Reader Question Answered | Daily Hair Care

READER Q: HOW DO I GET MY HAIR TO GROW FASTER?

A vital part of getting your hair to grow faster is to protect the hair you already have. If your ends become damaged, you'll have to chop off a considerable number of inches to prevent the damage going further up the shaft. If you're trying to grow your hair out, it's more important than ever to pop into your hairdressers for trims, as weird as it sounds. You can also do small things to speed up the growth manually, but keep in mind that there are no miracles, never shell out for products claiming to grow your hair!

TO PROTECT THE HAIR YOU HAVE

• Work conditioner through your hair in the shower with a wide toothed comb so that you're not trying to brush through tangles after you get out. 

• Minimize the amount of heat you use on your hair. Before you use a hair-dryer or a straightener, apply a serum to protect the strands. Never try to straighten or curl wet hair, the heat will steam out the water. In the long run it can be very damaging. 

• Don't pull your hair into a overly tight ponytail. Not only can you pull your hair out, it can also damage your roots. There's a reason too tight pony tails give you a headache!

• Avoid sleeping in your ponytail secured with an elastic hair band. Instead try a loose braid or bun secured with a scrunchie.. yes, they still have uses. 

TO PROMOTE GROWTH

• Eat well. Your follicles need a good mix of proteins and vitamins (A, C, E, B3, B6 and B2 are all key) to promote healthy growth. You also want to be sure you're eating enough iron, which is found in tofu, lentils, beans, spinach and lean beef. 

• When you are shampooing or rinsing your hair with water, massage your scalp with your fingertips. This can increase blood circulation in the area and could help promote growth.

• Avoid stress, which can cause hair to fall out.

• Sometimes I take prenatal vitamins. They're not scientifically proven to help hair grow longer but I've always noticed a difference. (They've also scared my boyfriend too!)

 

Natural Hair Masks | Daily Hair Care

NATURAL HAIR MASKS

I don't apply hair masks as often as I apply face masks, but every month or so I like to mix up something in the kitchen, comb it through my hair, then wrap my head in a warm towel or shower cap, which allows the natural heat of your head to emit, and watch a movie. Here are the recipes I use most:

COCONUT OIL

Coat the ends of your hair with a tablespoon of coconut oil and then twist it into a low bun and seal it with clingfilm. At a minimum, leave it for thirty minutes, it's best if you can sleep with it in. Then shampoo and condition your hair as normal in the morning. 

AVOCADO 

From caringwhispers.com

Mash up an entire avocado and mix it with four tablespoons of yogurt and one egg white. You don't want this on your scalp either, just on the bottom two thirds of your hair. Leave it on for at least thirty minutes. The egg and yogurt are a major injection of protein for weakened hair whilst avocado softens the strands. Make sure the water isn't too hot when you rinse it out or else the egg will become cooked and stick in your hair!

OLIVE OIL AND MAYONNAISE

This one is a bit tougher to stomach. Mix together a concoction of equal parts mayo and olive oil to give dry, brittle hair a shot of moisture and antioxidants. Start at the ends of your hair and work your way up, stopping short of your scalp. After thirty minutes, wash out with lukewarm water. 

Shampoo and Conditioner | Daily Hair Care

WHAT'S IN A SHAMPOO?

Shampoo is a relativity new concept. Historically people used body soap to wash their hair, which due to the residue, left their hair dull and their scalps itchy meant that they didn't wash their hair often. Around the early 1900's, chemists started experimenting with products, and soon after, shampoo's hit the market. It wasn't until the 70's that people started to lather up their heads with any real frequency. 

   These days, shopping the shampoo aisle can be quite perplexing  there are products for every complaint, from dandruff to frizz. They span over a huge range of prices. While I believe shampoos with more natural ingredients are worth the extra money, a lot of bloggers have tested and have proved there is little difference from the lowest prize range and the very tip top. So next time you're browsing this aisle, remember, you don't need to spend a small fortune on a bottle of shampoo. 

   Keep in mind that shampoo is for cleaning your scalp, not your strands of hair, so focus the product on your roots. If you have oily hair, chose a shampoo that is clear - those that are creamy or pearlescent generally contain more conditioners, which you do not need to apply to your scalp. Many grease-fighting varieties contain astringent ingredients that are helpful, like tea-tree or citrus oil or herbs like rosemary and sage. 

   If your scalp is flaky, you should look for products that fights dandruff. The active ingredient in these is usually 'zinc pyrithione', which has anti fungal properties. Other products actually slow the rate at which your cells die and need to be sloughed off. 

   If your scalp feels tight and itchy, look for a moisturising shampoo that's packed with hydrating ingredients like shea butter and nut oils. This can help combat flakiness. 

WHAT'S IN A CONDITIONER?

Unlike a shampoo, conditioners can change the quality of your hair, since they coat and adhere to the cuticle of the strand and lend it all sorts of properties. Again, conditioners are not changing your hair's inherent properties - just modifying the outer layer. Conditioners with lots of humectants deliver moisture; those with lots of panthenol  attach to overly fine hair and create an illusion of volume; those with polymers make hair look sleek and glossy and untangled; and those with heat-adsorbing polymers protect your hair from curling irons, blow-dryers and straighteners. 

   Because conditioners are packed with ingredients that are intended to attach to the strand, you don't want to apply conditioner to your scalp - instead, deposit a majority of it on the bottom two thirds of your hair, specifically the back of your head, where the hair is most directly exposed to the elements. 

   Every month or so, I like to wash my hair with a clarifying shampoo to help strip some of the residue left by conditioners. Excessive build up can eventually start to make my hair look and feel limp. I also always ask for a gloss or deep conditioning if I have just had my colour done  It makes a difference in keeping my hair looking healthy longer. 

Which shampoo and conditioner do you use? 

Do you find one works better than another? 

xx

  

Drugstore and High End Face Products (Linked to YouTube Video!)

You're here, either reading this straight from my blog or from the link under my newest YouTube video. If you haven't seen my video, check it out, and if you are from the video, definitely check out the rest of my blog. I guarantee if you love one you'll love the other. 

Let's get right into this. I'll be showing you one alternative of each product I showed you in my video. These are my favourite choices of both. 

High Street       .......       High End

Face Wash

Olay Gentle Foaming Face Wash at £2.99

KOH GEN DO Oriental Plants Clean Foam at £45.00

Cleanser

Superdrug Hot Cloth Cleanser With Muslin Cloth at 5.99

Eve Lom Morning Time Cleanser at £60.00

Toner

Simply Pure Refreshing Toner at £2.59

Peter Thomas Roth Glycolic Acid 10 Percent Toning Complex Clarifying Toner at £40.00

Moisturiser

Simply Pure Light Moisturiser at £2.59

Philosophy Miracle Worker Miraculous Anti-Aging Moisturiser at £58.00

Eye Cream

Superdrug Naturally Radiant Brightening Eye Cream at £5.99

L'Occitane Immortelle Eye Balm at £38.00

Face Masks

Clearasil Vitamins & Extracts Wash & Mask at £4.99

Fresh Rose Face Mask at £55.00

Update: New Bedroom!

So, I have yet to do a room tour on YouTube as my room is.. how can I say? Not the nicest looking! haha!

Don't get me wrong, I love my room because it's mine and it's my space but it isn't all colour coordinated like many YouTubers, and it's quite clutter-y. My walls are a pastel orange with a feature wall of orange and I have an orange carpet. If you follow me on Instagram you would have seen.. it's a mess most of the time. 

I'm not going to redecorate, this time next year I hope to have moved so I will definitely do a room tour then! My room at the moment is kind of a storage room for everyone else, a big bookcase from when my brother and I were kids so it's full of kids books, a desk full of old school work etc etc.. 

I'm getting a new addition to my room next week though.. a king size bed with a memory foam mattress. I have already purchased a pug duvet set for it. Yay!

I'll show you that when it arrives. But for now I am off, I thought I'd give you a little post whilst I wait for my Youtube video to upload. Only 117 minutes left.. sigh. 

Check me out on Instagram.com/devonh1995

On twitter - @devonh195

Youtube - http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgC_SFLV2ViBKFKsGTNnpAA

Have you got a cluttered room?

Are you proud of your room? Let me know

xx

What did I think of Elemis?

If you read my blog then you'd be aware of the fact that I was sent two lovely gifts from Jennie at Elemis - the softly softly daily moisturiser and the peachy perfect gentle face wash. 

I've been using them for nearly a month now, (21 days to be precise) and I am loving the results. I was very skeptical about the moisturiser because I suffer from unbelievably dry skin so I thought, after using a heavy duty moisturiser that this little one wouldn't come close. I was pleasantly surprised. Obviously it wasn't going to match up to the heavy duty moisturiser but how well it did was very pleasing. 

I used the moisturiser every morning in my everyday make up routine and also when I got out of my bedtime shower as I don't have a nightly moisturiser at the moment. (I know, I know. Bad Devon) It made my face really smooth and it didn't feel dry or tight. It tried to combat my extremely dry areas and I'm impressed by that. It made them a little softer and manageable. The only con I found was that, for someone who never ever gets acne, five or six spots appeared on my forehead and cheeks after using this product regularly. It could be a coincidence or it could be that my face just wasn't accepting this product. They've since cleared up!

The face wash was used every single time I had a shower. I loved using this. It's definitely a product I will repurchase. It made my skin feel fresh and alive and awakened. It didn't interfere with my sensitive patches or dry skin and I believe it is the product that helped clear these sudden acne. It foams gently and I don;t know how to sing it's praises more. 

I am definitely repurchasing the face wash! I think the moisturiser is another one I would try again but I am forever on the hunt for something that will finally cure my bad skin. 

Until next time.. 

Do you have a skin condition that makes it really dry? 

What product do you recommend? 

xx

September Favourites!

So, instead of doing a September favourites on YouTube I thought I would write a blog post. I'm so busy at my new work placement to film right now, so every Tuesday is going to be video day and every other day is blogger day!

So let's get started!

1. Payot Benefice Soleil Tan Accelerating Serum - £18.50

This serum is lovely, I apply it a few weeks prior to holidays. It doesn't add tan to your face, but it helps speed up your natural tan developing. I love the natural colour it brings out on my face and neck. Definitely try it!

2. Jessica Colour & Care Set - £8.45

I brought this set on a whim. It's a lovely nude/pearl coloured nail varnish, and Jessica is a really good brand for me. It also comes with a small pot of cuticle cream. I brought this a little because some of the proceeds goes to Breast Cancer Awareness but I've thoroughly enjoyed these products together. I've only be wearing this for a week but I love it.

3. SpaRitual Nail Lacquers - Survivor - £9.75

This is another lovely pink nail varnish. This one has glitter effect in it and I love using it for an accent nail, especially paired with the above nail varnish. 

4. The Vintage Cosmetic Company Eyelash Curler - £4.99

This is quite a simple favourite and it's a eyelash curler. I've used a couple others before, a simple cosmo one and a heated one my cousin lent me. This one is really efficient  it produces a nice curl. I use it twice, once at the base and once at the tip to produce a lovely curl.

5. BeautySoClean Cosmetic Sanitiser Mist - £9.50

This little spray is designed to clean make up products such as pressed powders, eye shadows and other such products. I use this as oil can be transferred from my face to the brush and back into the palettes and also I use powders on other people's face as well so it just keeps it bacteria free. 

6. Olay Daily Facials Lathering Cloths - Sensitive - £4.25

These are my go to make up removing wipes now. I used to use Simple but since finding these I am converted. You run it under warm water, rub it together and it lathers up and you can use that to clean your face. Absolute genius. 

7. Tara Smith Working Curls Shampoo and Conditioner - £10.00 together

I know, I know. I have straight hair. My hair is prone to frizz up and this curl defining set helps smooth out my frizz and keep it tame!

8. ASOS Legging Shorts in Shimmer Effect - £12.00

I have been using these whilst I work out, they're funky, cute and fun. They also keep me cool.

9. Walkers Salt & Vinegar Crisps. -£1.68 (6) ASDA

Yes, I know these have been around for yonks but I go off them and then crave them again. I love how your lips tingle whilst eating them!

10. ALBUM - If You Wait - London Grammar

11. SINGLES 

Ben Pearce - What I Might Do

Avicii - You Make Me

xx