Its been a while since I posted any thing some I have some interesting thoughts on beauty most recent how to be Divalicious on a budget. Since the summer is winding down and the fall fashions are coming out I thought I would talk about how to preserve your sexy as Puffy would say. But also how to do for less. I love expensive potions and lotions but my budget busts trying to fit all of in and keep up with the trends gets to be taxing and expensive. So bump the trends and lets get back to basics. Everyone give it up to my sister Shanelle who recently bought her first big girl skin care regime. HAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY:) She bought the line including the night cream from Boscia www.sephora.com. Which leads be to my first point, find a skin care regime that fits your skin type and concerns that you like and stick to it in the long run you will save money and your skin will thank you from the consistency. My picks LUSH skin care I currently use the Angles on Bare Skin and the the Eau Roma Water Toner and Imperials moisturizer this can be found at http://www.lushusa.com/ and or at most Macy's in the Twin City area. If that is not your price point let me suggest Cetaphil cleanser, witch hazel, and Cetaphil daily moisturizer that can be found at any drug store. Another drug store treasure is Cerve cleanser and moisturizer. Just recently on a trip to Target I came across this product line Boots and there is a full array of products some with botanical and also organic skin care I suggest the Boots original formula.www.boots.com. For body use coconut oil, and this can be an all over moisturizer as well as a night cream it does wonders check out your local coop for a jar. Lastly, our hair if your relaxed, braided, or natural here are a few products that your wallet will thank your for. Skip the shampoo apply coconut oil as a pre wash and or apple cider vinegar mix. mix 1 part water and 1 part apple cider vinegar. Trader Joe's Nourish conditioner great for dry hair. What I love these days are the Lush Rehab shampoo and Coolaulin Conditioner these two together fabulous. Lastly some honorable mention products Noxzema skin cream yes in the blue jar and also St. Ides apricot scrub.

Cucumber Cleansing Lotion | Toners/Astringents - Mario Badescu Skin Care

Cucumber Cleansing Lotion Toners/Astringents - Mario Badescu Skin Care

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Great for combating acne break out and keeping your skin fresh, I 'm happy to announce that Mario Badescu products can be found at local Ulta the one in Rosedale has the complete line including body care products.

Bee Pollen Night Cream | Night Creams - Mario Badescu Skin Care

Bee Pollen Night Cream | Night Creams - Mario Badescu Skin Care

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BREAKING NEWS

THIS IS JUST IN: KIMBLE HAIR CARE SYSTEMS IS AT TARGET MIDWAY. THIS IS GREAT NEWS BECAUSE THIS IS ANOTHER HAIRCARE SYSTEM CREATED FOR OUR HAIR BY AN AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMAN. FOR MORE INFORMATION CLICK ON THE LINK www.kimblehaircare.com. Stay tuned for product reviews and also hair care tips.

instuctions

Click on the link that says Janelle's Beauty to read more about Diva Curl hope you enjoy.

Janelle Beauty - Hair Care, Makeup, Face Cleansers, Skin Care, All Natural Pure Beauty Products. - Janelle Beauty Smooth KIT - Celebrity Edition

Janelle Beauty - Hair Care, Makeup, Face Cleansers, Skin Care, All Natural Pure Beauty Products. - Janelle Beauty Smooth KIT - Celebrity Edition




I'm so excited to share this product with you all is one of my favorites. This is the secret to my relaxed look when my hair is out of braids. If your going natural I would recommend this product. If you need a break from your relaxer I would recommend this product If your trying to wein yourself from relaxing your hair and you want to stretch your relaxer this is the product for you.

For other ideas,styles, how to's and products log on to www.missjessies.com and if you looking for a professional and your in the Twin City area log on to www.malobe.com 915 W. Lake Street Minneapolis, Minnesota 55408 Ask for Bessie.

Sunday Goodies

I know that Sunday is a rest day for the majority of us after eight o' clock and eleven o'clock services at our places of worship but for some of us its the day that you get a really good meal. My Dad always makes a desert on Sunday to top off his fabulous meals. Sunday represents the day that I break out one of my masks. Recently I have gotten into the hobby of making body butters, mask, hair tonics and such. So I share with you some recipes to make your own. About a week ago I came back from Vegas and I noticed that my scalp felt tight so after I washed my hair I mixed this up and my scalp has been moisturized all week no other moisturizer needed. Here is the recipe and a few others happy mixing.

Honey and Apricot and Avocado Hair Treatment

2 table spoons of honey
1 tablespoon of apricot oil
1 table soon of avocado oil

Mix well and apply to your scalp then wrap your head in saran wrap or a conditioning cap and sit under a hair dryer for 20-25 minutes rinsing your hair is optional. If you rinse, rinse your hair with cool water and style as usual.

Avocado and Egg Conditioner

1 avocado
1 egg
1/2 of an oil of your choice I like to use avocado,almond with a little vitamin e and omega 369

this next ingredient is optional but it works: 8 oz of very strong tea for example go to your local coop and buy a loose leaf tea such as rosemary nettle proven to grow hair. Seep tea for about 30 minutes and add to the ingredients above. Mix well use a blender to make the mixture smooth and apply to your hair. Sit for 15-20 and rinse. After this conditioner you should mix a clarifyer such as apple cider vinegar and spray on to your hair and or a lemon rinse. Mix apple cider vinegar/lemon and water in equal parts.

Lastly my absolute favorite Avocado Mask for oily to normal skin

1 egg white
1 teaspoon of lemon
1 avocado

Place all ingredients into a blender and in a matter if seconds you will see a lovely green mixture don't mix too much. Place in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes so that it will cold. Apply to your face and relax with it on for about 20 minutes rinse off and apply a astringent and or skin tonic of your choice and follow with a moisturizer of your choice.


Let me know in the comments how these worked for you or if you have a recipes to share.

EXCITING NEW PRODUCTS

I nearly fell of my chair when I saw this product so of course I had to order it, the name alone piqued my interest. What I love the most is its a product invented and created by a African American Woman the ex-wife of rapper/actor Will Smith. Sheree Fletcher who is now remarried has created a body butter inspired by the movie The Secret Life of Bees. What was so eye catching was the ingredients used for this body butter 99% natural and used with white honey. White Honey you ask? Here's the break down on white honey is an un heated, untreated, pure raw honey from Northern Canada. The Honey is removed from the bees without the use of chemical repellents. The result is a white creamy and thicker consistency textured goodness that is luxurious and kind to your skin. Honey is a natural healer and and very emollient and therapeutic for the skin. The name of the product is called WHOOPASH and the web site is so cute check it out and support this sista at www.whoopash.com. Stay tuned for my review I can't wait to try it.

Another African American beauty company on the rise is Kissable Couture by Keisha Whitaker beautiful wife of Forest Whitaker. Her line of Lip Glosses are beautiful and formulated for women of color. There is a boutique in the Twin City area called Lady Slipper Boutique 4940 France Ave Edina, Mn. 952-240-4719 that sells it so worth it my favorite because I love a nude lip is First Lady inspired by our very own Michelle Obama. Or if you not in the Twin City area log onto www.kissablecouture.com LOVE THIS PRODUCT again support this sista.

What do you think?

Hello all,

I wanted to post something to get your opinions, all I think about these days is this blog and how to expand it. Would you prefer to have a shopping cart on a web site to order the top African American beauty brands, orgainc and natural lines and rare perfumes and would you actually purchase them or would you rather go pick up an item in a store? Please let me know your thoughts in the comment section.

Thanks
Leah

Blind Beauty

Do you believe beauty can come in all forms or fashion? I was so deeply moved by watching Hawthorne on TNT starring Jada Pinkette-Smith my she-roe since Lena James on A Different World. The show was excellent and I encourage you all to watch Tuesday nights at 8:00. One of the characters on the show was a beautiful woman very smart and caring that I would describe as a J-Lo type. There was EMT working with her in the hospital who was actively courting her and she kept turing her down for dates. At one point she said no you don't want to go out with me because I am damaged goods. Wow, that blew my mind damaged goods and in that moment I related to her because often I felt that same exact way. For me I had a great father who was present in my home and he provided for me and my sister and we never lacked for anything. Most important he modeled how a man treats a woman and he treated my mother like she was a the most important woman in the world. Together they raised my sister and I to value and to love God, be kind, honest, and to save our money. But what I walk away from the lessons that my Dad taught me was that he loved me unconditionally and supported me through out my mistakes no matter what. I was a difficult kid to raise mainly because I have attachment issues from being adopted at 5 months old. My parents loved me hard and made me feel very secure and had other people in my life who did they very same things like my God Parents. But I never believed that any one could ever truly love me even though I knew that people did. I felt like I was the poor little adopted girl that people just had to love. SO many times I would do things sometime horrible things to challenge my parents and test so to speak their love. Praise Jesus, the loved me anyhow and so did my sister. In high school, I never put myself out there to have boyfriends and such, but one day I met this young man who was a little bit older than me who showed me this same unconditional type of love, I didn't know quite what to do with it he was the most loving, caring real person that I ever been privileged in knowing, and what is so deep other people could tell his love for me. To refrain from being like Superhead I will not name names but I will reveal initials LOL. If you know me you know who he is any way. My behavior was much of the same the more I pushed TSP away the more he loves me. Then one day I pushed too far however in my mind I just knew he would be there because he told me that he would and then had the nerve to say that "I needed to live some and then come back"LOL, I did live my life made some mistakes however we never re-connected in fact I found out on Facebook that he got married. So, I'm happy for him his wife is very lucky. But I thought about him when I was watching Hawthorne because the EMT never gave up. During a crisis in the hospital a patent went crazy and had a knife and stabbed the character with the prosthetic leg in the thigh, she stood there not in pain, no blood running down her leg and embarrassed because now her secret is out in front of him. He says to her I guess that I'll bring over the scapulae when I pick you up for our date. I just about fell of of the couch she then tells her friend played by Jada Pinkette-Smith that she had a date and that this is the first man who did run she seemed hopeful and excited. When he comes to her home and she opens the door he hands her a jar a scapulae with a bow on top and the camera pan to the full body view and she is standing there with a beautiful dress on with her prosthetic leg out and he tells her how beautiful she looks. Okay yall, I cry at stuff like and the tears started to flow because it was so beautiful then I thought about how when someone really likes, love and thinks that your beautiful it shows in their eyes. That exchange so deeply beautiful I still think abut it smile. So I go back to my original thought is there beauty in all shapes and fashion I believe so. Let me know your thoughts in the comments.

Correction

the web site for the satin sakks is www.satinsakks.com check it out:)

BRAIDS

Braids have been a hairstyle of choice for many of us since we were toddlers. Since we are approaching summer in about a week here are some tips if you decided to wear your hair in braids. Many styles and many braids professionals but here are some things to keep in mind when you decided to braid your hair.
Style: The style you pick is very important, watching re-runs of Living Single I have admired and liked Max's braids. Boy could she rock that bob like no other. If your face can handle it ware it. Then I think about about the dance hall star Patra yall remember her, her braids were off the chain. I wonder if she could dirty wine with those braids in her hair. I think the most famous braids are Susan Taylor's who has wore her style since I was 10. When picking your style keep your hair texture and hair pattern in mind. Some braid professionals braid very tight and tension alocpecia can occur around the hair line in the front, crown and also the back. I prefer micro braids because they are the most versatile for me. But there are box braids, corn rows, kinky twist, individual braids and the list goes on. Just make sure it fits your face hair type and texture.

Up keep: Make sure your relaxer is in its 6-8 week before your put braids in your hair to keep your healthy and to prevent breakage. If you choose a smaller braid style like micro braids do not keep them in over 6 months. Its wise to take them out at the 3-4- month mark. The hair that you choose is important picking a medium to premium grade human hair is best. The synthetic hair will look like a hot mess. Yeah I am bias I like the human hair, some braid shops offer a pretty decent grade but if your picky select your own hair and inch. Its okay to maintain your scalp health while you have your braids in however refrain from using shampoo and other styling products that will build up on your scalp and also it will create a dirty ring around where the ball of were the hair is connected to the braiding hair. You will be in shock when you take you hair down and it will cause breakage. Try: rinsing your hair with a clarifer such as an apple/vinegar cider and water mix. When you mix it mix it in equal parts and spray and or apply to your hair and the rinse with warm water. After you apply this on your scalp find a deep conditioner of your choice I like to use coconut oil and then sit under a hooded dryer for 25-30 minutes rinse your hair with cool water and style as usual. I also like to use Carols Daughter leave in conditioner Tui and Tui oil. Okay here goes here's my secret I use a satin wrap called satinsaak and it can be found at www.satinsaak.com. This will keep you braids looking fresh until you take them out.

Take down: saturate your braids in a conditioner of your choice and sleep with a conditioning cap over night and then take them out. If you don't have enough patience you can go to your braid shop and have them take them down for about 40.00 but do not skip the conditioning part it is very important. If your local here are a few braid shops I recommend LaDiva on Western and University and Malobe on Lake Street. On the radar MBA braids on Rice street. If you know of a good braid shop leave the name and in the comments section.

BLUSH AND NUDE LIPS

Since I'm at home chillin with a bum hand all of my creative juices are flowing. When I was a little girl there was a beautiful lady at my church named Shug and no not Shug Avery. Anyway Shug had her hair feathered with a part and feathered in the back almost like Farrah Fosett but African American but wait........ she looked like Natalie Cole in one of her early album covers. What I remember most about Shug is that she wore the latest fashions smelled good and always had on blush and glossy lipstick. The blush, I think every black women used this and appled their cheek and then blushed it up into the hair line at least that's what I saw my mother do. Seriously, some looked like clowns and some looked like they should have been standing on the corner trying to sell it. Wowsa, black women have had a love hate relationship with Blush. There are some things to keep in mind while picking your shade and applying blush. I recently became excited about blush again since NARS came out with Orgasm a few years back. I loved the shade and that I works well with all shades. Then I went to the MAC counter where my artist Jen hooked me up with a few more shades. On a shopping trip with my friends I did notice that my friends gravitated to the blush and it looked so good on them. So here are my picks for Blush according to light, medium, and dark.



It is easier to tell you what not to do while applying blush than how to apply it here goes: Do not apply close to the nose, on the apples of your cheek this technique too much, and in a C around the eye and please do not use bronzer as blush.



*The best tip: Apply blush before all other make up for the best results and the most natural look. This technique gives you the well rested, glow and pop look. My favorite blush brush is MAC 116 the best.



Dark/Deep tones: The most flattering shades for deep and dark skin tones are plums, currants, mauve's and pinks. My picks MAC Pinkswoon, MAC Mineralized Blush in Love Joy and Gleeful. These can be found at http://www.maccosmetics.com/. Nars Super Orgasm, http://www.narscosmetics.com/, and Smashbox soft lights this one is so beautiful you won't stop looking at yourself in the mirror. This is a illuminating formula that compliments any skin tone. http://www.smashbox.com/.



Medium skin tones: The flattering shades for medium skin tones are plums, mauve's, pinks, coral and peach shades. If you fix in this category try: MAC Dolly Mix, Coppertone, Melba. www.maccosmetic.com.



Light skin tones: The flattering shades for light skin tones are coral, apricot, pink and gold. Try MAC CoyGirl, Tenderling http://www.maccosmetic.com/. NARS Super Orgasm and Soft Lights http://www.narscosmetics.com/.



What I'm most excited is a new make line by an African American Women is Color by Cynde Watson http://www.hsn.com/



These are so fabulous there lip pencils that are so creamy and silky that go on so effortlessly and look soooooooo good. These pencils create the perfect nude lip and you can mix and match the colors and it comes in a convenient case and sharpener. My pick would be the Nude Collection and I'm ordering the Pink Lip Color Lip Kit soon these pencils are absolutely fabulous and so easy to use. Smashbox has a similar product the Nude Lip Pencil love these paired with Untamed Lip gloss. These pencils compliment any skin tone and shade. We all can use them. Let me know what you think of these picks in the commet box. Oh, before I go this is Divalicious its a perfume atomizer that you can carry in your purse made of chocolate crystals by Brown Sugar by Justine Simmons simply FABU. http://www.hsn.com/

Win a product of your choice

The person who sends the most referrals to Leahlovesbeauty.blogspot.com wins the product of your choice mentioned in the Summer Essential Post. Now throgh 7/3/09.

Summer Essentials part 2

Mascara

Lo real extra volume collagen very nice and easy to use and it does what it says.

Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes a green product and it is like a push up bra for your lashes coupled with Bottoms Up Lower Lash Mascara both can be found at wwww.sephora.com The beauty industry is all in the rage for the Cover Girl Lash Blast don't see the hype. Try at your own risk.

Ending this post with my favorite new buy it is Pacifica Mexican soap and body butter both can be found at Whole Foods or http://www.pacificaperfume.com/. My sister and I went to Cancun, Mexico maybe about 5 years ago and for breakfast on the buffet this amazing Mexican Hot Chocolate. When I smelled the fragrance of this body butter and soap took me there. It lasts all day, so the next day I went back to Whole Foods and bought the Malibu Lemon Blossom because I love the smell of citrus and this one is so exotic and fresh I absolutely fabulous. All comments are welcome and forward to 2 friends.

Summer Essentials

With the summer heating up I thought I would break down of some essentials that will keep you feeling fresh,confident, and will bring your inner Diva out. To begin lets start with underarm protection.



If you shave, wax, or thread your underarm hair here are some pick that will leave your underarm smelling fresh and dry no matter of the climate. Personally, I wax in the summer months. All of these deodorants I have tried at some point or another. Deodorants are important especially for women's health because of the correlation to chemicals found in commercial brands to breast cancer, swollen lympnodes under the arm and allergens. There are lots of formulas to choose from hopefully there is something foe everybody.



Lavanilla has four new exciting deodorants these can be found at Sephora http://www.sephora.com/. This is a healthy deodorant non of the harmful chemicals and these have amazing scents. Pure Vanilla, Vanilla Coconut, Vanilla Lavender, Vanilla Grapefruit.

Lavalin Underarm Cream this one I truly love you can find it a Mississippi Market, Whole Foods and at http://www.microBalanced.com/. This cream last for up to seven days and you need very little of it. This one requires that you detox your underarms for 48 hours. This deodorant is micro balanced and is natural and considered a green product which I love. It stands the test through workouts, showering, bathing, sweating during the night.

Dove Clinical Strengths if you cant break away from the commercial brands Dove can be found at mass retailers such as Target, Walgreen's, and CVS. With this one you can skip a day and it comes in various scents.



Sunscreen is very important and especially for our skin 15SPF or higher. Be careful of sunscreens that have Zinc in them and Oxide. These cause breakouts and that chalky white look not a good look on dark skin. The best way to use sunscreen is if you mix it in the moisturizer of choice and also finding a good moisturizer with sunscreen in them.



Aveeno Active Naturals found at mass retailers

OceanPotion spf 5 http://www.drugstore.com/

Kiss My Face face factor face and neck spf30 Target and Whole Foods

Hope in a Jar spf45 http://www.sephora.com/ and Macy's

Rx for Brown Skin Protect and Defend love this one specially created for women of color http://www.sephora.com/

Bare Escentials spf30 Natural Suncreen my personal favorite because you can use it all day long because it is in a powder form great if you wear mineral make up. http://www.sephora.com/



Mascara my favorite here are a few picks



Loreal bare naturals this is a good everyday mascara and it looks so beautiful and natural. This one is made with jojoba oil vitamin e and aloe very good for sensitive eyes and if you wear contacts.

What is beauty?

The pending question that always burns my brain is what is beauty. I never thought that I was a beautiful woman by society standards. However my parents and especially my Dad always said that I was beautiful, I never could comprehend that because socially it was said that I was ugly, skinny, and had short hair. No body else had dark skin I'm thinking in my mind and virtually I had no beautiful role models with dark skin except my homeboys mom Peggy she was about my complexion and she was beautiful. So as I age into my teenage hood in the back of my mind the beauty thing comes up again. So I try to be everything but beautiful, I create my own style of dress that has been perfected over the years to Divafied funk in stellitoes LOL. However in the 9Th grade the finest boy in the class Mr. P. Ray said to me " Your so beautiful I love your dark skin" WHAT! I flash back of what I was taught at home popped very briefly in my mind. But my skin color tone and texture is still controversial at this time. Even with Roshumba, Naomi and my favorite Alex Wek in the media. Okay 1992 comes around and I'm set to graduate by this time I'm confident, have pretty good self esteem I like the way that I look but I have no date to the prom. Due to in large by going to a predominately white school in Shoreview. I choose to blame it on this. Now I'm friends with the other black person lol (just friends nothing else) and in my mind I crafted that hum......wouldn't it be fun to go to prom with him? So I waited, and waited to see if he would ask. He never did- here is the part where my beauty and skin color come into play in my mind. He says I would have asked but I feel that its more important for me to fit in. Yall, he did ask a woman of color so I can't trip hard but the chick was Asain I think as a substitute for a light skin African American she was the next best thing but no where near as cute as me in my red dress. That experience left me a little distressed because it shocked me that he would have no alliance towards me a sistah or that I was not considered based on my color. So now I go off to college and thanks to Lauren Hill my look is in CULTURE SHOCK. At last, I became the pretty girl. But still in the back of my mind struggles with what is beautiful. So I attempt to be flawless. Perfect hair and when I came home I went to my hairdresser Greg at Salon 1014 to hook my hair up in the most different trend setting styles so much that a lunch lady asked me if I had a wig sittin' on the top of my head. I began to focus on my outside and neglecting my insides and boy that was work and not to mention that I felt like a sell out because I was a one dimensional woman and that contradicted everything that I stood for all because of my pretty attention. Now, these are the things that I know I am intelligent, I love God and his light shines through me, I'm caring, compassionate, and giving. Along the way I have struggles with my self perception and God used people to give me clarity. So no matter what beauty is on the outside I firmly believe it begins on the inside in stages, seasons and through heart break, revaluations and resilience. What is beauty to you your comments are welcome. Before I go my pickes for the month: aloe vera gel at Whole Foods, Iman bronzer beautiful, and almond oil can be found at any coop.

So much beauty to cover where do I start. Well since it is spring lets start with body care a few things to remember to get your body back to that healthy glow. Start with exfoliating your skin this is a simple process but it does take time. Use a salt or sugar scrub that you like. My pick Carols Daughters Salt Scrub any scent. It doesn't get any better than this scrub. Its perfect for that night out and you want to look radiant. To keep your healthy glow during the spring/summer months use a oil after you shower here's a couple of suggestions avocado oil, coconut oil, and almond oil(LOVE) combined with the water from your shower after a few pats rub this in and your skin will look sun kissed, healthy, and will have that glow. On a recent MAC shopping spree with friends I was hipped to the mineral line(LOVESIT) Currently I use the Minealized skin finish in natural very soft and a very beautuiful soft powder and great for deep skin tones. I noticed my friends gravatated to the eyeshadow and the blush. My favorite thing this week is the Pysicans Formula Organic Wear mascara and Sally Hansens Natural Butter Lip Shine in Lush, Sally Hansen Comfort Shine Lip Glaze in clear. Before I go I make salts give me a holler at leahstpl@msn.com if you want a jar.

you must get this

Hello All,

I wanted to tell you about my latest and greatest product. I have been battling acne since about 11 years old and have tried many lotions and potions. Everything from bending over my Auntie Barbra's knees and her picking out my black heads with a serialized bobby pin:) to high end garbage from a well known "African American" dermatologist. Any way I found out at 34 what works. These products are the truth along with diet and exercise lets not forget that. Mario Badusco products. I surf beauty blogs like I'm getting paid(not) and this product lines keeps coming up. SO I gave it a try first with the Glycolic Acid Face Wash(love) and I had a few samples of a couple of moisturizers the buttermilk moisturizer and the collagen moisturizer. Still on the fence with the moisturizers I am faithful to my Hope in a Jar to me nothing is better. Any way the the stuff that made me fall in love was the Special Healing Powder. Okay this stuff will have your skin looking flawless and it will improve your skin in any condition at the time I have a mild breakout on my forhead like I am 14. I wear it under my make up and I swear I haven't seen my skin look like this since I was 10 minus the tiny crows feet:)Okay this powder is blended to heal existing acne and prevent acne it is magic flawless dust. For more information go to http://www.mariobadescu.com/ You can find these products at Nordstroms in the Mall of America.

DRY HAIR

Hello all its been a while since I posted anything. The Holiday and New Year has been very busy for me. During this harsh winter season I have noticed a change in my hair so this post is dedicated to dry hair. What I have found is that you have to find a conditioner to fit your hair type. To find out more about your hair type log on to http://www.healthytextures.com/ Very helpful to help you figure out what your hair type is. What has been helpful to me is adding a booster so to speak to my conditioner like coconut and avocado oil to my conditioner. For the last 7-8 months I have used a Dominican Hair conditioner called 10en 1 the bomb yall . You can find this conditioner at Variety Beauty Supply on Lake street in Minneapolis. Other wise you can go to http://www.roundbrushhair.com/ This site has a full array of Dominican Products. But going back to the avocado oil and coconut oil, when I wash my hair or go into the shop I add these oils to my conditoner for an added boost. The befits are that the oil conditions the scalp and promotes hair growth and your hair will become softer and manageable. What I like most about oils is that is conditions from your hair shaft to the tip. Sometimes I skip the conditioner all together and pre-condition with an oil. Shampoos can be tricky since we all have been convinced to clarify, shampoo,re-shampoo with all the lather. What I have found is that this is damaging for your hair and the lather of the shampoo strips you scalp and hair of essential oils that are necessary for our hair to grow, shine, and to be manageable. Instead look for shampoo that will not lather or have harsh chemicals that will wreak havoc on your scalp and hair. On my list of Leah's Favorites there are a few companies that have shampoos that are great and are nourishing for the hair. The one I really like is from the company Oyin Handmade. Sometimes I use a conditioner as a Shampoo this has helped me alot when my scalp becomes dry in the winter. Okay from the inside out to combat this is very important omega oil, fish oil supplements and also eating foods with this fatty acid in it such as fish, almonds, and green leafy vegetables. Also in addition to lots of water. A few picks of conditioner ideas. 10 en 1, Mario Badiusco conditions can be found at Nordstroms, avocado oil, coconut oil can be found at your local health food store and last but not least shea butter. For deep condoning its best to use a steamer instead of heat at times heat dehydrates the hair. But just using a plastic cap or saran wrap helps deep conditioners the hair the heat from your body is sufficient in most cases. Leave in conditioners still on the fence with this concept. To keep you ends in tip top shape use an oil just on the ends to seal moisture. Let me know some of your favorite conditioners and tips for dry scalp and hair.