beauty hacks – Strength Scripted

Curly hair rules: 6 DO’S and DON’TS for beginners and beyond!

Solid advice for anyone trying to maintain curly and wavy hair

I’ve put together a small list of Do’s and Don’ts that are important and helpful to know when trying to take care of your curly or even wavy hair! (Sometimes waves can turn into curls with the right care!). I kept the list short and simple to not overwhelm you, but please message me or comment below if you have any questions or need some advice or product suggestions. I am going on 5 years of my “healthy hair journey” and I’ve learned quite a lot about hair care techniques with clean beauty products so I would be more than happy to be of service to you! I want everyone to love their hair and one way to do that is to share what I know about caring for textured hair.

Now let’s get into it!

Do NOT brush your curly hair when it’s dry!! This also applies to brushing your hair in the shower with your fingers while shampooing and conditioning. You think you’re getting the knots out, but you are actually messing with your curl pattern which increases frizz!
Do brush your hair when it’s soaking wet with a wide tooth comb or Denman after you apply some detangler cream. Start from the ends and work your way to the roots. Short strokes! It’s best to apply some detangling cream to your wet hair before brushing for best results.
Do NOT believe that a product is right for you because it’s all over Tik Tok or that it says it’s for curly hair or even if other people have had good results. Everyone’s hair can react to the same product differently. Don’t compare your results to others! Your hair is unique!!
Do stick with products that are working for you!! It’s easy to want to try new things which is perfectly fine but keep things consistent.
Do NOT think the same routine will get you the same results. Your hair products should switch up on wash day based on what your hair needs I.e more moisture, more protein, etc. You might swap out a product or add an extra. The weather and humidity levels play a factor in this as well.
Do check 👏🏼 the 👏🏼 ingredients👏🏼 !!! Make sure your hair products are free of parabens, silicone, sulfate, etc. as well as too much alcohol. (The first 5 ingredients are most important when checking the label).

There’s a lot more advice I can give but I will save it for future posts so be sure you’re following this blog and bookmark this website to your browser. Please let me know if I could help you in any way. I can’t wait to connect!

xo, J

Skin care is too complicated!! Let’s simplify it a little…

Why have people made skin care so complex and overwhelming?! I know we have learned a lot and really homed in on the specifics of skin care products which is great, but to the average person it seems so overwhelming that many don’t know where to begin!! So, my goal with this post is to try to simplify some things for you to give you some confidence to find and create the best simplified skin care routine for YOU!

Cleanse • Moisturize • Sunscreen

To make it extremely simple, focus on these 3 areas. First cleanse your face (Try the cleansing face bar soap I mentioned in a previous post) then you follow that with a moisturizer and then a sunscreen. Keeping it very simple will make it easy for you to stay consistent. On a relaxing day- usually Sundays for me- get yourself a face mask to do weekly!

As you create the habit of doing your skin care routine daily and are ready to add a new product(s) then you can look into other skin care products like a toner after you cleanse your face, an eye cream and serum. These aren’t always necessary though!! The rose water toner I’ve tried always made me break out and cause redness so I decided that it’s just not for me at the moment. Don’t go crazy and add a bunch of things to your routine at once- you won’t know which product your skin doesn’t agree with, which products are doing what for your skin and if you even need that extra product.

Living simply is the goal!

Some things to keep in mind when selecting your skin care products and creating your routine …

• Always check the ingredients. Avoid things with a ton of alcohol and long ingredient lists with many things you cannot pronounce. Alcohol can be drying for your skin. Also, stay far away from anything that lists “fragrance or perfume” as these may make the product smell good but can also expose you to cancerous and other harmful things.

• Big brands are not always the best! They are often times living off their name and not the quality of their products. Don’t feed into the hype these brands create.

• You are getting what you pay for when it comes to beauty products most of the time. The good stuff might cost a little more, but it’ll be absolutely worth it for your health. Keep your eye out for sales!

• Some of these new beauty tools are not worth the money or hassle and may even cause irritation to your skin, like the black head machine or electric scrubbers. Try it if you want, don’t try it if you don’t want to!

• Doing a skin care routine twice a day can be overwhelming to many people with limited time! Attempt to consistently do it at least once a day. Remember you’re doing this for YOU.

• Trail and error! Stick with a product for at least a month to see real results unless you developed irritation immediately after using, then stop. It takes time for our skin to adjust and show physical improvements so give new products time to see if they really work for you.

I hope that you’ve gained something from this post and you are confident enough to begin creating or adjusting your skin care routine. Don’t overthink it! I’m here to help the best I can so please comment or message me if you’d like me to help you with product recommendations or techniques.

Now go be great!

xo, J

11 of the best self-care items that bring the most comfort and relaxation

Something comfy, something that smells good, something inspiring or funny…What else?

I created this short and sweet list of items you can easily get your hands on to bring you the most comfort in your self-care routines. The importance of self-care is so underrated!! When you actively do things to help yourself feel good, it has a compound effect. It will keep benefiting you as long as you keep pouring into it. You will become a better version of yourself because you have been nurturing your mental, emotional and physical health consistently. Your growth will go unnoticed until you realize the results you are seeing is thanks to your self-care of your mind, body and spirit. Don’t forget to save this post to visit later and send it to a friend who can benefit from this blog! Word of mouth is important for small women owned businesses so thank you for your support. Now let’s get into it!

Skin care products– moisturizer, cleanser, oils, lip scrubs, and masks etc. – They will always leave you feeling refreshed after you finish your skin care routine. When you look good, you usually feel good. So, take this literal and take care of yourself.

Jade roller & Gua sha tool & derma roller– These items give you a sense of accomplishment when you use them. You’ll feel like you are going that extra mile when it comes to caring for yourself and your skin. Do your research on the derma roller before trying though!! Also, you really don’t have to spend a ton of money on the jade roller & gua sha tool. Check out the one I use at home that I got from Amazon for a super good deal! Check it out here.

Herbal tea, warm bone broth or coffee– These are a given. Warm drinks tend to soothe your body and belly bringing you ultimate comfort. Bone broth is actually really good for you too! As you already know, be mindful of caffeine especially when you are getting ready to go to sleep.

Cozy blanket, pajamas and socks/slippers– There is nothing better than being in super comfy clothing and wrapped in a cozy blanket while relaxing after a long day! It is just so comforting and allows you to exhale the day’s heavy work.

Noise canceling earbuds to listen to meditation music or ASMR- Drowning out the chaos around you to escape reality for a bit is sometimes extremely necessary. Music usually does the trick, but if you’re looking to try something different, search on Youtube: “ASMR for relaxation.” When you get passed the initial awkwardness/weirdness, it can reallyyyyy help your mind relax and may even feel your body tingling. (Search for simplykel asmr or tingting asmr on YouTube).

Soy candles, oil diffusers and/or fireplace– (avoid ‘fragrance’ and anything that’ll irritate your lungs) Candles (soy) always bring this sense of calmness to the room. Maybe it’s the fire flickering or the smell. If you don’t have any candles, just search “fireplace burning with noise” on YouTube and full screen it on your TV. Different scents of essential oils can affect your moods so pick the right scent for the mood you are manifesting. Aromatherapy can be quite beneficial to your overall mood.

House plants– Adding a variety of plants to your home will significantly improve your environment, especially impacting your mental wellness. Caring for the plants like trimming, watering, repotting, dusting/wiping leaves, etc. can be extremely relaxing, soothing and stress reducing. Some other benefits include improved moods, improved air quality, and decreased symptoms of depression. If you are a new plant parent, I would suggest checking Etsy and searching for “plant cuttings” which would be perfect to begin your plant journey. They’re cheap and gives you a variety of plants to practice with. Also try using the PlantIn app for useful tips!

Thick yoga mat + stretch bands– You’re going to use these two items for ultimate stretching and release of tension and stress that’s weighing you down. I want to emphasize a ‘thick’ yoga mat because it will give you the best cushion and comfort for certain positions that can be tough on your bones and joints especially on hardwood floors. I got mine off of Amazon and simply searched for a mat that was an inch or more in thickness.

Get a pet!- I realize it sounds bad to call a pet a ‘self care item’ lol. However, animals can have such a big impact on our lives!! Caring for them can give us a sense of importance and being needed and the love they give you for it can fill our hearts. Finding the right pet for you is key here. Dogs are amazing, so are cats, bunnies, ferrets, sugar gliders (must get as a baby or have a ton of patience and experience to rescue an adult), and certain birds are great companions. Please be mindful when deciding if getting a pet is right for you. When you adopt an animal, you are making a lifelong commitment to them that you will care for them until they pass. Please be responsible!

Find a good book to read! – Whether it’s a funny comic book, an inspiring story book, or a personal development book. Take a ride to your local library, thrift shop or bookstore and get yourself something new to read. If you need a suggestion, check out “How Happiness Happens” by Max Lucado. Absolute fantastic read.

Take a hot shower or bath. Add a bath bomb if you’re feeling fancy! – This one is FREE! Well, except if you pay for hot water and/or water in general (hello homeowners!). However, this is a simple way to begin relaxing your body. The warmth will relax and loosen your muscles and the steam in the air will clear up your airways if you’re feeling a bit stuffed up. Bath bombs with CBD will give you ultimate relaxation.

This is all I have for you right now! Can you think of any that I missed? Share them in the comments section!!

xo, J

*Some links in this post are affiliate links which means I may receive a small percentage if you make a purchase. Of course, your purchase helps my family and I, but I am sharing these products in order to help you. I only recommend products that I’ve personally used and think others will benefit from. I will not suggest something I don’t believe in!