Hair Weave Care Guide

The shift from warm weather to cooler temperatures is enjoyable for many people. You get to dig out those sweaters and jackets, walk through fall foliage, and wake up to brisk air streaming through the still open windows. But the flip side of crisp, cool autumn – and the approaching winter – is that something else needs to change: the way you take care of yourself.

Cold air, central heat, increasing winds, and less humidity means that your once luscious skin and hair will begin to dry out, leading to dull skin, an itchy scalp, and cracked feet and hands. While these conditions are uncomfortable, having dry skin also affects your self-esteem. If you don’t think you look your best, you’re not going to feel your best. And as skin is designed to protect us from infection, illness, and allergens, it’s essential to tend to it.

Caring for Skin and Brazilian Hair Weave in Fall and Winter

Good news: There’s plenty you can to do to insulate yourself from the drying climate, and the best time to start is now.

1. Moisturize Frequently

As the outdoor humidity drops, so too does the water content of your skin. In essence, this means it needs better protection – aka a heavier moisturizer. The type you choose depends largely on your skin type. If you have dry or combination skin, pick a moisturizer that’s oil-based rather than water-based, which is what many use in the summer. Thicker, greasier night creams are usually oil based so they can work their magic all night long.

If you have oily skin, your skin may actually relish the loss of moisture in the air, and you might not need to make any transition until winter fully arrives. However, if it starts to feel tight or itchy or looks as if it’s drying out, it’s time for the big guns. Either way, natural moisturizers work best. Olive oil and coconut oil are my saviors, though shea butter, cocoa butter, avocado oil, sweet almond oil, and vitamin E oil also work well.

Lest we not forget, thorough skincare means moisturizing from the inside, too. Taking vitamin E and omega-3 fatty acids – either as supplements or through increased intake of nutritious foods, such as fish, nuts and leafy greens – helps to improve your skin’s elasticity.

And don’t forget a critical rule of skincare in any season: Use sunscreen. Even in fall and winter, especially with snow glare, the sun shines damaging rays. This is the fastest way to age your epidermis. If possible, find moisturizers that contain sunscreen. Otherwise, make sure you apply a good quality SPF 30 simultaneously. If you are concerned about the efficacy of your sunscreen, consult the Environmental Working Group’s Sunscreen Guide for a list of the best sunscreens on the market.

Always moisturize head to toe right after a shower, when your pores are open wide. However, if your skin is prone to acne, this could clog your pores and cause a breakout – so experiment to see how your skin responds best. When you find something that works, stick with it.

If your skin is super dry during the height of winter, consider doing your hands, face, and neck hourly with a natural moisturizer sans any irritating chemicals. You need to be careful because some commercial products actually contain ingredients linked to cancer. If you’re unsure if your current moisturizer or other beauty product is safe, look it up on the Cosmetic Safety Database.

2. Protect Your Brazilian Hair Weave

Just as your skin takes a seasonal beating, your locks get dry and frizzy as well. Flyaway hair and split ends are often reported from the lack of humidity, so hair needs a thick moisturizer to coat each strand and protect it from blow drying on top of the outside air.

Coconut Oil
This is my personal favorite, a miracle product many people don’t know about. I use it in my hair, on my skin (even my face), and even as an additive in food and coffee. It’s so multipurpose I actually buy it in bulk.

What’s so great about it, you ask? Well, besides smelling great, it is loaded with vitamin E, helps control dandruff, contains lauric acid (an antimicrobial that can slow hair loss), and coats the Brazilian hair weave shaft with proteins to build strength, repair damage, and improve shine.

Coconut oil becomes a liquid at 76 degrees. Simply melt a couple tablespoons in the microwave for a couple of seconds (don’t overheat!), or use warm water to melt it down, then massage into your hair and scalp. Let it sit a few minutes, then rinse thoroughly. You can also use solidified coconut oil to tame frizz and add shine. Simply rub your fingers on the coconut oil and massage it into your hair and scalp. If your hair is thin, you might find coconut oil weighs it down, so use less and smear it on the hair but not the scalp.

Coconut oil is available in most large grocery stores or in natural food stores like Whole Foods. Some health and beauty chains, such as The Body Shop, sell coconut oil specifically for hair and skin, but it’s quite expensive. You can save far more buying a tub of it from a market or from Amazon.

Apple Cider Vinegar and Baking Soda
Shampooing in general tends to strip hair of natural oils, and that’s why many people choose natural shampoos. Some use baking soda and apple cider vinegar exclusively to wash their hair. If you search online for “baking soda hair” or “baking soda shampoo,” you’ll find countless stories of people who say their Brazilian hair weave is fuller, healthier, and stronger using these two natural ingredients. My husband uses apple cider vinegar several times a week for his dandruff, and it works far better than any expensive shampoo. So making this switch is clearly a cost cutter as well.

Use the baking soda as a wash by mixing one tablespoon in one cup of water. It’s easier if you put it in a squeeze bottle. Let it sit a couple of minutes, then rinse with the vinegar by mixing one tablespoon with one cup of water as well.

Once you first start using this regularly, your hair weave might actually react by producing more oil – but this is normal. Your Brazilian hair is used to having all the oils stripped out by shampoo and then replaced with conditioner, so it might take several days, or even a few weeks, until it adjusts. Then it will balance out – and look amazing and much healthier.

3. Exercise and Stay Hydrated

Ever notice how much healthier people look during the summer? That’s due to several factors: We spend a lot of time outdoors absorbing vitamin D; we are more active; and, partly because of the heat, we drink a lot more water. Then the seasons change, and we slowly move into hibernation mode. And quite simply, stagnation and sitting isn’t good for any part of your body.

In the chillier months, it’s essential to keep up your level of exercise. It not only makes you feel great, but it helps remove toxins from your system and gives your skin a healthy glow. There are plenty of ways to work out at home, so a gym membership isn’t a necessary purchase. I gave up mine years ago in favor of doing yoga at home, and I’d never go back to slogging on a treadmill!

Because you also need to keep drinking water when the temperatures dip, try to develop a routine at work where you sip throughout the day and aim for a full eight glasses by the time you go home. Once you’re in a good groove, try to extend the routine to the weekends. And use a small cup so you have to walk more to fill it up. Every step counts.

4. Don’t Turn Up the Hot Water

When the weather gets cold, it’s tempting to turn up the hot-water heater to make those showers extra toasty. However, hot water actually dehydrates your skin and Brazilian hair weave, especially in drier air. Soaking yourself in a too-hot tub is like cooking the moisture out of your skin, stripping it of natural protective oils – and you actually risk surface burns. By contrast, a comfortably warm bath can help seal in skin’s moisture, especially if you add oatmeal, dry or liquid milk, and even honey to the water.

To help temper your use of hot water, keep the water heater at the same position all year round – or better yet, see if you can edge it down in the fall and winter.

5. Exfoliate Naturally

Skin cells are constantly dying. As sad as that sounds, it’s actually a healthy thing, because they’re always being replaced with fresh new cells. When you exfoliate – scrub away the dry, dead cells – you accelerate that process and prevent your skin from looking dull and pasty. I use oatmeal as a natural exfoliant, as it’s great on dry skin, especially when blended with milk and honey. If you have oily skin, use baking soda and water. Both work wonders and are far cheaper than commercial masks.

Scrub your skin with a quality exfoliant at least twice weekly during the cooler months. If your skin is especially dry, you might want to opt for three or four times.

6. Use a Humidifier

During the winter, chances are your heat runs constantly. In my home, the moisture level indoors can be as low as 25% without a humidifier. To put that in perspective, the Mojave Desert often has a humidity level of 20%. A humidifier running quietly in the rooms you use most keeps a necessary level of dampness in the air. There are single-room units and even whole-house humidifiers that connect to your HVAC system. Consider it money well spent.

It’s especially important to use a humidifier overnight. In addition to keeping your skin and Brazilian hair weave moist, this keeps your sinus passages clear and better equipped to fight off germs. Plus, you no longer wake up with gunk in your eyes.

Final Word

These are just some of the things you can try. Another strategy is not to walk outside without gloves on. Your hands have far fewer oil glands than other parts of your body, which is why they’re so vulnerable to harsh winter air and so much harder to keep moist. Keep them wrapped up when outside, and use a natural moisturizer like coconut or olive oil right when you come back in.

With proper tending, your skin and hair can thrive all year round. My skin used to get so dry and itchy starting every November, and I was in misery until the warm rains of April. But thanks to the natural products I use now, I look just as good in December as I do in June.

How do you keep your skin and hair healthy through fall and winter?

11

iRobot Braava 380t Review

After spending my fair share of time with the IROBOT BRAAVA 380T and the Neato XV-21Best Price at Amazon, one thing was certain: My apartment floors were free of debris, but they still needed a good scrubbing. Unfortunately, my growing reliance on robot vacuums rendered the thought of mopping more painful than ever. Between the unwieldy mop and big drippy bucket of soap and water, not to mention the physical act itself, I'd be overjoyed if I never had to mop again. Luckily, there's a 'bot for that.


The iRobot Braava 380t is like a big sibling to the iRobot Braava. The Braava 320 costs $100 less, but the 380t has a bigger battery with faster charging, room-to-room cleaning capabilities, a pause button, a quick clean mode, and a furniture-protecting bumper. You'll still need a vacuum for large debris, as well as the occasional helping hand for tough spills, but it's a great accessory for the neat freak who hates to clean.

Design and Setup
The Braava 380t looks a heck of a lot like the Braava 320, with the same two-tier shape and dimensions. It measures 9.6 by 8.5 by 3.1 inches (WDH) and weighs in at 4 pounds. It comes in shiny black plastic instead of white, with the same matte black plastic along the sides. There are just three simple function buttons on top of the device: Power, Mop, and Sweep, along with navigation system indicator lights underneath. There's also a handle on the back that allows you to pick up and transport the robot easily. The only way you'd really know that this is a different model, aside from color, is the rubber bumper on the front. While both Braava models work slowly and gently enough that I wouldn't worry about it scuffing even the most delicate furniture, the rubber bumper makes for added peace of Before you can start cleaning, first you must charge the robot. Stand it up on its back to access the charging port, plug it in, and wait for a solid blue light to appear on the Power button. It takes about four hours to reach a full charge, which should last for up to four hours of sweeping or two-and-a-half hours of mopping. A Turbo Charge Cradle is available for $59.99, which charges the Braava to full capacity in just two hours. It's easier to use, too, since you don't need to stand the device on its back.

Poulan Pro 967087101 48cc Backpack Blower Review

The POULAN PRO LEAF BLOWER 967087101 48cc Backpack Blower is a powerful tool for powerful jobs. Blowing at speeds of 200 mph makes you glad it’s a backpack and not a handheld blower. The variable speed throttle control means precision is easy. Poulan Pro has managed to make a product that is unmatched in its class. It’s obvious from just one look at this blower, reviewing it in detail is almost unnecessary.

Poulan Pro 967087101 Features in a Nutshell

48CC 2-stroke system.
200 mph/475 cfm.
Cruise control.
Heavy duty structure.
Adjustable speed throttle controls.


Power

The 48cc 2-stroke motor is sure to make quick work of any leaves, debris, or anything else you need out of the way. Fire it up, and you’ll unleash a hurricane. The variable speed throttle control that comes with the backpack blower allows you to adjust all the way up to the impressive 200 mph top speed, and all the way down to a more leisurely speed for more delicate jobs.

Ergonomics

You are probably tired of the difficulty of keeping a consistent speed with most variable speed throttle controls. With the cruise control that comes with this Poulan Pro model, that isn’t a problem. The backpack is light enough to be easily used for hours without discomfort.

Great Design

The design of this backpack blower is probably its greatest feature. It has downfalls, like any product does of course, but the benefits far outweigh the downsides of the design. Overall, one of the main downsides is most likely that the assembly may be a bit confusing, but once it is figured out, it is a matter of minutes before you are ready to go. Once you’ve got it assembled, you’ll notice that the heavy duty frame makes it feel sturdy, not cheap. The hose on the blower is screwed on and isn’t going to come off easily like most other designs that end up just frustrating you. The trigger response doesn’t need any words to describe it other than instant. Despite the heavy duty design, it’s still compact enough to be stored anywhere.

Versatility

Looking at the backpack blower, you might not expect that there are much more uses for it than just clearing lawns. It’s powerful enough that you can clear rocks and whatever you need moved with it! Additional uses for it can be drying your car or even clearing snow from your walkway. There really isn’t much you can’t do with it because of its commercial-grade power.

Choosing a camp light

SUNJACK CAMPLIGHT may be a backpacker's best friend, but for campsite and family use, you can't beat a good lantern. Most lights are under a pound, and thanks to LED bulbs inside, can last an entire trip and more. Most have a stable plastic base for sitting on a table when you're making dinner or playing cards, and a loop for hanging from the dome of a tent. If you're nostalgic for the days of old kerosene lanterns, you can even get one with a flickering mode.

Read on for our favorite sources of illumination that aren't campfires.

SUNJACK CAMPLIGHT strikes a nice balance between weight and power. At under 7 ounces, the lantern runs on two high-efficiency LEDs, one providing illumination under the frosted shade and the other powering a 50-lumen flashlight beam from the base. The light is splash resistant and comes in blue, grey, and white.

SUNJACK CAMPLIGHT is a tiny version bigger lantern, but serves just as well in most situations, especially where small groups are concerned. The clever design uses a soft silicone shade that can take some abuse while in your pack, a rubber loop that stays closed thanks to the magnet on top, and waterproof housing. In terms of techie features, it has a low-battery indictor and three brightness modes, including one that makes it flicker like a candle.

Why So Many Businesses Mess Up Employee Development

Employers who want to invest in employee development through a talent mobility program need to know each employee’s strengths and weaknesses. Unfortunately, as the 2015 Talent Mobility Research Report by Lee Hecht Harrison found, only 42 percent of companies understand their employees’ unique skills and experience.

When they know what employees do well, they can better tailor their training. Strength-based employee development comes from the idea that some people are better at certain things than others and that really focusing on each employee’s unique strengths can create a strong and well-rounded team. Organizations are finding this style of development to be very effective.

“This is strictly a business decision”

When a company says “This is strictly a business decision,” explaining why they must outsource jobs, it’s worth reading the fine print and doing a bit of thinking about the numbers.

In this New York Times account of the closing of Carrier’s Indianapolis factoryand the transfer of its 1400 jobs to Mexican workers making about as much per day as the Indianapolis workers make per hour, Carrier’s parent company, United Technologies, explains that “the cuts are painful but are necessary for the long term competitive nature of the business.” But are they? The quote from United Technologies Chief Financial Officer Akhil Johri actually concludes “…and shareholder value creation.”

What does “shareholder value creation” actually mean? The article goes on to explain: “United Technologies faces pressure from investors hungry for earnings growth in an economy that’s only modestly growing at home, and falling in important overseas markets like China and the Middle East. Although the company’s stock has vastly outperformed benchmarks in the last few decades, the shares have badly trailed the Standard & Poor’s 500-stock index over the most recent five years.

How to survive your first year creating a business.

Your first year is what you’re going to look back on with an incredible weight of emotion. Because in ten years’ time you’ll either be raising a glass to the success that your initial 12 months set you on, or drinking by yourself listening to Tom Waits and hating whatever it was that made you quit.

When you’re starting a new project, the first lifetime is the hardest. But that lifetime starts with one year, one single year that you’re going to struggle through and fight through, one single year that will make you want to throw in the towel every day.

So how do you survive your first year as a creative entrepreneur? It doesn’t matter how you’re starting out, whether you’re working on a book in your spare time, or diving head first into founding a company, or just starting to sell some hand-made products on Etsy. You’re going to face the same challenges and obstacles, and you’re going to need the same skills and toolkits.