Wahsega Valley Farm

Desert Essence Green Apple & Ginger Thickening & Volumizing Shampoo and Conditioner

I recently started using a new shampoo and conditioner that I love. This is unusual for me; most new hair products disappoint and I don't want to use them after the first two or three attempts, shoving the outcast bottles into dark places to gather dust until years later when, with renewed hope, I give them another chance. And for some reason, after using certain shampoos and conditioners I am truly impressed with and use on a regular basis, they morph into their opposite selves and don't do what they originally did for my hair. Aubrey Organics Honeysuckle Rose is a good example. It used to make my hair so smooth and shiny and easy to comb, but now for some reason, it makes my hair stiff and tangly. So, I put it in the rejection zone to pull out at some future date when maybe it'll work again. I am still loving Whole Foods 365 Lavender Blend combo, but I really like to rotate at least two different sets of shampoos and conditioners, preferably three.

So, as I was shopping at Natural Foods Warehouse near me, I decided to check out the hair care section. I'd heard of the brand Desert Essence before, but they'd changed their packaging and it jumped out at me. I read a label and liked the fact that the Green Apple & Ginger Thickening Shampoo and Conditioner is organic and that the company doesn't test on animals. There were several types of shampoos and conditioners to choose from, but since I'd been going through a heavy shedding period lately, leaving my hair feeling thin, I opted for the apple/ginger thickening combo... while keeping my fingers crossed.

I really really like it! I've used it at least six times now. It lathers a lot (without any sodium laurel/laureth sulfates), smells light and slightly fruity and leaves my hair clean without that horrid "squeaky" clean feel I dislike so much. My hair is easy to comb out, is super shiny and easy to comb all day once dry as well. It's an awesome shampoo/conditioner combo for my fine hair. And maybe, just maybe it feels a tish thicker too!

And look!

• 100% Vegan
• Wheat and gluten free
• NO Parabens
• NO Sodium Laurel/Laureth Sulfates
• NO Phthalates
• NO Artificial Fragrances or Colors
• NO Silicones
• NO EDTA
• NO Glycols
• NO Petroleum based ingredients
• Cruelty free
• Biodegradable

Shampoo Ingredients:
Aqueous Infusion of Certified Organic Extracts: Pyrus Malus (Apple) Fruit (1), Urtica Dioica (Nettle) (1), Zingiber Officinale (Ginger) Root (1) and Macrocystis (Kelp) Pyrifera (1), Cocoamidopropyl Betaine**, Sodium Coco-Sulfate**, Decyl Glucoside*, Polyquaternium-7**, Ginger Spice, Panthenol, Certified Organic Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil (2), Proprietary Blend of Natural Essential Oils, Citric Acid, Sodium Chloride, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Gluconate, Potassium Sorbate.1 Certified by QCS 2 Certified by QAI * Sugar Derived ** Coconut Derived

Conditioner Ingredients:
Aqueous Infusion of Certified Organic Extracts: Pyrus Malus (Apple) Fruit (1), Zingiber Officinale (Ginger) Root (1), Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit (1) and Silybum Marianum (Milk Thistle) (1), Certified Organic Sunflower Oil (2), Certified Organic Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter) Oil (2), Emulsifying Wax*, Panthenol, Tocopherol, Prunus Amygdalus (Almond) Protein, Polyquaternium-7**, Proprietary Blend of Natural Essential Oils, Potassium Sorbate, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Gluconate.1 Certified by QCS 2 Certified by QAI * Vegetable Derived ** Coconut Derived

Price range: around $9.00 each 

After trying the Green Apple & Ginger Thickening & Volumizing Shampoo and Conditioner, I now want to give the Italian Red Grape with Antioxidant UV Filters combo (for color treated hair) a go as well.

When I grabbed the hair products, I decided to give Desert Essence's Coconut Hand and Body Lotion a try as well, since I am out of my body butters and won't have time to make any for awhile. Well, I must say! The smell (if you like coconut and I know some of my readers don't like coconut!) is beautiful and it feels luxurious on my skin. I just might not make body butter this year and use this instead! And there are others whose scents I want to check out as well... almond, lavender and vanilla chai.

I think I need to check out Desert Essence a bit more; so far I am quite impressed.

Botticelli hairdo

Check out this hairdo! I really like it 'cause it's so out there, but wow... it looks a bit complicated. I wonder how the beads stay on top of her head?! I'm thinking ol' Sandro took some artistic liberty and just plopped them there for fun. My hair is about one-third the thickness of this woman's hair, so I could never accomplish this even if I tried... but isn't it the wildest 'do?

Portrait of a Young Woman by Sandro Botticelli, c. 1480

Herbs, divas, danger and beauty

I miss my herb class. I've not been able to study in at least a month now and am missing it. There is no time-frame for completing the course, so it's not a problem, but... I miss it.

Yesterday when I got home I had one of the herb magazines I subscribe to, The Herb Companion, waiting for me in the mailbox. It was enough to rejuvenate me a bit - with articles on herbs to plant to attract honey bees, making plant-based fragrances, selecting the best containers and soils for herbs, and best of all... how to plant a healing garden. I read it cover to cover. They've recently redesigned the look of the magazine and I must admit I miss the older "look". The new design just looks like every other magazine screaming for attention - very contemporary and bold, while the older version had a quiet, quaint look to it. But the content is still just a good, so I reckon I'll live with it.

On page 11, the magazine gives a link to The Organic Divas, and I found this there:

~~~~~

Diva, Are Your Killer Looks Killing You?

Keep These Tips In Mind When Putting On the Glam...

• The average woman (and Diva, we know you’re no average woman) uses 9 personal care products daily exposing her to 168 chemicals each and every day.
• The U.S. cosmetic industry is self-regulating which is, to be honest Diva, a little like putting you in charge of the candy bowl at Halloween. No matter how good your intentions, stuff happens...
• European beauty secrets? Au contraire! European Union Divas have easier access to healthier products. The EU banned the use of 1109 chemicals in its personal care products—including sodium laurel sulphate, found in most shampoos. The FDA has banned the use of 10 chemicals in US personal care products. Don’t you deserve the same safe, high quality beauty products as your European sisters?
• According to our friends at the Environmental Working Group, 9 out of 10 ingredients used in personal care products have not been evaluated for safety. How’s that for lip service?
• Some cosmetic companies argue that the level of harmful chemicals in any one product is not enough to harm you. Don’t buy it, Diva. Even small doses of some chemicals can have serious consequences in children and young women. And since you reach for the same product every day, several days a week for months or years, that “small exposure” can add up to major exposure over an extended period of time.

~~~~~~

If you live in the US, you should be spittin' bullets! We deserve safe products for cryin' out loud.

And, if you are interested in a list of commonly used synthetic cosmetic ingredients known or strongly suspected of causing cancer, birth defects or endocrine disruption, click here. This is one of the reasons I started making so many of my own products!

And, check out these links for more information:

• Not Just a Pretty Face
• Safe Cosmetics
• Cosmetic Database
• Think Before You Pink
• Environmental Working Group

~~~~~

On a lighter note, Mike read my post where I wrote about going outside to cut some oregano for a meal I was making the other day only to discover I'd not bought myself an oregano plant - and he surprised me with one yesterday! It's Greek oregano and smells wonderful and I love Mike for going out of his way and getting it for me. I think I need to put it in an extra special pot.

Greek Oregano
Image from Our Little Kitchen Garden blog

53 percent

Percentage of women who spend more time managing their frizzy hair than they do exercising.

Now that's just sad!

Source: Prevention Magazine, January 2009 issue

Widu review - thumbs up!

Mike and I decided that I should buy myself some nice brushes for Christmas since I've been searching for years for the perfect brush. My main need is to have a brush with bristles that "give" when I'm brushing my hair - and bristles that are far apart. My fine hair can't handle stiff brushes. So, I've been using a very inexpensive Goody's "Ouchless Brush" for the past four or five years solely because it was "soft" and the bristles bent as they went through my hair. But the bristles have little balls on the ends of them, and as my hair got longer and longer I knew those balls were potentially damaging - catching at my ends and creating tangles. But it was the best I could find.

Until now!

Widu was having a sale before Christmas for 20% off - and free shipping. So I thought I'd order a brush to see how I liked it. I mentioned that I wanted to order one here a few posts back and shortly afterward received an email from a nice lady who works at Widu. She wrote that if I placed an order by the deadline I would also receive a free comb! Now, this wasn't just some throw-away comb; it's a beautifully made $20.00 comb! Mike inspected it (being the woodworker that he is) and said it's was very well made and high quality. So, I ordered two of the "bamboo" brushes and received them with my comb. I loved them so much that I ordered another brush as well - in a different style. Here is a picture of my collection.

The bamboo bristle brush, in the back, is like a dream for my fine hair. The bristles are extra long and ever so softly go through my hair. They bend very easily with pressure and never rip and tear. It's perfect for detangling and just brushing my hair.

The other brush, the large oval pneumatic ash wood baseball bristle brush, is also wonderful. I could almost use it alone without the bamboo bristle brush - if the bristles were just a little longer, but they're both very different. This brush is more tingly on the scalp and is more helpful when doing updos since it is firmer and holds the hair better while styling. But the bristles also have a nice "give" that I need in a brush. Together, they make a dream team for my hair!

And the comb! It's not only beautiful - the picture doesn't do it justice - it works just as well, if not better, than plastic combs I've used over the years.

So, I am sold on these Widu brushes and combs and give them - and the company - a big thumbs up! I have finally found the brushes I've been searching for all these years.

Does short hair mean women aren't interested in attracting men?

Yesterday a coworker forwarded an article to me called, Does a short haircut mean women have gone off sex? The article was being discussed on the radio station she was listening to and she was fascinated and knew I would find it interesting too seeing that I have hair longer than the "norm" - and is particularly long for someone my age. She is in her mid-twenties and had just cut her hair very short after experiencing a couple of painful emotional upheavals - one being a divorce. While I don't think all women who have short hair aren't interested in men or sex, etc., I do know that when I was in my thirties I cut my mid-back length hair off up to my ears because I didn't want to have anything more to do with men at that time and thought short hair would make me unattractive. It did - at least in my mind. But, it didn't stop men from hitting on me and I immediately started growing my hair back out. I really missed it. Short hair just doesn't feel like "me".

I didn't ask my coworker why she cut her hair - and it could have been for any number of reasons - but I do know some of us have done it for emotional reasons, as I have done. And, I had to laugh and tell her that if long hair means women are interested in men and sex, then I must really be interested since my hair is so long! Which, is a silly assumption. But I do enjoy reading different people's opinions - and thought you might too. Though, I must admit, there are a few opinions in the article I vehemently disagree with. But... I agree there are times in our lives (for some of us anyway) where this theory does hold some water.

So, here you go: Does a short haircut mean women have gone off sex?

People will buy anything

I feel as though I've not been here in ages, but it's only been two days. Getting back into the work groove wasn't too difficult, but I sure miss being at home. Ah... patience.

My preservative is arriving today - along with a few carrier oils and other things I ordered from Mountain Rose Herbs. I can finally make my version of this skin cream and not be afraid to share it with others. It's my most favorite skin cream and not very expensive or even hard to make. And I particularly love it this time of the year with all the dry heat. I was looking at some magazine lately... ah yes, a People magazine - and it showed some actress's "favorite" things. One of them was Creme de la Mer. I've always rolled my eyes when people - usually celebrities - rave about that creme because I've heard it is very pricey. I just had to find out now that I'm making my own cream - and it is $230.00 for two ounces! Do you know how much two ounces is? Not that much! I decided to do some research to find out what magical ingredients are included in the creme - and discovered that there is nothing magical at all. Big surprise. But it contains 44 ingredients! 44! I am in the process of analyzing what each is and am about two thirds of the way down the list - and am not impressed. Not one bit. Guess what the second ingredient is? Mineral oil. All I know is that they sure must have a mighty fine marketing department. I'll stick to my creme - and will be adding a few things to mine that Creme de la Mer doesn't have in there bloated concoction.

I have a lot of gift-making to finish up this weekend and will be super busy. These few weeks before Christmas fly by so quickly that I need to stay focused!Then I can just slide right into the holidays stress-free. Yep.

365 Lavender Blend Shampoo

This post is for my long haired friends. I've discovered a new shampoo that I really really like. For me, that rarely happens. My favorite poo and conditioner is still Aubrey Organics Honeysuckle Rose (the conditioner is the best and I love the scent), but while at Whole Foods about a month ago I started browsing and decided to try something new - just for a change. I actually like having two products to switch back and forth with since it seems to keep both of them on their toes y'know. Whole Foods has their own brand, "365", and they had several different types and scents. I settled on the "lavender blend" for dry and normal hair. They were each around $3.00! I've tried it four times since then and my hair loves it. I love it. It feels different from the Honeysuckle Rose... makes my hair heavier and not quite so soft - and feels a bit thicker, I think, and I love the way it makes it feel and "hang" when it's down. I give 'em a thumbs up for price, scent and they way my hair reacts to it. The ingredients are okay - not as nice as the AO - though the only ingredient I found controversial is the sodium laureth sufate, which most of us are familar with. Here they are, for those interested:

365 Shampoo for dry and normal hair "lavender blend": water, sodium laureth sulfate, sodium cocoamphacetate, wheat germ amidopropyl, betaine, sodium chloride, benzyl alcohol, glycerine, citric acid, dehydroacetic acid, burdock root extract, panthenol, vitamin E, hydrolyzed soy protein, rosemary, lavender, tangerine

365 "Revitalisant" Conditioner "lavender blend': water, cetearyl alcohol, PEGE-40 castor oil, stearalkonium chloride, glycerly stearate, benzyl alcohol, glycerin, dehydroacetic acid, sodium citrate panthenol, matricaria flower extract, vitamin E, aloe, rosemary, lavender, tangertine

Both contain no artificial color, no parabans, no artificial fragrance and unnecessary chemicals. Made with biodegradable ingredients and not tested on animals.

While Mike's away...

This post is for my long hair friends...

Yesterday I tried something different with my hair routine. I usually do the same thing all the time... wash once or twice a week, sometimes do a full wash or other times do a condition/wash/condition, depending the state of my hair or if I'd oiled or not. But yesterday while Mike was gone I slopped up my face with my moisturizing mask and decided to do a pre-wash conditioner before washing my hair. I took Jules' recipe and tweaked it just for fun to see how my hair would like it. I'm sure others have come up with the same ingredients, but I've never made any pre-wash recipes so it was all new to me. Here is what I mixed together:

• 2 teaspoons jojoba
• 1/8 cup distilled water
• 2 tablespoons Aubrey Organics Rose Mosqueta Conditioning Hair Cream (old formula, not sure if the new  version is the same; this stuff smells wonderful)
• 1 tablespoon honey

I think I could have left the water out as it was almost too runny when I mixed it together. But I schlopped it all on - from the ears down - and then wore it in a goopy bun for about an hour. My face and hair were both covered in different types of beautifyin' honey concoctions. I'm just glad Mike didn't pop in, though if he had he would have just said, "Women are weird" and gone about his merry way - as he has done before. They just don't understand what we go through...

Anyway, I used my regular Honeysuckle Rose poo and conditioner, using a vinegar rinse in-between as usual and did a full wash. Here is my towel "head dress" when just getting out of the shower. After wearing this for a few minutes, my hair is never drippy.

When taking it down from the towel, it looks like the first picture in the group below. I spray it with AO's Primrose Tangle-Go and then comb it out and plop it for about ten seconds. Picture two shows how it looks then.

Picture three is half dry, four is dry but not yet combed and the last picture is combed out. And see? There are waves there down near the bottom! But they disappear as the day goes on. When my hair is wet it looks as though I don't have much hair at all, but then it puffs up as it dries. It's so fine, I'm just glad it does expand.

Point to all this is that I loved the effects of the pre-wash conditioner! My hair doesn't tangle much as it is, but I rarely wear it down outside of work these days because it gets stringy looking if I don't comb it periodically - and I don't like having to comb it right before getting out of the car to go shopping each time we stop. But yesterday it seemed poofier and thicker and just "hung" a lot nicer so that I didn't have to comb as often. And when I did comb it, it was even less tangly than usual - and went right through. And my hair still smells like the prewash, which is nice. So, I liked it a lot and think I'm going to do it on the weekends now. Though that is rare since I usually wash my hair right before work on a weekday. Just might have to change my schedule bit beause I do love the outcome.

And I need more honey - for so many "beauty" things. Gotta find a local bee keeper and get a gallon or so...

Yesterday I also made a bunch more of my Natural Detangling Spray that I'm going to have to rename because I never use it for detangling; I use it more as a leave-in and rejuvenator. I use it a lot. I added more jojoba and a touch of patchouli to this batch. Smells good.

It's so much fun making these things at home; I can't wait 'til my latest order from Mountain Rose Herbs gets here!

Extra weight made me late

Argh. I hate it when I gain a few extra pounds. It's not enough weight to motivate me to lose it right away, but it's bad enough to make me look twice at my booty when I put my work pants on. "Hm... are these pants too tight?" I twist this way to look and then that way. Hm. I ask Mike what he thinks, but he's a man and just likes looking and says my bum looks "fine". Only he says, "fiiiiiiine" with a lascivious smile on his face. That usually answers my question; they're too tight alright.

When I lost twenty pounds about two years ago, I had to buy new pants for work. That was fun because all my clothes fit great then. It was easy to throw on an outfit, because there were no lumps and bulges and everything just hung right. I felt svelte and tight. And confident.

But this morning I put on four different get-ups and got so flustered because everything looked too snug and clingy. I want to look professional at work, not like a lady of the night. Ugh. Take this off and try on that. ugh ugh ugh! It's too tight here and the colors don't quite match with the bigger sweater. Just...  ew.

All the while, Mike is laughing and saying how crazy women are and how he's so glad he's a man. He just throws on jeans and a t-shirt for work and doesn't care if his stomach is poking out or not or if the shirt has stains on it. Or if his hair is all cock-eyed. Doesn't care! Of course, his job allows him to dress that way; in fact it would be silly to dress any other way, but still... how can he not care what he looks like? How can that be?

Well, I care, especially on a dirty hair day for cryin' out loud. Since my hair is dirty, my clothes should look extra good, not ill-fitting. Right? Am I alone in this? So my hair is up in a bun and I'm wearing the fourth "outfit" I tried on. It's blah. It's boring. It fits okay, but it only tells me that I must lose these pounds I've gained because I really hate hate this feeling - and the inconvenience of it all. And on top of it all, all the rustling around in my closet trying on so many things made me late to work. Late for work!

This just won't do!