Easing the Annoyance of JetLag...Sleep Like a Baby

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Finally a natural jetlag/insomnia solution that really does work....yeeaaahhh. If you are like me and travel from time zone to time zone weekly, you too probably also suffer from chronic jetlag and insomnia. *sigh* the downside of constant travel.

  I personally need to get more rest to allow my body to heal from some internal ailments, so finding a remedy for this jetlag has taken priority in my life. I’ve had to find ways to make me sleep without using harsh drugs and chemicals:0/…. So far these tips have been a HUGE lifesaver and very effective. I not only fall asleep I wake up with more energy and focus to handle anything I have to get done for the day.

   Depending on the number of days your trip will have you  away from your home time zone is going to determine intially how you "set" your bodies time clock. This will also vary on how many time zones you cross over into. Here are a few senerios for example:

A: You live on the east coast but will be traveling to the west coast for 3 days. The best way to ensure your body suffers the least amount of jetlag is actually to remain on your regular time zone. Sounds strange but realize this is only a 3 day trip...not a full 5-7 day week. To better adjust go to sleep at the regular time you would at home. When its midnight in L.A. its actually 3am in New York, unless you are up partying it would better suit your body to go to rest at that time.

B: You are going on a 7 day internatinal trip to Asia. There is a 12 hour time change and it is a 12 hour fight. Try to actually stay up during the flight...walk around and stretch your muscles, meditate, read and watch movies. When you land, this is when you should take a nap and wake up in the countries perspective timezone. i.e. You land at 8am set your alarm clock to their time to wake up in the afternoon and continue your day at that point on that timezone. This helps you adjust to sleeping and waking up more rested to fully enjoy your trip while there.

...Coming back from such a long trip simply do the same thing, to re-adjust back to your home timezone.

For those of us who constanly do this type of traveing on a weekly bases we may need more help to allow the brain to relax and the body to adjust to the various time zones. Honesty I actually live in a central time zone yet I work on the east coast...as well as travel globally. So my sleep pattern is a hot mess and was all over the place, if I slept at all. But these steps have truely helped me get on a more regulated sleep schedule.

Trader Joes Organic Ginger Pear and Decaf Green Tea
Melatonin 3mg

Step1: About 1hour- 45 mins before you think you may want to sleep drink a cup of natural herbal tea. I’m a Trader Joes fan so I currently choose between:

• Organic Green Tea
• Chamomille and Jasmine Blend
• Ginger Pear Blend

If Im at home I’ll add Honey…if Im on the road ill add 1/2 tsp Stevia.
Step2: Take 1~ 3mg Melatonin tablet....Melatonin is also available in doses up too 10mg, however thats too powerful for my system. It is  a natural sleep aid, yet very potent so only take this when you are comfy and ready to drift off to sleep.
Step3: Drop the temp of the room to about 65-70 degrees…chilly but not cold. Chose a temp that not too hot so that you can avoid waking up during the night due to sweating and hot flashes.

ITunes Sleep Aid Apps ~ Free

Step4: Ambience mood noises can calm the mind mind and help relax the body. So I have downloaded a few sleep and meditation apps on my Ipad(hotel room or at home) and Iphone(on airplane) thats wonderful for peaceful sounds. I prefer the Australian Beach, Cave, Spa Music, or Light Rain sounds to help me drift off to sleep.

Once this all kicks in prepare to sleep like a baby..quickly and actually the entire night. I’m really amazed that this really works for me and hopes it works for you as well.
Safe travels and Sweet dreams. Don't forget to subscribe:0)...Thank You!

Flying over Los Angelos California

How to Obtain Great Glowing Skin...Naturally

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

   First things first if you have serious acne or skin disorders seek medical advice from your dermatologist.

  I have defintily tried more than my fair share of skin care products to combate my oily combination skin and hormonal acne flare ups. Popular drug store brands such as Clean & Clear and Aveeno too more expensive department store products like Murad and Dermalogica. And while I have had a few successes with some of these products in the long run I always ended up back at square one. A bad break out followed by ugly blemish scares. So I decided to take a different approach...an 100% natural approach, to my delight I now have great skin! Here is a break down of my ohh natural breakthough on skincare.

1: Hydration...HyDraTion...Hyyyydraaation! okay dont know how many ways I can tell you this. I know you hear it all the time, yet for some reason it goes in one ear and out the other. Its sooo true and so vital that you drink as much water as you can to flush toxins from your body and keep your cells hydrated.
~ Also some breakouts are due to an unbalanced diet -aka- to much junk food and not enough fruit and veggies. As well as stress...lawd knows I have have more than my fair share of stress zits.
So try to keep in mind to balance your skin you also need to actually balance your life. Breakouts can be a way your body is communicating with you something is internally unadjusted.

2: Clean off all make-up and impurities every night...another duhhh rule huh. BUT did you know cleaning your face with oil commonly called OCM, will actually gently and throughly pull impurities from your pores. There is a method to cleaning your face with oils, and sometimes it may require and trial to find which oils will work best for you. Meaning some people swear by castor oil...I however cannot use castor oil as it will cause little pimples all over my face. I prefer to use coconut oil and/or argan oil as the oils to clean my face.
 You simply pour about a nickel sized amount of oil in your hand and in circular motions rub the oil all over your face. Its also an awesome make-up remover, including masacra and is gentle on the eyes. Once you are satisfied with the oil coverage then take a very warm preferrable white face clothe and lay it on the face for a moment, then wipe away the oil, impurities, and dirt. You can repeat the process of rinsing a second time to make sure you remove all the excess oil. Once you are satisfied its all removed then slash cold water on your face to close your pores.
  When I do not use OCM to clean my face I use liquid african black soap. This is a great natural soap cleanser, and is known to help heal blemishes and dark spots from the skins surface. At times it can be a bit drying so I use it in moderation.

3.Exfoliate....But not too often or too harsh. Exfoliation is simply helping your skin sloth off old dull dead layers of cells and allowing new healthy cells to shine thru. Its not suppose to hurt.lol. Some store exfoliants use ground up nut shells and other large grandulates to provide the exfoliating feel which in turn actually scratches and damages the skin. Instead try baking soda....yup regular old Arm & Hammer .50cent baking soda. It is a super gentle exfoliant that can be mixed with water, oil, or even lemon juice for an extra blemish removing boost. Apply it to the skin in small circular motions with gentle pressure, and rinse away with lukewarm water. Exfoliation should be done once a week or twice a week during times when your skin feels oilier than normal. You can also just exfoliate your T-zone or areas where oil production is greater.

4. Toning... I actually do not use toner every day. I use it at night to make sure all residue is removed when I wear full makeup during the day. Swipe my T-zone before applying  make-up primer, and after I work out. Toner is for those of use with oily skin, it helps remove the excess oil and tighten the pores. There are like a zillion toners on the market, I however only use 1 natural and very effective mixture. 1/2 Witch hazel & 1/2 Rosewater....Witch hazel acts as an astringent and Rosewater keeps my skin feeling moisturized, but not oily and counteracts the drying effect witch hazel alone can cause. This mixture is also awesome for setting make-up and as a in-flight refresher spray. just pour it into a small spray bottle and toss it in your make-up bag or carry-on.

5. Moisture...This is also another important step that for some reason people with oily skin do not think applies to them. Even oily skin needs healthy moisture, the key os not clogging the pores of your skin. So it is normally highly recommended to use an oil free moisturizer. Now here is a kicker to this....I actually use pure oil as a moisturizer and my skin LUV's it. I gotta tell yeah I was nervious to try this, but now I'm totally hooked. I use less than a dime sized amount of 100% pure Argan Oil or 100% pure Jojoba oil to moisturize my face in the morning and at night. These oils fully absorb into the skin and do not clog nor block the pores. Jojoba is actually the oil closest to the sebum our skin naturally produces, so its not harmful. Argan oil is rich in vitamin E and helps the cells repair themselves...giving a wonderful glow to the skin without an oily feel to the touch.

Pure Argan Oil

6. Treatments....These are not required but certainly enhance skincare and help remove unwanted blemishes.
~Have an unwanted zip: Mix distilled water and Salt in a bowl and warm it *you can use the microwave* Dip a cotton ball into the mixture and then place the cotton ball saturated with the mixture on the problem area. Hold it there 5 min's...and repeat as required. It draws all the puss and impurities to a head of the zit and you can safely extract it if you have a sterile extraction tool. Or exfoliate the area to gently sloth it away over time.

Aztec Bentonite Clay avail @ Whole Foods $8.99

~ Enlarged Pores driving you crazy: Use Bentonite clay (Green Clay) to reduce them in size. Simply mix the clay with apple cider vinger, tea tree oil and water. Apply to the face and allow to sit until mask dries normally about 15 mins. Rinse away with a warm white wash clothe. This an be done 1-2 times per month to reduce the appearence of pores size and draw impurities from the skin.
~ Body Blemish Care: Exfoliate the body every other day with a natural loofah, pat dry the skin and apply a mixture of Pure Shea Butter and Vitamin E oil to the problem areas. Softens the skin as well as help fade blemishes and soothe stretch marks.

  I hope these natural tips for great skin help you as much as they have helped me. Please Subscribe!:0)

Cute Style Options for Short Natural Hair....Office Suitable.

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

  A major concern I intially had about doing a complete big chop wasn't really dealing with my natural texture. It was moreso about style options that would be available because I do not like wearing my hair the same way day in and day out. Another understandable concern I faced as a career woman was having short natural hair in a VERY conservative career environment. In an ideal perfect non-bias world  my hair should not matter as long as I can complete my job duties...however I live in the real world and yes my hair does in fact matter along with my overall appearence. So I've had to find ways to not only please my self but also my employeer. My low fade haircut has now grown to a ear length afro, and its kind of a wierd length to deal with, especially when the shrinkage element is added into the equation. Dont get me wrong I'm stoked about the growth as this means I'm closer to my goals of a fierce full blow out fro....BUT this ear length has its limitations.
    My hair health is first and foremost no matter what style I chose to rock for the day.
 I'm all for protective styles especially during this winter season and of course full wigs provide ultimate style versatility. However I can no longer just throw my wig cap on my head without first securing my tresses. Now to avoid tangle issues and single strand knots I always fingercoil my hair after I co-wash.
 It is a easy process of sectioning the hair while wet so its easier to manage, applying moisture to the hair and coiling the hair around the index finger. Their are other techniques including using a comb to coil...or even using the boar bristle brush and brushing in circular motions. I prefer to finger coil for a tighter coil and to avoid tangling during the process.

Also using a curl enhancement cream is ideal to ensure the ends fully coil and are not frizzy. I suggest a full natural mixture of Shea Butter and Olive Oil, or a product I currently enjoy is Organics Shea Moisture Smoothie. Simply apply your choice of moisture product thru the hair and coil. Once the hair is fully dry *either naturally overnight or I will sit under a hooded dryer* I then put a satin wig cap over the coils and secure a wig over it as a style.
 I personally do not like to wear the set fingercoils as an actual style, but I do enjoy the coilout as a cute natural look.

  Later during the week normally 3 days or so after the intial co-wash, I then wear my hair as a coil out, as shown above. You don't comb the coils that may cause un-required damage. You simply loosen the coils by twisting them in the opposite direction that you coiled it. Once the coils are lossened then massage the scalp to blend together any parts or sections and make a more uniformed style. I really enjoy this look and the versatility of it as a low manipulative styling option.

   Shingling is another short hair option that I have grown to adore. I dont do this option very often because it requires that I comb my curly type 4A/B hair. Which is fine...but only in moderation. The key to minimizing any damage with this style is to fully detangle the hair in the shower and only shingle the VERY wet hair. Also use leave in conditoner that is very moisture rich so the comb literally glide thru the hair as much as possble.

Miss Jessies Curly Pudding

Some people prefer to use products such as Miss Jessies Curly Pudding to Shingle the hair, because it is thick and provides a moisture buffer enabling the comb to glide thru. I however again prefer to use Organics Shea Moisture Smoothie. In my opinion the Miss Jessies product can be to heavy on the hair and leave it feeling like a built up gooky feel, that I do not care for. Whatever product you decide the technique is the same. For best results apply your moisture curl enhancement product all over the hair and rub it thru.  Re-wet the hair to make sure its as wet as you can tolerate. Then in small sections use a rat-tail comb and camb the product thru the hair. YES you read that correctly...rat-tail comb! So it is inparitive you really detangle your hair, make sure each section you are working with is saturated wet and take your time to gently comb thru small sections at a time. If you rush thru in large sections the curls may not "pop" as well and you could snag and pull your hair. Its also very much okay to be heavy handed with the curl enhancement product..its quit normal to see your hair look white with product before its fully dry...

Completed Wet Shingling using Organics Shea Moisture Smoothie

Once the hair fully dries it should not be white or see any residue or product. To help move the drying process along, you could use a blow dryer with a diffuser attached on a low setting. This can help enhance the coil/curl texture. Also do not further manipulate the coils as this will lead to frizzy hair once dry.

Shingling is a beautiful way to really show your natural texture in any style. For a more secure hold you could also shingle with hair gel such as Eco-Styler, S-Curl Activator gel or pomades.
And of course don't be afraid to accessorize:0)...headbands, cute flower and feather clips, etc...are awesome with shorter hairstyles as well as long hair.
I hope these suggestions help ease the anxiety of what to do with your hair once you decide to go for the chop. Please Subscribe and thanks so much for reading.