Thursday 23 January 2014

Life Hacks the Healthy way

So I am back from a major, long hiatus. What have I been doing? Almost everything ;) Being the  usual university student in Germany, travelling, learning,growing(the right way ;) ) eating - healthier as the days go by and just.being.me .

I have come up with a few great Life Hacks since I have spotted so many editions sporadically appearing on my social new feed. I developed these entirely from my experience and trial and error. I must say I'm pretty pleased with these..So now getting on to the point, the first one and the one I'm the most happy about is shampoo. These are all about food and beauty in case you are looking for something else..

Citrus Castille Soap and Coconut Oil Shampoo

I have been for about a year now experimenting with using more natural and even raw shampoos. Unfortunately and everything turning out the unfortunate way, many of the products I tried were pretty much not up to my expectations. I first switched to using organic and more natural brands like Logona, Sante and John Master's Organics. Though they did improve the condition of my hair(not that it was that bad to begin with) , it was really hard to upkeep using such products especially since they were kinda pricey and thats not something you wanna deal with while at university. I also went on and ordered the starter kit of Morroco Method's( raw and vegan) products. I believe these products are good and do not contain any harmful ingredients but I suspect they need to be used for several months in order to see results.. At least that was in my case. I ended up hang hair that felt not clean and buildup :/ I then read several blogs and discovered the hype about Castille soap and coconut oil shampoo. And since then, my life has never been better ;) ..I released since the first use, that this recipe would be a keeper because this shampoo foams up  without the addition of nasty chemicals and leaves hair clean, moisturised and just really nice. I don't even use a conditioner since raw coconut oil is really moisturising and good for your hair.

Recipe:
1 tablespoon of Dr. Bronner's liquid castle soap
1/2 teaspoon of raw virgin coconut oil

Mix the 2 ingredients just before you need it - it takes a minute and there you go! Quality shampoo without spending a much money and time :)

The ratio between the 2 ingredients can be change depending on how moisturising you want your shampoo to be. I tried 1:1 but it left my hair a little oily and the above mentioned combination works perfectly for my hair. After drying my hair, I just use a tiny bit of the raw coconut oil on my hair to keep it moisturised and shiny especially in the cold.


Castor Oil Face Mask

I am just so impressed with this mask. I saw it in one of the video's of Cloudyapples( a beauty blogger on Youtube) and decided to go ahead and try it. It's quick and works wonders and the best part, you don't have to remove your makeup before applying it.

Just rub some castor oil onto your face and above it rub on some raw honey( what I use) or coconut oil. The purpose of the latter ingredient, is to prevent your skin from drying out since Castor Oil is very efficient in pulling out dirt from your skin. After that just put a steaming towel on your face ..you can repeat this for 2 o 3 times.And also rub off the oil with this towel and you'll have a clean face..better that many conventional cleansers in the market. This aids the castor oil in pulling out toxins from your pores.

I have been extremely pleased with the results since..int he morning I notice that my skin is really bring and that any acne has been reduced and by the second use, they are usually totally gone.

Stuff needed
Castor Oil(pure preferred)
Raw Honey/Coconut oil/any other preferred cold pressed oil

Steaming small towel( by wetting it in warm water)

I use this mask every other day ..you can use it everyday(depending on your skin's condition).


Raw Chocolate

I am always craving chocolate and every other person or basically everyone knows too much of chocolate isn't good for you especially if its laden with diary,gluten and artificial sweeteners and chemicals.

So what do you do ? Go make some raw chocolate and be happy & healthy.

Here's how amazingly simple it is. Mix some raw coconut oil and raw cacao( antioxidants and this helps release the happy chemicals in your body)  in a bowl. Raw coconut oil liquifies above 20-30 degrees so it best to maybe keep the jar in the cupboard if you live in a cold climate. You can add a sweetener of you choice say agave nectar/ raw honey or some goji berries ..basically anything to your pleasure.. Now you can pour the mixture into small cupcake trays( I prefer the silicone ones) and just pop them in the freezer and andddd guess what ? Healthy chocolate in minutes and the great thing is ? You can eat to your heart's content and not have a single worry about putting on weight and what not...


Raw body moisturiser

One thing. Raw coconut oil. You can rub this on your body/hair /face as a moisturiser an it it works wonders and doesn't require a late amount which means a jar of this stuff will go a long long way and you'll keep your wallet happy. Whats not to love ;)

Raw Honey Face Wash

I love this stuff. I use raw honey as a face wash and I add some raw sugar to it and sometimes even some lemon juice since lemon juice is a really go exfoliator. I have noticed that this face was has made my skin bright and I don't need to wear makeup daily( especially foundation) in order to beat dull skin. I usually just leave the house with some raw coconut oil on my face and maybe something on the lips. Pretty easy isn't it.. And it takes less than 5 minutes to prepare it. You can store it in a little jar for 2 to 3 days.. I wouldn't suggest longer though since its better to have everything fresh

Ingredients

1 teaspoon raw honey
1 teaspoon raw sugar
Juice from half a lemon

Mix it all up. You can add more sugar if you want a thicker consistency and this brightens and exfoliates your skin. Raw honey when combined with water is a humectant which means it locks in moisture and it also is antibacterial...which does wonder for acne-prone skin.

Thats basically it. I would definitely add more to the list if I do find more convenient ways. Now back to studying and eating some awesome chocolate ;)


Oh and an amazing mix I chanced upon on 8tracks. Great for studying and generally feeling happy & calm.





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