Beauty Care for Healthy Skin and Hair

Photo courtesy of google images

Do you suffer from damaged hair? Ever wonder what causes hair to break, or better yet a solution to fix it?  To answer that you'll need to start at the root of the problem. While breakage is a normal occur acne for most people the reason behind it lies in the caretaker. We loose between 50! And 100 strands of hair every single day so take care of the hair you have.

Start a hair routine to manage the damage. First, dry hair is usually the first to break so add some moisture and oil to your hair.  Be sure to massage the oil into your scalp this will increase blood circulation and stimulate the hair follicles which will improve the quality of your hair.   You don't have to buy expensive hot oil treatments to moisturizer your hair.  You have a product sitting in your kitchen pantry.  That's right, olive oil isn't just for cooking it can be used as a treatment for your hair. You can also use coconut oil which will leave your hair smelling like you spent the day laying on a beach in Hawaii. You can heat a towel and wrap it around your head after you soak your hair in oil. This will increase the moisture and leave your hair soft and smooth. The time of the treatment depends on the damage. You can't overdue it so don't worry if you leave it on longer than desired.  When your ready rinse your hair with warm water, then shampoo.  After a shampoo you should condition your hair. The most important thing to remember when conditioning is to use it on the tips only.  Massaging conditioner into the scalp actually weakens the hair follicles.  Another tip to beautiful hair is to get a regular trim. When your hair is trimmed on a regular basis it will not only look and feel healthier, but it will make your hair less prone to breakage.  The old adage "you are what you eat" is so true. Make sure you eat lots of fresh fruit, veggies, healthy fats containing omega 3,6,&9.  Eat lots of Salmon, sweet potatoes, eggs, oysters,  walnuts or almonds, spinach, Greek yogurt, blueberries, and poultry.  Following this diet will not only help moisturize your hair, it will moisturize you from the indside out. 

Now that your hair looks amazing your going to want your skin to match.  Creating clear and beautiful skin doesn't have to be a daunting task. Start with cleansing, which should be done twice a day. Use a mild and natural cleanser, then add a few drops of your favorite essential oil  to boost its cleansing effect and aromatic quality.  At night your body excretes toxins through your skin as you sleep so be sure to wash your face every night before bed. This is extremely important if you have on makeup as your skin needs to breath while you sleep. Exercise as much as possible. If you go outdoors the fresh air will help to oxygenate and Facilitate waste removal through your skin. Another way to keep a lustrous glow is to get plenty of sleep. Sleep deprivation causes puffy eyes and makes your skin look sallow, tired, dull, and saggy. Soak up some rays for 10 to 15 minutes a few times a week to keep your bones and skin healthy. Your body converts the sun rays into vitamin D, which helps the body absorb calcium. If you can't sunbathe there are vitamin D supplements you can take. 

One last tip to keep you looking beautiful: Drink at least 8 glasses of water a day, more if you exercise. The skin is sometimes referred to the third kidney because all the impurities you didn't wash out with water come out through your skin. Those impurities take the form of pimples, blackheads, and rashes. So be sure to drink plenty of water for hydrated and moisturized skin.  

Wildlife Wednesday: The Fossa

You are probably thinking what is a Fossa? The Fossa (pronounced "foosh") is an extremely rare mammal that can only be found in Madagasgar. While the Fossa looks similar to a mountain lion it is actually more like the Mongoose.  It is the largest member of the Civet family as we'll as the largest mammal on Madagascar.   There are only about 3000 of these mammals alive today. They are endangered due to habitat loss. Only about 10% to 15% of Madagascar remains forest.  of Madagascar's original, intact forest cover, the Fossa's only home, remains today.

The Fossa is nocturnal just like the mongoose. There bodies are slender and they somewhat resemble that of a cats,they have very long tails, and their faces hold a similarity to the weasel. They have gray or brown fur and some can have patterned markings in different varieties. They also have big ears and big eyes. They walk on the soles of there feet just like bears. They have retractile claws and long tails which aide them while hunting and maneuvering through the tree branches. 

  The Fossa, like all members of the Civet family have glands in a pouch near their rear ends which are used to produce scent. The scent helps them mark their territory and keep other Fossa out. The musky odor is also used to lure the females or males as the case may be. A bright yellow fatty acid is secreted from the glands and has been known to be used in perfumes. Hunters will capture or kill the animal for its natural perfume. The Fossa is also hunted for its fur which is gray or brown with dark spots or rings around its tail. It is about 3 feet long, not including it's tail which can be up to 22 inches and weighs about 25 pounds.  
The male Fossa is larger then the female of the species. Being that Fossa are very private animals we don't know that much about their daily rituals or habits. They wield their tails like a tightrope and move so fast in the trees that scientists have trouble observing them. The 
carnivorous Fossa eats almost anything he can scavenge for, from small mammals to insects and birds.  If a Fossa could eat just one thing for the rest of its life, it would eat Lemurs. The 
Fossa sneaks up on the Lemur while it is asleep.

 They lead solitary lives except during mating. They breed once a year but have been known to have 2 litters. The gestation period for a Fossa is about 60 days or 2 months.  They have between 2 and 6 babies who are born covered in fur, with eyes closed, and no teeth.   A Fossa  is considered an adult at 3 years of age. Fossa's breed in September and October and if successful in about 60 days they will birth a baby in a tree or a den cave. The Fossa has no known predators, they are only preyed upon by humans because of their attacks on domestic livestock. 

Sources Used: 

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fossa_(animal)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/life/Fossa_(animal)

All pictures courtesy of Google Images

It's Just Another Manic Monday

For those of you who haven't heard of the song manic Monday by the bangles you are missing out. The Bangles are an American all-female band from the 1980s. They had a few hits but Manic Monday is still my favorite.

Lyrics to Manic Monday

Six o'clock already
I was just in the middle of a dream
I was kissin' Valentino
By a crystal blue Italian stream
But I can't be late
'Cause then I guess I just won't get paid
These are the days
When you wish your bed was already made
*It's just another manic Monday
I wish it was Sunday
'Cause that's my funday
My I-don't-have-to-run day
It's just another manic Monday
Have to catch an early train
Got to be to work by nine
And if I had an aeroplane
I still couldn't make it on time
'Cause it takes me so long
Just to figure out what I'm gonna wear

Blame it on the train
When the bus is already there

CHORUS

All of the nights
Why did my lover have to pick last night
To get down
Doesn't it matter
That I have to feed the both of us
Employment's down
He tells me in his bedroom voice
C'mon honey, let's go make some noise
Time it goes so fast
When you're having fun