The Old New Way To Cleanse Your Face.

A few months ago I saw an advert on TV for a product called miceller cleansing water. I thought “here we go again another water with a fancy name to make us part with our cash, well I’m not going to fall for it.” Then a company rep from Nivea came into my store and tried to sell me miceller water. At first I stood my ground and refused but then he offered me stuff. You know how they say everyone has a price? Well mine apparently mine at the time was a free bottle of miceller water, 2 bottles of fancy body wash, lots of free fancy pens that light up when used, 4 writing pads and 2 mini clipboards.(Hanging my head in shame) A girl can only hold out for so long and did I mention the pens light up?

Anyway it turns out the product is actually brilliant, flew right off the shelf and is currently trending in Canada and the UK. So I went and did some research. It turns out that miceller water originated from France and has been around for decades. It is a skincare product that moisturises whilst removing makeup from face and eyes without the need for rinsing. To understand how this can be you need to understand what micelles are, the chemistry is pretty cool. (On goes my chemist hat)

Micelles are tiny molecules of oil suspended in droplets of water they enable you to mix oil and water to form a single even solution. Miceller water contains lots of these micelles and when you put some on a cosmetic pad and apply pressure as you rub your face you disrupt the micelle causing it to split open and when you stop applying pressure the micelle closes up again and in the process envelopes whatever isn’t water from the surface of your face. So kind of like a makeup vacuum cleaner.

I have been using it now for 4 weeks and it certainly does what is says on the tin. I don’t think it will be the only product I use to keep my face clean but it will replace my facial wipes and eye makeup remover. I still moisturise with my shea butter after using it but it comes in very handy when I’m feeling lazy (which is most of the time) or just dog tired.

I think it’s definitely one to consider including in your must have facial products. There are many out there including Nivea, La Roche, Vichy, Garnier, Lancôme, Simple etc everyone’s joined the band wagon. Don’t think you should spend more than $10 though as long as it a good company it should be fine.

Copyright June’s Secrets 2015

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Ladies..Have You Heard Of The Revolutionary Menstrual Tool?????

 

So started my period when I was 13, which is 8 years ago or 22 years ago depending on who you ask, me or my birth certificate. Anyway I used sanitary pads for a few years and found them very uncomfortable, especially at night time. I always had this constant fear of leakage and I hated the smell. So a few years down the line a friend introduced me to tampons and oh my days, that changed my life. I stopped dreading my periods, the smell was no longer an issue and as long as changed regularly, there was no leakage plus I could flush them down the toilet, so no more wrapping pads in paper or bags and then throwing in the bin. I thought problem solved.

I did read the leaflet that came with my tampons when I first started, so I knew about the increased risk of TSS, toxic shock syndrome. TSS is rare life-threatening infection caused by bacteria invading and releasing poisonous toxins into the bloodstream. It can occur suddenly and can be fatal. The tampons we use create an excellent breeding ground for the causative bacteria. And although TSS is quite rare, somehow knowing that does not reassure me. I mean 3 in 100,000 people annually might seem like a small number to some people but I’m not sure the 3 affected will see it that way.

So what other alternative is there to tampons and pads? Well I stumbled across an article in a pharmaceutical journal few weeks ago talking about a product called menstrual cups. I remember talking to a company rep about it a few years ago but found it a bit ‘arrgh’ at the time but now that I am “younger” and wiser I have given it a chance come full circle and I absolutely love it.

A menstrual cup is a reusable silicone cup that basically sits in your vagina and catches/collects your period. You empty it every 4-8hours into the toilet and then rinse or wipe and reinsert. It is quite pricey for a menstrual tool, about $30, but it will save you money in the long run because it lasts about 10years, so it’s an investment. I can do everything I could do with the tampon with the menstrual including swimming. In addition to being economical it is also environmentally friendly and it is healthier and won’t cause vaginal dryness associated with using tampons. It also enables you to be able to gauge how much blood you lose each month in case you need to tell your doctor or gynaecologist, because it has measurement markings.

It is a bit of a learning curve when you first start using it, like when you started your periods and had to learn to use pads, but you quickly get the hang of it. It comes in 2 sizes, one for younger ladies and pre vaginal delivery and the other for older ladies and post vaginal delivery. There are many different ones out there and they all look alike and work exactly the same and are similar prices just be sure to choose the right size for you and let me know how you get on. For more information visit www.mooncup.co.uk . I recommend watching the video.

Copyright of June’s secrets 2015

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Smasual Friday With An Ankara Twist.

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Wow, Definitely Most Ingenious DIY Manicure I have Come Across Yet?

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A Few Suggestions For What To Wear To Work Today.

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For those who like me are terrible at picking the right necklace!

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Ways To Jazz Up Your Lemonade

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Foods For Thought.

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Is This Cool Or What????

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The 8 Minute Workout To Tone And Strengthen Your Back.

Cat Cow Viriation

Reduces stiffness in back and hips; relieves tension in spine

a. Cow Pose: On hands and knees, inhale and lift head while making back concave.

b. Cat Pose: On exhale, tuck tailbone, contract abs, and round back, head down.

c. Child's Pose: Draw hips back to heels, drop chest, rounding spine, and rest forehead on floor, arms in front of you. Do 6 reps of whole cycle. Rest in Child's Pose for several breaths.

Bridge Pose

Stretches abs, hips, quads, lower back; strengthens abs

a. Lie face up with feet on floor about 6 inches from butt, arms by sides, palms down.

b. Inhaling, press into feet and lift lower body until knees form a diagonal with head.

c. As you exhale, contract your abs and slowly lower spine.

d. Do 6 reps.

Extended Leg Pose 

Stretches hamstrings; strengthens abs

a. Lie faceup with knees bent, feet on floor; take 3 deep breaths.

b. Exhale and hug left knee to chest.

c. Inhaling, extend left leg over hip. Exhaling, hug it in. Do 3 reps.

d. On fourth rep, keep leg up and circle ankle four times in each direction.

e. Hug knee in; lower foot. Switch sides; repeat.

f. Exhale and hug both knees to chest for 3 breaths.

Butterfly Pose

Tones abs, pelvic floor, inner thighs

a. Lie face up with soles of feet together, knees open to sides. Inhale.

b. Exhale and slowly squeeze thighs together. Do 6 reps.

c. Do 6 more times, taking twice as long to bring thighs together

Cobra Leg Lift

Strengthens back and pelvic muscles

a.Lie facedown with elbows by sides, hands by shoulders.

b.Rest forehead on floor, chin tucked slightly.

c.Inhale and lift chest using back muscles.

d.At the same time, lift right leg as high as you can while keeping pelvis level.

e. Hold, then exhale to lower.

f. Switch sides; repeat.

g. Do 6 reps, alternating sides, lifting leg a little higher each time.

 

 Courtesy of fitnessmagazine.com

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Just Becasue You Hate Mondays Doesn't Mean You Can't Look Totally Awesome!

 

If you work 5 days a week like me then chances are you get a little apprehensive on Sunday night. I don’t know about you but I have this feeling of dread on Sunday night because I know the next day its back to work and another 5 day wait before weekend when I can lie in and not have to worry about traffic, deadlines and work colleagues or clients that irritate me. You can’t stop Monday from coming but you can very well make sure your skin looks its absolute best to enter it. Here are a few tips you could try to help make this possible.

1.       Brigthten your skin – Blend 8 to 10 leaves of spinach, half a ripe banana and a few drops of organic avocado oil. (Note- do not use the same blender you use for chilli) Spread the resulting paste evenly on the face for 30minutes then rinse off.

Apparently spinach provides oxygen to the blood cells, which will improve your circulation and give your skin a healthy glow, banana contains natural oils that will increase your circulation and collagen production and the avocado oil will help soften your skin and boost your radiance. If you don’t want to go DIY just get an avocado face mask and follow the instructions on the pack. You will come out looking just as nice.

2.       Moisturise, Moisturise, Moisturise – After washing your face, (http://junesecrets.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/are-you-washing-your-face-right-yeah-i.html) always apply a generous amount of raw African Shea butter. You could also use a product containing hyaluronic acid to help lock in moisture.

3.       Prevent puffy eyes - Under-eye puffiness is normally water retention and it’s usually caused by eating too much salt and not drinking enough water. Try placing either a chilled, moist green tea bags, cool cucumber slices or a bag of frozen peas or carrots wrapped in a cloth, on the eyes for 10 to 15 minutes.

copyright June's Secrets

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Ways You Are Damaging Your Joints.

After the birth of my son I decided to join my husband jogging. After the first day I had really really bad pain in both knees that stopped me walking and it was because I wasn’t wearing the right shoes so my joints really took a kicking. Five years on and I am still trying to rectify the damage that 10minute jog in the wrong shoes caused. I have had an MRI scan which should the damage to the knee joint has been rectified but my kneecap, which shifted a little, is still yet reposition itself back to its rightful position. So at the moment I am undergoing physiotherapy to help encourage my kneecap to realign. Before my ordeal I must admit I never even gave my joints a second thought. I, like most people, took them for granted and just assumed they would take whatever I threw at them, and that cost me. 

 Here are some ways you could be putting your joint at risk and how to boost your joint health.

1.       Being and unhealthy weight – Being overweight puts extra pressure on your joints, especially your knees. It also puts you at a higher risk of developing arthritis later on in life.

 

2.       Not warming up before your workout session – Regular workouts is great way to help you maintain a healthy weight and keep your joints healthy. But if you skip the warm, which consists of stretching, walking or jogging at a slow pace for at least 5 minutes before you work out you miss the chance to get blood flowing to joints thus increasing the risk of them locking up and corroding, which can lead to injury.

3.       Lifting heavy objects the wrong way – This can lead to back as well as joint pain. To lift a heavy load, bend at the hips and knees to a squat down position to the load, keep it close your body and straighten your legs to lift. The most important thing is to bend at the knees to pick up and never raise the load above your chest.

4.       Poor posture – Always sit and stand up straight with squared shoulder, chest out, stomach in and feet facing forward, the way your skeleton is aligned. Your weight will be evenly distributed and your body balanced. Poor posture such as slouching shifts your body balance and puts unnecessary weight on your joints, which over time can lead to joint damage and pain.

5.       Not wearing the right footwear – Firstly, heels heels heels. I love high heels as much as the next girl but we all know they are bad for us. If I am honest, I don't think I can give up my heels altogether but I try not to spend too long in them at a time, I always have a pair flats handy for a quick swap.

       Secondly, invest in a pair workout shoes. Nike and Skechers have a good range of shoes for workouts. Also if your job involves a lot of standing or walking around then you might want to consider getting a pair of skechers walking shoes or a pair of kickers, which are both stylish and joint friendly.

6.       Keep your joints healthy – Nonmodifiable risk factors such as genetics, gender and age can lead to joint damage and there is nothing you can do about them. But you can take steps to make sure your joint are as healthy as possible by including foods rich in calcium and vitamin d for bone strength. You can also take supplements containing calcium and vitamin d to make sure you are getting the recommended daily allowance. Regular exercise will also help maintain joint health and so will cutting out bad habits such as smoking, first or secondhand and excessive alcohol consumption.

It’s never too late or too early to start taking care of your joints.

copyright June's Secrets

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Hands Up All Those Who Use Cotton Buds, Biro Cover,Or A Bobby Pin. You Should Read This!

 

Earwax is a combination of cerumen, which is produced by your body's sebaceous glands to keep the skin in your ear moist, and dead skin cells, which your ear canal sheds just like the skin on the rest of your body. It actually plays an important role in protecting the outer ear from infection and trauma, so having a certain amount in our ears is very healthy.

When you use a foreign object like a cotton bud, biro cover or a hair pin to clean your ears, you're actually pushing wax further into your ear canal, and up against the eardrum. It disrupts your skin’s natural shedding process and causes your ear to produce even more wax. Over time you could push the wax back into the ear canal and create a blockage that needs surgical removal and at worst you could damage your external ear canal or even rupture your eardrum.

So what’s the best way to clean your ears? It might not seem like it but your ears are actually designed to clean themselves by pushing the earwax out of the ears on its own. The movement of your jaw aids this. But if you feel like you ears need a clean then put a few drops of olive oil into the ears, this should soften the wax and help it flow out more easily.

If you have been cleaning your ears wrong, it’s not too late to correct it. Just stop and like most people, your earwax production should level out after a month or so. You might experience some itching, and I use the word “some” very loosely because mine itched so badly but putting a drop of olive will help relieve this so stay strong and whatever you do, do not reach for the cotton buds or whatever you normally use.

copyright June's secrets

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Natural Remedies For Common Hair Problems.

1.      Castor Oil - If you have scanty or non-existent front baby hair then try applying castor oil to that area at least twice daily. It stimulates hair growth and helps retain moisture by drawing water from the atmosphere.

2.      Argan Oil – There is craze about argan oil that is sweeping through the world now, but it’s not all hype. Apparently this natural oil, which is from a nut in morocco, will help repair damaged hair follicles, prevents hair breakage and keeps your hair smooth. It’s great for your natural hair and if you use Peruvian or Brazilian weave then just put a little on the weave daily to keep it shiny and healthy looking.

3.      Coconut oil - This is an excellent moisturiser for both the skin and the hair. Its moisturising properties strengthens the hair shaft and prevents split ends and improves skin elasticity.

4.      Olive oil – It is rich in vitamin E, which is an antioxidant and which promotes scalp health. Apply this to your scalp daily to prevent dandruff and itchiness.

5.      Avocado oil - Massaging avocado oil into your scalp stimulates blood flow to your hair follicles. With improved blood flow and circulation to the scalp, more nutrients can reach the follicles to stimulate new growth and healthier hair in general.

Keep in mind that any of these oils used alone is an excellent way to prevent or slow hair loss and promote healthy hair growth. But if you combine two of three of them you can see even better results. I recommend a mixture of coconut oil, castor oil and argan oil. For a conditioned, full and smooth head of hair.
copyright June's Secrets

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Kitchen Tips That Are Good to Know

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A guide to help women play their role in the marriage bed to perfection: PART SIX- True Love's Kiss

“A kiss connects two souls together for a moment in time.” Patty Macee

Challenge: Tell him you want him without words

Tools needed:

One husband and a sexually confident wife who loves him.

The rules

There are no rules just to let yourself go.

 When was the last time you kissed your husband, I mean really kissed him passionately, sensually? When was the last time you told him you wanted him with just a kiss? Some women lose their appetite for such kisses because they don’t like the way their husbands do it. However instead of throwing it out completely why not try telling him, tactfully, how you like to be kissed. For instance instead of saying “I hate the way you kiss me” try saying “I love it when you kiss me, slowly or without groping me or gently etc.” The point is if you don’t tell him, how will he know what you like? A good sensual kiss should last at least ten to fifteen seconds. You and your husband should kiss often throughout the day and at least one or two of those kisses should be sensual.

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Little big bits ladies tend to forget when they've got the man. (A guide to help women play their role in the marriage bed to perfection: PART FIVE)

When you were dating you put your best foot forward. Made every effort to look your best. Remember all the preparations you made for your wedding night, how you shaved your armpits, pruned your pubic hair and were generally at your best. Now that you are married you somehow think he’s not worth the effort anymore, because that is what is implied when you stop making the effort. You need to keep the fire burning and putting your best foot forward so that you make every night your wedding night and also show him that he is worth the effort. 

If you have bad breath your partner is less likely to want to kiss you or come near you and the fact that you just woke up is not an excuse. You should brush your teeth twice daily and use a mouthwash. I find using a mouthwash at night after brushing gets rid of that embarrassing bad smelling early morning breath. Also it is a good idea to have a pack of sugar free gum handy all the time for after meals and snacks. I recommend Wrigley's extra or Orbit gum.

Get a pedicure and a manicure. Dirty toes and fingernails will not float your boat so don’t expect it to float his. You can go to a professional or get a manicure/pedicure set and a foot tub of warm water and go DIY.
There are some men out there that like their women hairy. And if your husband is one of them he is perfectly normal and obliging him will show him that pleasing him is important to you. For the rest of us, if you are thinking of shaving your pubic hair so that it’s completely hairless, you might want to consider that whilst it looks great, as the hair starts to grow back a very itchy rash usually accompanies it. I recommend a really close trim with a pair of small scissors. It will still look great. For the braver ones among us I recommend waxing, you can go Hollywood, which is everything off or Brazilian, which is most off. It leaves the area clean shaven for longer and when the hairs do grow back they will be finer. I must warn you though the first time will hurt, especially if you have you been shaving with a blade or shaving cream. But subsequent waxes will be more comfortable. 
Still on curbing the excess hair. You are not alone if you have a moustache, a light beard or chest hair. This is a very common phenomenon for women and not to be ashamed of but a visible moustache, beard and chest hair are not very lady-like. He doesn’t want to feel like he is with another man when he is kissing or touching you. The main thing is that you manage them. There are several ways you can do this; you can wax the hair off, pick them out with tweezers if there are just a few,, thread them or use an epilator.  I don't advise using shaving blades because the hair will grow back quite coarse, with the other methods the hair grows back finer so even when you haven't had time to get rid of the hair they don't look unsightly. Also for goodness sake SHAVE YOUR PITS AND LEGS, well that is unless you man likes them hairy, then in which case carry on as you were.

Finally please decorate the Christmas tree. Wearing a bit of foundation, mascara or lipstick to enhance your assets is not a sin neither is fixing your hair so it’s nice and stylish. It shows your man you care enough about you and him to look your best all time. Having said that, wearing too much makeup suggests vanity and that you have too much time on your hands. When it comes to makeup I think less is more. I am totally against wearing so much makeup that you look like a different person, I agree with my brother when he says that the devil's handwork. Bottom-line, if you feel you need a lot of makeup then you think your are naturally butt ugly.

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Love Your Ebony Skin, Stop The Discrimination.

8 out of every 10 Nigerian woman is bleaching her skin according to TVC news. In the UK and America there are billboards and TV adverts that portray certain types of women as the ideal way to look. So blonde hair, blue eyes and size zero waist images are splattered everywhere you look. So when people in this part of the world are obsessed with their weights and dye their hair and wear contacts I kind of get it because many people are influenced hugely by what they see in the media.

Now I don't know about any other part of Nigeria but in Lagos when I see billboards and TV adverts they usually show your average Nigerian celebrity who, 9 times out of 10 is dark skinned. So I can't even blame media propaganda for the insanity that is sweeping through not only Nigeria but the African continent. So what is to blame for this new trend? My husband reckons its because the women believe that that is the only way they will find husbands as most African men want light-skinned women. But I refuse to believe that our African men are that shallow. Another thing is that if a dark skinned woman bleaches her skin and then gets married she will probably produce dark skinned babies because you cannot change your DNA. There was a case in China last year where a man was suing his wife for fraud because when he married her she did not disclose that she had had plastic surgery to turn herself from a duckling to the swan he saw and fell in love with, so when she gave birth to their son he looked just like her before the plastic surgery and he did not like it at all. When you understand that in China couples are only allowed to have one child then you can sort of understand where the guy is coming from. My point is you can change the outward appearance but you can't change the inside and what is on the inside will always come out one way or the other. Also it is always easy to tell when a person has bleached their skin even if they have done the new upscale type of bleaching that doesn't leave the knuckles and knees darker than the rest of the body.

I am not going to go into the health reasons as to why bleaching your skin to make it lighter is not a smart idea, because I believe that has been done and over done and we are all now well aware of the damage it can cause our skin and internal organs.
I won't even slate the people who bleach their skin because I believe they are victims of low self esteem and self loathing caused by a habit of judging the extent of their  success by comparing themselves to others and by a need to be like others because they lack the courage to stand out.

I decided to put pen to paper to express my concerns as a mother about the  message bleaching is sending out, you can't go anywhere without seeing at least one multicoloured person. It makes me wonder how it will be in the next few years, in my children's generation and in my grandchildren's generation. What message is it sending out to them now about the colour of their skin?

Here's what its saying to your beautiful baby girl and mine, that her brown skin is something to be ashamed of and rid herself by any means necessary even if it burns her, damages her organs, gives her cancer or even kills her.

It tells her that she is not as pretty and has limited opportunities compared to her lighter-skinned sisters because women are judged by the shade of their skin and not the content of their character.

It tells her that she is not attractive enough to be approached by a man because of the colour of her skin even though she has the most amazing ebony skin.

In truth skin bleaching is as a result of discrimination and we should all have a big issue about and speak out against it like we do about slavery and rape and other injustices.  To allow it to continue is to tell our children and the rest of the world that we despise our ebony skin and thus they have the license to as well.
Say no to discrimination, say no to skin bleaching for the sake of our children.

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Are you washing your face right? Yeah I thought I was too!

I spent a fortune on face washes. I tried every one I could get my hands on but still had breakouts and my skin never quite glowed like I wanted. I always thought it was the product I was using, that I just hadn't found the right one for me. It never occurred to me that the way I was washing my face and not the just product I was using could actually be the problem. Washing your face the wrong way can cause dryness, irritation, oiliness and breakouts. Here are a few tips to consider when washing your face.

1. Use the right water temperature - Contrary to popular beliefs pores DO NOT open or close. They do not any muscles to enable them to. So I don't know where people got the notion that hot water opens your pores and cold water closes them. Hot water, whilst it feels great, does not open your pores it just  disrupts your skin's natural protective oils and causes overproduction of sebum. Lukewarm water is best to cleanse the face. It is gentle yet effective. 

2. Pick the right product - The right facial cleanser should be tough enough to remove makeup and dirt but gentle enough to not leave your skin feeling dry or striped of all its natural oils. If you are struggling to find the right product for you, may I suggest the African black soap, it is gentle and cleans thoroughly if you get the right consistency. If you usually get the raw soap then add a lot of glycerine and a little Shea butter to counteract the drying effect it can have on your skin.

3. Do not overdo it - Washing once or twice a day is adequate, anymore and you could irritate your skin and lead to overproduction of oil. If you don't wear makeup or sweat much on a day then just use lukewarm water to wash your face so you its gets a break from the barrage of products you put on it.

4. When it comes to exfoliation, think mo-de-ra-tion - Exfoliate twice weekly not daily. And use your fingertips to apply the product not a wash cloth or sponge to avoid pulling and tugging of the skin.

5. Rinse your face thoroughly - Not rinsing your face properly can cause build up of products which will clog up the pores.The jawline, hairline and nose are the most commonly neglected parts especially when you are in rush or just dog tired.

6. Avoid products that contain irritating ingredients - Ingredients like parabens and sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS) can cause skin irritations so best to stir clear of them. Another reason to try the natural African black soap. Or Neutrogena and Cetaphil have a range of facial cleansers that are parabens and SLS-free.

7. Always PAT Never RUB - Rubbing tugs and pulls your skin which puts the elastin in your skin at risk. Elastin is an elastic fibrous glycoproteins which works with collagen to create skin strength, firmness and shape. So pat dry to keep signs of ageing at bay.

8. Moisturise immediately after washing - For maximum absorption apply your moisturiser immediately after washing and patting dry whilst the the skin is slightly damp. Waiting until the skin is completely dry makes it harder for the active ingredients to be absorbed. If you are looking for a moisturiser I recommend raw African Shea butter.

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7 Ways To Rock Your Short Natural Locks.

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Found this whilst helping my baby sister find ways make her natural hair more manageable.

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The Best Way To Line Your Lips Based On The Shape Of Your Lips

I think most African women will fall under large full lips.

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11 Ankara Styles For Work!

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Really love this look! Not so sure about the shoes though.

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Not Getting Goodnights rest?? Here Are Some Tips To Help You Sleep Tight.

As ladies, hormonal fluctuations of our menstrual cycle, pregnancy and menopause can affect our sleep. Below are a few things you can do to help you  have a restful sleep.

1. Avoid using and electrical devices 30-45minutes before bed. Recently I tried to charge my phone at the end of the day but then found out that the charger was not working and my battery was at 30%, so I had to turn my phone and iPad off (as the have the same charger) to conserve my battery so that it would last me for my journey to work the next day where I would get another charger. It was really strange because I was used to going through my facebook and email accounts whilst I watched TV in bed. So I  was forced to just lie in bed and relax. It was the best night's sleep I had had in a long time. From facebook to twitter to instagram to whatsapp to blackberry messenger to pintrest to vimeo to our emails etc. Its no wonder that we can't properly shut down.

2. Go to bed at roughly the same time every night so your body gets used to shutting down at that time every night.

3. Declutter your room. I can't actually go to sleep if my room is in a  mess or I have a pile of clothes in the corner of the room. So make sure your room is tidy and dark when its bed time.

4. Try scents like lavender. You can try  lavender oil on your pillow or spray some in the air. It has a relaxing effect.

5. Do nothing. Worrying about sleeping or relying heavily on techniques to help you sleep can actually have the opposite and keep you awake.

6. Think about what you are thinking about. Bed time is not the time to start thinking about all the things that are wrong with your life or money troubles because these thoughts will not help you relax but make you tense. If you find your mind drifts when trying to get to sleep I suggest you purposely think of something that makes you smile. Personally I imagine wining the lottery and how I will spend my winnings, I find this makes me smile and helps me drift off to sleep.

7.  Cut out caffeine late in the day. Caffeine, which is found in coffee and some teas keeps you awake. So its not exactly rocket science that if you drink caffeine-containing drinks late in day, you will not get to sleep.

8. The snooze button. If you are like my friend Mandy who hits the snooze button five times before you actually get out of bed, you might have noticed that you actually get out of bed feeling groggier. Instead of hitting the snooze button, just treat yourself and set your alarm for 15minutes later.

9.Find the right amount of sleep for you. Whilst 7-8hours is the average for most people, anywhere between 4-10hours is actually the  normal average. Find your own average number of hours of sleep that leaves you refreshed the next day.

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The Link Between Fibroids And Hair relaxers, really??

A Ghanaian friend of mine was telling me about her family and mentioned that her older sister suffered from fibroids. Her sister was yet another African lady I had I heard of with the condition. I wondered why it is that women of African decent are 3times more likely to suffer with fibroids than women of other races. Whilst researching I stumbled upon the suggestion that the relaxers we use to straighten our hair could explain the higher incidence of fibroids amongst African women.
So for those of us that don't know what fibroids are let me get you up to speed. They are non-cancerous tumours that form from the muscle tissue in the uterus (womb). Symptoms include abnormal periods, pelvic pressure and fertility dysfunction. 

A fairly recent study in America investigated the possibility of the link between fibroids and hair relaxers. Why hair relaxers? Well fibroids are stimulated by the hormones oestrogen and progesterone and our hair relaxers contain phthalates that disrupts the balance of other hormones that interact with oestrogen.
The study was carried out with about 24,000 African American women, half of which used relaxers and half of which didn't. Their DNA was also collected to determine whether the women where from  more African ancestry or more European Ancestry. The study didn't take into account the brand of relaxer, whether it contained phthalate and if it did in what proportion.  

The results revealed  a small increase in the incidence of fibroids in the women who used relaxers more frequently, it also showed that women with more African ancestry where more likely to use relaxers and use them more frequently. So the resulting increase in fibroid occurrence shown might have nothing to do with the relaxer but everything to with ancestry. So just like the medical condition cystic fibrosis is more prevalent amongst people of caucasian ancestry  so also the more African ancestry a woman has the more likelihood of fibroid occurrence.

Also phthalates are not only found in relaxers but also in countless beauty and hair care products on the market that women of all races use.
So in my opinion there is no link whatsoever between relaxers and fibroids. There is however a link between lifestyle and fibroids. Obesity, diet low in fruit and vegetables and high in red meat, early onset of puberty and alcohol  can increase the risk of developing fibroids. You can reduce your risk of developing fibroids by exercising, maintaining a healthy weight, reducing your red meat 
intake and eating a diet rich in green vegetables. But sometimes even with a healthy lifestyle fibroids still occur, so I guess the journey for answers  continues.

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