Are You a Trendsetter? Check out Fro Fashion Week

What is Fro Fashion Week?
Fro Fashion Week is a two day exclusive conference that will be held biannually to set the trends in the natural hair care, beauty and fashion industries. It will serve as the pinnacle event that brings together industry experts, designers, natural hair care bloggers, hair care product manufacturers and distributors and most importantly consumers, in one inclusive setting to test, discuss, blog, and purchase the industry's hottest trends.'
Click here for Fro Fashion Week website

When: February 18-20, 2011

Where: Crowne Plaza Hotel


1325 Virginia Ave

Atlanta, GA 30344

You don't want to miss it.  If you're thinking it's just your normal hair show think again. Plus I'll be there along with other vendors who have goodies you're guaranteed to love.


Naturally You

Are All Butters and Oils the Same? The Answer is No - Part 2

It took me a minute to get back but here I am. Now back to the topic at hand so we can discuss the chemistry of butters and oils. I can't cover the complete chemistry of all oils but we will discuss some major components.

First let's recap to discuss the difference between saturated and unsaturated oils.  Saturated oils have single carbon bonds which are hard to break which leads to them being more stable and not very susceptible to oxidation. Unsaturated oils have double bonds which can be easily broken causing oxidation to occur. Many times the shelf life on an oil is stated which gives you an idea of when oxidation could start to occur.  In chemical terms an oil may be identified as C18:1 identifying it as having 18 carbon bonds and 1 double bond.letting you know the one double bond will last longer than more double bonds that can be easily broken.

Oils and butters (triglycerides) are composed of vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids, and a couple of other elements.  Lets focus on essential fatty acids since they contribute to the health of hair and skin.

Fatty Essential Acids include the following:

1.  Lauric Acid is mainly found coconut and palm oil.  It is helpful for the body overall due to it's ability to be converted into monolaurin whic known to destroy the lipid membranes of bacteria, fungus and viruses.  Breast milk has a high percentage of lauric acid which is said to contribute to the decrease of infection in breast fed babies.  As for hair and skin one of the most responsible reasons behind hair fall and hair loss is microbial action on the scalp and hair roots. So, to protect hair against them, what we need is an antimicrobial agent which Lauric Acid is known to do.
2. Palmatic Acid forms a fatty layer on the hair and skin to protect it from the outside elements. It's useful when making soaps and can be found in palm oil, cottonseed oil, and ricebran oil.
3. Stearic Acid is a very familiar ingredient for people who make lotions or other cosmetic products.  It lends hardness to cold processed soaps and are found in many natural butters and oils.  Stearic acid is known to provide moisture retention, increase the flexibility of the skin and hair, and help with repairing damaged hair and skin.
4. Oleic Acid is very useful for our health since our bodies produces it. Triglycerides containing oleic acid are normally moisturizing, regenerating properties for the skin, and some such as olive oil are comparable to the sebum of the skin.  Most oils and butters with higher levels of oleic acid are great emollients and have a moisturizing effect on the akin and hair.
5. Linoleic Acid is vital to create a barrier for skin and hair.  A lack of linoleic acid can cause hair loss as well as poor healing from scars and wounds.  It increases the skin's ability to keep water in and other things out.

I hope this helps when looking for oils to use.  This is just a brief description of each because this could turn into a chemistry lesson if I keep going.  Normally the chemistry of oils and butters can be found online when a description of them is given.

Naturally You

The Perfect Holiday Stocking Stuffers

Caitlin would recommend Pura's Mint Exfoliating Lip Scrub and the Cocoa Mint Lip Butter for stocking stuffers this holiday season.  Read what she has to say http://blissfullydomestic.com/2010/pura-body-naturals-holiday-gift-ideas-for-the-beauties-in-your-life

Naturally You

Are All Butters and Oils the Same? The Answer is No

Are All Butters and Oils the Same? - Part 1

I was asked this question by someone who stated that she always assumed “a butter is a butter and an oil is an oil”. Then she went on to say the only butter that she’s ever known is shea butter and she wasn’t sure what cocoa butter was. My assumption is that she, like many others, aren’t aware of the many different types of butters and oils that exist in nature because they aren’t readily available in the US due to our lack of natural resources. Most of the world’s best natural resources are sourced from other countries in far away places some of us never think about.

One similarity all oils and butters have in common is that they’re classified as emollients which are used to soften the skin and hair. The differences are based on their chemical structure and they have very different additional properties. In addition, both fats and oils are glycerol esters composed of glycerol and fatty acids and are called triglycerides.
Fatty acids can be saturated or unsaturated which determines the stability and properties of the oil. Oils with a higher degree of saturated fatty acids (lauric, myristic, palmatic, and stearic acids) include coconut oil and palm oil. These oils are more stable and don’t become rancid as quickly as unsaturated oils. Oils with a higher degree of unsaturated oils (oleic acid and linoleic acid) include corn oil, almond oil, safflower oil, castor oil, avocado oil, and olive oil. Unsaturated oils are smoother, less greasy, and better absorbed by the skin.
In Part 2 we will begin discussing the different acids and how they affect the properties of various butters.


Naturally You

Napfrocurlzgirl: Ah Cupuacu....

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Naturally You

Black Friday Sale

Sapote Hair Lotion $10.00

25% off all butters

MuruMuru Moisture Milk $10.00

purabodynaturals.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nappturalite Radio Elite Business Award Winner

Thanks to the ladies of Nappturalite Radio for allowing Pura Body Naturals to be a part of their wonderful show.



Naturally You