Old Wives Tail SOS Organic Anti-Hair Loss Oil Treatment

Every now and again a brand name pricks my interest and none more so than one called Old Wives Tail, I am sure after all, we all know a few!. When offered the chance to try one of their organic hair oil treatments, I jumped at the chance. The story behind the brand can be found HERE and it is one I found quite fascinating.

I was very kindly sent the SOS Organic Anti-Hair Loss Oil Treatment which is a 100% organic oil and it contains ingredients such as natural anti-bacterial agents that soothe and heal scalp infections and remove dead skin cells. SOS has stimulating properties that increase circulation and encourage healthy hair growth. So ingredients such as peppermint, lavender, almond oil and avocado oil and I should also mention that it is free from sulfates and parabens, as well as being gluten free, not tested on animals and suitable for both vegetarians and vegans - pretty impressive right?

My hair is always described to me as being particularly fine but lots of it, hair loss isn't something I suffer from (unless you look too closely at my hairbrush) but my scalp can be a right nightmare. If I am ill and stressed it turns into a snow storm and flakes quite badly not to mention becomes very itchy.  As it is, I have greasy roots and dry ends (if only someone would make that perfect shampoo) so I am very careful about which products I use on which parts of my hair, too much conditioner and you could fry an egg on it, not enough and I look like a scarecrow!  So To use the oil, you are directed to massage it deeply into the scalp, paying particular interest to the most dry areas.  Once you have applied the oil to your hair, ensure your whole head is covered, right to the end and leave it on your hair for an hour, or for the best results, leave the treatment on over night and wrap your head in a warm towel.  

Once your allotted hour is over, you need to rinse your hair with fresh water and shampoo it, repeat the process if necessary until your hair feels clean and product free and then dry and style your hair as normal.

I decided to try this oil overnight, using my Save The Blow Dry shower cap in place of the warm towel over my head, but I did have a towel over my pillow to protect it from any leakages.  As I did so, the one thing you would expect to find with a product like this, is the amazing scent, the peppermint and lavender being the two most dominant scents and two that I am a huge fan of.  

The following morning, I was straight in the shower, hair washed and was surprised to find it was really easy to remove the oil from my hair, I had expected to have to wash it a fair few times, but once was enough and then after finishing I allowed my hair to part dry and then finished with the hairdryer.  Usually I get a bit of static when I dry my hair with the hairdryer, but I did notice there was slightly less of it this time round, the peppermint scent was also still noticeable on my hair and once completely dry, my hair looked really shiny and was a pleasure to style.  

For me, this treatment is something I will continue to use weekly or bi-weekly, depending on how my hair and scalp feel, it is such a pleasure to use, more so knowing there are no nasties within it or that a poor little bunny hasn't been used to test it.  For 100ml it costs just £13.99 which is a complete bargain!

If this Old Wives Tales is something you think you would like to try, you can find more information on all of their products on the website and they also offer free worldwide delivery on any order. There is also a competition to win a hair mask of your choice and it ends on 1st November 2014.

Coconut Oil - my favourite ways to use it!

Coconut Oil is one ingredient we all probably have in our kitchen and are never really sure what to do with it. As a natural oil coconut oil is a perfect moisturisers, lightweight, absorbs really easily not to mention smells divine. I am a huge fan of coconut scent products whether it is a cream, hair mask, face-mask or sun tan lotion.

Just mentioning all of the above means that it is an item you can incorporate into your beauty routine, especially if you are on a spending ban, wanting to save money, are having a bit of a DIY moment or are simply wanting to try something new.  All you need to do is Google Coconut Oil uses and within seconds before your eyes you will have over 4.3million pages to look at and go through.

The lovely people at Viridian sent me a lovely jar of organic raw virgin coconut oil** and it smells amazing, I absolutely love it.

So rather than read all of those pages, I thought it would be a good idea and a good post if I picked my favourite 5 ways to use Coconut Oil and share them with you below.

1.) Eye Makeup remover: This is a tip I was given by a friend when she was training to be a beautician.  Coconut oil will gently remove your makeup, all you need to do is place some on a damp cotton pad and rub gently in circles around your eye area to get rid of makeup.  Once you have finished be sure to wash your face thoroughly.

2.) Hair Mask: Use coconut oil as a DIY hair mask to soften your hair and add moisture. Just scoop some out into the palms of your hands to warm it through and then apply to your hair, focusing on the ends (if like me you have greasy hair, then definitely avoid the root area altogether). Once applied, leave it on for around 30 minutes and then rinse it out in the shower before shampooing and conditioning your hair.  You can also use this method as an overnight treatment, just put a towel on your pillow to make sure it doesn't stain and then wash out in the morning.  I do this when my hair is feeling really dry, particularly at the ends when my hair is due to be cut and my hair feels so soft and smooth after using.

3.) Body Scrub:  You can make your own body scrub really easily and there are a lot of tutorials which show you how to do just that.   Below is one of my favourite home made body scrubs which the people at Eco Market sent to me to try a few months back.

Combine coconut oil with: 

• 1 small organic lemon

• 1 small organic lime

• 1 cup organic pure cane sugar
• 
1/2 cup organic coconut oil
• 
1 teaspoon organic peppermint essential oil/extract
. 

You can, if you like also add some mint leaves and lemon & lime peels. Mix the coconut oil, the peppermint oil and the juice from both the lemon and lime. Then pour in the sugar and mix it up well. If you want to add the mint leaves and citrus peels then stir them in at the end. Transfer the mixture to a clean, dry container like an old jam jar and you're ready to scrub.

This is such an effective exfoliator and definitely one to try if you fancy trying a DIY version because it is so easy to do and it smells so good.  You can also use this scrub on your feet, hands and lips!

4.) Shaving Cream:  If you run out of shaving cream/foam or whatever you might use, instead of reaching for your misters (oops yes I do) or using shower gel, grab some coconut oil and warm it between the palms of your hands, massage onto the skin and then you'll see how easily your razor glides over the skin leaving you with hair free soft smooth skin.

5.) Cuticle oil: If your nail beds look really dry, cracked and are a bit sore, get a cotton bud and your jar of coconut oil and dab some onto each fingers around and on your cuticle and massage it on.  If your cuticles need a little bit more TLC then don't massage it in, put some gloves on overnight whilst sleeping, in the morning you will notice quite a difference.

Those are just some of the ways I use coconut oil and naturally there are lots of other ways because it is just such a good moisturiser and so kind to the skin.

Have you ever used coconut oil in your beauty routine? How? 

1. Tell me in the comments!