iHerb.com

I found a new favorite website: iherb.com. These are the best prices I've found so far for natural oils, and I'm certainly using a lot of them these days.

I'm in the process of writing reviews on the products I've bought so far. Those will be posted here:  http://www.iherb.com/mypage/violetdiva along with a discount code for your first order.

Bye-Bye Sulfates

So I've already talked about getting rid of sulfates in my face wash. And I'm only using sulfates in my shampoo when I relax my hair (because the neutralizing shampoo is NOT optional). I'm still considering/researching clarifying shampoo options and may have to use one with sulfates occasionally.

But now I've taken the last major step in (nearly) eliminating sulfates from my body care routine.  I've switched to Dr. Bronner's for my body wash.

I chose the unscented one and am filling different travel size jars so I can add different essential oils for smell. So far I've done peppermint & lavender.  I could be imagining it, but I already feel like my skin is less dry. Updates to come, I'm sure.

I may be taking this Pinterest thing too far

I'm on Pinterest constantly these days. I keep creating and reorganizing my boards.  
It may be an addiction, but I'm finding it really helpful.

Here are my boards that are relevant to this blog :)

My fitness/workout boards:

http://www.pinterest.com/ohjoyofjoys/fitness

http://www.pinterest.com/ohjoyofjoys/workouts/

http://www.pinterest.com/ohjoyofjoys/yoga/

http://www.pinterest.com/ohjoyofjoys/running/
http://www.pinterest.com/ohjoyofjoys/pole

My healthy eating board:

http://www.pinterest.com/ohjoyofjoys/healthy-eating/

My beauty board: 

http://www.pinterest.com/ohjoyofjoys/beauty 

Edited to add my general health board:
http://www.pinterest.com/ohjoyofjoys/health

My first co-wash; my first air-dry

A couple of weeks ago, I had 2 hair-firsts (I know, there have been a lot of those lately.)

I co-washed my hair using VO5 conditioner. It worked surprisingly well, and I plan to use it regularly. My hair felt clean, but not stripped. I'll be doing this at least every other wash. 

Then, I let my hair air-dry for the first time in 20+ years. I did a braid-out, and it looked pretty good initially. However, I quickly learned that a) that style does not last long and b) it creates far more tangles than blow drying my hair straight.  I'm not sure how often I'll do this.  

Stay tuned for more adventures. 

Hair care regimen

After deciding to put more thought into my overall self-care regimen, I turned to my hair care routine as a large focal point.
 

As I noted in an earlier post, I've been relaxing my hair for more than 30 years. In most of that time, it's never really occurred to me to do something different. I thought my choices were to continue relaxing my hair to bone-straight, waiting the 8 weeks, & repeating -OR- go natural and grow an afro. Based on what my new growth typically feels like, I didn't think I had any other options. Further, after relaxing to bone-straight, I also didn't feel like there were any options except to big chop if I decided to go natural.

In my research  to prepare for doing my own relaxer, I came across the term "tex-lax." I found out that the deliberate under-processing of my relaxer was an option. I can release the the tight natural kinks and curls without going all the way to bone-straight. This idea became the jumping-off point for a lot of new ideas. 

If my hair doesn't have to be super straight, then blow-drying is no longer an absolute necessity. Less heat-styling is ultimately healthier for my hair, which is especially important since I'm trying to recover from some serious breakage earlier this year. 

In watching several vlogs, and reading quite a few blogs, I'm realizing there are several pieces of my hair care routine missing or flawed. 

Sulfates:

With the exceptions of my neutralizing/chelating (post-relaxer) shampoo & a clarifying shampoo I have yet to choose, I'm going sulfate-free. I will be alternating between a co-wash (cleaning with conditioner) and a sulfate-free shampoo. I'm still exploring different products. 

Moisturizer and oils:

I'm not sure why it took me so long to become convinced that my hair needs to be moisturized on a regular basis. I've also just learned that after applying moisturizer, it's best to apply an oil to seal the moisture in. 

Heat protection:

Though I'm planning on less heat-styling, I will now make sure that whenever I do use heat protection and not just whatever product happens to be in front of me. 

Leave-in conditioner:

I'm searching for my post-wash leave-in product. I'm not sure if I'll need a specific  detangler, but I'm thinking anti-breakage and/or split-end-mender would be a good idea. 

Self Care Schedule

I've been working on an overall self-care plan. Trying to integrate physical health, emotional health, mental health, spiritual health, beauty, & fitness into an overall regimen that doesn't take hours each day has been difficult. 

Some things, like getting at least 8 hours of sleep and eating real food at least twice a day, shouldn't take up additional time each day; I just need to be mindful of them. 

Other things I'm trying to remember to do every day include flossing, stretching, and moisturizing (feet, hair, and hands.) I'm also working on journaling and meditating/praying each day. 

I'm using google calendar to help me out with the non-daily parts. I'm attempting to clean my face (OCM) 3 times a week and exfoliate twice a week. Saturdays I plan to do my hair & soak my feet; Sundays will be manicure day. 

Hopefully, these things will all become second nature. 

Move Your Body

In addition to running, pole, and strength training, I've been throwing in other activities here and there.

In particular, I've done a lot of Zumba. So much so, that I'm actually considering becoming a Zumba instructor next year. I really love the high intensity and the music. I still remember going to my first Zumba class; about 10 minutes in I thought maybe I had made a terrible mistake & I was going to die before the hour was over.  For several months, I still got that feeling, but it came later & later into the class. Eventually, I got to the point of being fully functional even after an entire class.

I also tried Bellydance! It was great, and I plan to go back to it. But I have too many different types of workouts going on right now. It was definitely a great core workout though.  After my first class, I was pretty sore.  I think I could feel each individual rib.

I'm planning to delve into cycling a little bit, but I need to acquire a bike first. When I took a spin class a few months ago, my butt hurt for 2 or 3 days, so finding the right fit is fairly important.  Still, I really love the idea of  a bike for quick local errands.