Apple Cider Vinegar Hair Rinse

You may have noticed that one of our main ingredients is raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar.  This is also one of our most valuable ingredients for a number of reasons.  It is said that the use of apple cider vinegar for cosmetic purposes can be traced back to the Romans!  It is in almost all of our products, but what makes apple cider vinegar so great?

Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar

• Stimulates scalp to promote hair growth
• Cleanses hair without stripping natural oils
• Removes build-up from chemical products
• Helps hair retain moisture for better conditioning
• Antibacterial and antifungal properties to help with flaky and itchy scalps
• Closes the hair cuticle allowing for shine and fewer tangles

Try an Apple Cider Vinegar Hair Rinse

One thing we recommend during the detox period is an apple cider vinegar hair rinse in addition to the shampoo.  This helps get rid of extra build-up and oils on the hair and scalp.  We recommend doing the hair rinse once or twice a week during your detox period. You will want to shampoo as normal and then apply the apple cider vinegar hair rinse.  You want to leave it on the hair for at least a few minutes before rinsing out.  You can also leave it in your hair overnight!  If you leave it in, it will help prevent tangles.  Since it restores your scalp's pH level, it will also help and prevent an itchy scalp.

Apple Cider Vinegar Hair Rinse Recipe

• 1/4 cup to 1 cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 cups water

* If your hair is dry, use less apple cider vinegar.  If your hair is more on the oily side, use more apple cider vinegar.* Want to know more about the benefits of an apple cider vinegar hair rinse and some more recipes?  Check out this great educational article!

How to Brush Your Hair with a Boar Bristle Brush

In our last blog we talked about the boar bristle brush benefits, but now it is time to discuss how to brush your hair with a boar bristle brush.

First a few tips to start out...

• Be sure to only brush dry hair.  Wet hair is too vulnerable and is prone to breakage.
• Be sure to gently detangle before brushing with a boar bristle brush.
• It is still beneficial to brush curly hair, just be sure to detangle beforehand and brush very gently.

How to Brush Your Hair with a Boar Bristle Brush

Stand straight, then bend over from the waist as far as possible allowing blood to flow freely to your scalp.  Firmly grasp the handle.  Start at the nape of the neck, then move to the sides, and lastly to the crown all the way to your front facial hairline.  Brush in slow, gentle strokes for 3-5 minutes. Straighten up slowly.  Your brush will now be filled with sebaceous oil.  Repeat the above procedure standing upright.  The sebum collected on the brush from the first step will be redistributed throughout the rest of your hair. Now that we've talked about how to brush your hair, lets talk about when to brush your hair.

When to Brush

To get maximum benefits we recommend brushing three times a day: morning, late afternoon, and before bed.  If your hair is curly, you won't need to brush this often because it can end up relaxing your curls.  We recommend brushing before your showers if you have curly hair.  Sebum will improve your curls strength and shine. Brushing your hair nightly before bed is especially important.  By coating your hair with additional sebum, you set in motion new, healthy growth while you experience the renewal of sound sleep.

How to Clean a Boar Bristle Brush

I would recommend cleaning your boar bristle brush weekly.  You will get lots of build up of toxins, oils, and dirt.  Here is the best way to clean your boar bristle brush:

• Remove the hair with a wide toothed comb, carefully so you don't pull out any bristles
• Gently cleanse with MM shampoo (or water), using a cloth to wipe
• Rinse only.  Do not submerge brush.
• Squeeze excess water that may have gotten trapped in the rubber cushion
• Lay your brush on a towel with the bristles facing down to dry

Here are the full instructions on how to brush your hair with a boar bristle brush. https://youtu.be/kmNVWpP01KQ Here is a great article with some benefits of boar bristle brushes and advice on how to brush your hair! Have you been brushing correctly?

5 Tips to Detox Your Hair for Incredible Volume and Shine

This post is brought to you by Lauren of Empowered Sustenance. Check out her amazing blog for more healthy living tips, recipes and products.

Detox. It's a noun, it's a verb, it's a fad word, it's a vital piece of health. In my journey toward a holistic lifestyle, I've incorporated numerous detox rituals such as dry brushing and even detoxing my kitchen of toxic cooking materials. Another area in my life where I emphasize detox is my scalp. When I first switched to Morocco Method I was introduced to the Detox Period. My scalp rebelled with increased oil production and a slightly sticky texture as my scalp began to balance. I reached for Zen Detox, a mineral clay designed to draw impurities from the scalp. The results left me stunned! My scalp was deeply purified and my roots had more volume than I've ever experienced. Zen Detox is a unique blend of volcanic ash, plant proteins and minerals that mix with water and apply to your scalp. It's like a mud mask for the scalp – as it dries it draws out impurities, and balances the pH of the scalp. Here are my 5 tips for using this unique product:

1. The first time you try it, don't use it before an important outing. The product works effectively to loosen "gunk" from your hair. The first time I used it, it looked like dandruff but was just dry skin that had been cleared from my scalp. It's an extremely deep and rejuvenating scalp detox. After the second time using the product, I not longer experienced this purging.
2. Zen Detox provides fabulous volume - I love how extra voluminous my hair is the few days after I use it.
3. I greatly prefer Zen Detox over plain bentonite clay for a hair detox. I find bentonite clay dries out my hair too much, while Zen Detox leaves it soft and vibrant.
4. I highly recommend doing the final rinse of Zen Detox with cool water. It makes a huge difference in the shine and softness of my hair post-detox.
5. For maintenance, use Zen Detox once a month. For deep detox and speeding up the detox period, use it once to 4 times per week for a few weeks. (One container has 3-4 uses).

Here also are some amazing multi-uses for Zen Detox. Did you know that it can be used as an acne spot treatment and pore-refining facial masque? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fl_5gfr5ZY

What is Biodynamic Farming? Better than Organic

 What is Biodynamic Farming?

Biodynamic farmers strive to create a diversified, balanced farm ecosystem that generates health and fertility as much as possible from within the farm itself. Preparations made from fermented manure, minerals and herbs are used to help restore and harmonize the vital life forces of the farm and to enhance the nutrition, quality and flavor of the food being raised. Biodynamic practitioners also recognize and strive to work in cooperation with the subtle influences of the wider cosmos on soil, plant, and animal health. - "What is Biodynamics?" Biodynamic Association

Based off the work of Rudolf Steiner,this method of agriculture takes a step further than organic farming. It treats the farm as a living entity with multiple working parts and a myriad of influences that effect it as a whole.

Biodynamic Certification

The Demeter Association, Inc. is the biodynamic certifying entity in the United States. When a farm is approved as biodynamic, it is also certified organic through Stellar Certification Services. In order to be considered, a farm needs to meet a complex but rewarding standard. Here are some of the guidelines:

• Must preserve local biodiversity
• No monoculture, must have crop rotation
• Soil must have biodynamic preparations (which have been sourced from the farm or local region)
• Irrigation must emphasize water conservation
• Encouraged to integrate livestock into farming techniques
• Use self-sustaining fertility dynamics (recycling livestock manure, using crop rotation to not deplete nutrients)
• Absolutely no use of GMO-derived seeds, inoculants, or livestock feed

Jrjohnson Biodynamic Farms

Ralph Johnson of Jrjohnson Biodynamic Farms is a San Luis Obispo farmer who has been "planting by the moon" for more than thirty years. He sells his biodynamically-sourced plants, seeds, and produce at farmer's markets all over the county. He also co-hosts the Biodynamic Gardening Report, a local podcast and radio segment that gives the Central Coast weekly updates about how to bring biodynamic practices into their own gardens. Here is a sample of the Biodynamic Gardening Report: We caught up with Ralph at SLO Farmer's Market with Lauren Geertsen and asked him what biodynamic farming was! He is currently going through Demeter Biodynamic Certification.

Five Elements of Satifaction

Air, Water, Fire, Earth, and Ether. Every element has physical mental and emotional Characteristics. Why not start from the top down? The Crown Chackra or energy center associated with unity, prayer, and channeling is located at the top of the head. Our hair is literally a receiver for subtle vibrations present at all times in the universe. Samson in the bible, the native american psy-recon unit in the military, rishi knots of yogis, power objects of shamans, and ritual head covers of cultures all over the world refer us to the far reaching meaning and power connected to the hair. Babaji, an ancient yogi and avatar gave certain practices revered by followers. Among water and fire purification is the cutting of the hair. If hair is a lens for interpreting subtle vibrations, cutting it would imply receptivity, or a fresh start. Did you know there are certain dates that create varied results for this type of practice? When a powerful positive practice such as yoga, meditation, or devotional service is consistently applied, the hair grown during this time is especially sacred, potent, and useful. A physical, emotional, and psychological momentum is established by hair for better or worse. Certain types of products are very beneficial such as the categories of fair-trade, vegan, gluten free, organic, non-GMO, prayer based, and alchemy effected. These aspects positively influence all three from a physical standpoint. Combined with meditation, deep relaxation and physical fitness, these products become exponentially more effective. Deep Receptivity helps one to access ether. This element is enhanced by pearl suplementation, Ylang ylang, rose essential oils, and yoga nidra (yogic aware sleep). Fire is increased by vigorous activity, mental or physical. Sprints of intensity. Earths is more endurance based. A steady focus, balance pose or fact based perspective. Air is related to thought, diverse creative thinking, or interpretive dance. Water is the healing element, learning, relaxing, fluid perspective. The virtues of health don't live in one element alone, yet a balance between them. Too much fire could be aggression, dehydration, split ends, or burnout . Too much water could be resentful, passive aggressive, or flat hair. Too much ether could be very spacey and disconnected, losing hair. Too much earth could be stubborn, oily, thick, and tangled. To balance these elements, a great place to start would be self observation. What qualities of the balanced and unbalanced elements relate to you? Practice the corrective modalities as appropriate, and focus on the corresponding products your chosen elemental focus.

How to Transition to Morrocco Method Shampoos as a First Time User

Okay, to be honest...

Transitioning to natural shampoos and conditioners can be a difficult and lengthy process. From dealing with detox to experimenting with your washing routine, it can take a while to figure out what's best for your hair. That's not to say it's not worth it. I think once you try out this method you will be so happy with the results that you'll never look back. Not only will you save tons of shampoo but your hair will be renewed and revitalized to new heights!

What to expect as a first time user:

Your first attempts using sulfate free shampoo may have left you confused by the lack of suds. MM shampoo's also have a very thick texture, making them difficult to disperse throughout all parts of your hair. To remedy this, make sure you properly dilute the shampoos using a spare bottle and adding equal parts water and shampoo. Using conventional shampoo will allow your hair to dry super fast and can give you amazing short-term results. Don't be fooled! This is because of synthetic ingredients, such as parabens, that coat the hair in plastic while leaving the real damage hidden beneath. So, even though these shampoos work easier into your scalp, your hair pays the price in the long run. In contrast, Morocco Method shampoos are crafted using healthy plants, clays, minerals and essential oils, the same ingredients used by the Gods & Goddesses  before the time of bottled shampoos. Anthony Morocco has re-invented this sense of ritual, this sense of natural power, allowing us to experience it every time we wash our hair.

Here are some practical insights for getting the most out of your natural shampoos:

1. Forget everything you know about brushing.

Proper brushing using a boar bristle brush can alleviate detox symptoms along with many other benefits. Also use the scalp massager to invigorate the blood flow and evenly distribute oils to the tips of the hair.  If you don't do this the ends of your hair will remain frizzy and split ends will occur more often. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmNVWpP01KQ

2. Use a netti pot!

This method really made the difference for me. Here's what you do: add about 1 tablespoon of your favorite MM shampoo in the base of the netti pot. Next, add in equal amounts water or slightly more depending on your perfect ratio. Now swirl the pot while holding the hole shot at the end of the spout until well mixed. Here's the incredible part: simply use the spout of the netti pot to disperse your shampoo next time you wash. This will help distribute the shampoo mixture all over the head, not clumped in one area of your head. Be sure to shampoo twice. The first wash removes dirt and debris; the second nourishes the scalp and hair shaft as the raw oils and minerals penetrate the follicles. In a pinch, you can also use a 16 ounce glass mason jar. I did this once on a trip. It worked well, but not as well as a netti pot!

3. Do the same for conditioners

If you're finding that your hair is still oily, do the above method with your conditioners as well. Simply swirl the conditioner with some water in your netti pot  and use the spout to distribute it over your hair.

4. Get yourself a bottle of Raw Fermented Organic Apple Cider Vinegar.

Take 2 tablespoons and put in the bottom of the netti pot. Fill the rest with clean water and distribute over the scalp. This keeps the pH of the scalp in check and inhibits scalp irritations or hair loss. It will give your hair that shine you miss from your conventional shampoo, restore the scalp and leave your hair thicker and fuller. Leave this in as your final rinse! *BONUS TIP* If my hair starts to feel dry, I like to use the spray-in conditioner all over. It brings a magical quality to your hair.   Lots of love and blessings to your healthiest head of hair! - Dodhisattva

Thanks for reading this article! For more like it, stop by The Sacred Backyard: dodhisattva.com