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How To Improve Your Hair’s Health In 2023

Improving your hair’s health is something that you want to focus on as you grow older. The lack of collagen you produce as you age impacts the overall health and growth of your hair. In some cases, it can even result in hair loss or thinning hair.

With that being said, knowing what you need to look after your hair’s health is useful to ensure you’ve got luscious locks for years to come. If you’re looking to improve your hair’s health this year, here are some useful tips worth knowing.

Know what type of hair you have

First and foremost, it’s useful to know what type of hair you have. For some, it’s a coil or curly texture, for others, it’s straight or wavy.

There are also patterns to hair that are important to note. So when you see 5 Rules For Managing And Caring For 4A Hair, Straight From A Stylist, you might want to know what this means.

There are four types of hair; 1 – straight, 2 – wavy, 3 – curly, and 4 – coily. In the above article, 4A refers to coily hair that has wide patterns. Knowing your hair type is useful because it helps determine what products you’ll need to use, and the methods you need for washing, drying, and styling your hair.

Purchase the right products

Hair products are something that everyone should be mindful of, especially when it comes to knowing which ones actually benefit your hair types and which ones probably don’t do much at all.

For example, it might be that if you have curls, you’ll want to use deep conditioners to help with adding moisture back into your hair. It might be that you also want to look at curling creams to help add further definition when styling your hair.

Every hair type requires a different product and each product is likely to influence the result in a certain way. With that being said, make sure you’ve purchased all of the products you need in order to look after your hair.

For most, it might be a case of trial and error until the right types of products are sourced.

Detangle your hair before showering

Detangling your hair is definitely something you want to be proactive about because if you’re not detangling or simply brushing your hair regularly, you’re likely to cause more breakage. 

Make sure you have a detangling brush to hand, ensuring that it’s the right type for your hair texture. For example, a wide-tooth comb is going to be useful for those with curls and coils, whereas a standard hair brush detangler is going to work for straight and wavy hair.

Detangling before showering is a good way to ensure every last hair gets coated in the goodness of your shampoo and conditioning treatments. It’ll also help with brushing through your hair once it’s dried.

Avoid too much heat on your hair

Heat is your enemy when it comes to your hair. If you’re not using a heat protectant when using heating tools of any kind, then you’re already doing some serious damage to your hair. In order to help keep your hair looking and feeling healthy, you want to try and avoid as much heat as possible.

If you’re going to use heat, keep it to a low temperature and avoid going over the same strands of hair too many times.

There are plenty of heatless ways to dry your hair and style it, so consider using alternative methods when it comes to this part of maintaining your hair.

Look after your scalp 

Your scalp is an important part of your hair care because it’s responsible for helping with the growth of new hair follicles. Stimulating hair growth by massaging your scalp, for example, is a practice that’s well worth doing.

It’s also good to use scalp treatments on your head so that you’re proactively keeping your scalp clean and healthy. Make sure to tackle any scalp conditions with the right products too, i.e. if your scalp produces too much oil or has dry, flaky skin.

Find a trusted hair salon or stylist to maintain your hair

Finally, if you want to protect and maintain your hair well, then make sure you find a hair stylist you trust. Someone who you know will be able to look after your hair and do what you ask when it comes to trimming or making major changes to the hair.

Improving your hair’s health is beneficial to keep it looking good for longer. Use these tips to improve your hair’s health in 2023.

6 Quick Home Upgrades You Can Do to Upgrade Your Lifestyle

Ever since home improvement reality TV shows became a thing, there has been a growing misconception that you need to embark on massive renovations that consume copious amounts of time and money to improve your living space. Fortunately, there’s no need to tear down your home or spend millions of pesos to meaningfully upgrade your lifestyle. As we’ll show you, you can achieve impactful changes with a few quick but thoughtful home upgrades that focus on the finer details. Here are six simple home upgrades that will change how you live:

1) Better Bedroom Furniture

Durable, well-designed bedroom furniture can have a profound impact on your sleep quality and overall well-being. A solid bed frame that you can easily clean and store things under, supportive pillows, and a comfortable mattress should be the bare minimum for all bedrooms. If you have the space, consider updating your cabinets with pieces that offer enough storage to hide all your clothes and linens to avoid visual clutter. Spending a bit more in these areas should help you sleep better and give you more energy to start your day.

2) Adding Weatherstripping to Doors and Windows

Adding weatherstripping to your home’s doors, windows, and other ingress points is an affordable but effective way to block outside noises and pests from entering your home. Even better, adding these can also prevent sound from exiting your home, preserving your privacy and making it possible to hold late-night parties without attracting the ire of your neighbors. Moreover, weatherstripping also slows down the exchange of outside and inside air thereby improving the efficiency of your air conditioners and air purifiers. 

The best part is, weatherstripping will not interfere with the opening and closing of your doors or windows. This means that, even when weatherstripping is installed, you can still open your windows to get fresh air, if you need it.

3) Painting Trim and Moldings

Painting the trim and moldings around your home uses up a lot less paint than painting the walls while still having almost as much impact. Doing this also makes a lot of sense if you already like the colors of your walls but still want to spruce up your home’s look and feel. While you do have to be a bit more precise when painting trim, it’s easily doable with enough prep work. Best of all, because there’s a lot less paint to deal with, the rooms you’re working on should air out faster.

4) Peel-and-Stick Wallpaper

If you don’t want to bother with all the mess and prep work that goes into painting, you can simply use peel-and-stick wallpaper to transform the look of any interior room. All you need to do is to clean your wall thoroughly and you can create an accent wall, add a pop of color, or experiment with patterns in minutes. The great thing about peel-and-stick wallpaper is that it’s also a reversible solution that can be easily changed whenever you desire a new look.

5) Coordinated Bathroom Fixtures

Coordinated bathroom faucets, knobs, sinks, and showerheads are not something that most people consciously notice. However, the effect of coordinated pieces on your bathroom’s aesthetic and functionality is undeniable. 

While it may take you a while to install new fixtures by yourself, a professional plumber can probably swap them all out in less than a day. And unlike with tile swaps, new fixtures are usually ready to use almost immediately. If you were to switch out your tiles or do other major bathroom renovations, you not only have to wait several days but you’ll probably be out several tens of thousands of pesos at the end of it all.

6) Updating Your Electrical System

Many Philippine homes have old electrical systems that are either unsafe or no longer accommodate the large numbers of appliances we now typically have in our homes. Fortunately, it only takes a few hours for professional electricians to install additional safety electrical outlets and replace accessible fixtures. If needed, they can also upgrade the amperage of your home if you want to have high-powered appliances like clothes dryers or additional air-conditioners. They should also be able to install dimmer switches throughout your home and USB outlets in key areas like your bedroom and home office to provide modern convenience to your lifestyle.

With some planning, it’s entirely possible to implement meaningful home upgrades without excessive spending or serious time commitments. Except for updating your electrical system, these projects could be done and over within a couple of weekends, and they will all ensure that you’re left with a living space that’s truly suited for living in. While most of these projects are small, completing them is bound to result in significant improvements to your home’s value and your quality of life.

How To Improve Your Kid’s Teeth And Gum Health

Your children’s health is important to look after. Even when they’ve managed to get themselves changed on their own in the mornings or they’re brandishing that pre-teen attitude, it’s important that you’re still playing parent and looking after their health.

Part of that health is their teeth and gum health. After they’ve lost their milk teeth, it’s important to remind them that their adult teeth are all that’s left, so it’s critical to look after them.

Here are a few ways in which you can help improve your kid’s teeth and gum health this year.

Encourage them to brush for two minutes

Firstly, it’s important that your kids are brushing their teeth for at least two minutes. Two minutes is the appropriate amount of time needed to get all of the teeth, gums, and tongue cleaned. For kids, they don’t stay focused for very long when it comes to getting ready in the morning or at night.

In order to keep them focused, try to put on a song in the morning that’s at least two minutes long. It could be the same song or it could be a song that changes as their taste in music changes. It’s a good way of helping to keep them brushing for the amount of time needed.

Replace their toothbrushes regularly

Replacing toothbrushes regularly is important because there’s nothing worse than using toothbrushes that have become frayed or are now less tightly packed together. They become more ineffective as a result, which isn’t good when you’re trying to keep your kid’s teeth in great shape.

With that being said, keep an eye on their toothbrushes, especially as kids have a habit of biting on their toothbrushes more when brushing. Replace them when the bristles start to come away from one another.

Consider braces for teeth straightening

Braces are great for those who have developed crooked teeth. This could be caused by too many teeth in the mouth and not removing them in time for an injury. Braces are common for a lot of kids to have, so if your children start to show signs that they may need braces, then speak to their dentist. They’ll be able to provide the best guidance and advice that will help with your teeth straightening.

Observe them brushing their teeth twice a day

To ensure your children are brushing their teeth properly and enough during the day, observe them until you’re confident they can do it without being watched.

Brushing their teeth twice a day is going to help promote good teeth and healthy gums. Make sure that they’re doing it first thing in the morning before leaving for school and last thing before going to bed.

Try to avoid too much sugar

Sugar is something that will certainly be a feature in a child’s life. The sweet stuff is something that you should limit though where you can. The reason being is that it can cause damage to the teeth over time. Make sure they’re eating the right foods that won’t rot their teeth!

With these tips, you’ll be able to keep your children’s teeth and gums, nice and healthy.

5 Types of Business Solutions for Busy Mompreneurs

Being a mom and a successful entrepreneur at the same time is no easy feat. It can be difficult to balance the responsibilities of running a small business while also managing a household and taking care of kids. Because of how strenuous such a one-woman job can be, you’ll need the right strategies and the most efficient tools to have an easy, but more productive time as a mompreneur. 

Luckily enough, there are several business solutions available today that the modern mompreneur can use to her advantage. From banking and payment solutions to productivity tools, these resources can help a mom stay on top of her entrepreneurial duties by streamlining business operations, enhancing customer experience, and optimizing productivity for both Mom and her staff. 

Let’s take a look at the business solutions that can empower you as a Filipino mompreneur:

Online Business Banking for More Streamlined Finances

Managing finances is a crucial aspect of any business, and for a busy mompreneur like you, time is a precious commodity. Banking solutions like that of Maya Business will eliminate your need to visit a physical banking branch and do all your business banking online. Through today’s online commercial banking solutions, you’ll be able to do almost everything you’d do at a commercial bank, from accessing your account to paying all of your business suppliers in one go. Best of all, you can complete various business banking transactions anywhere and anytime, as long as you’re connected to the internet. 

Some examples of features you can expect on a modern online business banking platform include the following: 

  • Seamless integration with payment links to receive customers’ payments
  • A system for generating and managing invoice payments
  • Simplified and more accurate bookkeeping processes
  • Tighter security and privacy protocols, such as encryption and two-factor authentication, to protect both your funds and your financial data

With the ability to monitor and complete key transactions from your account using just your phone or computer, you’ll be able to attend to the financial needs of your business while still having enough time and energy for your family. 

Today, the business banking Philippines landscape features financial technology or fintech solutions for all types of businesses, which levels the playing field—online and off—for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). If you’re a mompreneur whose business falls under this category, it won’t be hard for you to find a wealth of up-to-the-minute business banking solutions. It will just be a matter of choosing the right one for your needs and the nature of your business. 

Time Management Solutions with Productivity Apps and Tools

Every mompreneur should become a master of time management given the many business- and family-related tasks she has to handle. Thankfully, there are numerous productivity apps and tools available to mompreneurs to help them optimize their hectic schedules. 

Task management and organization apps allow mompreneurs to create to-do lists, set reminders, and track progress efficiently. Meanwhile, calendar and scheduling apps like Google Calendar (which I personally use!), will be a tremendous help when it comes to planning and managing appointments, meetings, and deadlines. Also, one of the time wasters for a mompreneur is encoding receipts to compute and prepare their tax forms and falling in line to file and pay for Philippine taxes. I use Taxumo so that I can do all of these in the comfort of my own home.

Lastly, collaboration and communication tools like video conferencing apps and virtual boards will prove crucial to mompreneurs that manage teams, as these can foster good teamwork and efficient communication practices among team members.  

When you incorporate them into your workflow, these productivity apps and tools may prove to be a boon for both your business and your family life. On top of helping you efficiently manage your time, they’ll boost both your individual and collective productivity and reduce the day-to-day stresses of running your own business while being a parent.

Automated Solutions on E-commerce Platforms

If you’re looking to expand your reach and automate your operations, consider running your business from an e-commerce platform. These platforms will provide you with a user-friendly interface for setting up your own online store and automating the following, among others: 

  • Invoicing for customer payments
  • Inventory management for your existing stocks
  • Payment processing for a variety of payment methods
  • Customer relationship management (CRM) processes like tracking points for loyalty programs

As a mom running your own ecommerce business, pay special attention to the payment gateways and checkout plugins that you install on your website. Ensure that your checkout process is fast and simple and that your customers have lots of options for completing payments, which will surely entice them to return to your e-commerce store. 

Social Media and Content Strategy Solutions for Digital Marketing

Digital marketing plays a vital role in enhancing any brand’s visibility and engaging with the brand’s customers. The same goes for the business you now run as a mompreneur. Mastery over social media and content strategy tools will allow you to properly showcase your products or services, make your mark on your target audience, and build a community around your unique mompreneur brand.

Do remember, however, that it’s not as easy to make a name for yourself on social media as influencers make it seem. You have to be strategic about your content plan and create valuable and engaging content that truly resonates with your customers. 

That said, Filipino mompreneurs who have embraced digital marketing have seen remarkable growth in their businesses, thanks to the power of social media and well-executed content strategies that hit the right notes with followers.

Outsourcing Solutions with Virtual Assistants and Freelancers

A busy mompreneur should recognize that she doesn’t have to do it all alone. If you’re working solo and have found yourself overwhelmed with the number of things you need to do, remember that it’s an option to outsource your work to eligible individuals. Working with virtual assistants and freelancers can significantly lighten your workload and free up valuable time to spend with your family. From administrative tasks to content creation and customer support, there’s a wide range of tasks that you can entrust to skilled professionals. 

You can explore platforms like Upwork and Freelancer to tap a large pool of talented freelancers and virtual assistants and hire one who’s a good fit for your business. By outsourcing some of your tasks, you may find yourself better equipped to focus on your core business activities and achieve better work-life balance.

Filipino mompreneurs will weather all sorts of challenges in their lives, but they’ll also be able to harness some incredible opportunities. Mompreneurs will find a unique sense of fulfillment, for example, in providing not just for their families, but also for their employees. As an entrepreneur and not a rank-and-file employee, you can also take control of your time and choose to be with your family whenever you want to. 

Thanks to the innovative solutions listed above, you’ll be able to manage your time wisely, stay on top of various business- and family-related needs, and fulfill your calling as both a professional and as a parent. Thrive as a mompreneur in the digital age, and make good use of the business solutions currently available to you. 

Netflix to Premiere Animated Film The Monkey King on August 18

Netflix is set to premiere the animated film The Monkey King on August 18. The film is based on the beloved Chinese character from the 16th-century novel Journey to the West.

The Monkey King is a playful monkey with supernatural powers who is born from a stone. His greatest obstacle is his inflated ego. In the film, the Monkey King sets out on a daring quest to defeat 100 demons in a bid to achieve true immortality and be one with the gods.

THE MONKEY KING – (L-R) MONKEY KING (Jimmy O. Yang) and LIN (voiced by Jolie Hoang-Rappaport). Cr: Netflix © 2023

The film is directed by Anthony Stacchi and Peilin Chou. Stacchi is known for his work on the animated films Open Season and The Boxtrolls. Chou is the creative force behind other beloved Asian animated features like Over the Moon and Mulan.

The Monkey King features a star-studded Asian voice cast, including Jimmy O. Yang, Bowen Yang, Jolie Hoang-Rappaport, Jo Koy, Ron Yuan, Stephanie Hsu, and more.

THE MONKEY KING – (L-R) LIN (voiced by Jolie Hoang-Rappaport) and MONKEY KING (Jimmy O. Yang). Cr: Netflix © 2023

The film is sure to be a hit with kids and families alike. It is a fun, action-packed adventure with a great message about the importance of humility.

The Monkey King will premiere on Netflix on August 18.