Making Lotion Bars for the first time!

In the video above you can see me making my own lotion bars for the first time.  The result turned out pretty good but it smelled more chocolate than lavender ...  (The video is in Swedish).

Itchy scalp – Natural remedies & other tips

Not long after I moved to Australia my scalp started to itch ... a lot! I thought at first that I might not have been so good with washing off the schampoo so I started to be more thorough when washing my hair. But ... the problem did not go away.

I tried new products with less chemicals in them and also tried to pour olive oil and coconut oil all over my head. Did not work ... 

So after a lot of researching and asking around I finally tried one more thing ... apple cider vinegar. I mixed apple cider vinegar with water in a glass and took it with me when it was time to shower. I washed my hair with schampoo and then conditioned the lengths of my hair. While the conditioner were (hopefully) making my ends nice and smooth I poured the apple cider vinegar mix on my scalp the best I could. I waited for about 5-10 minutes and then I washed it off – I didn't wash my roots for too long though, just enough to wash off most of the apple cider vinegar. 

Then I dried my hair and waited ... and I noticed it did not itch as much. I repeated this shower ritual and after a week I could feel a huge difference. IT WORKED. 

 WHY DID MY SCALP ITCH SO MUCH? 

❥ pH levels not balanced?

❥ Too many bad chemicals?

❥ Is the water in Australia not filtered enough?

❥ Am I using too many products after my showers?

❥ Do I have an infection?

❥ Am I allergic to something?

❥ Is it my bed sheets?

Honestly, I can't say for sure what the reason were for my scalp itching as bad as it did but obviously the skin was dry. The apple cider vinegar has anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and anti-fungal properties. 

IMPORTANT: And from what I have read ... the best result will be with the apple cider vinegar that contains "mother", it's supposedly a pulp substance and that's where all the good vitamins and minerals are hidden.

 MY RECOMMENDATIONS 

Remember, I'm not an expert, but this worked for me so I thought I should share it. If you choose to try it on your scalp and hair, please do it at your own risk. I know I'm not inventing the wheel here, I'm sure many of these tips can be read on other pages, blogs and such – and now here on my blog as well.

❥ Please, try not to scratch.

❥ Drink a lot of water daily.

❥ Try another schampoo and preferably as natural and chemical free as possible. 

❥ Avoid too many products close to your scalp. 

❥ Avoid using a hat, wig or a scarf too much if you can. Let the scalp breath.

❥ Brush your hair so the natural oils can spread.

❥ Meditation. Stress and anxiety affects the body and can make your scalp itch.

❥ Make and use natural hair masks once a week.

❥ Try a scalp scrub made with salt, sugar and coconut oil.

❥ Do not wash your hair everyday.

❥ Finish your shower with pouring cold water over you hair, hot water can be damaging.

❥ Apple cider vinegar mixed with water over you scalp after using the schampoo.

❥ Read about it somewhere, not tested it myself yet: Two-three tbsp of baking soda mixed with water makes a good paste to spread on your scalp. Leave it in for 5-10 minutes before you rinse your hair = a natural schampoo that helps balancing those pH levels.

Everything starts from within, make sure to eat healthy and less of the not so healthy stuff – with other words, try to avoid eating too much meat, fried food, candy ... and drinking drinks that have sugar and/or alkohol in it.

BUT ... If nothing of this works I recommend you to go and see an expert/doctor. It's not good having an itchy scalp for too long, it could be a sign that your body is lacking some important vitamin or mineral. Also ... it could lead to baldness/thinner hair.

Good luck!

Face mask – Turmeric and coconut oil

Why this mask? Because it can ... 

• ... clear up your skin from acne breakouts
• ... protect skin from sun damage
• .. have anti-aging benefits

How?
Mix coconut oil and powder turmeric in a small bowl. Apply on your face and wait for at least 15 minutes before washing it off.

Turmeric has many anti-inflammatory benefits, both when it comes to beauty care and as natural medicine. My advice: Make sure to always have it at home!

---

Swedish summary: 
Gurkmeja blandat med kokosolja blir en mjuk ansiktsmask som kan rengöra ansiktet, skydda mot solskador och ha anti-åldrande effekter. Smeta på ett tunt lager över ansikte och hals, låt verka i minst 15 minuter innan du sedan tvättar ansiktet rent. Voila!