Happy Humpday! This past Sunday was the first beauty day of February.

I ended the last few days of the last week in a protective style. I jazzed it up with a colorful scarf.

To begin, I normally start with an amla pre-poo oil wash. Last year, my local indian store relocated and I was unable to find out where they relocated to, which left me without my beloved amla. I prefer to purchase it locally rather than online, so until I find another local source for amla, I’ll have to make due.

I was fortunate to find a store here in Orlando, that sells all kinds of herbs in various forms! I’m like a kid in a candy store when I go! The staff is very friendly, the prices are right, and most any herb you are looking for can be found here, with the exception of amla :).

I decided to experiment with the powder form of the extract of some herbs I’d been wanting.

What’s the main difference between the powdered and whole herbs?

Shelf life! Whole herbs have a longer shelf life (up to 2 years), while powdered herbs can last only up to 6 months.  A general rule of thumb is to substitute 1/3 teaspoon powdered or 1 teaspoon crushed for every 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh herbs.

So, as opposed to using whole herbs or even essential oils for my  Read more... (601 words, 5 images, estimated 2:24 mins reading time)