How Often Should I Wash My Hair?

I get asked this a lot.  There are many different opinions on this.  Some stylist will recommend that you go as long as you possibly can between shampoos.  Some people will go a week or more without washing their hair.  To most of us this seems crazy.  How on earth can one go that long without their hair looking greasy?

 Well, here is how...

Your scalp produces oil constantly.  The good for you kind that moisturizes and protects your hair and the dirty, stinky kind.   Shampoo doesn't know the difference and strips away both kinds.  Every time you shampoo your scalp, your oil glands work in overdrive to replenish the good oil that has been stripped away.  Your scalp gets used to being shampooed everyday so it is used to producing a generous amount of oil regularly.  So when you skip a day shampooing, since your oil glands are so active, they produce what they are used to producing resulting in oily hair.

So how do you fix this?  It is't a quick fix.  It takes time to train your scalp and oil glands to not produce as much oil.  But if you endure the process, eventually you will be able to go longer between shampoos.

Why should I not shampoo my hair as often you ask?  Well, even the most gentle shampoo can be very abrasive to your hair.  As stated earlier. the chemicals in shampoo strip your hair of all natural moisture- drying the hair out.  Shampooing too often can also strip your hair color over time.  So by going longer stretches in between shampooing, you will notice that your hair is shinier and less dry and also a bit healthier and your color will last longer too.

Here are a couple things you can do with your hair on the "non-shampoo" days.  Keep in mind that it is totally cool to rinse your hair and even condition the ends on the off days.

1. Use a dry shampoo.  Here is a blog post listing my faves.  Dry shampoo is great to spray on your roots to absorb any unwanted oil.

2.  Wear your hair up to conceal any unwanted shine.

3.  Wear a stylish hat.

I usually go the first day by blow drying it out nice.  The second day I will curl it loosely with my iron and use some dry shampoo if needed.  On the third day (if I go a third day), I may touch it up with the curling iron or wear it up in little updo or wear a hat.

Hopefully this helps.  Keep in mind that it's okay to do what you have to do in regards to shampooing your hair.  For instance if you work out every day or if you are outside a lot and work up a sweat often.  It's okay to wash your hair if you need to.  Just keep in mind that giving your hair a break from time to time is good too.

What Mommy Wore: Starting to Show!

I'm about 15 weeks into this pregnancy and boy, has it been a rough one!  Morning sickness, migraines and fatigue have been my main complaints, but thankfully I'm slowly feeling better.

So now that my belly is starting to poke out a bit, I've been having fun with showing it off a little.  I'm still not quite big enough for maternity clothes so I'm making use of my flowy tops and stretchy dresses.

This dress is from Forever 21 for only $15.80!  It's super comfortable and there is still a little room for me to grow.  I wore this dress a lot before I was pregnant as well. 

I just layered it with a black tank and added a little brown belt that I found in my closet.  I think it came with another top that I bought who knows how long ago.

My sandals are from Target. 

Just Follow Your Heart?

So I've been thinking a lot about this today.  I have a heaviness in me for my generation of young women, and the generations to follow. In a world where Kim Kardashian is a  role model and Cosmo has the answer to all of life's problems, it seems like all around us there is the mantra,  "follow your heart". Well, I have a problem with that, and so does the Lord.  I found some interesting scriptures to back this up.  We are taught to follow our hearts, but the Word says that our hearts are to follow God. 

Interesting. Ps. 119:30. "I have chosen the way of faithfulness; I have set my heart on Your laws."  Ps. 119:112, "My heart is set on keeping Your decrees to the very end." Proverbs 23:19, "Listen my son and be wise, and set your heart on understanding."  So many women have made devastating choices and have ruined their lives or the lives of others because they heeded the council to "follow your heart".  Basically just go with whatever you feel like doing.  

The heart represents our emotional inner person.  The seat of the emotions is the heart.  As women, we all know that our emotions fluctuate.  We are up and then down.  That's why the Bible says, "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond all cure" (Jer. 17:9).  How many times has my heart pulled me in a direction that was potentially destructive?  You'll notice people who live by the "follow your heart" philosophy are inconsistent, in and out of relationships, and constantly changing their minds on what they want to do with their lives.  We spend to much time trying to figure out what WE want instead of diligently seeking what His will is on our life. 

Parents!  instruct your kids to follow the Word!  Seek wisdom and understand and just do the right thing even when our hearts want to do something else.  When things are tough, or complicated our hearts are weary and may long for something more pleasant. In these times, which we all can relate to, we shouldn't be trying to figure out what our hearts want (aka, our flesh), or what feels better, but what the will of God is. Hide His Word in your heart (Ps. 119:11) and follow that!

Delight yourself in Him, knowing that in time, your hearts desires will be met.  You know, if you truly delight yourself in the Lord, the desires of your heart shift and change to where you just simply desire Him alone.  Turn your heart toward wisdom.  Guard it. Trust Him with all of it.  Seek His kingdom first.  Put your flesh aside and THEN everything you want will fall into place. Instead of following our hearts, let's pursue the calling that the Lord has placed on our lives and encourage others to do the same.

-Maria