Marta Bellydance
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Hi! I'm Marta! Welcome to my blog.

​I enjoy writing and sharing my experiences as a dancer and a teacher, useful resources I like and my personal hacks. Pick a category to filter through the posts. P.s I love hearing feedback, give a 'like' or comment and tell me what you thought of the topic within the post.

7 Hair Hacks for Natural Bellydancers - Trimming & Brushing

16/8/2016

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 Oh Hello Sisters! How was your Monday?

Hair Cuts and Brushing
I know, so obvious right? But I just wanted to point it out. Getting your hair cut is so important when in comes to hair health. Maybe every month go and get a little trim off the ends of your hair, this will rid any split ends and allow your hair to grow longer. If you don't get a trim every now and then when you are trying to grow your hair, it will be a very long process. This is because when you go to a hair dresser after a year they will want to trim off any split ends, and chances are if you haven't been to the hair dresser in a while you will have a few cm of em. (But if you are lazy with the hair dressing like me, its great to have that coconut and avocado oil on hand).
Regularly brushing your hair is very important, I would recommend using a wooden brush as the wood will soak up any excess oils left in your hair. How cool is that? Oh Oh! I would also suggest keeping the heat to a minimum. Cut back on the straightening, your hair is perfect as it is!


Conclusion
Well I hope you take on these tips, this little blog post sums up the 7 Hair Hacks for Natural Bellydancers. I hope you enjoyed the series! Let me know how you go with any of my 'secrets' I wold love to hear about it. 
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7 Hair Hacks for Natural Bellydancers - Avocado Oil

13/8/2016

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Hello Sisters! I do hope you are enjoying your weekend. Here is my 5th Hair Hack I hope you enjoy it!


Avocado Oil
The Mayans had discovered the amazing benefits of Avocado since ancient times. To the Mayans, this green fruit was not only thought of as food, but also highly intertwined with their spirituality and healing.

Avocado is rich in Vitamin A, B, D, E and also has high amounts of protein, amino acids, iron, magnesium and folic acid - it has all the vital nutrients for the body. The Mayans believed that Avocados had many positive effects for the human body, internally and externally. And so it become a huge part of their everyday life, avocado was added to almost every dish and also used by the women for beautification. 

How I use it...

I have been using avocado oil on my hair for a few weeks now and in this short time I have noticed many benefits.
I dampen my hair with warm or cold water and apply a small amount of the oil to my scalp and give my head a good massage. This is great for reducing dandruff, but it is also nice and relaxation and stimulates your blood vessels which improves the circulation. After I have washed my hair normally with shampoo and conditioner, I will let it dry and then rub about a teaspoon of the oil into the tips of my hair. This method combined has improved the overall health of my hair. It has strengthened and nourished, added shine, and I feel as though it has prevented hair loss. 
I have read that Mayans and other cultures apply mashed avocado straight to their hair. I am yet to try this, at this point I'd rather get the benefits from my fresh Avocados by eating them! So yum! I eat a lot of avocado and I believe  that has also had a positive impact on my overall health, skin, and hair. 

I also use avocado oil for my facial scrub. I get crushed avocado seed to exfoliate and the avocado oil as a moisturiser and combine the two together to create my scrub. I absolutely love it! When I come out of the shower and feel my skin it feels so soft and smooth. Ever use a chemical based facial scrub which leaves your face feeling unnaturally tingly? Yeah, me too, and I don't particularly like it. I feel so happy after using my avocado scrub because I know I am environmentally friendly and also it it totally natural for my skin. No nasty chemicals. Apparently avocado oil even has SPF properties!

Conclusion...
However you take avocado, I believe it is very beneficial for your hair, scalp and overall health. Don't mind the price, you're worth it!

​
I AM NOT A NATURAL PRACTITIONER NOR CONSIDER MYSELF AN EXPERT. THESE STEPS ARE DRAWN FROM MY OWN EXPERIENCES.

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7 Hair Hacks for Natural Bellydancers - Natural Instinct Shampoo/Conditioner & Earths Waters

13/8/2016

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Hello sisters!
How are you going today? have you tried any of my hacks so far? If you have let me know how it turned out! My 4th hair hack is a natural, environmentally and cruelty free shampoo and conditioner.
Natural Instinct Shampoo & Conditioner 
My mum introduced me to this specific shampoo and conditioner, I love it. It is Australian made, cruelty free, has all natural ingredients and smells and feels great in my hair! You can get this from any chemist in big value bottles or small ones if you go through shampoo and conditioner slowly. Below I have listed all the ingredients that you should avoid when picking the right cleansing and nourishing products for your hair. Luckily, Natural Instinct products don't use these products at all! Yay!


  • Alcohol denat. (denatured alcohol)
  • Benzoyl Peroxide
  • BHA & BHT
  • Bismuth oxychloride
  • Carboxymethyl cellulose (cellulose gum)
  • Colourants
  • DEA
  • Dimenthicone (and other methicone ingredients)
  • Emulsifying waxes (and the "fatty acids")
  • Formaldehyde
  • Fragrance
  • Hexane
  • Imidazolidinyl urea
  • Laureth family (ingredients with laureth, laurate or lauryl extensions)
  • Methylisothiazolinone
  • PABA (para-aminobenzoic acid)
  • Parabens
  • Paraffin wax
  • PEG ingredients
  • Phenonip
  • Phenoxyethanol
  • Propelene glycol
  • PVP/VA copolymer
  • Sodium hydroxymethyl glycinate
  • Synthetic elastin
  • Talc powder
  • Triclosan
  • Triethanolamine
  • Quaternium, 7, 15, 31, 60

How I use it....
Like any normal shampoo and conditioner. (I won't take up your precious time but explaining how I wash my hair). I do try to limit washing my hair any more than once a week, other wise my body can over compensate on oil production if I wash in any more frequently and cause extra oil and the need for more frequent washing (no body wants that).


One other thing I would recommend for your natural hair beauty is to indulge in natures wonders by swimming in the ocean or a fresh water river. This can seriously assist your hair growth, reduce oil and dirt build and naturally nourish your hair. Ever notice beach babes rarely have the need to wash their hair?

​Conclusion...

I would suggest to find the right products that work for your unique hair. Natural Instinct works really well with my hair but over time I will still need to 'reset my hair with bi-carb or nourish it with coconut oil. Discover what works for you and your natural hair type! Have any questions? Leave a comment bellow.

​I AM NOT A NATURAL PRACTITIONER NOR CONSIDER MYSELF AN EXPERT. THESE STEPS ARE DRAWN FROM MY OWN EXPERIENCES.
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7 Hair Hacks for Natural Bellydancers - Coconut Oil

9/8/2016

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Hello again Sisters! I hope you enjoyed my last post about my personal benefits of Bi-carb Soda. If you did not get to read that one - just press 'previous' down bellow.

Today, I am sharing my 2nd hair hack which is...

Coconut Oil
The idea of using coconut oil has been around since the dawn of time. Coconut oil has made a name for itself all throughout the different cultures especially, Papua New Guinea, India, Samoa, Ancient Egypt...Coconut oil is high in antimicrobials and high moisture content which acts as a fat fighting, illness fighting, dryness fighting super oil! The acnient Egyptians and Indians used it for moisturising and hair care. Samoan mothers would massage there children with the oil to promote healthy skin, strong bones, heal scars more efficiently and even sooth a babies teething pain.

How do I use it....?

I use coconut oil for a number of different things, it has proved to be very beneficial for my hair personally. When it comes to my hair, I mainly use it for moisturising then ends of my hair. Although I have read from other cases that the oil can be used to help fight dandruff caused by fungal infections, I personally would not take the coconut oil heavily throughout the scalp. The reason for this is because for some hair types it can clog up your pores and leave your hair very oily until your next wash. Which isn't ideal. So I will usually take coconut oil from the bottom of my hair where it needs the most attention and then slowly take the oil up the the scalp and give it a little bit of a massage with the residue that is left on my hands.
For combination/oily hair, coconut oil can be hard to work with as it gives you a heavily moisturised scalp. To prevent this I sometimes like to use sodium bicarbonate straight after a coconut rinse or bath soak. this will reduce the amount of oil and balance the pH of your scalp. Resulting in a happy head of hair! I will do this whenever my hair feels it is necessary, perhaps ever 2-6 months. This is keeping in mind that important mantra...balance & moderation.

I also use Coconut oil for many different beauty and health benefits e.g. cooking, massaging, oil pulling, bath soaks, moisturiser, shaving cream, make-up remover. Seriously, this oil is an amazing gift from the earth to keep in your cupboard. TRY IT!

Conclusion....
I love coconut oil, it is amazing. Just like bi-carb, it has more than one use around the home. But don't just get any old coconut oil. What you want is the 'organic, first cold pressed' oil - better for the envieonment and better for you. This oil is amazing for living an inexpensive minimalist lifestyle, living naturally while not missing out on much! Do you have any questions? Or do you have a use for coconut oil that I haven't discovered yet? I would love tk know, pease let us know in the comments bellow!



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Samoan beauty
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7 Hair Hacks for Natural Bellydancers - Bi-Carb

9/8/2016

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Hello Sisters, I thought I'd share some of my secrects within the health and beauty department. I'll be posting for 7 days on some of my hair hacks for natural girls. I hope you enjoy the read!
Many people ask me about my hair - How do I grow it so long? Why doesn't it frizz? Which product do I use? Well girls, I'll let you in on my -not so secret- secret. To be honest, the amazing stuff I use for my hair is probably already hiding in your cupboard or even in the backyard! When you want to heighten your hair health, I have found that there are 2 basic aspects of care.
#1 Normal hair maintenance (brushing, regular trims and shampoo and conditioner) and #2 medical hair maintenance (treating head and hair issues caused by other factors. One example is dandruff - resulting from stress).
There are many ways you can take care of your hair. Unfortunately a lot of people don't actually realise that some issues don't just come from your head. Issues like excess oil, dandruff, split ends and weak hair can be directly caused by other unknown/underlying factors such as; nutrition, stress, anxiety and depression. I believe you can combat most hair issues by taking a naturalistic approach and focusing on treating the cause, rather than the symptoms. Everything I will be listing in these articales is from the category #2 - which means they are to be taken seriously and used in balance and moderation.

If you are totally clueless right now, that's okay! Luckily for you, over the next 7 days I will be unlocking 1 'secret' hair care ritual each day for all my sisters to enjoy!
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Sodium Bicarbonate

First of all I want to share with you my most favorite natural remedies that I use once roughly every 2-6 months (or whenever my hair needs a good pH balancing). If you aren't aware Sodium Bicarbonate is a component found in Natron which is found in a dissolved form in mineral spring water all over Earth. It is Alkaline.
I have found that bi-carb is a great cleanser for my hair. After a couple months of normal hair care, there comes a time when I know I just need to 'have a good cleanse.' But why is bi-carb good for my hair?
So, we already know that bi-carb is alkaline, well what about our hair? Naturally our hair is acidic (about 4-6 pH), which means that we need to find a good balance when using hair products, sodium bicarbonate is great, however the key is ​balance and ​moderation.
I find that after a couple months my hair is in need of a deep cleanse. With all the excess oil, dirt and who knows what else, the pH doesn't seem to be very balanced. So cleansing with an alkaline is pretty perfect for the job to clean out the baddies and bring your hair back to balance.
How do I use Bi-carb?

I do a hair rinse. I get about a teaspoon of the white holy goodness and dissolve it into a little jar of water (about half a cup). Once I am in the shower I will wet my hair and apply the dissolved bicarb into my scalp and hair, giving my head a nice massage. what this does is strip your hair of all the dirt, fluff and oil, giving a good reset to your hair. According to my research, because Bi-carb is Alkaline (9.0) so it will open the cuticles on your scalp - allowing more moister in. This is some useful information - as now we know how to balance it. I usually rinse my hair with room temp/cold water which will close the cuticles (preventing too much moisture entering the hair). You can also add a ACL rinse to this method which acts like a conditioner and pulling back your pH down to a balanced level again. ACL = Apple Cider Vinegar (acidic). Honestly, its up to you find your own personal method.

Other uses for bicarb...

I have also found that bicarb can be a totally awesome deodorant! When I'm in the shower, instead of washing my underarms with soap, I will wash them with Bi-carb! Throughout the day of normal activities I do not sweat and I feel fresh and free! Seriously I love this one more than the hair rinse!! I will use this for a couple days and then let my body balance itself out again. I only use when I feel it is necessary. This is a great secret weapon to keep in mind - especially if you are travelling and only have limited space for items or don't feel like shaving/can't - bi-carb is great, alot better than supermarket deoderant (me personally). Sometimes I use bi-carb as a great toothpaste and I also use it every now and again for a facial scrub and body scrub. It is abrasive and easily washes away dead skin cells, dirt and oil. Although keep in mind...with anything great, the key is balance and moderation.

Conclusion..

​You can use Bicarb for a number of things. Like the beauty experts of ancient Egypt, you might fancy using it as a body wash with almond oil. Or like the Chinese, you could try brushing your teeth with it (which btw whitens them - naturally baby!). Why not play around with some of these methods or try experiment with your own ideas (a relaxing bicarb foot soak?) Let me know how they turned out. I would love to hear about it! Oh one last thing, I have not tried this myself - but some women seem to think its a great idea to mess around down there...before you think you have hit the holy grail - please please please DO NOT use bicarb or any other chemicals on your sacred Yoni! She knows how to look after herself.

Thank-you for reading, I hope you enjoyed it! See you tomorrow.
With love,

Marta x



*DISCLAIMER*
I AM NOT A NATURAPATH NOR CONSIDER MYSELF AN EXPERT. THESE STEPS ARE DRAWN FROM MY OWN EXPERIENCES, I SHARE MY JOURNEY OF KNOWLEDGE OUT OF PASSION FOR A NATURAL AND HOLISTIC LIFESTYLE AND I HOPE YOU CAN LEARN SOMETHING NEW. I HAVE CREATED A LINK LIST BELOW WHERE YOU CAN RESEARCH FURTHER WITH SOME TRUSTED WEBSITES.

●http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2015/02/02/11-health-benefits-baking-soda.aspx
● https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ebers_Papyrus
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7 Hair Hacks for Natural Bellydancers - Rosemary Rinse

9/8/2016

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Hia Sisters! You will love this hair hack!

Rosemary Rinse
Aside from the amazing tastes this herb can bring to the kitchen, it also has amazing benefits in the bathroom! Many cultures have been using rosemary water to improve memory, reduce dandruff, improve skin condition, darken and strengthen hair and also said to heal cuts much quicker!

How I use it...
Rosemary hair rinse is a very easy, anyone can do it! Some people like to add all sorts of different things to their rosemary rinse like black tea or essential oils, But honestly rosemary water rinse is so beneficial for your hair you don't really need to add anything else. All you need it water, a pot and some freshly picked rosemary from the garden. Boil the water and add your rosemary sprigs, lower the temp and cook for about 10 mins. Strain your water into a plastic jug and take it int the shower with you (don't worry if there are some little leaves left over - they feel good in your hair). Wet your hair and slowly add the rosemary water to your scalp. Massage the water into your head all over. With the remaining  water I like to fill the jug up a big with more water and then pour all over my head.

Other uses..

I also like to have a rosemary bath, also adding a few drops of lavender essential oil makes this bath especially relaxing. When I emerge from this bath my brain is recharged and my skin feels very nourished and soft. When I am out in the garden pottering, I love to get some rosemary and smell it. It heightens my senses and studies show that it also improves memory which is pretty exciting!

Conclusion...
Such a great herb, It has many uses in the kitchen and bathroom. I think it is a stable herb to have in your garden. 

I AM NOT A NATURAL PRACTITIONER NOR CONSIDER MYSELF AN EXPERT. THESE STEPS ARE DRAWN FROM MY OWN EXPERIENCES.
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    Marta

    Dance Instructor
    &
    ​Performance Artist
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