Hair Care Routine

After switching to using more natural skin care and makeup products I turned my attention to my hair. My main problems were dry ends from my old blonde days and a sensitive scalp.

SLS is a foaming agent used A LOT in the beauty world, especially in cleansers and shampoos. I knew it dried my face skin out so I decided to cut it out of my shampoo too. Silicone is another ingredient to avoid as it can leave a coating on the hair and scalp.

I must admit it took me a while to research and come up with a product that actually had good reviews that didn't have all the "nasties" in it but Faith in Nature was a brand that came up repeatedly. I already trust the brand and their moisturiser is a must in my skincare routine so my lovely fiance bought me the Aloe Vera set.

I can hands down say I may not stray from these products ever again, my hair is so manageable now! My scalp isn't irritable or itchy anymore, my hair doesn't get greasy for at least 3 days and it is super soft and frizz free.

My hair is layered and was ombred using Jerome Russel 

I love the smell and so does my other half, I've even got my mum using it. The shampoo and conditioner also comes in some many more scents I'm keen to try like the lavender one for night showers, the pineapple set for morning showers and the chocolate for a pamper night.

Buy yours here!


I'm using a few drops of Jojaba oil on damp hair after a shower for extra shine and frizz taming. I also pop this on my ends between washes which works wonders!

Buy yours here!

Top tips:
Use a wooden hair brush to drag oils from your scalp down to your ends and promote hair growth
Never brush hair when it's wet
Tie your hair up over night so it isn't dried out by your cotton pillow cases
Don't wash your hair every day, it strips the natural oils from your hair and scalp

I hope this can help some of you solve your hair dilemmas. 

Follow for more beauty and lifestyle tricks.

Happy Friday

Little Lottie  

X

Winter Hair Care

From going abroad to 30 degree heat (read post here) to coming back to 4 degree winter air, then bleaching it for my Ombre look (read post here) my hair has definitely taken more of a beating than usual. The dry winter air is taking it's toll and frizz has arrived for the season.

I had to get out the big guns and take control of the situation, for the sake of my locks. First of all I had my dead ends taken off, after using bleach on my hair the splits became much more noticeable and a trim was WELL overdue.

My love of natural skincare has spread to my love of natural hair care and more big brands are cutting out perfumes, parabens and other chemicals that strip hair of it's natural oils. Herbal Essences have released their Naked range and Garnier have cut parabens out of their Ultimate Blends products. When an offer came on in Boots I couldn't resist trying Garnier's 'The Sleek Restorer' Ultimate Blends set and grabbed both shampoo and conditioner for £3. I have found this to be much less drying than my previous hair care routine and my hair is lapping up the moisture this time of year.

My staple hair oil has been Jojoba oil as it is light however coconut oil is much thicker and usually leaves my hair greasy but recently after a wash I have been applying small amount of coconut oil to damp hair all over my lengths and it has worked wonderfully. My hair is bouncier and looks shiny again, it has also helped keep frizz at bay during the day. It is easy to go over the top with the oils but a bit of dry shampoo hides those mishaps.

Dramatically reducing heat in my routine has been key this winter, although it may be hard it has allowed me to be creative with up-dos. I have also been curling my hair with no heat and love the look of it! I've ended up doing it every night throughout Christmas, read my post on heat free curls here.

Investing in the right hairbrush has never occurred to me before but by switching from plastic to wood you can lose less hair and the wood spreads moisture from your roots to your ends, helping hair grow and be extra shiny, even in winter.

Switching from cotton bedding to a silk pillowcase of head scarf can prevent dryness as well, not only do we roll around and tangle our hair at night but cotton is a material that naturally sucks moisture from our skin and hair, make the switch and see the difference.

There isn't as much need to wash hair in winter because we aren't as sweaty or greasy (nice) but whilst I have been washing I've only been applying shampoo to my roots and letting it wash over my lengths when rinsing, this means using less shampoo (money saver) and also doesn't strip oils from our oldest strands of hair! It's a no brainer.

Drinking plenty of fluids helps our bodies on the inside and out, I've been particularly enjoying big mugs of lemon green tea and almond milk hot chocolates. Mmm.

Be Merry Mug - Sainsbury's 

Christmas tree decs - Next

I hope my hair care tips can inspire you, they've made my locks very happy.    

Don't forget to follow for more Little Lottie 

Merry Christmas!

XO

Wondrous oils!

On my discovery of natural skincare oils seemed to pop up everywhere, after years of brands selling OIL FREE everything they are now including nut and other oils in as many products as they can. I like to go straight to the source and have experimented with a lot of different types but found a use for all of them.

If you want a bargain multi tasker oils are the best thing for it and here are a few of my favourites...

Coconut oil - Holland and Barrett

The most recent beauty oil craze has of course been Coconut oil, you can truly use this for anything from a healthier frying option to a teeth whitener. I personally find coconut oil to heavy for my hair so often do an overnight treatment and wash out with plenty of shampoo for an intense conditioning treatment. My favourite use for the oil is as a body moisturiser, it feels amazing and nourishes skin for days. A big jar has lasted me a year and it's definitely a purse friendly product. Ensure your coconut oil is cold pressed as heat destroys the beneficial properties. 

Castor Oil - Holland and Barrett 

Next in popularity has to be castor oil, famous for being a great massage oil and a key member in the oil cleansing method castor oil has made a pretty big impact on acne sufferers. The oil actually dries the skin so mixing it with other cleansing oils is the best option to help heal any blemishes. I use castor oil in face masks with an ultra moisturising oil like coconut to nourish the skin.

Jojaba Oil - eBay

Jojaba oil has been reported to help problematic skin as it has the same sebum type oil that out skin naturally produces however it can sometimes have the opposite affect and cause brekouts which is what I suffered with after prolonged use so jojaba oil is now my everyday hair conditioner. Every night I run some of this luxurious oil through my tips for an overnight hair fix.

Organic Pumpkin seed oil - eBay 

This is an odd one and is only really popular for cooking with however this rich green oil is my favourite cleanser to date! It contains so many vitamins that my skin is drinking up and I use it morning and night for a one step cleanse! Easy peasy. I use a Muslim cloth or hot flannel to remove any residue.

I hope I've inspired you to consider oil and a friend not a foe with my extensive collection.

Leave a comment of your favourite oil or natural beauty product! 

Little Lottie xo

DIY Cleanser

This cleanser is super simple and only contains 3 ingredients - others can be added. I'm no dermatologist but I believe this cleanser can be used on all skin types from oily and blemished to dry and sensitive.

Disclaimer: It is important to adjust the recipe and amounts to what works for your skin, jojoba oil can be switched for another oil like coconut but after experimenting I have found this combination works for me.

Tips;

-When buying an oil make sure the bottle is dark so the vital vitamins haven't been killed by the sun or any other lights

-When choosing a honey opt for a raw product rather than flavoured and coloured

-Add more castor oil if you skin is oily and more jojoba oil if your skin is dry

-Try to use a bottle with a pump or nozzle for the mixture so the honey cant come out in lumps. 

Ingredients;

-Raw Honey - make sure the honey is pure and has limited preservatives. You can change this for Manuka honey if you have a little more cash to spend. Honey- draws out bacteria (therefore it is common to have a purging stage to begin with.)

-Jojoba oil - great at moisturizing the skin and hair
-Castor oil - Great carrier oil that dries spots and helps oily skin

My Recipe:

6 teaspoons - jojoba
2 teaspoons- castor
2 teaspoons - honey

Castor oil

Your liquid should look golden like so. Remember to shake before every use so the parts separate.

Please leave a comment with your results and recipes!

Little Lottie xo

The Average Cleansers

Today is a difficult one for me because I haven't really come across any cleansers that wow me... EVER. 

I feel cleansing is the most important part of any skincare routine and is what takes off the last of your make up and in general cleans your beautiful face! That’s what it’s all about after all. With brands coming up with so many different forms of cleansing it’s difficult to find a method that works. With oils, balms, gels, milks, foams and waters on the market where do we start! 
I've tried out a few of these methods in hope that I can enlighten you. 

I went through an organic stage for a long time and would only use natural and organic products, during this time I cleansed with the famous 'oil cleansing method'. This is an amazing way to cleanse, it leaves me poreless every time! It gets rid of any makeup and oil on your face. This often confuses people because how can oil get rid of oil, but how does white wine get rid of red wine stains? People are put off by the wiping oil on your face feeling but it does combat oil massively, unfortunately I didn’t understand moderation and used a castor oil/olive oil mix to cleanse twice a day. This worked brilliantly for about a week. It’s really cheap and excellent at getting rid of blemishes but you should only really do this once a week as a mask or once a day at the very most. The result: Spotty Lottie. 

Castor oil

Everyone has either tried or heard of the Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish hot cloth cleanser £26. I would personally class this as a cream more than a balm as it has a creamy texture that feels lovely on the skin. It removes makeup in seconds and with a quick steam and wipe with a muslin cloth, you're done! The quality of this product is worth every penny however it doesn't do much to combat troubled skin and didn't fight my pores or blemishes, I would recommend this to someone with dry/sensitive skin as it is very creamy and gentle. The result: Soft Lottie.  

Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser 200ml

After this I discovered coconut oil, everyone raved about its many uses. It’s fun to use, the way it goes from solid to liquid with a rub of the hands but again too rich to use in high quantities and is known to be comedogenic, for acne prone people like me it should only be used for luxurious face masks and hair treatments! (See my bath time post to hear how I use it in my hair) My organics phase was slowly fizzling out and I ran out of things in the kitchen cupboard to slap on my face. The result: Spotty Lottie.

Raw Coconut Oil

Coconut Oil is think at first but with warmth melts into liquid

After spending out on large bottles of Liz Earle I wanted to try a cheaper alternative. After reading reviews online I decided to go for a plain old fragrance free cleanser and that is how I came to purchase the Eucerin Dermo Purifyer Cleanser, it’s half the price of luxury cleansers at £8 and promises to reduce sebum production which attracted me as this is what most acne pills aim to do. It is a more drying cleanser for this reason however I often don’t moisturise anyway. (naughty)

I was impressed with the results, it leaves me with less pores and I experience no irritation due to there being no fragrance or really harsh chemicals. I like the short ingredient list (some people calorie count, I ingredient count. What can I say.)

However after taking advice from a dermatologist, foaming cleansers shouldn't be anywhere near acne prone skin and even though it’s a nice quick process compared to oil cleansing where lots of steaming and muslin cloths are necessary it isn't worth it. The result: Dry, irritated Lottie. 

I quickly went back to slightly more luxurious cleaners and purchased the Clinique Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm £21. I'd heard good things about this from the persian babe who has also been on Roaccutane. (Read my skin story for more on roaccutane) This balm is soft like butter and doesn't struggle with waterproof makeup in the slightest! The purple tub contains a generous amount of the balm which melts into an oily texture, this makes the balm quite moisturising and easy to remove with a hot muslin cloth. The result: Soft Lottie.  

Clinique Take the day off balm

I have come to terms with the fact that nothing I put on my skin will help with my blemishes as they are hormonal but for some reason I always switch and change in hope that a new cleanser will just HELP. 

If you have a favourite cleanser or any recommendations please leave a comment!

Little Lottie xo