Healthy Eating || How to Make Almond Milk

Ingredients: 
-1 cup raw, organic almonds
-filtered water for soaking
-2-6 cups filtered water (fewer cups = creamier)
- (optional) 1/2 tsp of vanilla

Optional sweeteners to taste:
-medjool dates
-agave
-maple syrup
-honey

Instructions:
Just soak the almonds overnight in the filtered water.  Drain out the filtered water the next day, and blend the almonds in 2-6 cups of new filtered water.  Strained the mixture, and you are left with almond milk!

For a full set of instructions (including photo-by-photo details), check out Frugally Sustainable!

Protective Style Lookbook || 5-Minute Chic Twists

By popular demand, this is a series showcasing various protective hair styles.  Protective styling does not have to be boring. :o)

Model: Zarah Charm

Style description: Three jumbo twists pinned into a chic do.

Difficulty level: 1/5  (Super easy)

Case Study || "Tangle-Teezer-Like" Tool and Breakage?

I was on one of my favorite forums when I came across the following case study that was performed in India.  The report involves a tool that resembles the "Tangle Teezer" in terms of bristle arrangement and sizing.  (There are, of course, some differences between the tool in the report and the "Tangle Teezer", but the similarities cannot be neglected, in my honest opinion.)

So what is so interesting about this case study?  Well, to me, it does more than demonstrate how the use of certain hair tools may ultimately translate to breakage.  It does two more things:

1) It gives possible confirmation to those who jumped on the "Tangle Teezer" bandwagon and noticed an increase in breakage and split ends thereafter.

2) And, for my own hair care practices, it makes me think twice about using the "Tangle Teezer" on my flat-ironed hair.  (You see, I figured the problem with the tool that most people were experiencing was due to using it on textured hair.  I thought it okay to use the tool on straight hair ... until now.)  Contrary to what I initially guessed, the study was performed on patients who were not afro-textured but who had naturally straight/wavy hair.  Even on straight hair, this tool may present a problem!?!

Ultimately, patients were asked to: 

• avoid the tool (and instead use a straight comb with elongated bristles) AND 
• to change their combing habits (which involved using the tool on hair that had not been lubricated with conditioner or oil).

For the full study: TRICHORRHEXIS NODOSA INDUCED BY TOOL AND COMBING HABIT (2011)

About trichorrhexis nodosa -  "The essential abnormality of trichorrhexis nodosa is the formation of nodes along the hair shaft through which breakage readily occurs (Source)."

Oldies, But Goodies

1. Hair Diary || Protective While Straight
2. Carrots, Hair, and Body
3. Ginkgo Biloba: Vitiligo, Hair Regrowth, Etc.
4. Short Twist/Braid Styles: Part II
5. Hair Diary || The Many Facets of Natural

Mixology || Shea Butter Conditioner from Scratch

You do not need a lot of ingredients for this mixture nor do you need any hard-to-find ones.  All you need are an inexpensive conditioner, shea butter, and olive oil.

Ingredients:
4 parts cheap conditioner (e.g., VO5, Suave, etc.)
2 parts shea butter
1 part extra virgin olive oil
*Optional: feel free to use another oil instead (e.g., safflower)

Instructions:
1. Melt the shea butter until soft but not until a liquid.
2. Whip the shea butter the safflower oil and conditioner.
3. Apply the concoction to freshly washed hair.  Let sit for 30 minutes, then rinse and style as usual.

Healthy Hair on Youtube: Cassandre

Cassandre Beccai is a type 4 natural with uber (yes, uber) long hair. Check out her video below where she describes her hair care regimen and wash routine. Also check out the rest of her channel.

 

Study || Almond Oil Massage for Stretch Marks

Some of you have probably heard that application of cocoa butter (during pregnancy) reduces the likelihood of developing stretch marks.  Well according to a few studies published a few years ago, cocoa butter does not appear to be effective like some believe [1][2].

So how about olive oil?  Well, a study published last year does not support the application of olive oil as being effective either [3].

So what oil/butter might work then?  Research does support is that massaging with almond oil may reduce the development of stretch marks [4].

SOURCES:
COCOA BUTTER LOTION & STRETCH MARKS (2008)
COCOA BUTTER CREAM & STRETCH MARKS (2010)
OLIVE OIL & STRETCH MARKS (2012)
ALMOND OIL & STRETCH MARKS (2012)