I love hair and skin care, although sometimes it may not always look like it. Sometimes my hair is overly frizzy in the summer’s heat and humidity and I still get the occasional pimple even though I finished with puberty a few years back but am not fully in my “adult”, or less hormonal, skin. In the past I have written about how certain products were introduced to me by my mother and how her sense of holistic skin care has rubbed off on me. In this issue of the Bates Student, I would like to focus on another aspect of hair and skincare that my mother has passed down to me, this time in the form of vitamins and minerals that have helped my skin and hair from the outside in and the inside out.

I don’t always have hair masks with me in my dorm. I go through tubes of leave in conditioner at an insane rate and the small bottles of my favorite OUAI Hair Mask stay in my posession for literally no time at all because it always seems like I use it up before I know it. Vitamin E oil is a great addition to any person’s skin care regiment as it’s a great moisturizer for very dry skin and lips as well as a great hair mask when you’re in a pinch. I love to rub it through my hair and then put my hair in a high bun before going to the gym, so the oil has time to really moisturize my hair but not keep me from being out and about.

Another way I help to protect and revitalize damaged hair is to take a fish oil pill in the evenings after I have had dinner and before bed. Fish oil has amazing fatty acids that supply hydration to your skin and help to nourish hair follicles.

As for my skin, whenever I get a pimple my first instinct is to go and grab a product with some form of acid in it to zap it off my face. The downside of that is that the skin around the pimple is zapped too, which can produce lasting damages when your skin is exposed to sun afterwards. The next time you have a pesky spot try using tea tree oil. Not only does it calm your skin and reduce redness but it also works to get rid of acne just like a harsh chemical would but with lesser impacts on your skin in the long run.

Along with tea tree oil to help with acne, I also take a zinc tablet. Due to zinc’s ability to combat viruses and bacteria, it is a great addition to a morning vitamin routine as it helps to boost your immune system and boost your ability to fight off potential bacteria such as those found in acne.

Although these vitamins and minerals might not work for everyone, it’s a great idea to see what is out there that can make your skin and hair feel the best it possibly can. I didn’t think my hair could feel any better until I tried leaving in a Vitamin C mask for an afternoon. Another added bonus is that a lot of these products are fairly inexpensive and can be found at major grocery stores and even Walmart, so if something doesn’t work for you it is not a giant chunk out of your wallet!