Thursday 3 July 2014

Choosing A Shampoo For Oily Hair


Oily or greasy hair can begin to look noticeably stringy and flat, even though it is naturally full. The condition quickly affects one's hairstyle, looks and self-confidence. While individuals with fine hair are most often affected by this problem, it can also affect those with thick, curly hair as well. In addition to causing dandruff, oily hair is a common cause of problems with the skin, such as acne. Ignoring this problem may lead to serious damage to the hair and lead to long term problems. Natural hair products can help once you determine the cause of the oily hair.

Sources of Oily Hair

1. Shampoos: Some shampoos are harsher than others. Some of these harsh products, when used daily actually cause the oil glands to produce additional oil. The more of these products you use, the greater the level of oil the glands sense they must produce to recover the natural moisture lost from the hair.

2. An Oily Scalp: Some people have a naturally oily scalp. The oils from the scalp transfer to the hair. Within the tissues covering the top of the head are sebaceous glands that produce sebum, providing lubrication for both hair and skin. If sebum is over-produced and absorbed by the hair, one can experience this condition.

3. Excess Brushing: Avoid brushing the hair several times daily. While brushing is an important part of maintaining the hair, it also stimulates the production of sebum in the scalp. Brushing moves the oil from the scalp to the hair making the strands oily.

4. Hormones: One's hormone levels also affect the production of hair by the glands. During times of imbalances, such as those occurring when one is going through puberty or pregnant, the glands produce excess sebum. However, once the hormone levels become regulated again, the overproduction stops.


Recommended Procedures to Use


You have no control over many of these reasons for excess oil production. You can control the application of shampoo and brushing. Use of all natural hair products, including organic shampoos instead of those containing artificial chemicals may help to reduce the amount of oil in one's hair.

When shopping for a shampoo for oily hair, look for a sulfate free shampoo or a clarifying shampoo. Apply every other day at most to prevent overproduction of sebum. Some people find a dry shampoo, such as Nioxin to be helpful. It is free of sulfates, and known for its ability to produce shinier, longer and healthier hair.



By Leonardo Clemenza 

Tuesday 22 April 2014

Make Your Hair Naturally Dark And Beautiful At Home

Various colors for people's hair exist today depending on what is trending in the fashion world. Some colors such as pink, red, purple, yellow and brown among others have grown popular with the recent change in fashion. With all these changes, dark colors remain a natural option for many people. Some not blessed with it unfortunately try to figure out how to make their hair dark. However, today there are ways to turn your hair dark without using too many chemicals. Here are some of the ways:


· Coffee does the wonder

This tops the list as one of the best and most preferred ways of darkening the hair. Hair care is essential and if you are not careful, you may harm it and end up looking bad. To go about darkening hair using coffee, all you have to do is brew coffee, let it cool down when it is ready and pouring it in a bowl. Then proceed to wash your hair with the coffee in a shower. After which, you should rinse the coffee out. Use regular hair conditioner and shampoo to wash the hair again and dry it using a towel. After a while, you will see good results as coffee stains the hair giving it a natural dark look.

· Working with black walnuts

Black walnuts are another useful media for making the hair naturally black while at home. Most blonde-haired people use it because of its effectiveness. After cracking the nuts and putting them in a pot of water, you boil them. Later, you lower the heat to let the liquid in the pot cool down. Separation of the liquid from the walnuts follows after which, you can apply the liquid to your hair leaving it for up to thirty minutes. When the time is up, you rinse it in the shower and proceed to wash it with shampoo and air conditioner. Dry the hair with towel and wait for amazing results.

· Cocoa method

Chocolate comes from cocoa and this method is just as yummy as the chocolate. It involves taking a bottle full of shampoo and half emptying it. After this, you add cocoa to the rest of the shampoo in the bottle. Close the bottle tightly and shake the two components to mix them well. When this step is over, you can apply it to your hair and later wash it as often as you do. This is one of the methods with subtle effects on your hair and therefore, it is often recommended for hair with light or medium brown hues. Due to its smell, it makes it one of the most favorite methods for many people.



By Simon M Kate

Wednesday 16 April 2014

Self Defense for Women and Teens in Mall-Use Secret Common Items


I assembled some ordinary items that you may find in your house, your vacation spot, or that you may be carrying in your purse or on your person that you can use as a weapon to fend off an attacker. Before we begin discussing these common items as weapons, I'm going to teach you a basic stance and block. For the stance, Open your legs about hip width, and bend your legs, so that you have greater balance. Tuck your tail bone under you, by rolling the lower parts of your hips and pelvic bone forward. That way he won't be able to knock you off your feet so easily. A block is when you stop someone's hit or strike. Whenever you grab an item in one hand, with the other arm and fist, you are going to hold your arm and fist in a protective manner covering your head and your face. When you strike you are going to keep your hand and your fist up. Your arm is straight and not bent.

There are several reasons for maintaining a protective blocking arm. The first is psychological. An attacker is looking to intimidate you fast. He is also looking for an easy target, to get what he wants in a quick manner. When you are in a defensive posture, right away he might think twice because you do not appear as an easy, and defenseless target. The second reason is that you are actually covering your face and head from his view. You are blocking his vision of where to strike you first. But you can see him from under your arm. You have an advantage. The other more critical reason, is that he might strike first with everything he has. A block will deflect a lot of the power of the hit. It's better to injure your arm then your head or face. Also a blocking arm can be used to push him back.

If you strike him hard enough in a vulnerable point, he could fall forward and crash right into you with his head or body. Better that he makes contact with your blocking arm and not your head, and he won't be able to grab hold of you as he falls. The other reason, if he has a weapon, he is going to attack your head first, because he believes that is the quickest way to intimidate you and gain control. If he knocks you in the head with something hard you are going to be dazed. Use your arm to block from the start and you will have a greater chance of defending yourself. Last a blocking arm can immediately turn into a strike.

Here are some common items that can be used as a weapon: A purse or bag which could include a backpack, or messenger bag, cell phone, hair brush, aerosol spray bottle, pen, small umbrella, heel of your shoe, newspaper or magazine that will be rolled up.

We are going to review all these items to teach you how to use these common items to your advantage against an attacker. I would also like you to point out, that one important weapon is missing, and is deliberately missing and that is any KNIVES. The reason for that is very simple. It's an obvious dangerous weapon that your attacker will definitely use against you if he has the chance. So, I want to show you how to use common items that your attacker won't suspect as weapons, and can hurt him. A knife or any gun is absolutely the last resort defense!

You don't want to give your attacker any ideas, or deadly weapons, that he can turn on you. Bringing a knife into any confrontation heightens a confrontation to a potential lethal fight. Frankly, you don't want to survive a horrible sexual assault attempt, or violent attack and then have a harrowing legal battle, to defend your choice of using a knife. If you killed a man with a knife, the court might not see it as self-defense. If you knocked a man out with a bowl from your cabinet, they are definitely viewing that as self-defense.

I know it sounds a bit crazy, but that is how the legal system can view the use of a deadly weapon such as a knife or a gun. It's the last resort.

So let's begin now. A heavy purse or bag is going to be very effective weapon. The area that you are going to hit with a purse is the groin or nose. Push, or slam the purse right between his legs. If you can do it multiple times, you do it with as much force as you can. If you have long straps, you need to grab the purse real close on the bag, because your straps may tear away, and then you lose your purse or bag and all the contents within. If it's a heavy bag it might be a bit unwieldy. You will maneuver the bag between you and him, in a block of defense. This is what I would do to start.

If you have the bag across you, if you have it draped on one shoulder, you would maneuver in front of you, don't waste time by taking it from across your shoulder. If he is trying to hit you, you can grab the purse and slam it up hard into his nose, this is a great block. Also if he is coming at you with a more deadly weapon, that could puncture skin or stab you, you can put your purse between him and your body to protect yourself from the weapon. Better that a knife or a sharp weapon hits your purse instead of puncturing a vital organ or causes serious harm. You can do this with a few different types of bags, purses or backpacks.

A cell phone. Obviously one of the best helps a phone gives you is your ability to call for help. However you should be aware that you can actually use it as an effective weapon. It's hard, durable and compact. You have it at home, and usually on your person, or in your bag. You are going to take it in your hand like you are holding a bottle of water and you are going to hit hard into the attacker's groin, right between his legs.

Swing hard up into his groin. If you can hit him multiple times aim for the groin, again and again. Hey guess what you can always get a new phone! If he attacks from the back, swing the phone down and into his groin. Even though he may attack you from the back, you will still have your arm up in a defensive block. In one moment he may be attacking from the back and a moment later, he is attacking you from the front, so keep your blocking arm, is still up and ready. If you need a follow up strike your blocking arm is ready to strike.

Also if he is facing you, and he is in very tight, and you don't have room to swing it, hold the phone in both hands by the ends if you can and slam the phone straight into his nose. Hit him multiple times if you can manage it. Hit him hard in the eardrum. If you are holding the phone in one hand, the other arm comes up as a blocking arm. The last resort, drive a straight shot into the side of his head at the (temple area.) That will hurt. If you still have your phone after all of that, and it's still working, keep it as you run and call for help.

My next item is a hairbrush. Brushes come in many sizes and shapes, some with handles and some without. If you can grab a brush without too much difficulty, the brush would be a great weapon, one with a handle can be easy to grab. You can hit him in the groin, nose, knee cap, or side of head (temple area) or eardrum. For the discussion assume that we are hitting, or striking in some of the vulnerable body points, groin, nose, ears, eyes, side of the head, and knee caps.

When you strike the groin a hairbrush, it's a straight shot into the groin, or backwards and downward swing or upward swing into his scrotum. You can use the back or the bristles side, to swing up, like you are swinging a paddle. You can smash it into his nose, or chop downwards into his nose. You can do a straight shot into the temple or into his ear. Another vulnerable spot is his knee cap. You would swing that down firmly like you are swinging a ping pong paddle, down on his knee with the back of the brush. It may break, but that's okay, on to the next. How hard you can hit with a brush? See for yourself. Take your brush and hit the back of it against a hard surface like a chair, imagine if this was the attacker's knee cap.

Now that I have mentioned the hair brush, I also wanted to mention the hair comb or ornate sticks that that can hold the hair up. You will use it in a stabbing motion. That goes into the eye or groin.

Aerosol spray bottle or can. Very simply. Spray it into his eyes. You would also use the spray can just like the hairbrush and swing it upward or downward into his groin. You have to be real careful with an aerosol can, because under pressure it could explode.

A pen or pencil. Use a pen or pencil in a stabbing motion. You can aim for the eyes, groin, or side of the neck like this. Keep the blocking arm up and ready.

Small umbrella. This is a small, compact and light-weight "club." The groin is the best target for this. Swing upward, or downward into the groin; use the end and do a straight line into his groin

You can also open the umbrella into his face, and with his vision momentarily blocked, kick him or knee him in the groin. When he finally gets the umbrella out of his face, you can punch him into his nose. I am pretty sure he won't expect that. Another effective way to use an umbrella is to block a punch, or an intended strike. You can use the closed umbrella to strike down on his wrist if he is lunging at you with a weapon. Keep your blocking arm ready and up.

Heel of your shoe. Step on the top of his foot. Kick your heel backwards into his groin if he is attempting to grab you from behind. Kick front into his groin or knee cap. If you are down on the ground and you can reach his face, kick him in the face. If your heel breaks off in the struggle, or you have a broken heel, from a previous party, stab downward with it just like you did with the pen. Groin, or eye if you can reach. If your shoe is off but the shoe and heel is still intake, take the shoe in your hand and chop downward with the exposed high heel.

With a good solid heel, whether it's high heel or not, or a good solid walking shoe; a good kick in the shin bone, knee cap, or groin is a very painful and effective strike. If you have teenagers or small children, teach him or her about the shoes. The school uniform usually comes equipped with a heavy duty dress shoe to match.

Newspaper or magazine. Both the newspaper and magazine look very ordinary. Don't they? Here we have O Magazine and The New York Times Newspaper. If you use these correctly they can also be a surprisingly effective weapon. By rolling up the newspaper or magazine you now have a sturdy, light club. You can use this as a club just like you did the umbrella. The vulnerable points are the groin, and nose. A hard slap or slam motion into his nose and a thrusting motion with the rolled up magazine or newspaper, into his groin. You can use this to block a strike, or bring it down hard on his wrist as you step out of the way. Hold the rolled up newspaper or magazines with one or both hands and thrust it into his groin. Slap it down hard on his wrist as a block.

These common items you probably have in your purse or you have at one time carried your favorite magazine. Knowing that you can make weapons out of common items, gives you an advantage. If you are being attacked, you have resources. Common items as what I've described above, will not be viewed as a weapon by your attacker. You now will have the element of surprise. I hope that none of you reading are attacked. But be prepared, and things will go better if it does occur. Good luck.



By Katheryn Hoban 

Tuesday 15 April 2014

Wake Up! Look Up! Protect Yourself!


Next time you're out shopping or driving or just walking around the neighborhood, take a good look at what others around you are doing. Most people today spend their time looking down... looking down at their phones. Texting, looking at pictures or videos or calling someone, not paying attention to what's going around them at all.

I've seen groups of teen girls (and boys) walking together, but not even talking to each other, just giggling and texting! Yes, there may be safety in a group, but not when everyone has their heads down, not paying attention to where they are or who else is around. Self-defense is the last thing on their minds.


I remember being taught to keep my head up and notice my surroundings when walking, especially at night or when alone in case danger was lurking. "Walk in the middle of the street or sidewalk, keep away from alleys and gangways, walk fast and confidently, walk with a friend, and keep your keys in your hand with a pointed end out in case you're attacked"-these were some of the things I was taught growing up in a big city.


These simple instructions can keep you safe no matter where you go, whether you're young or old, male or female, living in an urban, suburban or rural area.

Sure, you can still keep in touch with your friends and family via your cell phone, but maybe every now and then, look up and check out what's going on around you. Maybe someone has been watching or following you, maybe someone is out to grab your phone or purse, or worse.

Keep something sharp in your hand, like a self-defense keychain, just in case. It could save your life. Think about other, ordinary, everyday objects that may be used to fight off an attacker-a pen, sharp fingernails, a large ring, a knife, a monkey fist keychain (a cord covered 1"steel ball), pepper spray or a loud personal panic alarm. There are plenty of other non-lethal self-defense products on the market to use. Check them out to see what you would be comfortable using if necessary.

Maybe you live in a "good" neighborhood or shop at a large, safe shopping mall. Don't be fooled. Criminals attack everywhere and any time. Just watch the news. Cell phones and wallets are the most common items stolen from victims. Perhaps you should keep one of your older style cell phones with you and give that one up if robbed. Just don't be caught talking on the latest cell phone and try to fool the thief with the old one. Keep the new one out of sight until it's safe to use it.

Lock your car as soon as you get inside. Carjacking still happens no matter what the neighborhood. Again, the best defense is to be aware of your surroundings and take precautions so you don't become the next victim.

Don't go it alone... talk with your friends about safety and self-defense. Find a way to make it fun & cool.

Christine is the owner of Platinum Security Products, "Providing Peace of Mind in a Crazy World." She helps people feel safer by providing non-lethal self-defense products that are easy to use.

Offering non-lethal self-defense & security products for home, car, and business such as the strongest pepper spray available, discount pepper spray, best stun guns for women, small home safes, Phazzers, wireless home security, kubaton mini batons, affordable stun guns, personal alarms, small hidden cameras, fighting/military DVD's, and more.



By Christine Howatt 

Laser Lipo: The Answer To Noninvasive Liposuction




With winter in full swing, you may find that you begin to put on a little bit of weight. If you are worried about facing that bikini in summer with the lumps and bumps showing, you need to consider noninvasive liposuction. You can easily get your body bikini ready without having to undergo painful surgery.


Noninvasive liposuction will be conducted by using lasers. Contrary to popular belief, this is not a painful process at all. The difference between laser lipo and normal liposuction is that laser lipo does not use the vacuum suction technique. Instead, the laser will send pulses through your body that will generate heat and that will, in turn, begin to melt the fatty deposits. It is not a quick fix solution and will require that you attend more than one session in order for you to see the results. The results will become visible after about five sessions. It is best that you take a 'before and after' photo so that you can truly see what you have achieved. Noninvasive liposuction will help to get rid of not only your fat, but also your cellulite. The treatment will help your body to produce protein collagen that will help to make your skin tighter.

You will be absolutely amazed at the results from laser lipo. There is no need to spend copious amounts of money on getting painful surgery. Instead, you can get the body that you want in a more cost effective way without having to endure the pain that comes along with surgery. Surgery will also require a painful recovery period that you can avoid completely when you choose to get noninvasive liposuction with laser lipo.

How to get perfectly smooth skin

We will do anything to get the perfect body - and that includes sitting through painful waxes in an effort to get rid of unwanted hair. You can avoid these painful trips to the beautician by choosing to go ahead with laser hair removal. Lasers are quickly becoming the most trusted way in which to treat all of the problems that we women experience, such as unwanted hair and cellulite.

Laser hair removal is extremely popular because it produces permanent results. Before you start doing your laser removal, you will have a full consultation. During this consultation, the therapist will be able to determine how many sessions you need in order to completely remove the unwanted hair. This will be determined by the pigmentation of your hair, as well as its coarseness, thickness and the area of the body that you wish to remove it from. There is normally a minimum of five sessions recommended in order to produce the best results.

Laser hair removal works by sending high frequency pulses to the hair follicle. These pulses will make the hair follicle rise in temperature. This heat will help to "kill" the hair follicle permanently leaving you with perfectly smooth skin.

By Kenneth Nel

Tuesday 8 April 2014

The Importance Of Women's Safety


Women's safety has been an ongoing issue ever since the first woman appeared on the face of the earth. Some of this is due to the differences in strength between men and women. In most cases, a man has the ability to overpower a woman, but there is more to the safety of women than that. Lack of values and opportunity also play a role in situations involving emotional, mental and bodily harm to women are involved.

Women should never feel that they are at fault for someone else's actions. This is why it is so important that all women are offered training in ways to protect themselves and ensure their safety.

Available Options

Today's woman has numerous options available to them to help keep them safe. Products like stun guns have been on the market as self-defense weapons for 25 years. It is not unusual to hear people say that having the most powerful weapon is the best defense a woman could have, and that may explain why high voltage stun guns have some popularity.

Truthfully, it isn't the high voltage that stops perpetrators in their track; it is the appropriate amperage that does that. The thing is that not everyone knows that just a single amp has enough power to kill a human. This is the reasoning behind the creation of stun guns that only carry 5 to 8 milliamps. This is more than enough to incapacitate attackers long enough for a woman to escape. This is preferable to causing lasting injury or death.

Women have a number of weapons available to keep them safe today. Pepper spray is sometimes recommended for those who spend time walking long apartment building halls or empty parking lots. These days, keeping women safe may involve more than carrying keys splayed in fingers, and a weapon kept in the purse may be hard to get to when you need it.



What Experts Believe

Women's safety experts often advise women to become well versed in tactics intended to help prevent them from ending up victims of attack. Their recommendations typically include taking self-defense classes, but that is not always sufficient. In reality, one must add layers of defense to their system of protection and gain a level of confidence in the use of each. This still may not be enough.

Women's safety is dependent upon a number of different factors. Although it is desirable to have in mind what you will do when an attack is imminent, there are no guarantees that these tactics alone will fend off attackers. Traveling in pairs or groups is the number one way to ensure a woman can be safe. Since most attacks occur to women who are alone having someone with you to help just makes sense.



By Richard Mongiovi

Wednesday 2 April 2014

How to Get the Faux Glow


Orange is NOT the New Black



Orange is NOT the New Black

Most self-tanners contain dihydroxyacetone (DHA), a colourless sugar that interacts with the top layer of skin to darken it. Unappealing orange tints from a self tanner are often due to a saturation of DHA which can occur when you layer on too much product or when using a brand containing higher levels of DHA than your skin type can handle. To determine how a self-tanning solution will work with your skin, apply a small amount of product to a test area before covering your whole body. Some people tolerate higher levels of DHA than others based on the tone and pH of your skin. Besides avoiding the urge to slather or spray on loads of product, choosing the right formula can also help determine how your tan appears. Use a reputable brand containing less DHA and build up your colour accordingly. Bronze seekers should also go for products infused with erythrulose, a sugar sourced from raspberries to yield longer lasting results and a beautiful golden hue. Some great self tanners, like those found in the St Tropez collection, also contain green pigment to help counteract any orange.

Scrub Up

Exfoliating thoroughly is the single most important step if you want smooth, streak-free colour. The outer layer of the epidermis, which is what the self tanner interacts with, is composed of dead skin cells that only last seven to ten days before they shed. You want to make sure you have an even layer of dead skin cells so that they all tan and slough off together. Go for a scrub that is gentle (think spherical, man-made beads over granular and uneven ones) to avoid irritating the skin prior to tanning. Ideally you should be seeking out an oil-free scrub to avoid creating a barrier between your skin and the tan. Being sloppy with your scrubbing means that some of the skin will begin shedding after only a day or two, leaving you with an uneven patchy finish.

To Hydrate or Not Hydrate Your Skin?

Many experts recommend moisturising before you tan, while others believe that lotion interferes with the DHA and the skin. A good way to avoid the controversy is to use a gradual tan moisturiser prior to your usual tanning product which is formulated to work with DHA without clogging up your pores. Plus, if you miss a spot with the full-fledged self-tanner, you've already covered it with the gradual tanner. Skin should be dry pre-application, but you should use a light layer of oil-free moisturiser or particularly dry areas like elbows, hands, feet, ankles and knees so they don't over absorb colour. Look for products that contain hydrating ingredients such as aloe vera, coconut or avocado oil to help compensate for any dryness. This is a clever fool-proof trick that will solve any dilemmas when it comes to the question of quenching your skin.

Start from the Bottom

Self tanning novices are best off using an easy to control mousse or gel with a wash off cosmetic tint. The advantage here is that you can see what you're doing and you won't miss any spots. For self-tanner veterans, using an aerosol spray is the quickest, most natural option. Start from the bottom of your body and work your way up so that you don't crease the colour when bending.

Shady Lady

To fake cleavage worthy of a Victoria's Secret catalogue, don your favourite push up bra thirty minutes after applying self-tanner. Next use an aerosol spray to contour the M-shaped indentation created by the bra on your decolette. This second coat will make the area appear darker and more defined. Other than this optical illusion, contouring endeavors should be left to the experts to avoid streaky, stripey outcomes. To thin thighs, use a powder body bronzer or long wearing gel to darken the sides of your legs.

VIVA's Top Tanners

For Fair Skin

Creme de la Mer Gradual Tan -Tanning takes on a truly luxurious feeling and is light and subtle enough to compliment a celtic complexion. Tanning rookies can also take part knowing the results will be flawless and even. James Read Liquid Tan in Light - He's the tanning expert to know, spritzing the likes of Rosie Huntington-Whitely and Poppy Delevigne. His Liquid Tan creates a natural, long lasting bronzed finish perfect for those with pale complexions.

Medium Skin Tones

St Tropez Bronzing Mousse - This super lightweight, easy to apply, velvety mousse delivers an ultra-even all-over tan. Infused with aloe vera, it dries in 60 seconds and develops naturally and evenly.

Guerlain Terracotta Sunless Tinted Self Tanning Gel - Packed with Argan oil and essential fatty acids, this light gel formula is deeply hydrating, scented with tiare flower and only takes an hour to develop.

Deep Skin Tones

St Tropez Dark Bronzing Spray - This fine, light weight spray tan is perfect for enhancing darker complexions as well as being incredibly long lasting and fragrance free.

Rodial Brazilian Tan Dark - Containing caramel for a rich chocolate hue, this Rodial product is second to none for 

By Nishchint Yogishwar