Urban Herbal Girl: Essential Oils for Healthly Hair

As spring brings light and length to our days, our hair begins to come out from under our winter hats. Now is a great time to think treating your hair to a little extra TLC.

Healthy hair is actually more about doing less than about doing more. The loss of your gloss is actually due to the unhealthy practices of over washing, blow drying, and using chemical products. Even the best shampoo washes out the natural oils in your hair, leaving hair dry even after using conditioner. The first steps to healthy hair are wash your hair less, only once or twice a week. Rotate between shampoos to keep things balanced. Use a gentle, non-detergent based shampoo.

A healthy, balanced diet also contributes to both healthy hair and skin. Brushing your hair and scalp massages not only feel good but help to distribute your natural oils and stimulate blood flow to the hair follicles.

Instead of hair conditioner, consider using an herbal hair rinse or herbal vinegar rinse. You can buy an herbal rinse from companies like Honey Bee Holistics, with their Organic Rosemary Hair Rinse for itchy scalps, or a Sage Herbal Hair Rinse from Dragonfly Herbs. However, it’s also easy to make your own with a little patience.

Here’s a recipe for a vinegar hair rinse for dry hair.

1 oz. nettle

1 oz. marshmallow root

1 oz. calendula

Apple cider vinegar

Drops of an essential oil of your choice (peppermint or myrrh is great for dry hair)

Distilled water

1. Fill a quart jar halfway with the herbs. Cover them with the vinegar and cap tightly. Place in a warm spot for 3-4 weeks. Shake it daily to keep the mixture agitated.

2. After 3-4 weeks, strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer or double cheesecloth. Add the essential oils, rebottle it in a plastic bottle, and store this is your bathroom.

3. Before you take a bath, dilute the rinse with distilled water. For dry hair, dilute 1 part rinse with 6 parts water. After you shampoo, pour the vinegar rinse through your hair, massaging it into your scalp. Rinse with warm water and if you can stand it, cold water too.

You can play with the essential oils in this mix to give it different scents, but I chose peppermint not only for its properties but also because it is invigorating and awakens the senses. You can also use essential oils such as lavender or chamomile for normal hair, or lemon, patchouli, rosemary, and tea tree oils for oily hair.

I encourage you to get your hair out from under that hat, grab a friend, and exchange head massages with a drop of your favorite essential oil. You’ll thank me!

Green Living: Homemade Cleaners

from Lydia Krupinski

I’m having a serious love affair with the Eco Etsy blog. Not that I’m biased or anything (I’m an official contributor), but I really do find myself enamored by the daily articles and encouragement that ensue. If you’re a clever crafter or a super greenie, you’ll find that the blog has something for everyone, no matter how new you are to the concept of conscious living.

An article that was posted last week brought this home. Despite all my knowledge of DIY, I have still never experimented with home cleaning products made by hand. But this article from the Eco Etsy blog has challenged me to give it a go – and I think you should too! Beyond making life healthier, creating your own cleaners will be easier on your wallet while eliminating all of the packaging that comes along with store bought products.

So if you’ve put off making your own tub scrub or floor detergent – make this week the one where you give it a shot! I’ll be sure to post my updated finds in the comments below, and I hope you will too!

Food: Parsley – More than just a garnish

parsley

by Molly Kay Stoltz

Urban Herbal Girl here. Have you ever wondered why they place that piece of parsley on your plate at restaraunts? To add color? To freshen your breath? Yes and no. Turns out it might be the healthiest item on your plate.

Parsley contains the more vitamin C than any other plant and the most iron of any green leafy veggie. It is very high in iron, beta-carotenel chlorophyll, and vitamin A, B, E, K, and folic acid. It’s pretty much awesome! I’ll take some parsley over iceberg lettuce any day.

Holidays: Handmade V-Day

posted by Lydia Krupinski

It’s the eve of the eve of Valentine’s Day and you’ve totally forgotten to get a gift for your sweetie! What do you do? Make a handmade eco-friendly gift of course! Pinterest and blogs are teaming with easy tutorials that will give a personal spin on your v-day gift giving.

My favorite is the Birds on a Wire project. Unisex, stylish, and upcycled, this mini-art piece will speak volumes to your crush. Not into birds? Change up the subject to match your own message. This simple and easy-to-make project gives you the flexibility to take it in any direction you choose.

Do you have another suggestion for a handmade gift? Post your ideas in the comments below!

Food: Eating in Season

by Lydia Krupinski

I’ve been thinking a lot about eating seasonally lately. With it being early February I’ve found myself desperate for fresh greens and veggies. But then I wonder – what in the world is in season this time of year?

What I discovered were not only the choice produce items for the month – but also some fantastic websites that give targeted recommendations of what’s best to eat in your region now. Epicurious has a national Peak-Season Map that provides a list of produce for individual states. Going a step further, Smarter Living;s ‘eat local‘ pages highlight suggestions and the farmer’s markets in the area that will carry the goods.

So when planning your upcoming meals and grocery trips, pop onto one of these two sites before heading out. You’ll find that you’ll be living, and saving, green in the process.

Herbal Baths for Relaxation

written by Molly Kay Stoltz

When I am sick or sore, when I’m uninspired, when it is dark and cold outside, or when I am stressed and need time alone, I take a bath.

Baths have become something of a luxury, but they shouldn’t be. Our lives are busy, and it is always easy to take a shower and get on with your day, but a bath forces you to slow down and think. And the benefits grow when you take a moment to add herbs or salts to your bath water.

The first thing to consider is the temperature of your water. Cool or room-temperature water can help to lower a fever or normalize your system, and can firm and strengthen you if you are able to brave the cold! On the other hand, warm water is soothing and opens your pores which can help you become decongested or eliminate toxins from your body, for example, after a hard workout or a massage.

New Years Resolutions: Go Retro

by Lydia Krupinski
Do a search for eco resolutions and you’ll see a flurry of articles that will encourage you to use fabric shopping bags, change your light bulbs and skip bottled water. These are great tips for the entry-level eco-curious – but if we really want to push ourselves we should set the bar much higher. Isn’t that the point of resolutions in the first place? To challenge us to change behaviors and grow as individuals?

My mother had a brilliant insight several months back. When discussing sustainability movements and green trends she commented that, “What you are describing is how I lived as a kid.” And she’s right! Growing up in rural Poland my mother and her family rarely drove, grew their own food, mended clothes, and lived life simply, yet fully.

To make 2012 the year you make a real change – try to “Go Retro.” You’ll find yourself living a simpler lifestyle that will reduce your ecological footprint while adding a bit of vintage spice to your life.

Here are some potential “Go Retro” resolutions:

Holidays: Green Guy Gift Guide

Here is a collection of favorite items from my hubby and my Etsy hearts! The following are the perfect gifts for the discriminating green gentleman. Many of the items featured below can even be found locally – should you fear last-minute online shopping.

1) No Bottle Shampoo & Conditioner Pack by Ethically Engineered

2) Underwood Typewriter Necktie by Cyberoptix

3) Wooden Slingshot Catapult by Gift Go Green

4)  la pluie de pluie partent Print by Little Pink Pebble

5) Avant-Gardener T-Shirt by Black Sheep Heap

6) Wood Ear Bud Holder by Acoustic Design

7) Reclaimed Wood & Iron Steel Headboard by Blake Avenue

Not numbered: Vintage Camera Bilora Bella 127 Camera from Good Bones Vintage