Calm Natural Skincare Helping Women At Homeless Shelters

As I continue my workshops for women and girls living in shelters, it becomes clearer that their is a huge demand for support to these ladies.

After doing several workshops with the women at Win around inner beauty and hair care, I started to receive requests to do some on skincare. I decided to reach out to several companies, but as I needed a high level of donations to meet the demand, finding a suitable match was not an easy task...that is until I met Jyl Bonaguro, founder of CALM Natural Skincare.

When I explained to my new friends at CALM Natural Skincare what I did with the families at the shelter, they instantly said yes. Within a week the samples arrived as promised.

I can't tell you how appreciative the women at the shelter were to receive the gifts. Everyone was given a cleanser, a moisturizer and a mask. During the workshop, we decided to bust open some of the products and give ourselves facials. :)

The first thing I noticed was the natural, clean smell...I mean it even looked edible. Sold in either powder or liquid form, they gently clean and moisturize skin. Their products are packed with over 60 natural ingredients, helping skin maintain its natural integrity and shine. Another great thing about CALM Natural Skincare is their love for the environment. The entire line offers refills to avoid increasing plastic waste on the planet and the packaging is "space friendly." Gone are the days of a few products taking all the room on your counter top or cabinet.

I can't thank the people enough at Calm Natural Skincare for the wonderful gifts they gave to these women, showing them that complete strangers do care.

For those who want more info, here is a video on the birth on Calm Natural Skincare and their line of products. And please, please, please if you become a fan, like their facebook page.

Hair Style Options For an "all Natural" Woman

Today's article is about embracing your natural hair while most importantly, maintaining a healthy scalp. I chose to focus on very basic looks, keeping it simple and real so my readers can relate. I even took these pictures with my iphone. :)

When I first met this model, she told me that she sometimes wears her hair straight. The key word here is "sometimes..." i.e. she is not addicted to straight hair or hair extensions. So I went ahead and showed her different ways to style her hair where it won't damage her hairline.

The first look is in her natural state. 

For the second look I decided to blow dry her hair straight. If you wear your hair naturally curly and use a lot of hair oils, I recommend using a clarifying shampoo to remove any build up on the hair before blow drying. After a shampoo and quick towel dry, I added Kerastase Elixir Oil to help get her hair smooth and protect it from the heat. After blow drying it, I added a tiny bit of the Hamadi Healing Serum before flat ironing her hair.

The third look uses clip in extensions to give her length. Clip in extensions allow a woman to take them out and put them in whenever she feels like it. Buying the hair myself, I get to choose the right hair match and appropriate clips to get a perfect fit. This works better than buying extensions that already have clips on them. Just keep in mind, the overuse of extensions are very hard on the scalp, causing hair breakage and permanent scalp damage.

And for the fourth look, I added a fake bang, which totally changed her appearance! Again I bought the bang/fringe and blended them to match the rest of the hair.

           Below are a few tips from this model on how she styles her hair.

Antonio- What products do you use in your hair?

Alexius- I prefer TRESemme Moisture Rich shampoo to clean my hair followed by Pantene's Moisture Balance Conditioner -- I love how thick the formula is. For a deep conditioning I use Deep Moisturizing Treatment from Pantene's Curly Hair Series. After towel drying my hair, I use Mixed Chicks Leave in Conditioner to moisturize and maintain my curls.

What do you like about wearing your hair natural?
 I like looking in the mirror and seeing an untouched version of myself...especially after I've just washed my hair. The way my curls naturally grow from my scalp makes me smile.  Loving the raw version of myself, helps me love the uber-glam version even more because at the root, I appreciate the natural me.

Did you always wear it natural? 
No, I've been natural for about 7 years. I wore sew-in extensions in high school and had my hair straightened via perms since age 8. I had braces and acne in high school, so long hair extensions allowed me to literally hide behind my insecurities. I don't miss those hours in the salon.

What would you say to young women who have natural hair but still feel insecure in a world of weaves and extensions?
Embrace what makes you different. Having natural hair doesn't mean you are restricted to just wearing your hair natural. Wear your curls free in a 'fro, pin the sides and have a 'fro hawk, tuck and shape your hair into a bouffant a la Janelle Monae. Being natural doesn't mean you cannot utilize a wig to change up your look. Do a twist set, put on a wig cap and wear a fabulous wig while your style sets. Options are my favorite reason for being natural. You can easily get a blow out if you would like to wear your own straight hair as well.