The Better Sex Guide: Durex Pleasuremax Condoms & KY Silk Personal Lubricant

If you're sexually active, and looking for reliable method of birth control and a way to protect yourself from STD's, than your best bet is to use a condom.  Preferably the male condom rather than the female condom, as female condoms are hard to find and a bit tricky to use.  There are various brands of condoms out there.  The most popular being Trojan, Lifestyles, Durex, and for the seriously well endowed ...Magnum.  lol  There are other not so well known brands of condoms on the market like Kimono (very premium brand), One, Crown, InSpiral (very unique shape designed for better friction and female pleasure), Maxpro (has one with unique shape as well for better friction and female pleasure), no name assortment condoms in various colors and flavors, and other brands that are not popular. 

Unless you're really into sex and experimenting with condoms for the pure joy of it, than like most you're more concerned with protecting yourself from making unwanted babies and catching a scary STD or any STD for the matter.  So chances are that you're probably gonna make a quick run to your local convenience store to pick up a pack of condoms.  I've tried all the most popular brands that you'll typically find in your local convenience store and I have to say that I hate Trojan latex condoms.  They seriously irritate me and cause me discomfort for days, and they wreak of a disgusting strong latex smell.  I seriously thought I had some sort of allergy to latex, until I tried another brand.  The best brand that I recommend so far is Durex.  More specifically, Durex's Pleasuremax condoms.  They're awesome.  ** Pleasuremax condoms not only have a low latex scent, but they also do not irritate (if you tend to have a sensitive system down there and tend to have to use Dove soap or soaps for sensitive skin than these condoms are perfect to use).  Those are the extra benefits of using Pleasuremax. 

The ultimate reason I recommend Pleasuremax condoms by Durex, is because they actually feel really good.  Pleasuremax condoms are both ribbed and studded, therefore increasing friction (increased friction equals increased sensitivity and heightened pleasure) for both the guy and gal.  Some condoms are designed with pleasure being targeted to just the female only, whereas Pleasuremax is designed to target increased pleasure for both the male and female.  If you are one of those guys that like to complain to your woman that you dislike using condoms because you so called "can't feeling nothing!" with condoms, than this condom may change your mind.  I knew someone who used to make these types of BS complaints until they tried Pleasuremax, and well now they really have nothing else to complain about after having tried them and liking the heightened experience.  lol  So fellas, no more excuses, try Pleasuremax. 

Ladies, I know you've heard the same excuse from a guy about not liking to wear condoms because they swear they can't feeling anything, and I recommend you have your guy try Pleasuremax and watch their complaints disappear out the window.  Don't settle for not making him wear a condom if that is his only excuse.  Durex just gave men who hate wearing condoms no excuse to not be okay with wearing them! :-)

Ladies if you dislike condoms for the same reason, or feel like you would like to feel more heightened sensitivity during sex while staying protected, than you'll definitely like Pleasuremax as well.  I absolutely love this brand.  They are already lubricated, have a low latex smell, won't irritate you, and actually increase friction for heightened sensitivity.  Are these the best condoms out there?  No there are even better condoms out there, but you'll have to search and shop for some of the other better brands of condoms online or in specialty stores.  But for a quick easy selection of a good brand to buy from your local convenience store like Walgreens, CVS, Rite Aid, Walmart, Target, or grocery store...Durex Pleasuremax is the brand I recommend.  I just feel like you can't go wrong with this brand. 

If you find however, that this brand doesn't work for you than of course check for the return policy and consider returning them or contact Durex's customer satisfaction line.  You can find Pleasuremax condoms sold in most convenience stores like Walgreens, CVS, Rite Aid and major merchants like Walmart and Target.  The retail price ranges from store to store starting at $12.99 to 15.99 for a 12 pack.  If you're not looking to buy a 12 pack and only want to try them in a smaller quantity, then you can also find them in Durex's Pleasure Variety Packs of 3 (only 1 of 3 condoms in this pack will be a Pleasuremax condom while the other two condoms will be one of their flavor brands and Sensitive brand) and Durex's Pleasure Variety Pack of 12 ( where 3 of 12 of the variety of durex condoms will be Pleasuremax while the remaining 9 condoms will be their other variety brand of condoms).   Trying the Durex Pleasure Variety pack is how I actually discovered their Pleasuremax condoms and out of all of their condoms Pleasuremax was the best one, with their Sensitivity condoms being the next best for their thinness. 

If you tend to use lubricants with condoms, you may not necessarily need to use them with Pleasuremax as they are already lubricated and should be enjoyable enough to use to where you shouldn't need any help in that area. lol  However, if you still find that you need to use a lubricant for any reason, I recommend "KY Silk" brand of lubricant.  KY has different brands of their lubricant, but Silk is one brand I recommend.  It's not thick and jell like in texture like their usual KY brand of lubricant.  It is slick, drippy, slippery, and doesn't dry up like their regular brand of lubricant.  It won't cause any discomfort or issues with a woman's Ph balance or systems either like some lubricants can (no irritation and bacterial/yeast infections).  You can find it at Walmart, Target, Walgreens, CVS, Rite Aid, local grocery store, etc for about $2.50 to $7.00 depending on which store you buy it from and the size bottle you buy, it comes in a small 1.5 Fl oz bottle and larger size bottles as well.       

Hair Product Review: Kinky Curly Knot Today Leave-In Conditioner

If you have hair that is crinkly, curly, wavy, and possibly kinky or frizzy in texture (or a combination of all listed), than this hair product review may be of most interest to you, especially if you wear your natural hair texture.  I have hair that is a combo of crinkly, curly, wavy, and frizzy (especially depending on what products I choose to style my natural hair with).  Sometimes I wear my hair straight (through flat ironing), and sometimes I wear my hair's natural texture.  I look for products that I think will enhance my hair texture by defining it's crinkly, curly, and waviness more and decrease the frizzy feel and look of my hair.  I also look for products that will help to detangle my hair ( as it can sometimes become a little tangled from sleep...I sleep wild and no matter how well I try to cover or wrap up my hair, it always end up loose and all over the place while I sleep lol ).  I also like to seek products that will condition, moisturize, soften my hair and keep it that way.  Well I will have to admit that while I do NOT recommend some of Kinky Curly's products (their "custard" gel and "spiral spritz" will do a review on those later), I do like their "Knot Today" Leave-In Conditioner.  It does all of the above things that I mentioned. 

BEFORE KINKY CURLY

The Kinky Curly Knot Today Leave-In Conditioner not only conditions and softens your hair, but it is one of the best detanglers I've used so far (besides "Creme of Nature Moisturizing Shampoo") and it really does help to define my hair texture more with less frizz.  When you use it, make sure your hair is soaking wet and very damp, apply in ample amounts ( if your hair is like mine, less if your hair is more sleek and less frizzy but still curly/wavy) to sections of your hair, and use a wide tooth comb and your fingers to comb through your hair gently for detangling and for defining your hair texture.  This conditioner smells nice too, with a soft baby powder/marshmallow type of scent. 

The only thing that I can say that I actually don't like about Kinky Curly's Knot Today Leave-In Conditioner, is that it takes a long time ( hours ) for the hair to dry after it has been applied (even with sitting under a hair drier), and this conditioner does not mix well with other hair products like most hair gels ( ProAmpro's Dark Protein Gel seems to work "okay" with the conditioner though) and so forth (not even too well with their own custard gel in my opinion), and it can leave a white residue in your hair if too much is applied and it starts to dry before you're done styling your hair.  So beware of those inconveniences. 

AFTER KINKY CURLY 1

AFTER KINKY CURLY 2

Final Tip: Kinky Curly Knot today by the way can also be used as a regular rinse out conditioner as well.  So if you need a conditioner after shampooing your hair, you can apply kinky curly and leave on for a few minutes and then rinse your hair with water.  This is also recommended if you have straight but curly/wavy hair with no frizz.  If your hair is like mine, than you would likely apply it to sections of your hair in ample amount and comb the hair with a wide tooth comb, and then finger comb the hair to bring out your hair texture more.  You can see the photos of my hair before and after applying the Kinky Curly Leave-In Conditioner.  If you're interested in trying this product, you can find it at Whole Foods Market for $11.00 plus tax and at Target for $12.00 plus tax.  Kinky Curly Knot Today Leave-In Conditioner is an natural hair care product.  Some of the ingredients include:  Organic Mango Fruit Extract, Organic Slippery Elm, Organic Marshmallow Root, and Organic Lemongrass

While you're in the store searching for this conditioner, you may notice that there is an entire line of Kinky Curly hair care products that seem to go hand in hand.  You may even notice that on their web site "how to use kinky curly products" video that they recommend you use the entire line for the best results of enhancing your hair texture more.  I'm going to give it to you straight, unless you intend on becoming frustrated from experimenting with a new product line....just stick with their Knot Today leave-in conditioner and if you like a good clarifying shampoo for getting lots of product out of your hair, than I recommend their Clairfying shampoo (it has sea salt, lemon, and other good ingredients that really cleanses your hair well naturally without all the chemicals) and call it a day.  I have tried the entire product line (before I knew that Whole Foods Market had a great return policy on products you're unsatisfied with) and it cost me about $60 and I got unsatisfactory results from using the entire Kinky Curly hair product line together like they recommend in their "how to" video! 

AFTER KINKY CURLY- Back of hair. Didn't use much in back.

Later (since I believed at the time that I was STUCK with the product line lol ), I decided to give Kinky Curly one more try, except this time I decided to not use the Kinky Curly Custard Gel (as it leaves your hair hard and sticky and it takes forever for your hair to dry using it with the Knot Today leave-in conditioner!) and to definitely avoid the Kinky Curly Spiral Spritz that is recommended to use the next day to "refresh your curls" (whatever, it did nothing but make my hair feel worse, it did not refresh my curls at all, and I hate the way it smells! lol ).  Just stick with the Kinky Curly Clarifying Shampoo ( for getting hair gel, spritz, mouse, etc out of your hair really well), and the Knot Today Leave-In Conditioner, and avoid the rest.  If you feel tempted to try the entire product line anyway, or one extra product from their line (that I highly don't recommend lol) than know that Whole Foods Market does give 100% refunds if you are unsatisfied with a product.  I'm not 100% sure on Target's return policy in regards to beauty products.  http://www.Kinky-Curl.com is the Kinky Curly web site for more info about their product line.  Good luck and feel free to comment about Kinky Curly products if you have already tried them or have a question about their products. 

Peace

Autumn Bleu

Hair Product Review: Nature's Gate Henna Shine Enhancing Conditioner

I have a hair care product review for you all today!  I just tried a new conditioner this week called  "Henna Shine Enhancing Conditioner" by Nature's Gate.  I found this conditioner at Whole Foods market.  This product is considered to be natural.  It is primarily an herbal conditioner with an Ayurveda herbal extract and other herbal extracts.  I really like using natural products most on my hair (though I will try any product, artificial ingredients or not if I believe it will work lol).  I've used this conditioner twice this week.  I can do this because I have been wearing my hair in it's natural texture again.  Before I was wearing my hair flat ironed straight for almost 2 months. 

Before telling you about the product, I have to give a cautionary warning about this conditioner due to the fact that it has Henna in it (henna abstract to be exact).  A friend of a friend ( hair stylist ) told me that Henna and Relaxers are a potentially a bad combination.  So if you have a relaxer or any other chemical perms in your hair, you may want to strand test this conditioner first as a safety precaution before applying this conditioner to your entire head of hair.  If you're not familiar with the strand test, it is where you take a few strands of your hair to test a product on first to see what reaction your hair may have to the product.  If you get bad results, such as hair damage of any sort, than do not go forward with using the product on the rest of your hair.  However, if you get NO negative results from the strand test, than you may choose to continue with the use of the product and apply it to the rest of your hair.

I personally don't have a relaxer in my hair (to the left is the back of my hair after wetting it with water).  I am proudly 100% natural.  The year of 2006 was the last time I got an relaxer.  By 2007 I was making the transition from relaxed hair to natural hair.  By 2008, I was all natural.  Best decision I ever made for my hair.  My hair has been much healthier, and much longer since I went natural.  I still straightened my hair from time to time through the use of flat irons and pressing combs, but no longer through chemical relaxers.  I won't even try an "all natural" relaxer, as I have heard those darn things will literally take your hair out and cause a lot of damage!   So I am not 100% sure if the rumor is true or not about Henna's reaction to relaxed hair (and I will be doing research on this topic and posting about it later), but I like to always take caution , and therefore give those of you with chemical treatments in your hair a nice warning before recommending you use any product that may possible be rumored to be chemically incompatible.  Don't be scared yall, just giving a fair warning cause I am definitely fair about my product reviews. lol 

Moving forward, for those of you brave enough to do the strand test, and for those of you without a relaxer, I'd like to share my experience of using Nature's Gate Henna Shine Enhancing Conditioner.  Okay, so I've used this conditioner twice so far, once last week and once this week so far.  The first time I just wet my hair in the shower (as it was already clean) and I let it sit for 3-5 minutes before rinsing.  Today I washed my hair using "Sunsilk Lusciously Thick & Long" shampoo ( has keratin and wheat germ protein in it and not an all natural shampoo, but I like it because it works for growing my hair ) and I used the Nature's Gate Henna Shine Enhancing Conditioner again.

Each time that I have used this conditioner I liked it.  It does not dry my hair out like the Aubrey's moisturizing conditioner did last week.  My hair felt better.  I could tell it was well conditioned and moisturized.  It was easy to detangle my hair in the shower by running my fingers and a wide tooth comb through it with the conditioner on before rinsing.  Now I didn't observe that my hair was "shiny" or glossy looking.  My hair's shine factor remained the same.  But perhaps with time and continued use of this conditioner, the shine factor of my hair may show further enhancement in the future.  The main results that I am hoping for won't be visible until maybe a few weeks later when I can see how this conditioner affects my overall hair strength, health and hair growth.  My hair is in good condition, and so is the length.  However, I'm always seeking improvements with getting my hair to be stronger (for less potential breakage and split ends) and seeing how much length I can encourage my hair to grow if I use good products.  So those were my primary reasons for trying this conditioner.  The moisturizing factor was secondary.  The main ingredient that I'm focusing on for the hair strength, health and growth is the "Henna Leaf" extract.  

Henna is one of the more popular Ayurveda treatments that Indian women use (and now a starting trend among women in this country) to really condition (and to color) hair.  I don't think this conditioner will affect anyone's hair color if they use it though, as there are no warnings listed on the bottle and only the abstract is being used, not the powder.  Most who use Henna for the purpose to color their hair, actually use the powder form of the Ayurveda herb.  There are different Henna powder variations that can range from red tones to dark brown and black color tints.  There is also a type of Henna that can be used solely to condition the hair and has a neutral coloring affect with no tint at all.  I will be posting more about Henna in another post later on.  So if you do use Nature's Gate Henna Shine conditioner, don't worry your hair won't end up with a color tint of any kind.  It will only be conditioned and hopefully will give you the same good results I am experiencing now. 

Some of the other good ingredients in this conditioner that I really like include:  Horsetail extract (known to strengthen hair for better hair grow and less breakage), Nettle, wild cherry bark, hydrolyzed soy protein, rosemary, burdock root, B5 vitamin, safflower seed oil, matricaria, and hops.  A lot of good extracts for the hair. 

I'm not sure what other stores may possibly be selling Nature's Gate Henna Shine Conditioner, but you can find it and their shampoo at a Whole Foods market in your located in your area.  At whole foods it cost 6.99 plus tax.  Not a bad price for a good conditioner that is satisfactory so far, and has potential to so even better results with time.  If you're interested in trying this conditioner, and you don't have a Whole Foods market in your area, you can visit Nature's Gate web site at www.natures-gate.com . 

I like this conditioner and will be continuing to use it for the next few weeks, maybe longer.  If this conditioner doesn't show the results of strengthened, longer, healthier hair in a few weeks or more, than I will make sure to do another review to let you know.  In fact I will likely do another review anyway regardless, to keep you all posted of the both the good and bad.  Feel free to comment about the product if you've tried it, about the product review or if you have any questions about this conditioner. 

-Autumn Bleu

Skin Care: Neutrogena Pore Cleanser & Mask

Today's post is a product review related to skin care.  I  know how crucial skin care can be to most.  Weather you're a guy or gal,  no one really desires to be seen as being unattractive due to having dirt and oil filled pores which causes gross pimples and ugly blackheads to appear on the skin. However, with so many skin care products on the market, it really can become a hassle trying to find one that would do really well to meet one's dermatological needs and standards.  So that's where I step in and give my 2 cents after trying a product.  Today's skin care product is "Neutrogena Pore Cleanser & Mask".

 

I've tried a lot of facial cleansers and creams over the years and I really must say that this is the best facial wash that I have used so far.  I'll be doing product reviews on other skin care cleansers in the future so, maybe I might find another facial cleanser as good or better than this one, but somehow I doubt it. lol  I discovered this one by accident through an ex.  I used to wonder why his skin was always so clear (including his pores!) lol  I always assumed that maybe it was due to his age ( late 20's to early 30's I knew him), possibly his diet, peace of mind, genetics, or maybe some other factor.  However, his diet really wasn't any healthier than mine, and he seemed stressed out at least most of the time, and we all know that stress can really break a person out in the face!  Then one day I caught him walking out of his bathroom with a white face!  It was some sort of cream based facial product he was using, and he almost scared the crap out of me. Seriously, because I wasn't expecting it, as most guys are usually pretty low key about their cosmetic maintenance.  So it's rare to catch a man walking around with a deep cleansing mask on his face! lol   However, he was a pretty boy, and very much into his appearance. 

I asked him what was on his face ( I wanted to be sure this is what I thought it was or was it maybe shaving cream all over his entire face. lol ).   He told me it was a facial mask.  I didn't think much of it until much later one day when I was desperately seeking a facial cleanser to help clear my face.  I had tried my fair share of facial cleansing products at this point already.  I realized that my ex's face seemed to stay clear and clean regardless of how much he stressed, what he ate, and any other related factors.  He used the same cleanser for as long as I knew him ( 3 years ).  So I took a look in his bathroom to find out what he was using.  It was Neutrogena Pore Cleanser & Mask.  I took note of the active ingredient being Benzoyl Peroxide.  So I was unsure how well or not this product would work for me as I had tried pimple creams with benzoil peroxide and even other facial pore cleansers, both name brand and Walmart's store brand of pore cleanser with Benzoyl Peroxide. 

I've tried facial cleansers and astringents that include salicylic acid as the active ingredient, and found unsatisfactory results.  By the way, along the way I discovered that Salicylic Acid doesn't work for everyone, and neither does Benzoyl Peroxide.  Everyone has a unique PH balance to their skin.  For some people that find success with using facial products that include salicylic acid, tend to discover that Benzoyl Peroxide does not work for their skin at all.  Vice versa for users of Benzoyl Peroxide facial products.  I discovered that facial products that include salicylic acid at first only clears up my face for a few days and then breaks my face out.  Continued used of products with salicylic acid in it for me is only a waste of time, as after a while my skin won't even respond to the salicylic acid in the facial product.  Benzoyl peroxide facial products however have a much better success rate with clearing up my face.  However, the other ingredients in a facial product still has to be matched well to the Ph balance of my skin type. 

If you know which active ingredient works better for your skin, than you can choose to try Neutrogena Pore Cleanser & Mask if Benzoyl Peroxide works for you, or their alternate facial cleanser mask with salicylic acid as the active ingredient.  If you are not sure which active ingredient will work best for your skin, than you may want to review any past experiences with facial cleansers and creams, and see if you can observe the difference in the reaction your skin has had to salicylic acid and Benzoyl Peroxide.  You can also take a quiz to figure exactly what your skin type is and which active ingredient would work best for you.  Fitness Magazine Online has a really helpful quiz that you can take to find out what your skin type is and get a recommendation on what types of active ingredients and products that may work best for your face:  http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/fitness/quiz.jsp?quizId=/templatedata/fitness/quiz/data/1128719086715.xml

I have normal to combination type of skin.  Not oil, yet not dry either.  My skin used to be oily when I was a teenager.  As an adult in my mid to late 20's, my skin as become more balanced than in past years.  Still, like anyone else I am prone to break outs due to clogged dirty and oily pores if I don't continue to keep my face cleansed properly with the right product.  You also have to take caution sometimes of facial products with exotic ingredients.  As you may get an allergic reaction to occur on the skin.  This has happened to me as well when I used the very popularly advertised : "ProActive".  I'm not the first person to notice that ProActive will clear up your face for the first week or so, and following weeks may cause a break out of tiny little bumps.  It's due to an allergic reaction of one or two of the exotic ingredients I discovered was in their products.  ProActive may work for some people, but for some it only seemed to work until the allergic reactions surfaced.  So ProActive may clear the pimples, blemishes, and blackheads, but beware the possibility of an allergic reaction to some of the ingredients in their product line.

I started using Neutrogena's Pore Cleanser Mask about 3 years ago and it has worked very well for me.  I've tried switching to other products as I like to try different products out of curiosity for what else good may be in the market.  However, I always found myself returning to my Neutrogena Pore Cleanser Mask to clear up the messes that other facial products have failed to treat.  About a few months ago, Neutrogena Pore Cleanser Mask disappeared off the shelves of every local store in my area and it was time to buy another bottle of the cleanser.  I almost had a heart attack because I thought they stopped producing the cleanser.  I went months without using Neutrogena Pore Cleanser Mask and it truly showed.  Someone I know even commented on how bad my face was beginning to break out.  I was seriously losing my mind, shopping in various stores trying to figure out what other product that I could use! 

The other important factor that plays into picking a good product is the price point.  I'm not cheap, but I am frugal.  lol  I don't like paying more for a product just because it is supposedly fancy and advertised as exclusive, when I could pay less for a product that will just as well.  Everyone (especially women) realize just how costly it can be to spend money on various products trying to find the right one.  If you can find a great product that works well for you and it matches your desired price point (or maybe the price point doesn't matter for some as long as it works), than you've got luck.  Neutrogena's Pore Cleanser Mask sits at a comfortable price point of $6-7 plus tax at most stores that carry it ( Walmart, Target, CVS, Walgreens, Rite Aid, Krogers,etc) .  This facial cleanser has double use as being a daily facial cleanser that can be used quickly in 2-3 minutes, and as a deep cleansing facial mask that can be worn on the face for 15-20 minutes before being rinsed.  Either way you choose to use this facial cleanser as a daily cleanser or a as a deep pore mask, it will clear your pimple, blemishes, and black heads and continue to keep your face clear with continued use. 

SENSITIVE SKIN:  If you have sensitive skin like I do, than you can use Neutrogena's Pore Cleanser Mask for only 2-3 minutes as a quick cleanser about 2-3 times a week to maintain a clear face.  Other days when I'm not using the Neutrogena Pore Cleanser Mask, I opt to just rinse my face with water and rub witch hazel on my face with a cotton ball to gently cleanse away dirt and oil as a healthy natural balance to using a heavy duty cleanser like Neutrogena.  Facial products with Benzoyl Peroxide tend to sometimes dry out the skin for most.  Neutrogena Pore Cleanser seems gentle enough to not dry out the skin like most other products with  Benzoyl Peroxide in it.  However, to maintain healthy moisturized skin, I like to use Aloe Vera gel and a sensitive skin lotion like Aveeno.    

So if you're looking for a good facial cleanser that could work as a quick facial cleanser or be used as a deep mask, for a good price and consistent results...than perhaps give Neutrogena's Pore Cleanser & Mask.  If you have an suggestions or questions, please feel free to comment.  Good luck!

-Autumn Bleu

Health: Sinus Pain, Sinus Congestion, Sinus Headache!

Oh yes the old terrible sinus pain and headache is the topic of today in regards to health!  If you're ever had this health issue before, than you know how terrible it can be.  So how do you know if you're actually having head pain and a headache due to an sinus congestion and sinus pressure?    

From my experience and knowledge, you may have a sinus headache and pain if you experience at least 2 or more of the symptoms described below:

• You may feel a sense of discomfort, pain, headache, and or irritation on one side of your head in the front of your head ( we have a nasal cavity leading from our nasal passages of the nose that goes all the way up to the area behind each eye and around the side of the forehead.

• Your eye may seem to unusually hurt as in feeling like it could pop out ( it won't, don't worry! lol ) or feel like pressure is on the eye, and accompanied by the discomfort, pain or headache feeling in the front of your head on that particular side of your head where the eye discomfort is.  So if the front right side of your head is bothering you and so is your right eye, than you may have a sinus pressure issue with a headache as the side effect.

• To me this is the 3rd dead giveaway that you may be experiencing headache and head pain due to sinus pressure, is if your ear aches on the same side of the head that you are experiencing the head pain and pressure.  The ear canal and nasal canals are all connected in the anatomy of your head.  So if you have sinus pressure and congestion, than you will likely feel it through your ears if the sinus pressure and congestion is severe enough.  Only in cases where my sinus pressure and congestion were severe, did I experience an ear ache and pressure in the ear, as well with the other symptoms of discomfort and pressure on my eye and pain in the front of my head.

• The most sure way to know that you are suffering with sinus pain and sinus headache is to know that if you have all 3 symptoms listed above with discomfort and pain on on the front side of your head, eye, and ear, that all 3 symptoms must be felt and experienced on the same side of your head.  A sinus headache usually takes place on just one side of the head, and that is where all the symptoms may be felt.  It is possible to have a sinus headache and pain on both sides of your head, but in a lot of cases it usually occurs on one side of the head from my own knowledge and experience and the knowledge and experience that I know of others who have suffered from sinus pain and sinus headaches.

If you've had an issue with SEVERE sinus pain and headache, than you probably like me wanted to over dose on pain killers and stay in bed. lol  I don't recommend anyone over dose on pain killers, but the pain of a severe sinus headache is enough to tempt someone to want to do so.  Don't do it.  Just take one or 2 pain killers ( something over the counter like Tylenol, Ibuprofen, etc.) to help temporarily relieve the sinus pain and headache.  This will only work for as long as you take the pain killers, and even this solution won't last as your body will eventually get used to the pain killers and then you will either have to increase your dosage ( which I don't recommend, it is horrible for your health and can be dangerous ) and you won't really be solving the problem.

How about running to your local drug store or grocery store to pick up some sinus and allergy medication?  That should do the trick right?  Nope.  Not if it is over the counter medicine.  You see the FDA recently did a recall on over the counter medications that included the drug "Pseudoephedrine".  Supposedly because of a concern over side effects due to incompatible drug combination, potential health risk to infants, and time release issues with the drug.  While this may be true, I also heard from a friend ( who's spouse is a nurse ), that Pseudoephedrine was actually taken out of over the counter medications due to an big issue of the misuse of the drug illegally by teens and dope pushers.  Anyway, Pseudoephedrine drug was the actual active ingredient in most over the counter sinus medications that actually relieved sinus pressure and pain by narrowing blood vessels that are dilated in the nasal passages.  The other main active ingredients of course would be Acetaminophen or Chlorpheniramine Maleate (or some other drug) as a pain reliever.

Perhaps other combination of drugs that are considered cough suppressors and nasal decongestants might or might not be added to a medicine depending on if it is cold medicine, allergy medicine, or sinus medicine.  Phenylephrine HCI is the main nasal decongestant that is included in most sinus related medication today.  However, if any of you have had to use any over the counter sinus medication lately like I had this winter, than you may already know that none of it seems to work! lol Funny but not actually if you suffer true sinus pain and headaches, as like I stated before they hurt tremendously and require immediate attention to prevent them from on-setting and getting worse.  Sinus pain and headaches and can start off mild and eventually within minutes to an hour become severe.  If the sinus pain and headaches start out mild and stay mild, they have the potential to get worse within days and a few weeks to the point of being unbearable with side effects of dizziness and visual discomfort around bright lights.  I have dealt with sinus pain and headaches for a few years now each winter.

In the past I have been medically diagnosed and given treatment in the past and it did not treat my sinus pain and headaches, only poorly covered up my symptoms temporarily until the next winter season kicked in.  I have treated my sinus pain and headache alternatively with a holistic approach twice, with each time working.  Only thing is I need to make sure to stick to my holistic regimen and not allow my love of junk food and dairy products sway me. lol  I don't however like to deprive myself of the things I like either.  So with time, research, and experimenting I feel that I have found the solution to helping relieve sinus pain and headaches.  My goal with posting today is to share with you information I've acquired through experience and a little research to actually help you relieve you of the sinus pain and headaches and avoid them altogether every winter season.  Therefore you will be able to kiss all those pain killers and sinus drugs that don't work away like I'm doing now!

 So here's what I do recommend and what I don't recommend

I DON'T RECOMMEND ( it didn't work for me or others I know ):

Most Over the Counter sinus medications from the drug and grocery store won't work to relieve you of a sinus headache and sinus congestion with probably the exception of "Tylenol's Severe Cold" tablets seemed to do well for the pain, but won't actually do anything to solve the sinus congestion.  Maybe try NyQuil for colds and sinus ( only because they will make you drowsy and put you to sleep mostly so you won't have to stay up and deal with the sinus pain and headache lol It will not actually do much of anything for your actual sinus congestion though.  So don't even bother with DayQuil the non-drowsy daytime version. lol  ) Both medications may help relieve you of the pain of a sinus headache, but may do actually not much if at all for your sinus pressure and sinus congestion. Perhaps if you can get a prescription through seeing a doctor, you may find that prescribed sinus medication may work.

However, when I seen a doctor for my severe sinus pressure, pain, and headaches, I was prescribe a Nasal Spray and a strong dose of Ibuprofen that you cannot buy over the counter. lol  However, neither prescribed medicine was helpful as the nasal spray did not clear my sinus congestion and pressure at all (it just tasted awful in the back of my throat once the sprayed medicine dripped from my nasal passages down to my throat ewww!), and the Ibuprofen was only a temporary fix for the sinus pain.  If I couldn't pop the pain killer soon enough before a sinus headache could set in, than I was done for!  I still suffered the pain until the Ibuprofen kicked in.  So this method of treatment sucked!

WHAT I DO RECOMMEND ( Natural Medicine/Holistic Treatment ): After the over the counter drugs and prescription drugs failed me for 3 winter seasons, my folks recommended that I try an alternative approach to treatment through the use of herbal remedies and natural medicine.  This method of treatment actually worked for me.  I'm not biased about modern medicine and drugs created by pharmaceutical companies.  Modern medicine and pharmaceutical drugs are just fine by me, as long as they work and don't cause a bunch of ridiculous side effects that could cause you to have to depend on a chain of other medications and drugs. lol

So Here's a run down on what the natural methods, supplements and natural medicine I tried to holistically treat my sinus pain, sinus congestion, and sinus headaches: 

• Eating Spicy Foods will help you drain your sinus cavities!  Hot Wings, Peppers (if your stomach can take it), Indian Cuisine (usually spicy), any food that is spicy.  If it isn't spicy, than make it spicy by throwing some hot sauce and pepper on it. lol  Seriously, spicy foods can help drain your sinuses causing plenty of nasal drip.  When you experience your nasals dripping, this is a good thing.  Simply blow your nose.  This can seriously do a lot to help clear up congestion in the sinus cavities and canals.  I don't recommend spicy Mexican food (though it is yummy), as most Mexican dishes (unless it is authentic Mexican not "Tex Mex") it will include cheese and lots of it.  You really want to avoid dairy products if you can until you can clear up your sinus congestion.  Most sinus congestion is due to an allergy to dairy products, dust, pollen, and cold weather. 

•  Stop Eating Dairy Products or Cut Back On The Amount of Dairy Products You Consume!  This tip is considered to be a preventive method of treatment to avoid sinus headache and pain.  If you are lactose intolerant, meaning you have trouble digesting dairy products and tend to get gas, bloating, diarrhea, and mucous over load (a lot of people are, especially African-Americans.), than you are considered to have an allergy to dairy products.  Too much consumption of dairy products for people that are lactose intolerant can over time cause an overload and build up of mucous in the sinus membranes and sinus cavities.  The mucous can become old turning yellow, brown and in extreme cases green, and even without even changing colors can become thick and harden in the sinus membranes and sinus cavities.   This type of health issue can easily go undetected until either the winter season kicks in affecting you with cold air or in spring you may an allergy to dust and pollen. All of these things aggravate your sinuses and therefore onset sinus pressure and pain from your sinuses not being able to flow and drip mucous properly because of the thickened and hardened texture from an over load of mucous and for the amount of time it's been sitting in the sinus cavities.  So avoid over doing it with dairy products.  You don't have to avoid dairy products altogether, unless you are extremely lactose intolerant.  But if you cut back on the amount of dairy products you're consuming in a year, than you're more likely to save yourself the hassle of suffering from sinus pains and sinus headaches later in winter and spring.  

• Drink Water Mixed With Apple Cider Vinegar After Eating Dairy Products!  I've been told that if you do eat any dairy products, you can help digest and break down the enzymes better by drinking water mixed with apple cider vinegar, or chew up a vitamin c tablet and rinse it down with water before or after eating a dairy product.  There are also natural supplements that you can buy from your local health food store or whole foods market that are for people who are lactose intolerant, that can help aid in your digestion and break down of the enzymes in dairy products so that you don't get a mucous over load building up in your sinus cavities or diarrhea.  

• Boost Your Immune System!  This is also a preventive method.  Take a good multi-vitamin, Echinacea ( take for 2 weeks only and stop taking it for 2-3 weeks before taking again) with Goldenseal ( if you can find it with Goldenseal than that is the best to take ), Vitamin C, and B-Complex daily to keep your immune system strong and active to help fight off sinus congestion.  If you have a sensitive stomach like I do than take Ester- C or Buffered Vitamin C.  You can find any of these vitamins and herbal supplements at your local health food store, Whole Foods Market, Krogers, Walmart, Target, CVS, Walgreens, Rite Aid in the vitamin section of each store.  Krogers, CVS, Walgreens, and Rite Aid all tend to do buy one get one free sales on vitamins quite frequently.  So be on the look out for sales when buying vitamins and herbal supplements.  You can also find coupons for brands like Nature Made, Nature's Bounty, and Sun Down in coupon books that come in your mail and in the Sunday news papers coupon books. 

• Drink Hot Tea!  Drink Fenugreek Tea ( it will help drain your sinuses ) and other hot teas ( preferably a nice lemon or herbal tea ) to help drain your sinuses.  Traditional Medicinals is a company that actually has a tea for colds, called "Gypsy Cold Tea"  which has Echinacea and other good herbal ingredients in it to help with cold symptoms.  It can do some good for helping with your sinus congestion as well.  You can find both Fenugreek tea and teas made by Traditional Medicinals  in Whole Foods Market.  You may be able to find Fenugreek tea in the health food section of Krogers.  For sure you can find teas by Traditional Medicinals in Krogers health section of the store.  Look for "Gypsy Cold Tea".
  Immediate medicine that can be taken to help with sinus congestion/pain HOMEOPATHIC MEDICINE (Natural Medicine): 

I went in Whole Foods market to see if I could find some homeopathic medicine and there was a whole section of stuff to choose from.  I wasn't sure which product would work best, so I asked one of the sale associates to assist me.  They recommended "Sinusalia" quick dissolving tablets by Boiron.  It cost around $8-9 after tax.  The price didn't seem to bother me being that I had already spent enough money buying over the counter drugs from CVS and Krogers that did not work!  I was willing to try anything else if it would work.  Over a period of a week it did help a long with a natural nasal spray "Cold & Sinus Nasal Spray" by NatraBio that I bought from Whole Foods market as well.  

Of course I did still have to take a pain killer every other day for a week, but in the 2nd week I didn't need to take a pain killer as I continued to use the homeopathic medicines that I bought from whole foods, and I continued to drink Fenugreek Tea (and other teas), eat my hot wings every day lol, cut back on the dairy products a bit, and take my vitamin c, b-complex 100 (works like pain killers almost), and lower my exposure to cold air and allergens like dust/pollen.  In 2 weeks I have never felt better.  Seriously, I watched my sinus headaches, pressure and pain go from severe to mild, to being almost non-existent, and soon they will become a thing of the past!  :-)

With "Sinusalia", 2 tablets can be placed on the tongue or under it to dissolve in the mouth (they have a light sweet taste) and are to be taken every 2 hours up to 6 times a day.  The "NatraBio Cold & Sinus Nasal Spray", the spray can be used every 4 hours .  You just spray it 2 times in each nostril.  Make sure to breath in while spraying in each nostril.  You will experience nasal drip of course when using the spray, and this is what you want.  You will get an after taste in the back of your throat due to the nasal areas dripping.  But this won't matter when your condition starts to get better over time.  Blow your nose as much as you need to as this is how your sinus congestion will become cleared over time while following these treatments and tips at home.

WARNING:  If you are pregnant, breast feeding, or have a major medical issue that you are already being treated for using modern pharmaceutical drugs and medication, you may want to check with your doctor first before trying any of the tips and products recommended.  Otherwise, if you are not pregnant, breast feeding, and have general good health, and your only health issue right now is the sinus congestion, sinus headaches and sinus pain, than these health tips and products should be okay for you to take as they were for me.  However, keep in mind that every person's body may react differently to different supplements, foods, and treatments.  So what worked for me, may or may not work for you.  Or it may work for you, but may take less or longer time to show positive results of treatments working.  Also be aware that you may or may not be allergic or sensitive to some of the treatments or supplements listed, or ingredients in the medicines listed.  If you try any of the advice, tips, and treatments, you are at your own risk, I am not responsible, and you may choose to seek professional advice from a medical doctor first.  Now that I am done scaring you with my precautions and warnings. lol  I just want to say that I have tried all of these supplements and treatments, and I have lived to tell about it with no complications. :-)   DO MAKE SURE TO TAKE THE PRECAUTIONS AND WARNINGS SERIOUSLY THOUGH.

Get Well & Stay Healthy!

-Autumn Bleu


Reference Medline Plus Drug Information "Pseudophedrine":   
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/meds/a682619.html

Astrology: Your Sun Sign is NOT your ONLY Zodiac Sign

"Huh? My Sun sign isn't my only zodiac sign?"  Is most people's response when they hear this news.  Ever wonder why you never seem to not be able to relate to what your known zodiac sign is (your Sun sign)?  Well it is likely because you didn't realize that you have other zodiac signs that you are probably more like than your known sun sign.  lol  I used to wonder why I didn't seem much like a Scorpio at times.  These days people treat astrology like just another insignificant fun part of pop culture.  Sure most people know what their sun sign is and may make some comparisons of their sun sign attributes compared to the sun sign of their friends, family, co-workers, fellow class mates, and potential people of interest when dating, and may even read their horoscope daily, weekly, or monthly from one of their favorite columns in a magazine, newspaper, or web site....but that's where it ends for most. 

Astrology really is a science ( India recognizes this, and have their own structure of astrology called "Vedic Astrology" ), though the modern science community refuses to take the challenge to really examine astrology...so they discredit horoscope predictions and zodiac sign attributes as being nothing more than coincidence.  Therefore the modern science community refers to astrology as a pseudo science ( a science that lacks supporting evidence, and reliable methods of validity...blah blah blah lol Pretty much they're calling it a baseless fake science...whatever! ). 

Astrology could be proven as a real science, with supporting evidence and such if they actually were interested in conducting research with "real" depth.  Part of the real depth would come from knowing and acknowledging that does not reduce individuals and their personalities down to only one little zodiac sign with common attributes.  Astrology goes into much depth in presenting an entire structure of an individual's personality through multiple zodiac signs placed in ALL the planets in our galaxy and not just one very important star in our galaxy, the Sun.  There are about 9 others planets with your very own uniquely placed zodiac signs matched to account for when looking at an individual's personality.  About 5 or 6 of those planets with your zodiac signs are considered your personal planets. 

We all have a 

• Sun Sign (Your Structure)
• Moon Sign (Your Inner Self & Emotions)
• Venus Sign (How you Relate to Others- friendships, relationships/love, social aspect)
• Mars Sign ( Your Desires/Passions and Physical Energy)
• Pluto Sign (Your Transformation)
• Rising Sign (How you Project Yourself to Others/How Others See You)

Those are your personal planets, and can be used to figure out a good part of your personality as a person.  According to Cafe Astrology http://astro.cafeastrology.com  our other planets:

• Saturn ( represents contraction and effort ) 
• Neptune ( represents transcendental liberty, non-egoistic liberty )
• Uranus ( represents individual liberty, egoistic liberty )
• Jupiter ( represents expansion and grace ) 

These planets makes up the rest of our personality.  All of these planets can be found in what is called our "Natal Chart/Birth Chart". 

Interesting thing to throw in real quick, is that if a particular zodiac sign seems to dominate your natal chart ( the zodiac sign is found to be matched with more than one planet ) , than you may feel and act more like that particular zodiac sign than your more popular sun sign.  For example,  my sun sign is Scorpio.  However, Virgo is found to be matched with my personal planets Moon sign, Venus Sign, and my Mars in comparison with my other personal planets Sun - Scorpio, Mercury- Scorpio and other planet Saturn- Scorpio.  Virgo is competing with Scorpio and it feels dominate in my chart, making me feel not so much like a Scorpio half of the time or even most of the time.  The internal conflict is nerve wrecking at times! lol   

Every single person has a unique Natal Chart/Birth Chart, which includes your planets with their zodiac signs, your rising sign, ascendant sign (on your natal chart is opposite of your rising sign in position), and your Houses with their given zodiac signs to match.  We have 12 houses in our Natal Chart/Birth Chart.  I will do a post later about Houses in our Natal Chart/Birth Charts.  The houses go into another aspect of our lives, our potential.  In astrology, you can figure out how well you may or may not match with another person in dating and romance when comparing your moon signs, venus signs, and mars signs.  In Vedic astrology your moon sign is most significant, as compared to in western astrology the sun sign appears to be the most focused on as significant. 

If you're curious about what your other zodiac signs are for your other planets, take a look at your natal chart/birth chart on Cafe Astrology for free.  Though there are other sites where you can obtain a free Natal Chart/Birth Chart, I actually recommend and like Cafe Astrology's site most because it is easy to use, and their natal chart reports are designed to be easy to read, understand, and go into great depth with the information presented.   

To find out what zodiac signs are placed in your planets and houses, you'll need to know: your date of birth, place of birth (city, state, country), and your time of birth.  Don't know your time of birth?  It's okay, most people don't know without looking at their birth certificate or asking a parent.  If you have no immediate way of finding out what your time of birth, don't worry.  You can still find out what zodiac signs are placed in your planets, you just won't be able to find out what zodiac signs are placed in your houses.  Right now most of you may not even know what significance the houses play in your natal chart, and I will be blogging about it in a later blog.  Which will give you time to find out what time you were born so that you may know what zodiac signs are in the houses of your natal chart/birth chart. 

Visit this link to get your free natal chart at Cafe Astrology:  http://astro.cafeastrology.com/cgi-bin/astro/natal

Feel free to comment about this post and your experience with discovering your natal chart/birth chart. :-)

Autumn Bleu

Below is a sample of what a natal chart looks like (on cafe astrology they give you a full written break down of what's on your chart and what it means, so don't worry if you have no clue how to read a natal chart! lol  They do it for your for free:

Hair Product Review: Aubrey Honeysuckle Rose Moisturizing Conditioner

Today I have a hair product review to share with you all.  Yesterday I was shopping for a good moisturizing conditioner for my hair.  I had been using a lot of hair gel this past week (the brown protein gel by Ampro) and my hair has been feeling unusually dry.  Normally the gel doesn't do this to my hair.  I'm guessing some other changes are going on with my hair chemistry that I haven't figure out exactly yet.  There were so many conditioners to choose from!  It was hard.

I asked one of the girls who worked there at the Whole Foods market what she used on her hair being that her hair looked similar in texture to mines.  She recommended "Aubrey Honeysuckle Rose Moisturizing Conditioner".   It's an thick creamy herbal conditioner with a few rich oils included.  I took a look and read the ingredients.  I always read the ingredients, as I am particular about not wanting to use products with too much artificial "crap" in it (although I'm not above it and occasionally will when curious or desperately seeking results lol ), and prefer more natural ingredients to be used on my hair and skin. 

I'M IMPRESSED WITH THE INGREDIENTS :  Coconut Fatty Acid Cream Base, Aloe Vera, Wheat Germ, Organic Shea Butter, Organic Rosa Mosqueta, Organic Jojoba Oil, Rose Hip Seed Oil, Extracts of Fennel Hops, Balm Mint, Mistletoe (interesting eh?), Camomile, Yarrow, Chrysanthemum, Angelica, Forsythia and Magnolia, Honeysuckle Oil, Carrot Oil, Aubrey's Preservative (citrus seed extract), and finally Vitamins A,C, and E!  So I just knew this was going to be a great conditioner. :-) Well....read on for my results!

This 1st photo to the left is a pic of my hair before washing it today.  It has gel products in it and is very dry and a mess from sleeping not so well last night.

The following photos below this one were taken after I used "Yes to Carrots" Shampoo and "Aubrey Honeysuckle Rose Moisturizing" Conditioner.  You won't notice any difference in my hair texture, only that in the 1st photo my hair is dry and in the following photos my hair is wet.  This is unusual for me.  A really good moisturizing conditioner usually "shows" a difference in my hair texture regardless of the shampoo.  Leaving my hair to be more defined ( more crinkly/curly and less frizzy/fluffy ).  A good shampoo that moisturizes along with a good moisturizing conditioner, can also "show" a noticeable difference even more so than just a good moisturizing conditioner with "any" shampoo.  Seeing a more defined texture in my hair with less fluff and frizz is in my opinion the number one indicator that my hair has been adequately moisturized and conditioned. 

However, you can see there is truly no difference in the way my hair texture looks in the before wash photo and the after wash with conditioner photos.  My hair looks clean, that's it.  The second indicator that a good moisturizing conditioner really works for my hair is that I will "feel" soft.  

If the hair does not feel soft than the moisturizing conditioner did not do its job for my hair.  On the bottle it says for "DRY Brittle" hair.  My hair still feels dry, but not brittle.  My hair has an herbal scent like the ingredients, as there isn't a fragrance added to this conditioner.  I will give some credit to this conditioner as a slight hair "detangler" as the bottled mentioned.  But I am not really sure if it would do as well to detangle hair that is thick and coarse as it did an ok job detangling my hair and my hair is not thick or coarse (wet or dry). 

In this case, unfortunately the "Aubrey Honeysuckle Rose Moisturizing Conditioner"  failed to make my hair feel soft and show more texture.  I paid $10.29 + tax for this conditioner! It should have worked for the money I paid right?? Wrong!  Price doesn't always equal quality, while at the same time price doesn't always mean it will work for EVERYONE who buys it! lol  There are products that work for different hair types.  I assumed that because this conditioner seemed to sell really well ( I literally got the last bottle of it off the shelf, while no one seemed to care too much for their shampoos!) that "oh this must be good!". lol Well it must be good for the other folks that bought it.  

Perhaps their hair type is more naturally oily ( less frizzy and more sleek in texture ) and therefore needs less moisturizing than my naturally dry, frizzy, majorly moisture needing hair.  

So I won't say that this is a bad product, because like I said this conditioner was truly sold out at the Whole Foods store and I happened to get the last bottle. So obviously a lot of people are happy with this conditioner. I just didn't get much out of it in my first use. The good thing about buying products from Whole Foods markets is their return policy on products if you are completely unsatisfied.  

Perhaps though I will either give it one more try with a different shampoo and see if this makes a difference (as it sometimes does and I'll admit that the "Yes to Carrots" Shampoo does "seem" to remove the moisture from my hair probably by stripping the oils away more than necessary for my hair type) and or just re-condition my hair without a shampoo (as this is a daily conditioner) to see if maybe my hair needs to adjust to the "Aubrey Honeysuckle Rose Moisturizing Conditioner".  I'll be doing a review and pics of the "Yes to Carrots" Shampoo and Conditioner soon, as I have noticed that together they give surprisingly different results than today's product combination. Feel free to comment or make suggestions.