No 'Poo Hair Care

My hair and scalp went haywire and this was due to an overabundance of chemical buildup on my scalp from chemical treatments, residues, as well as dirt and sweat. Aside from dry, parchy hair, my scalp was in an embarassing state of flaking and I would see some red, irritated patches. It would also itch and sometimes, I would see rough eczema patches on my left ear and my neck. I planned to color my hair for the Holidays but with my hair in this situation, hair color might make it worse. So just like being supersaturated with the toxicity of social media that we unfollow, my hair had to go on forced detox.

This detox didn't mean that I should stop washing my hair because that would be gross. So what to use to clean my hair? DIY 'poo-free shampoo, meaning a shampoo that's free of sulfates, silicones, and all these chemicals my hair is already quota na with. You can make your own shampoo with a few things. Some of them can even be found in your own kitchen such as apple cider vinegar, olive oil, VCO, water (distilled), baking soda, lemon juice, etc. As natural as it can get with ingredients that are easily pronounced and uncomplicated.

For my DIY chemical-free shampoo, I googled recipes with ingredients that are not hard to find. I found a recipe that uses castile soap. Since castile soap would be too harsh for my colored hair, I found another soap/shampoo base alternative - Coconut Oil soap, which I purchased from Naoe, a local online shop that sells raw materials to make your own DIY home and body care products. Coconut oil soap can both be used as soap/shower gel and shampoo. The ingredients for this soap base are just water, coconut oil, and vegetable glycerin.

Naoe essential oils  for my DIY products, prouldy local

To make my no 'poo shampoo smell better, I use essential oils, which made my hair product (and other things I can make on my own) smell better and more spa-like Even before essential oils became a thing, I've been using them just in my air purifier or burning them in my oil burner (I got one as a wedding favor from a wedding that I did many years ago). It was mostly for aromatherapy really but I didn't know these oils had awesome uses aside from smelling good. Naoe also has essential oils (starting at Php 180) but you can also purchase essential oils from Ilog Maria, which is also the same that they use to make their soaps.

DIY shower gel ingredients

The procedure to make this is simple. All I had to do was combine coconut oil soap base, almond oil (or jojoba oil) for moisture,  lemon EO, rosemary EO, and peppermint EO (peppermint feels so good and soothing on my scalp. Not to mention I smell like a Christmas candy cane after). Topped this with distilled water and gave it a good shake and I'm ready with my shampoo. I sometimes follow up with an ACV rinse (a 1:1 ratio of apple cider vinegar and distilled water) to balance the pH of my scalp. If there's no ACV, a squeeze of lemon or juice from two calamansi would do the trick just fine. I actually prefer the latter because the ACV smell still lingers even though very mildly.

We can purchase bottles to store our DIY care from Beabi, True Value, or The Oil Lifestyle. The Oil Lifestyle also has mini funnels (Php 18 for a pack of 2) if you would want to make small batches of these products. 

going hipster with pastel labels

A little over a week into this and I've noticed that my scalp does not itch even if I didn't wash it in the morning. There's no more eczema on my hairline and ear and the flakes slowly disappeared as the days went on. My hair doesn't have that gross "hasn't been washed" smell or feel. I do not itch after a workout, even a sweaty Corewell session. Also, less hairfall when I brush or blow dry my hair.

a literal I-woke-up-like-this look daily

There's one con to this DIY product though: How my hair feels. It may smell really great and my scalp and ears are so behaved but my hair was in a state of stickiness. I thought I totally murdered my hair at the expense of my scalp but when I googled about it, it was actually a period of my hair detoxing and going through a withdrawal phase from all the chemicals it has been used to -all the silicon coatings, the chemical buildup, and my scalp producing more sebum than it should thinking my hair is so dry. It does go away though.

To make me look less like Professor Snape, I periodically brush my hair to redistribute the oils so they don't get stuck at the roots. This made my hair look smoother and shinier instead of taong grasa waves. Blowdrying in a cool setting also helps it "set" better after a shower. If I still look horrible, I just tie my hair and no one notices my roots.

I didn't have that "detox" period on my skin though as my skin loved the DIY shower gel. It was great for a nighttime bath since I scented it with lavender, ylang ylang, and frankincense. My hair rebelled though when I used it as a shampoo but this is my chemical-dependent hair still undergoing a detox.

The fun part though was making other things from the raw materials. I made my own linen spray when I ran out of linen spray (a mix of witch hazel, lavender, and distilled water) which also served as a dusting spray and since these are so mild ingredients, I used them also to tame my greasy hair.

A DIY spray for home and even hair

I also noticed that my hands do not crack as much with these DIY home care products or do my nails break like crazy from harsh chemicals (I do wear gloves just in case). Since I have pets, I steer clear of EOs that are not good for pets and give a good rinsing on  surfaces and keep my materials away from them. I also make sure that I do not use phototoxic oils on surfaces that would be exposed to sunlight. Caution should always be exercised and if an oil is not safe due to allergies or whatever, it's best to stop using it.

I do would like to continue using DIY skin and home care, even the DIY shampoo. The shampoo though isn't for me to do so forever, but I can use it on the occasion that I would want to go on a detox. I can continue on using my DIY home care, knowing that linen and dusting sprays can cost so much money when I can make something on my own.  I should also remember to make small batches since these, being freshly made in my own kitchen usually do not last longer in storage than commercial products. I can try mixing different blends too, to match my mood. Any blends for me to try out?


Store Directory

Beabi
www.beabi.com.ph; facebook.com/ilovebeabi; instagram.com/ilovebeabi

Ilog Maria
www.ilogmaria.com; 

Naoe
available at Retail lab Glorietta and Ayala at the 30th and The Park, Shangri-La Plaza
www.naoe.ph; facebook.com/naoe.ph; instagram.com/naoe.ph

The Oil Lifestyle
facebook.com/oilifestyle; instagram.com/oilifestyle/

Energize, Soothe, and Relax with Amu'in

It has been months since I was whisked away to paradise with a few other bloggers to witness the new Nurture Spa. I do miss the fresh air and the food and it was my visit there that I pushed myself to living a healthier life more, which means more of the soy, granola, and hence Tara Stiles and I bonding thrice weekly and now I incorporate the Bidasha twins in my exercise routine.

Anyway, I'd like to share too my experience with the goodies I got in the bag after the trip, namely the Amu'in products whose scents I am so addicted to right now. I've finished already two of the travel-sized bottles and I am so loving them. I've seen Amu'in products whenever I visit the Echo store over at Serendra when I shop for my stock of organic products but it was only during my Nurture Spa trip that I experienced them first-hand. They come in four varieties and here I am writing this post to share my thoughts on it.

Depending on our needs and our mood, we tend to shift to different products. Whenever it's hot and sunny, we prefer lighter and more citrusy fragrances. For a night out with someone special, a mellow scent like vanilla or musk would be my personal choice. When I have a hard time sleeping, I bring out something with a tad of lavander. There are several scents that could address the needs of our minds and emotions and hence that must be the principle behind aromatherapy.

My goodies were travel-sized products from Amu'in, which feature three of their four lines: Alaga, Hulay, and Sigla.

These are so convenient travel-sizes I could tot them along with me in my purse. Oh a little trivia with Amu'in products is that their ingredients are all sourced here in the Philippines since Amu'in is committed to build the essential oil industry and support the communities producing essential oils. Lemongrass essential ils are sourced from Mambugsay, Negros. Also, a percentage of the sales of Amu'in products is donated to the communities living there in Negros.

The woven pouch that holds these three bottles is actually locally-woven fabric. "Abel" is a century-old weaving tradition in Bangar, La Union that is in danger of dying out. The use of Abel fabric in gift boxes, bags, and pouches aims to keep the craft alive.

Aside from promoting tradition and using materials sourced locally, Amu'in uses Filipino words to name their products. The name Amu'in itself is actually a Tagalog verb that means "to caress" or "to tame". Even their four lines are also named using Filipino words, depending on their use.

Sigla is a Tagalog word for "energy". If the orange labels are not enough, the citrusy and fresh scents (blend of Lemon, Lemongrass, Peppermint, and May Chang) are there to perk up the mood two to three notches higher. The Sigla line is for those who would want a healthy jolt of energy and focus for the day.

Isn't the happy orange hue uplifting in itself? The scent spells E-N-E-R-G-Y too, and the citrusy scent is reminiscent of taking a tall glass of fresh orange juice for breakfast. The body mist could be totted in the bag during a day full of energy, say I'll be doing makeup for a wedding.

The body lotion is what I use in the morning before I run off to work when I have work. The smell is pretty fresh and the lemongrass scent isn't reminiscent of cough lozenges. Plus, there's a tingly minty feeling after due to the peppermint and this could be great for hot days that make us all sluggish.

Use Sigla when:

• You have a hard time getting out of bed but need to.
• You need focus for a number of tasks during the day
• You're on the beach. Citrusy scents and sunshine give such positive vibes. Plus the mint will cool us down.
• During a post-workout shower to keep the energy up.

Winding down after a long day, the Hulay line eases tension and relaxes the body. A lot of stress sometimes couldn't make us sleep, and we all know now the importance of a good 8-hour sleep. With the warm and delicate scents of Lavander and Ylang-Ylang (which are iconic ingredients in spa products), this would be absolutely perfect during the time that we need to wind down. The word "Hulay" is actually Visayan for "relax," which this line aims the user to do, and I don't mean Frankie says Relax. :P



Lavander is such a calm and cool color to look at. The room and linen sprays would be a must-have in the bedroom especially when we need to rest after a long day at work. The lotion (above) is my nighttime lotion which I apply all over my body before I go to bed. It's not very greasy and the scent doesn't offend the nostrills, to think it's a pretty warm nighttime scent. The scent though lingers through the morning when I wake up.


Use Hulay when:

• You need to sleep and wind down after a long day.
• You get your at-home massage.
• You do meditation or yoga to calm the mind and the senses.

Alaga, which means "to care for" or "to soothe" in Tagalog is what we could use whenever nasties come our way. Depending on our needs, the Alaga line has special blends to address them whether it be aching muscles, headaches, insect bites, or dirty hands. For example, the insect repellant has citronella and peppermint to ward off bugs and insects (perfect during dengue season). The Alaga massage oil has Rosemary, Ginger, and Peppermint to warm and relax tense and tired muscles.


What I have with me is actually an almost-empty bottle of the Natural Hand Sanitizer. This 50-mL spray bottle protects ad cleanses my hands without the need of water. It smells really good and citrusy. I use this to sanitize my hands before I do makeup on my client or when I need to quick-clean my brushes. This hand sanitizer does not sting the hands since they use ethyl alcohol instead of isopropyl.


Use Alaga...

• Natural insect repellant when you would be outdoors. You'll never know what bug could bite.
• Stress Relief balm when you need a midday calming-down, say you're plugged up with meetings and deadlines.
• Hand Sanitizer for quick-cleaning before eating, snacking, or handling clients (in my case).
• Massage Oil when you need to relieve aching backs, feet, or legs.

For the romantics, Gayuma (Tagalog word for "love potion") was created to unleash and induce romance with sweet orange, cedarwood, rosewood, and ylang-ylang to put anyone in the mood for some loving. Nurture Spa uses this for the couple's massage and it's been said that some of the ingredients were used by Cleopatra to lure Marc Anthony to her. Apparently, it seemed to work. I was able to smell this and it wasn't that musky or heady. It starts out rather fresh at first and then fades to a muted musk. Ylang-ylang calms the nerves too and the woody fragrances rather attract the senses. I told them that I was quite intrigued by this line.


Use Gayuma when...

• On your next out-of-town trip with your honey
• When you want to spice things up a bit. Spray the room with the room spray, light up the essential oil, Use the massage oil as a moisturizer and get creative.

Plus, pink is such a pretty color too. Sometimes alluded with femininity, beauty and love, the pink-labeled bottles would look great on a seductress's vanity. But who says that this could only be used for couples? We could use this whenever we just want to feel sexy. Try using the massage oil sparingly or walk through a mis of the room spray. Who knows? Cleopatra's charm could work too. The Gayuma line is also a great bridal shower or affordable wedding gift to add spice to a friend's wedding night.


So there you have it. If this got anyone's interest up, you could check Amu'in products at their website. In Manila, I know they're available at Echo stores (I saw stores in Podium and Serendra). You could hop over too at Nurture Spa during one of your out-of-town trips since they're available as well there too.

[pictures of the Alaga, Sigla, Gayuma, and Hulay lines taken from the Amu'in website]