Lather, rinse, repeat.

I am a self-professed beauty product junkie. I love to leisurely stroll the aisles of a store, removing caps to sniff things, looking for new stuff to try. I really don’t wear much makeup, but I’m always up to try a new cream, cleanser or hair product. I love to read the labels, analyzing ingredients. The more I read, the more I realize that everything I put in or on my body is either toxic, harmful to the environment or tortured animals in its creation. I’ve been slowly switching over all my products to more environmentally friendly, chemical-free versions.  

When I was in high school, I tried a particular product that claimed to make one’s hair “soft as cornsilk”. I dutifully followed the instructions and liberally applied the greasy substance from scalp to tips. It smelled like a mix of coconut and olive oil and made my hair the most indescribable consistency. I was quite alarmed to discover my hair could actually be molded into shapes and maintain them (like playdoh). Turns out it is really intended for ethnic hair. Yep. Afro sheen. I swear, it didn't mention this anywhere on the bottle. I looked. No matter how many times I shampooed it, the product wouldn’t budge. The salon told me my best option was to have my hair chemically stripped, but they were unable to get me in for a couple of days. After fretting and whining to my mom the entire night ("no one cares what your hair looks like, Chelsea"), I went to school the next day with a bandana over my hair – a new fashion statement, I claimed. I distinctly remember sitting in class while my classmates curiously sniffed the air. Hmmmm…..something smells like pina colada. It took a while to live that one down. The whole incident was quite scarring and since then I’m very careful to read labels and ask questions when in doubt.

When I lived alone, I would relish an occasional night in by myself. I would pour a glass of wine, put on a chick flick and perform a series of beauty rituals on myself. A pedicure, hot oil hair treatment, mud mask, exfoliation treatment. Basically anything self indulgent that required a fair amount of time to be spent sitting around, swilling wine and eating delivery pizza, watching the requisite boy meets girl, boy falls in love with girl but someone blows it, them redeems himself in the end and they wind up together movie.

Since Dayven is on a business trip, I decided a night of self indulgence in the form of personal maintenance was in order. I bought a hair mask and various other creams and potions to beautify myself. Once Wyatt was tucked away in his bed, I went to work. When Dayven arrives back home, I’ll be buffed, polished, conditioned and shiny.