Hair and Protein

I've currently switched my No Poo method to a once a week egg and honey mask/wash.  I have curly/wavy hair that is prone to split ends, excess sebum at the roots and dry ends.  
I've heard a mix of reviews from people using protein masks and washes.  Some types of hair seem to do really well with protein and others can suffer side effects from protein or excess protein.
Some popular protein washes are eggs, yogurt, and avocado and mayonnaise.  
Protein treatments are used to strengthen weak and damaged hair. If your hair is already healthy then you can easily over protein your hair.  Side effects of too much protein include; straighter than normal hair with a waxy or straw-like texture, difficult to detangle and often breaks during this process, the hair can be dry and the ends can be dry and rough. 
Different types of hair react differently to different types of protein and regiments.  Often those with very thin hair (baby fine) need protein daily whereas if you have medium coarse hair you may only need protein a few times a week.  If you have really coarse hair then your hair is already very strong and too much protein can cause the hair to be rigid and break easily.

If you'd like to try a protein wash/mask here are 3 great ones below.

Egg Mask:
You can apply this to wet or dry hair.  If you are starting with wet hair it must be cold and not warm or you will cook the egg.  You beat the egg until it is frothy then coat the scalp and all of the hair.  If you have long hair secure it on the top of your head with a clip.  Place a shower cap on top of your head and leave on for up to 20 minutes (I only leave mine on for about 10). You can add honey or other helpful ingredients or essential oils to add scent. Rinse with cold water.

Yogurt:
Massage about 3 Tbsp of yogurt into your scalp and hair. Let it sit for 20 minutes under a shower cap then rinse.  You can use this weekly.

Avocado and Mayo:
Mash 1/2 an avocado with 2 Tbsp mayo.  Apply this mixture through all of your scalp and hair and let sit and rinse out.




Sources:

• http://www.truehairgrowth.com/how-to-tell-if-your-hair-likes-protein
• http://www.curlynikki.com/2011/09/curl-whisperer-on-protein-friend-or-foe.html
• http://7beautytips.com/3-easy-homemade-protein-treatments-for-dry-and-damaged-hair/

"No Poo" Journey Hair Diary

DATE	WHAT I DID	RESULTS
1/5/2015	Regular Wash/Condition+leave in conditioner.	Hair felt normal but scalp was dry.
1/6/2015	Nothing	Itcy and dry scalp, minimal oil.
1/7/2015	Dry shampoo scalp using baby poder in my hair overnight	Not oily but scalp was still dry.
1/8/2015	Nothing	A little oily and itchy but front of scalp still dry.
1/9/2015	Baking Soda/Regular Conditioner	Worked great for removing excess oil from scalp but the conditioner left my scalp oily.
1/10/2015	Nothing	Hair is oily and scalp itchy, dry in front.
1/11/2015	Baking Soda/White Vinigar	Removed excess oil from scalp, a little oil in length of hair but looks good. Scalp dry in front.
1/12/2015	Nothing	A little oily around scalp but not itchy.
1/13/2015	Nothing	Oily and Itchy.
-------------	Lost Data	Lost Data
1/26/2015	BS/ACV and Plopping	Great results, beautiful wavy curls.
1/27/2015	Nothing	Minimal oil
1/28/2015	Nothing	A little oily
1/29/2015	Nothing	Very oily and itchy.
1/20/2015	BS/ACV and Plopping	Again, amazing results!
1/31/2015	Clarifying conditioner only	Made hair a little oily.
2/1/2015	Nothing	Oily and Itchy.
2/2/2015	BS/ACV and Plopping	Great results! Good curls and waves.
2/3/2015	Nothing	Minimal oil
2/4/2015	Nothing	More oil.
2/5/2015	Baby powder near roots to soak up oil.	Improved oily appearance of hair. Scalp still itchy.
2/6/2015	Nothing	Very itchy
2/7/2015	ACV and Plopping	Looks king of oily but really curly.
2/8/2015	Nothing	Minimal oil
2/9/2015	Nothing	More oil and itch.
2/10/2015	BS/ACV and Plopping	Great results.
2/11/2015	Braid at night, BBB, light misting.	Good results, minimal oil.
2/12/2015	Braid at night, BBB, light misting.	Good results, minimal oil.
2/13/2015	Nothing	minimal oil
2/14/2015	Nothing	A little more oil.
2/15/2015	Nothing	Pretty oily and itchy scalp.
2/16/2015	Nothing	Very oily and not so great smelling. :(
2/17/2015	BS and Shea Butter Co-wash + plopping	Looks good but king of oily.
2/18/2015	Nothing	Still a little oily.
2/19/2015	Nothing	Same amount of oil
2/20/2015	Shea Butter Co-wash	Just made my scalp produce more oil.
2/21/2015	Nothing	Pretty oily and itchy scalp.
2/22/2015	BS/ACV+Tea+Plopping.	The tea is hibiscus, elderberry, and black currant and it made me smell like a red pixie stick in a good way.
2/23/2015	Nothing	Oily
2/24/2015	Cocoa Powder	Soaked up excess oil, scalp felt pretty good and it smelled amazing!
2/25/2015	Scritch and Preen and Aloe on dry areas.	I just discovered these maneuvers. This is something I will be continuing.
2/26/2015	Nothing	Minimal oil
2/27/2015	Nothing	Minimal oil
2/28/2015	Nothing	Pretty oily and itchy scalp.
3/1/2015	BS/ACV/Tea Rinse	Red pixie sticks again!
3/2/2015	Nothing	Minimal oil
3/3/2015	Nothing	Minimal oil
3/4/2015	Nothing	More oil.
3/5/2015	Nothing	Pretty oily and itchy scalp.
3/6/2015	BS/ACV+Plopping	Great results! Good curls and waves.
3/7/2015	Nothing	Minimal oil
3/8/2015	Nothing	Minimal oil
3/9/2015	Nothing	Minimal oil
3/10/2015	Nothing	Pretty oily and itchy scalp.
3/11/2015	BS/Mask (Banana, aloe, coconut milk, and egg)+ACV+ Plopping.	Great results, hair feels really good and smells pretty good.  The mixture smells like banana bread, lol.
3/12/2015	Nothing	Minimal oil
3/13/2015	Nothing + Braided hair at night	Minimal oil
3/14/2015	Added oil to ends.	Ends were dry.
3/15/2015	Mask/ACV	Another great result!
3/16/2015	Nothing	Minimal oil
3/17/2015	Added oil to ends.	Ends were dry again.
3/18/2015	Nothing	Minimal oil
3/19/2015	Nothing	Minimal oil
3/20/2015	Nothing	Minimal oil
3/21/2015	Nothing	Minimal oil
3/22/2015	Water Only Wash+Preen & Scritch.	I did a very thourough job scritching and preening prior to my water only washing. During the wash and preeened and detangled.  I was amazed at the results because I'm pretty sure I have hard water and sulfur in the water.  My hair was a little oily but by the end of the night it had soaked it all up.  It looked amazing.  Scalp wasn't as itchy.
3/23/2015	Nothing - Preened and detangled	Minimal oil
3/24/2015	Nothing - Preened and detangled	Minimal oil
3/25/2015	Nothing - Preened and detangled	Minimal oil
3/26/2015	Nothing - Brushed	Oily and Itchy.
3/27/2015	Nothing - Brushed	Pretty oily and itchy scalp.
3/28/2015	Braided and added Tea Tree Oil Blend	Hair is a little oily but the length and ends feel fabulous.  I purchased some tea tree oil from the store.  It's a blend of oils.  So far the itching has subsided from anywhere I applied it.
3/29/2015	Preen & Scritch+Water only watch+Tea Tree Oil.	dry scalp better with tea tree oil - felt nice and sort of dry afterwards.
3/30/2015	Tea Tree Oil at hairline	dry scalp.
3/31/2015	Water Only Wash+Preen & Scritch.	Still slightly oily but refreshed.
4/1/2015	Tea Tree Oil at hairline	A little oily.
4/2/2015	Cornstarch+Cocoa powder near my scalp and tea tree oil blend on my ends. Tied in a bun over night.	Was greasy at the scalp and weighed down.  Ends were dry and tangled. Brushed then treated.
4/3/2015	Braided it and added tea tree oil to ends and front of scalp.	A little greasy but mostly soft.
4/4/2015	Pony-tail and tea tree oil to ends and scalp	A little dry in length
4/5/2015	Braided and added Tea Tree Oil Blend	A little greasy.
4/6/2015	Water Only Wash+Preen & Scritch.	a little oily.
4/7/2015	Cornstarch+Cocoa powder near my scalp and tea tree oil blend on my ends. Braided overnight	pretty good hair day
4/8/2015	Nothing, Braided at night	a little oily
4/9/2015	Detangled and pulled back all day	pretty good hair day
4/10/2015	Nothing - braided	pretty greasy/waxy
4/11/2015	Preen & Scritch + AO with ACV	feels soft but maybe a bit waxy.
4/12/2015	Nothing
4/12/2015	Nothing	a little greasy
4/14/2015	Nothing	more greasy
4/15/2015	Wash w/ Dr. Bronners + ACV rinse and peppermint oil.
4/16/2015	Nothing
4/17/2015	Nothing
4/18/2015	Nothing
4/19/2015	Wash w/Cocoa and Cornstarch + Shea Co Wash and Vinegar Rinse w/cold water and plopping.	Great results! Good curls and waves.
4/20/2015	Nothing
4/21/2015	Nothing
4/22/2015	Nothing	Greasy in the back and top a little
4/23/2015	Wash w/Cocoa and Cornstarch and Vinegar Rinse w/cold water and plopping.	greasy on the ends and back
4/24/2015	Nothing	kind of greasy
4/25/2015	Nothing	Really greasy all over
4/26/2015	Egg and Honey mask/wash	Felt like "real hair."
4/27/2015	Nothing	Great
4/28/2015	Nothing	Great
4/29/2015	Nothing	Starting to get oily.
4/30/2015	Nothing	A little oily
5/1/2015	Cocoa Powder and Cornstarch - Shea live in conditioner. Plopping	Super curly and not oily but very shiny.
5/2/2015		curly and shiny
5/3/2015	Went Swimming in chlorinated pool
5/4/2015	Egg and Honey mask/wash	Felt great a little dry on ends
5/5/2015	No wash
5/6/2015	No wash
5/7/2015	No wash
5/8/2015	Cocoa powder and Cornstarch dry
5/9/2015	No wash	Itchy
5/10/2015	no wash	Really itchy
5/11/2015	Egg and Orange Blossom Honey Mask/Wash + Plopping	Great results! Good curls and waves.
5/12/2015	No wash
5/13/2015	No wash
5/14/2015	No wash
5/15/2015	Cocoa powder and Cornstarch Wash and Shea Butter CoWash Rinse + plopping.	Great, super curly results!
5/16/2015	No wash
5/17/2015	No wash
5/18/2015	Honey and Shea butter co-wash+plopping
5/19/2015	No wash
5/20/2015	No wash
5/21/2015	Shea Butter Co-wash + plopping
5/22/2015	Nothing
5/23/2015	Nothing
5/24/2015	shea moisture shampoo and leave in conditioner.	Just like regular shampoo/conditioner
5/25/2015	Nothing

Natural Antibiotics

While there's no doubt in anyone's mind that the discovery of penicillin in 1928 was ground-breaking.  Antibiotics are truly a marvel of modern medicine. These wonder drugs caused a rapid decrease in the number or bacterial infections leading many to believe that the threat from bacterial infections was now over.

By 1940's the use of antibiotics was so widespread that people soon forgot about the natural remedies of the past.  This change in thinking lead to the abuse and overuse of antibiotics creating antibiotic resistant super bacteria like TDR tuberculosis and MRSA.
While antibiotics are great for killing harmful bacteria they are unfortunately also great at killing healthy bacteria as well.  The overuse of antibiotics has caused an epidemic of people steadily developing a compromised digestive system and a variety of autoimmune diseases often due to an imbalance in the intestines even leading up to leaky gut syndrome.
According to the journal Microbiology "Even a short course of antibiotics can lead to resistant bacterial populations taking up residence in the gut that can persist up to 4 years - maybe even longer." You should think twice before taking that course of antibiotics.  You should think about how it will affect your body, if your body really needs this help or if it can fight the infection on it's own.
There is a great wide variety of natural antibiotics you can try before going the prescription route.  Below is a chart of the natural antibiotic and what it works for.

Name	Use	How
Oregano Oil (Origanum vulgare or Thymus capitatus)	Foot or Nail Fungus	Put a few tsps.. of oregano in a small tub of water and soak feet.  The oil can also be diluted (1:1 with Olive oil) and directly applied.
	Parasites & Infection	Dilute 1:1 with olive oil and place under tongue. Hold it for a few minutes then rinse out.  Repeat 4x per day.
	Sinus Infections	Put a few drops in a pot of steaming water or neti pot and inhale the steam.
Cayenne Pepper (Capsicum)	Vulvovaginitis, anti-fungal, antibiotic, strep throat	Dilute throroughly
Colloidal Silver	Antibiotic, swimmer’s ear, skin infections	Gargling, topical, do not consume
Grapefruit Seed Extract (GSE)	Antibacterial,warts	Do not consume commercial GSE
Garlic	Kills pathogens, bacteria, fungus, and viruses. Chelations, Promotes growth of healthy gut microflora (prebiotic), prevents fat oxidization, antioxidant, protects against radiation and sunlight, fights worms & parasites, and contains many nutrients.	1 clove:1-2 Tbsp cold pressed olive oil. Made into ear drops Eaten
Ginger	Antibiotic effect against food borne pathogens like salmonella, listeria, and campylocacter. Increases stomach acid production and calm indigestion.	Eat raw and/or pickled ginger after any questionable meals or when you have indigestion.
Olive leaf Extract	Elenolic acid – broad spectrum antibiotic and inhibits the growth of bacteria, viruses, and fungi	2 500mg capsules (20% oleurpoein) 3-4 times per day. With meals.
Turmeric	Anti-inflamatory, effective against Helicobacter pylori in gastroduodenal ulcers.  Heals and resolves damage.	400-600mg 3 times per day
Echinacea	Antiviral, antibacterial	300mg 3 times per day (900mg/day)
Manuka Honey	Antibacterial, MRSA, MSSA, VRE, Helicobacter pylori	Wound dressing
Pau d’ Arco	Candida, antibacterial, antifungal	Herbal tea

 This is just a modest list of natural ways to prevent the use of prescription antibiotics.  I'm allergic to penicillin so I favor any natural remedies that work. I've listed some other foods/supplements that are good for fighting illness.

 

• Yogurt
• Honey
• Cinnamon
• Onions
• Bone Broth
• Cranberry Juice or extract
• Zinc lozenges

 

Sources:

• http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/how-to-use-best-natural-antibiotics/