Those long and lovely locks....

Fairy tales are full of maidens with luxurious hair - long and glistening, full of body, blinding with shine and va-va-voom... with not a split end or dry spot in sight.

We all want it. I want it without having to work too hard for it. I am a no-fuss woman with little interest in hair dryers and zero time for rollers, irons, straighteners and the latest styling gadget.

I am a wash and wear woman who just wants this lion mane of mine to be longer, stronger and slightly less out of control if I let it go free. I haven't exactly reached a peaceful agreement with my feisty mid-back curls, but I'm getting closer.

There are actually lots of things you can do to optimize hair growth and overall vitality. Here's a handful of my favorites:

* Eat more spicy food. Capsaicin, the chemical that makes peppers spicy, has been shown to promote hair growth by mimicking natural human growth factors. As a pretty strong side bonus, this same compound causes an increase in your metabolic rate by raising body temperature, helping burn more calories immediately after a meal. Besides a slight uptick in metabolism, spicy foods also may increase feelings of satiety. Yum yum yum.

* Avoid shampoos with sodium laureth sulfate, benzophenone-3, benzyl alcohol, DMDM hydantoin, and sodium lauryl sulfate. These detergents and alcohols are hard on the hair, causing it to be dry and brittle. You want a gentle moisturizing or replenishing shampoo. My favorite is by Allafia, followed closely by anything from John Masters.

*Keeping your long hair moisturized is an absolute must. Commercial hot oil treatments are good depending on the purity of the oils used, but my preferred and super cheap natural alternative is a mixture of warm rosemary oil and olive oil worked into the hair and left for 45 minutes under a warm towel. Jojoba oil and coconut oil are also excellent options to moisturize dry hair.

* Have a bounty of biotin. Naturally occurring in nuts, oats, brewers yeast, rice, tomatoes, carrots, romaine, and chard, this vitamin's best-known dietary role is in hair and nail health, as a deficiency can cause hair loss and weak, brittle nails. Sometimes called Vitamin H, biotin is actually one of the B-Vitamins. It is very important in cell growth and the production and metabolism of fatty acids, also playing a solid role in maintaining blood sugar and the body's energy level.

* Give yourself a scalp massage. They increase circulation, helping to stimulate your hair follicles as well as easing stress which is a major contributor to slowing growth and a countless number of other ills. Take your time, enjoy the experience... or better yet, have a friend of lover lend a hand and do a trade!

Eat well. Breath deep. Love yourself.
And watch your own fairy tale self be revealed!

Salt and Paradise...

At sunrise this morning I was neck deep in warm turquoise waters, dancing with the lapping waves that lick the shores here in the British Virgin Islands. I apparently have a one track mind, even here in paradise (and clearly that track is set full time to the celebration of healthy beauty!). Can I just remind you the wonders of sea salt for your skin!

I am only three days into my little getaway and already my entire self is rejoicing. There is simply something magical and healing about time spent in the ocean. On an emotional level, you cannot help but unwind, to let go and melt into the rocking embrace of the pulsing current. With this kind of release comes deeper breathing, increased circulation and blood flow and a flood of happy hormones.

The mineral dense salts from the sea can provide a great exfoliation for your whole body and the fine grains can be used as a polisher for your facial skin. As a soak, salts deliver relief to aching muscles and various skin conditions - dryness, itching, flaking, scaling, dullness. I've seen great results with persistent psoriasis, eczema, skin infections and irritations, even bug bites! And all of that, ladies and gents, says bring it on to a radiant complexion and a healthy and happy you!

I am all about any excuse for a good soak and there is nothing quite like hopping into the sea. However, you can easily replicate some of these benefits in your own home. My top three favorites:

1. A good old fashioned salt soak. Simply drop a few cups of good sea salts or magnesium rich epsom salts into your hot bathwater, give it a swirl and stew away.

2. Scrub it up. Fill a small bowl with a fistful of salt and a generous drizzle of olive oil, blend with your hands and then treat yourself to a full body massage. Either follow with a quick rinse in the shower (leaving the oils to do their job quenching your thirsty skin) or enhance the benefits further with a follow up tub soak.

3. For ocean spray on the go - fill a small spritzer bottle with a few teaspoons of fine salt dissolved in water (or a flower hydrosol is lovely!), shake rigorously and mist throughout the day (over your moisturizer) to revive skin and fool yourself into vacation mode. Try it before bed as a skin treatment or in your hair for the best beachy mane texture.