The Benefits of Peppermint Oil for Hair and Skin

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NOW AVAILABLE!

BEAUTIFUL EARTH's SCALP STIMULATING PEPPERMINT OIL TREATMENT debuted at the LOCKOLOGY NATURAL HAIR, HEALTH & BEAUTY SHOW on October 29th and what a hit it was! 

This Oil Treatment is a rich infusion of natural oils formulated to stop breakage and thinning and promote healthy hair growth and a healthy scalp. Peppermint is a balancing oil that normalises the scalp's oil production while also treating dry scalp and dandruff. Paired with Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Jamaican Virgin Coconut Oil, Peppermint essential oil helps to moisturise the hair shaft while also stimulating the hair follicles and promoting hair growth! And for those with oily hair, note that this  this oil does not leave the scalp oily. This oil works as an astringent which helps in the normalisation of the scalp's oil production and has a neutralising effect on the scalp. This oil also works well as a conditioner. Learn more about peppermint and its wonderful benefits below.


The Peppermint Plant
The Peppermint herb is a well-known herb with many healing properties and is Peppermint is best known for it's minty scent. Peppermint herb has a wide-array of healing applications internally, topically and as an essential oil. It contains a variety of vitamins and minerals such as Vitamins A, B2 and C, potassium, calcium, copper, iron and manganese. The properties of Peppermint make it an effective: antibacterial, antimicrobial, astringent, and antiseptic. 


Those who have used peppermint on their skin or in their hair will know that peppermint has a cool, warming effect that attracts blood to the surface and so  improves circulation. And anyone who's eaten peppermint sweets knows of this tingling cooling effect too!


Why We Love Peppermint for Hair and Scalp
1. As mentioned, peppermint helps with oily scalp: Although peppermint oil has a cooling, tingling effect when massaged onto the scalp, rest assured the oil is hard at work balancing the pH levels of your scalp to help put a stop to oily hair. Peppermint oil is actually an astringent which normalises your scalp's oil production. Peppermint oil eliminates this problem and makes the appearance of greasy, flat hair a thing of the past!

2. Peppermint helps with dry scalp: Because of its pH balancing qualities, peppermint oil can also be used to treat the opposite problem: dry scalp and dandruff. And since the oil will be neutralizing the dryness on the scalp itself, it will take away any itching sensation associated with these conditions!

3. Peppermint is a good moisturiser: Paired with paired with carrier oils such as almond or olive oil,   peppermint oil is used as a moisturiser for the hair shaft. To get the best effects of this you can use our Scalp Stimulating Peppermint Oil Treatment as a hot oil treatment: Distribute a generous amount evenly throughout your hair,wrap your hair up in a shower cap or thin towel and leave for 30 minutes. Wash and rinse thoroughly and reap the benefits of moisture-rich hair!

4. Peppermint promotes hair growth: The tingling sensation of peppermint not only evens the pH balance of your scalp, but it also stimulates your hair follicles and promotes hair growth! Peppermint oil for hair loss treatment is very effective as it binds the hair roots and increases blood circulation.

We also have lovely peppermint shampoos and conditioners that help to moisturise and grow your hair! Available for use and sale at the salon, these lovely products are made with natural ingredients, paired with peppermint essential oils! 

Benefits of Peppermint Oil for the Skin



Not only does peppermint oil promote hair growth, it helps in making your skin healthy and glowing! This is because of the menthol present in the oil, which helps to control excess oil production and thus can be used as a cure for oily skin. It also brightens dull skin and is known to cool the tired skin. Peppermint oil is one of the ingredients used in lip balms and other cosmetics because it makes the lips smooth and supple along with providing nourishment. It is used as a remedy for sunburned and cracked lips. Our Scalp Stimulating Peppermint Oil Treatment can be used just as effectively on skin as on the hair and scalp. Try it out!

Treating your Hair with Molasses

Beautiful hair is a sign of good health and vitality. My research has indicated that molasses has proved successful as both internal and external hair treatment to improve health and help with growth as well as combat grey hair. 

1. 
   

   Molasses

   • This is a thick syrup obtained from the third boiling of a sugar syrup, generally from sugar cane (although it can also be made as a by-product of the processing of sugar beets or grapes). There are three grades of cane molasses: mild or barbados, also known as first molasses; dark, or second molasses; and blackstrap. For the rest of this article, the term 'molasses' is used to refer to blackstrap molasses from which most of the sucrose has been removed leaving trace amounts of vitamins and significant amounts of minerals.
     
     
     The many vitamins and minerals in the molasses gives the syrup a dark color and distinct flavor. Though well known as an alternative sweetener other usages besides promoting healthy hair include acne treatment, iron supplement, and improved energy. These benefits are achieved because molasses contains dense nutrients including; iron, calcium, manganese, copper, magnesium, and potassium. Thus improving our intake of nutrients may help to improve hair growth and the addition of molasses to the diet offers a great way to get these essential vitamins and minerals. The intake of molasses can:
     

     1. Reverse Grey Hair because molasses contains copper which facilitates the production of melanin that assists hair pigmentation, and
     2. Assist Hair Growth since molasses is full of B vitamins, which play a crucial role in healthy, growing hair.

   
   

   Molasses as a Topical Hair Treatment

   • Many people have used molasses as a topical hair treatment to smooth and improve the overall appearance and texture of the hair. It is recommended that you massage the molasses into your hair, covering with a shower cap or some plastic wrap and leaving in for about 1 hour. Then rinse out the molasses. This treatment should improve the condition of your hair.

     Dried out hair? Try the Molasses Intensive Hair Conditioner:
     3 tablespoons cold-pressed sweet almond oil (but you can substitute whichever oil you have, we use Jamaican Virgin Coconut Oil)

     3 teaspoons molasses 

     aloe gel (or aloe vera juice)

     
     

     Whip together oil and molasses. Add aloe, and stir to form a smooth paste. Dip hairbrush into mixture and apply to clean, dry hair. Cover your head with a plastic shower cap and warmed towel to trap moisture and body heat. Leave on for 30 minutes and rinse with warm water, finishing with a brief tepid rinse. (Others have recommended rinsing throughly and then doing an apple cider vinegar rinse.) Allow hair to air dry for deeply-conditioned hair! Don't have time to do it at home? Come down to BEAUTIFUL EARTH  and get this deep conditioning treatment!

     
     

     Overall, the use of molasses should make your hair feels simultaneously stronger and softer. You should have no problem combing through your hair or rinsing the molasses from your locs. There is no after smell. Enjoy!

Transitioning: Going Natural with Beautiful Earth

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OPTIONS FOR TRANSITIONING
If your hair is processed (permed, texturised, or jherri curled) the easiest way to go natural is to clip off the processed hair and allow yout natural hair to grow back, what we call the 'big chop.' Here is some advice from Keep it Kinky.

You can grow out a few inches and so have a 'TWA' (teeny weeny afro) when you cut your relaxed ends off

You can take your hair as low as you want, so you can choose to not grow it out and just go low

However, we understand that this option is not the easiest for everyone and so braiding is offered as an alternative transition. Braids allow one the ability to grow back ones natural hair without cutting of the processed part all at once. Also braids are very versatile and so you can go through a range of looks while your hair grows out. Check out a list of our prices for braiding services.

Invisible canerow braids

Fluffy twists

You can transition without braids as well. During the transition process of growing out your relaxer you will need to find good natural hairstyles to wear that way you can allow you hair time to rest while it is growing out. Some of the best natural hairstyles for transitioning is two strand twists, flat braids, and Nubian knots. Using protective styles require that you change up and have variety, due to added stress your hair will receive if you stick with just one protective style method.

Two-strand twist

Two-strand twist with flat twists at the front

Please understand: THERE IS NOTHING THAT CAN BE APPLIED TO RELAXED HAIR THAT WILL TURN IT NATURAL. Eventually the processed hair will have to be cut off when you feels like there is enough natural hair to be styled in a manner with which you are comfortable.

[Other options are available for those who may want to go from relaxed to locs and we will discuss these next week in the blog so stay tuned!]

HOW LONG SHOULD YOU TRANSITION?

The length of time that you transition depends on the person, some have opted to transition for up to a year or more, while others do the big chop right away, and others keep their ends trimmed slowly reducing relaxed ends as their natural hair grows out.

Its important to note that the point where the natural hair and the relaxed hair meet is really fragile, so in order to minimize breakage you will need to treat all your hair as if it is natural, this means to avoid pressing out your new growth to blend in with your relaxed ends. It is important that if you decide to transition for 6 months or longer that you will need to start moisturising and taking care of all your hair as if it is all natural, use products that will help in the process.

PRODUCTS TO USE WHEN TRANSITIONING

While you are transitioning it is important to remember that you will need to moisturise, deep condition and use hot oil treatments, which are all important if you want to gain healthier longer hair. At BEAUTIFUL EARTH we offer conditioning treatments to help you transition more easily.

You also want to have products at home that allow you to care for your hair well. So the first thing to do is to look at the product labels, read ingredients on hair care products, make a list of moisture retaining ingredients so that you can purchase products that will maintain your curl definition, provide softness and manageability as well as retain moisture for added length.  

At BEAUTIFUL EARTH we sell and use products with key ingredients such as Jamaican Virgin Coconut Oil, Jamaican Virgin Castor Oil, and West African Shea Butter, all excellent ingredients for growing long hair and maintaining a healthy scalp.

Honey Locs Twisting Butter, 100% West African Shea Butter

100% Jamaican Virgin Coconut Oil, Soft Shiny Hot Oil Conditioner, Anti-Itch Neem Treatment, 100% Jamaican Virgin Castor Oil

It is recommended to try and get the right pH balance in your hair by using aloe vera gel, coconut oil, and a cream-based leave-in conditioner on the hair. The key is to keep the ends from drying out and breaking off. We carry the Blackwood Beauty line of products, which offer Aloe Vera and coconut oil as two of their main ingredients.

Blackwood Beauty's Cactus Gum (leave-in conditioner and water-based moisturiser)

Blackwood Beauty's Palmarosa Cloud Shampoo, with aloe and coconut

The end result should be healthy, beautiful all-natural hair!

100% Jamaican Virgin Coconut Oil: Our Wonder Oil

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THE WONDER OIL 

Coconut Oil is of special interest to us because it has healing properties far beyond that of any other dietary oil and is extensively used in traditional medicine. Only recently has modern medical science unlocked the secrets to coconut's amazing healing powers. Once mistakenly believed to be unhealthy because of its high saturated fat content, it is now known that the fat in the coconut is a unique and different from most all other fats and possesses many health giving properties. Indeed, Coconut Oil has been described as "the healthiest oil on earth." 


Studies in India have been done on how effective various oils are on treating damaged hair. The study compared mineral oil, sunflower oil, and coconut oil. Their results:

The findings clearly indicate the strong impact that coconut oil application has to hair as compared to application of both sunflower and mineral oils. Among three oils, coconut oil was the only oil found to reduce the protein loss remarkably for both undamaged and damaged hair when used as a pre-wash and post-wash grooming product. Both sunflower and mineral oils do not help at all in reducing the protein loss from hair. This difference in results could arise from the composition of each of these oils. Coconut oil, being a triglyceride of lauric acid (principal fatty acid), has a high affinity for hair proteins and, because of its low molecular weight and straight linear chain, is able to penetrate inside the hair shaft. Mineral oil, being a hydrocarbon, has no affinity for proteins and therefore is not able to penetrate and yield better results. In the case of sunflower oil, although it is a triglyceride of linoleic acid, because of its bulky structure due to the presence of double bonds, it does not penetrate the fiber, consequently resulting in no favorable impact on protein loss. [Rele AS, Mohile RB (2003), 'Effect of mineral oil, sunflower oil, and coconut oil on prevention of hair damage,' Journal Cosmetology Science, 54 (2): 175-192.)

At BEAUTIFUL EARTH we use cold pressed virgin Coconut Oil because this process produces oil with the least amount of processing so that the natural vitamin E, antioxidants, and fresh coconut essence are retained. For daily use, virgin cold pressed Coconut Oil will give you the greatest amount of lauric acid for your money. There is the added benefit that this oil is grown and processed in Jamaica!

BENEFITS FOR THE HAIR 
Coconut oil is one of the best sources of natural nutrition for hair. It is one of the oils that help in the lubrication of the hair. It softens the hair and conditions the scalp. It also provides the essential proteins required for nourishing damaged hair.  It is very useful for damaged hair due to its ability to strengthen it and it is also a wonderful oil for dandruff.

The oils and proteins in Coconut Oil work well to help keep hair from losing protein, which is one of the major contributors to hair breakage and hair loss. When used at least two times weekly, in addition to a stimulating scalp massage, it has been found that coconut oil can help to stimulate proper circulation and keep the scalp moisturised. 

HOW DO WE HARNESS THE BENEFITS OF COCONUT OIL? 

This can be done in two ways. First, for people interested in growing their hair longer and thicker, it helps to keep the hair well moisturised and the hair shaft strong. This will prevent breakage of the hair and allow it to grow longer and thicker without looking damaged. It can also be used as a very effective hair conditioner daily, to help keep hair strong and damage-free. At BEAUTIFUL EARTH we retail 100% Jamaican Virgin Coconut Oil and our signature Coconut & Lemongrass Hydrating Oil that clients can use daily to keep their hair strong and itch-free. These products can also be used on the skin because the molecular structure of coconut oil allows for easy absorption through the skin, giving it a soft, smooth texture. It makes an ideal ointment for the relief of dry, rough and wrinkled skin. Psoriasis and eczema suffers often see great improvements in these distressing conditions. We use Jamaican Virgin Coconut Oil in several other products for these very properties, including our Anti-Itch Neem Oil Treatment.  

Anti-Itch Neem Oil Treatment
100% Jamaican Virgin Coconut Oil
Coconut & Lemongrass Hydrating Oil

Second, for those interested in stopping hair loss and encouraging new hair growth, the hair growth benefits of Coconut Oil can be effectively harnessed when used warm with a scalp massage. The massage itself helps to stimulate the circulation of the scalp and hair follicles, which will make it easier for the hair follicles to absorb the valuable nutrients provided by the coconut oil, nutrients which are necessary to re-grow hair. At BEAUTIFUL EARTH we provide the following treatments using 100% Jamaican Virgin Coconut Oil: 

* Coconut Oil Hot Oil Treatment which softens the hair and conditions the scalp, providing the essential proteins required for nourishing damaged hair.

* Honey & Coconut Hot Oil Treatment which provides super hydration and strengthening of the hair.

* Soft, Shiny Hot Oil Conditioning Treatment which saturates the hair with moisture  and benefits naturally fine hair and damaged or dry hair caused by colouring, blow-drying, straightening, or other styling stresses.

* Anti-Itch Neem Oil Treatment to help relieve dry and itchy scalp, dandruff,and the symptoms of scalp psoriasis, as well as giving you silky, shiny, stronger hair.

These can also be used as deep conditioners, depending on the client's needs. Additionally, these products are available for the client to take home and continue the treatment.