5 BAD HAIR & SKIN HABITS TO DITCH IN 2017

Hey guysss!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!! I’m so glad we’re finally out of 2016 – it was a tough one for sure. I hope 2017 is a happy, joyful, blessed, peaceful and prosperous year for you all!

Now that we are a couple of weeks into 2017, I’m sure we’ve all got a million resolutions and goals for this year. Many of these will include bad habits we plan to leave behind in 2016 and these bad habits can extend to your hair and skin. Many of us have some really bad hair/skin habits that are gonna need to stop in order to achieve optimum hair and skin health! Here are the most common things I think many of us need to stop:

1) Not drinking enough water

I can’t say this one loud enough!! Water is the key to everything. No joke. When you’re not drinking enough water, chances are it will show in your hair and skin. I recommend drinking 2-3 litres of water daily in order to keep your hair and skin hydrated from the inside out. With a sustained increase in your water intake, your skin will become clearer and smoother and your hair is likely to be more hydrated and possibly thicker.

2) Not eating a healthy, balanced diet

This one is for your overall health of course but it has a huge impact on your hair and skin. You are what you eat. So if you’re constantly eating food full of unhealthy fat, salt and sugar, it will show on your skin and in the quality of your hair. It is super important to eat loadssss of fruit and vegetables in order to maintain healthy skin and hair. In order to grow strong, thick hair, ensure you’re getting enough protein as our hair is made of protein (keratin)!! Some excellent hair and skin foods include oily fish (e.g. salmon, tuna), dark leafy greens/iron-rich food (e.g. spinach, kale), healthy fats (e.g. nuts, avocado, chia seeds), lean meats (e.g. chicken, turkey), vitamin C-rich food (e.g. oranges, lemons), among others.

3) Not deep conditioning your hair

People, please deep condition your hair!! When people complain about breakage or dryness, chances are they don’t deep condition. Deep conditioning your hair is like a little revival for your hair and it keeps your hair healthy, soft and moisturised. I recommend deep conditioning once a week to ensure optimum hair health. There are so many amazing deep conditioners out there – my favourites are from Shea Moisture or I also like Crece Pelo. You can also add some extra oomph to your deep conditioners by adding in some honey, olive oil, coconut oil, aloe vera juice/gel and all sorts of other great ingredients.

4) Not removing your make up before you go to bed

This is a big no no! Please don’t sleep with make up on! Bed time is when your skin gets to revive and rejuvenate itself and, if it’s all clogged up with your foundation and lipstick, your skin can’t refresh itself in the proper way. You should take off your make up and wash your face properly at night. I know we all come home super tired sometimes but just grab that make up wipe! Little tip: if you know you’re gonna have a long day or you’re going out late, keep your wipes on your pillow/bedside table so that you can take off your make up in bed.

5) Not properly moisturising your hair and skin

Moisture is KEY! It is so important to keep your hair and skin moisturised. Dry hair leads to breakage, which prevents length retention. Dr y skin can be very uncomfortable and can make the skin look super dull. For your hair, ensure you use a water-based moisturiser to make sure your hair is actually getting that moisture. Oils/butters don’t moisturise the hair – they simply lock the moisture in. The type of skin moisturiser you use depends heavily on your skin type. Just because you have oily skin, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t moisturise your skin! Fun fact: not moisturising your oily skin can make your skin more oily – your skin produces more oil to make up for the lack of moisture. For my dry skin, I love to use oils: in the day time, I use argan oil or rosehip oil; at night, I use olive oil or shea butter.

So that’s that, ladies and gents!! Hopefully, by ditching some of these bad habits, you will achieve your healthiest hair and skin. Do you have any other bad habits you plan to ditch? Any good habits you want to pick up? Let me know!

Love,

Tara xXx