I really love the way my hair and skin feels whenever I use shea butter, but it's always a pain to use because it's very hard a room temperature.  By whipping the shea butter, it creates an easier application.  For my whipped shea butter, I used 100% African shea butter, organic virgin coconut oil, raw honey, and Cantu Leave-In Conditioning Mist.

Heat up the shea butter for 45 seconds in the microwave.  This melts half of the butter and makes it easier to mix the other ingredients in.

Add the honey, coconut oil, and leave-in mist.

Mix all ingredients together and pour back the mixture into its original container.  The mixture should be very thin.

Place the container in the freezer for 5 minutes, so that it can thicken up a little bit.

After removing the mixture from the freezer, use a fork to whip it.  The consistency should be thick, but creamy.

The finished product!

I've been using a satin pillowcase by Betty Dain, that I purchased from Sally Beauty Supply store for $10.  I am in love with it.  I decided to switch to a satin pillowcase because my bonnet would always fall off during the night and I didn't like how flat my hair looked in the morning.  I tried using the pineapple method, but my hair is not really long enough to stay preserved over night with this method.  Ever since I started using my satin pillowcase, my wash-n-go, twist out, and braid out started to last longer and I did less fluffing of my hair the next morning.  What I love about sleeping on a satin pillowcase is my hair and skin are less dry because the satin material does not absorb oils like that other materials such as cotton.  Also, the satin creates a more smoother surface therefore my skin and hair receives less friction from tossing and turning during the night.  Less friction helps reduce hair breakage as well as reduce skin irritation due to acne.

During the Summer months, most people engage in long outdoor activities such as visiting beaches and amusement parks, attending barbecues, or just a fun day at the pool.  Skin and hair needs protection from the sun's harmful UV rays.  Although some UV radiation exposure is necessary for the production of Vitamin D, too much can be harmful.  Sunburn is a result of excessive exposure to UV radiation.  As a result of the overexposure, a person is more susceptible to pre-mature skin aging such as wrinkles and fine lines.  Skin cancer can also develop as a result to overexposure of UV radiation.  Not only does your skin needs protection from the sun, but also your hair.  If not properly protected, your hair becomes dry, brittle, and dull.  If your hair is color treated, the sun will change and fade the color.  Here are a few things you can do to protect your hair and skin from the sun.

I dread summertime because it's usually 90 plus degrees and super humid in New Orleans.  It's impossible to stand outside more than ten minutes without sweating.  I tend to go for a lighter makeup routine in the summer and opt out of using a liquid foundation and instead wear a tinted moisturizer.  For the past few summers, I've made my own tinted moisturizer by mixing a little of my liquid foundation with a moisturizer.  The coverage would be light to medium depending on the number of applications.  A month ago, I finally bought a tinted moisturizer from Laura Mercier.  It retails for $44 at Sephora.  I know it's a bit pricey, but it is definitely worth it.  It has SPF 20, so your skin has some protection from the sun.  It also has Vitamin C and E, which is good for brightening and repairing the skin.  I apply it with a beauty blender because it gives me better coverage and goes on flawlessly.  The best thing about it, I don't have to constantly re-apply throughout the day and my skin has a natural glow.  What are some of your favorite tinted moisturizers? Comment below and let me know!

There are several health, skin, and hair benefits of lemon juice.  Lemon juice contains vitamin C, vitamin B, proteins, phosphorous, and flavonoid.  It contains antioxidants and can also help with weight loss.  The citric acid in lemon juice helps reduce dandruff on the scalp.  Lemon juice also helps with hair loss, when applied to the scalp.  Lemon juice is used to lighten hair and it also gives hair a natural sheen.  Lemon juice also carry many antiseptic characteristics.  It can be used to treat sunburn, acne, and eczema.  Many anti-aging creams have lemon juice as an ingredients and is helpful in adding a natural glow to the skin.  So next time you go to the grocery store don't look at lemons as just a fruit, but also as a natural remedy for skin and hair care!