear it's a load of crap!! I'll go straight back to loading my feet up with lotion and then putting cotton socks over them overnight. I remember it was an excellent treatment, and I only stopped because I became scared of developing some awful foot fungus.
Now I think about it, it stands to reason there wouldn't be any risks associated with it - I mean, I was doing it for years and years and I never experienced any kind of foot related yuckiness.


Thanks for taking the time to answer my question, lovely.

 

[poopie]

I've been lucky enough to have nail fungus before, but teatree oil was helpful. Slow, but helpful.

My suggestion, if worried about any microbial yuckiness is to maybe add a drop or two of some teatree oil to the foot lotion concoction.

I used the plastic bag trick before too! Works great, but I can only last a couple of hours before I rip them and the socks off.

I buy these rectangular pumice blocks for my feet. They're not stone, but like a type of super hard foam. I think they're the most effective for exfoliating my tootsies.

Keep the product reviews and tips coming- this is one of
my fave threads!

 

[mariacallas]

^^^Yay at the plastic bag trick! Yeah it's like a super moisturizing treat for your feet, but after a couple hours you just wanna rip them off, socks and all! :D

I had this locally made foot cream before that mixed shea butter, cocoa butter, coconut oil and tea tree oil. It was fantastic. They stopped making it though... I'm seeing if I can make my own hehehe

 

[n3ophy7e]

Thank you everyone for the dandruff tips!! I'm going to check out the Burts Bees shampoo bar, and/or some tea tree oil shampoo

Has anyone else got/tried Sarah Jessica Parker's Lovely perfume?? My boyfriend got it for me for Christmas and I absolutely LOVE IT!!! It's so pretty and yummy, and the scent stays on all day!

 

[chrissie]

What VCO do you ladies recommend? Is there anything I should keep in mind when finding a brand?

Ocean - Pantene is supposed to be really awful for your hair. I hear people in beauty school are told this in their first days. A friend of mine started using it regularly and she's pretty sure it caused massive breakage in her hair.

COB - how did you like the lush solid shampoo/conditioner? I'm probably going to try it when I run out of my Jason bottles.

 

[Samadhi]

Thank you everyone for the dandruff tips!! I'm going to check out the Burts Bees shampoo bar, and/or some tea tree oil shampoo

Has anyone else got/tried Sarah Jessica Parker's Lovely perfume?? My boyfriend got it for me for Christmas and I absolutely LOVE IT!!! It's so pretty and yummy, and the scent stays on all day!

This is one of my favourite scents I've run out sadly, so will be in the market for another bottle very soon - it's a wonderful summery, day scent; SJP really hit a home run with this one. I usually avoid most 'celebrity scents' but this one is just magic.

RE: Dandruff - i'll recommend (again) Moogoo! It's specifically formulated for sensitive scalps/dandruff/dermatitis... you could ask them for a sample of the shampoo/conditioner, so he can try it? I'd give them a call as well and have a chat - they really are a great local company :D As a very long-time dry scalp person, i really feel M's pain - it's so frustrating and for me, really embarrassing, so to find something that rids me of it was great!

 

[drugfukkdrockstar]

dfrs I have a question for you (and anyone else who's been through this!)
My man suffers from really bad dandruff because he wears a hard-hat all day every day. He uses Head N' Shoulders but it doesn't really help much. Is there anything better that he could try, any hairdressers secrets for dandruff??

I really need to check in here more often, sorry hun for not replying sooner.

Head n shoulders doesn't really work, in fact i recommend for him to definitely stay away from any sort of lower costing brands. If it is quite severe, i do suggest he goes to a doctor or dermatologist about it as they would be able to recommend him whatever is required. Unfortunately there are no hairdresser secrets, as we don't deal with medical things at all.

I would suggest for him stop using whatever hair products that he uses and try something else. That includes waxes and gels. i don't recommend that he should wash his hair twice a day as that will only dry out his scalp even more. It's actually healthy for hair to get some of it's natural oils through it.

if it doesn't get better with a decent dandruff shampoo, and a change of hair products, then he should go a see the doc. Hope that helps.

 

[prayersfor.rain]

I'm getting these bumps on my face that result to nothing. But they remain bumps. On my face. Just sitting there. I've tried popping them a million times, I've tried leaving them alone, whatever. And even after they stop feeling like they can be MAYBE squeezed and popped, they're still there. As regular bumps. Are these bumps permanent? Did I make them exist by trying to pop a non-existant pimple? I use a skincare regimen like proactive almost every (sometimes every other) day. I'm not getting any other bumps or blemishes, but the said bumps are there for which seems like forever?

And, my hair was putting out HELLA white flakes all of the time, like I'd go to the restroom on break and find lots of white particles I had to shake out of my hair But I was just using soap, sometimes regular soap, to wash. I think it was too drying. I started using a hair conditioner and they white flakes aren't really there any more. Once in a while a little bit, but not really. I massage it into the scalp too.

 

[Mariposa]

What VCO do you ladies recommend? Is there anything I should keep in mind when finding a brand?

I found mine at a Whole-Foods-esque store called Bristol Farms and for some reason I can't find it in the fridge (someone else may have used it/thrown it out). It was certified organic and I found it to be of high quality. Hopefully someone knows of a specific brand that they found particularly good. The health/beauty personnel at natural foods stores tend also to be very well-informed, IME.

The coconut Organix line that I have mentioned before has been of great assistance in keeping my hair relatively healthy this winter. I was in a colder and drier climate for much of the season. I cut down on my Retin-A in my usual moisturizer to once a week as my skin reddened a little bit from the weather and used Cetaphil on my face, applying the usual L'oreal lotion after, twice per day. My skin has held up well with these adjustments.

Lacey, I use the sock/lotion technique and I've never had a problem. I have two foot lotions, one of which contains peppermint oil and an antibacterial agent, the other which has a homeopathic remedy called arnica combined with, yes, coconut :D Arnica is said to relieve foot tiredness and injuries. I switch off between the two lotions after exfoliating and drying my feet thoroughly after a shower. I have very happy feet with this regimen... but I have also used VCO straight up on my feet, put socks on, and had no problems with that either. I have a lot of allergies so I have to be careful. VCO has never made me react.

prayers - have you tried a product containing an alpha-hydroxy acid? Proactiv has a beta-hydroxy acid as its active ingredient, which is good for some but not as effective as the alphas in others. My favorite AHA product is ridiculously expensive (worth it though) but a good starting cleanser for natural AHAs is by Alba Botanica. It is priced about the same as Neutrogena where I am. Smells great, too. It's mild enough that if your skin reacts, you will be able to discontinue without adverse effects.

 

[n3ophy7e]

I really need to check in here more often, sorry hun for not replying sooner.

Head n shoulders doesn't really work, in fact i recommend for him to definitely stay away from any sort of lower costing brands. If it is quite severe, i do suggest he goes to a doctor or dermatologist about it as they would be able to recommend him whatever is required. Unfortunately there are no hairdresser secrets, as we don't deal with medical things at all.

I would suggest for him stop using whatever hair products that he uses and try something else. That includes waxes and gels. i don't recommend that he should wash his hair twice a day as that will only dry out his scalp even more. It's actually healthy for hair to get some of it's natural oils through it.

if it doesn't get better with a decent dandruff shampoo, and a change of hair products, then he should go a see the doc. Hope that helps.

Thanks so much hun, I relayed all that info to him so we'll see what he decides to do

 

[CHiLD-0F-THE-BEAT]

I have a nail-polish question ladies (and gents?). I've noticed lately that I'm getting something that looks like air bubbles in my polish once it's applied to the nails. It doesn't affect every single nail, just most of them, and they look just like unpopped air bubbles.

I have no idea what's causing this, I only know it annoys the bejesus out of me!!! Applying the top coat doesn't make any difference at all as the 'bubbles' are still there. Also I apply a base-coat before applying the colour and wait until it's 100% dry - AND I buff the nails to make sure there are no ridges or rough parts at all prior to painting them.

Does anyone have a solution or possible explanation?

 

[scubagirl200]

ty for answering my question ladies

 

[fizzle]

k so one of my guy friends asked me about how to get rid of his dark circles under his eyes. he seemed kinda embarrassed to ask but it was so cute! i was at the mall the other day and i asked them for treatment options and the lady said he would need one bottle of eye treatment brightener cream and then a shade of foundation that matched his skin color so it didn't look weird under his eyes. each bottle was $50. my friend can't afford that, so i was wondering if anyone knew of a brand that works the same for cheap? maybe target?

thanks

I dont have a lot of advice to offer you for this because I've never personally had to deal with it, but I know a lot of people suggest drinking more water. Its solution thats supposed to work pretty well, I guess dehydration can be a cause of undereye circles. That and lack of sleep. Both cheap, easy solutions

If hes not oppose to wearing a touch of makeup you could just go to the drug store and find whatever foundation or coverup that would for him and just use a dab under the eyes, no need to spend $50 on it.

And, my hair was putting out HELLA white flakes all of the time, like I'd go to the restroom on break and find lots of white particles I had to shake out of my hair But I was just using soap, sometimes regular soap, to wash. I think it was too drying. I started using a hair conditioner and they white flakes aren't really there any more. Once in a while a little bit, but not really. I massage it into the scalp too.

You were using regular soap on your hair? Thats the problem right there haha go get real shampoo! Regular soap should never be used on your hair, especially bar soap (dont know if thats what you were using).

As far as the bumps, how long have you been using proactive? If its been a while, maybe try switching to something else for a while. I've heard from lots of people that proactive will work for them for a while then just... stop... for some reason, as if their skin becomes too accustomed to it or something. Its also possible that its irritation, or even an allergy. If its dry or itchy, I'd lean toward one of those, but if you are only washing your face once a day (or less) I'd lean more toward allergy than irritation. Anyway, if it doesnt go away after trying a different cleanser, you should go see a dermatologist.