Beauty DIY: Dry Scalp Oil treatment

This is the winter that just won't quit...it actually snowed today! I have pretty sensitive skin but the winter wrecks complete havoc on it. Usually I have combination skin and don't have issues with a dry scalp.  With the heat going our house gets so dry and it just zaps moisture out of everything. We have humidifiers running constantly but still is not enough! Once the temperature starts to fluctuate I sometimes get a flaky scalp yuck not attractive especially when 90% of my wardrobe is dark colors. I saw this DIY hot oil treatment on pinterest and figured why not try it. What is the worst that could happen I smell like an antipasto tray?

• Heat up about 1/4 c of oil, be sure not to get it too hot, I used the double boil style method. 
•    Original post said any kind works (grape seed, veggie, olive, etc) I picked olive oil because it was handy, I don't mind the smell and working in a pizza place during high school I know my skin won't have a reaction to it. 
• Part hair starting on top in the middle and gently rub in to scalp using fingers or sponge. Continue every 1/2 inch or so making parts. Be sure to get all the way in the back and around nape as this is where my hair seems to dry out the most.  
• This step was a bit tricky and I only used one had to apply and one to part so I didn't turn into a giant oily mess.

now the waiting

• Wrap hair in shower cap or saran wrap and wait a minimum of 30 min. to let oil soak into scalp
• I got caught up in a task so I waited 2 hours but you you can go for even longer than that
• Wash hair and style as usual
• I had to wash it twice to get all the oil out, but my hair smelled fine
• Recommended to repeat once to every other week if needed

Overall my hair did not smell like olive oil and my scalp was not as dry but wasn't an oil slick either. So maybe this does work after all I'll see how the week goes!

this Crane cool mist is my go to humidifier
we have them all over the house!

DIY Rose Sugar Scrub

Happy Valentine's Day! Being in the middle of yet another snow storm and having my fill of cheesy love movies for the day I was looking for something to help me procrastinate from studying. A craft project seemed just the thing!

I've been eyeing DIY scrub pinterest projects for a long time and today seemed like the perfect day to try it out. As I didn't dare to venture out to get odd ingredients that most scrubs seem to require I was looking for one that items I had on hand. I found one that only had 3 easy ingredients: sugar, baby oil, and rose petals.

W and I celebrated Valentine's a week early so the roses he got me were starting to get a bit ragged. Making a scrub out of some of the petals seemed the perfect way to continue to enjoy them and get some silky smooth skin!

DIY Rose Sugar Scrub
     yields approx 1 cup of scrub

1/8 cup baby oil
3/4 cup sugar
6-12 rose petals

Add ingredients to food processor and blend until well mixed. Scrub is more on the dry side. Apply about 1 teaspoon of scrub to wet hands and rub it all over hands. Rinse off and you should be left with silky smooth skin. Store it in airtight container.


Step by step photos

I used the magic bullet instead of a food processor and it worked wonderfully.  I layered sugar, then oil, then petals ripped in half. You may need to stop halfway through to mix it up a bit as some of the rose petals were still in larger chunks after a minute or so. 

When it is all mixed up it  the red petals made this gorgeous shade of lavender pink! Depending on the number of petals you add you may get variable color results. It's more of a dry scrub, I know others are more gelatinous. Add some water to your hands before spreading it out.

In total it takes about 5 minutes to make and yields about 1 cup of scrub.  This would be an excellent gift and you could find super cute mason jars to store it in! I think this might have just been my gateway scrub in to making all sorts of others...who knew it was this easy!

Just as a FYI the baby oil smell for sure takes over at first and then you are left with faint rose. It's not horrible and I happen to like the smell of baby oil, but I think for next time I might search for a different oil to use or add an essential oil for a different fragrance profile. My skin was so soft after using this and I will for sure be keeping some in a jar next to the sink for use after washing dishes. Plus it's such a cute shade it'll help brighten up the dreary weather.

ugh I know it's nothing like Boston but I needed
 something to brighten up this overcast day

Fun science fact: Did you know sugar is a natural exfoliate? It contains glycolic acid a type of alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) which helps breaks down the glue like substance that keeps dead skin cells attached to the epidermis (top layer of your skin). The sugar grains are abrasive so that helps too. Your skin cells naturally shed but as you age you might need to help it along a bit. Exfoliating a few times a week especially in winter helps  moisturizers penetrate deeper and keep your skin hydrated longer.