natURal, beautiful: Home Made Hair Food!

When you're first learning more about natural hair or you're becoming a product junkie, it can get expensive.

That's where homemade hair products come in hand! Below are a few products that I've found to be quite useful! Some of the ingredients are a bit strange so you might not have them lying around. Others, have been right in front of your eyes.

Vinegar Anyone?

Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) works as a purifier. Remember from a previous post how I said most people who are natural or trying to go natural avoid shampoo altogether or avoid trying to use it on a regular basis. However, course hair often has massive build up, whether it be from not sleeping with a scarf or rolling on the floor (the possibilities are endless). Vinegar will soften and cleanse the hair (removes hair buildup). It can help to restore the acidic level and tighten up the cuticle (supposedly it helps with dandruff too!). HOWEVER, be sure to not use it as a leave in conditioner or leave it on for too long. Do this after you shampoo (if using shampoo) but before you condition. If just co-washing (conditioner only, remember), mix ACV with a (wash-out) cream and then follow up with the conditioner (because it can also dry out the hair).

Don't believe me: check it out!
http://www.apple-cider-vinegar-benefits.com/natural-hair-care-product.html

Flax Seed.

I didn't know what flaxseed was or what it could do until I started going natural. I discovered that one of its uses is found in flour to make bread! Interesting. But I also discovered that it can make natural hair SUPER CURLY! And I mean super! I first tried this on my cousin whose hair is below her shoulders. By the time we were finished with her hair, it had curled to about a little below ears (but no hair was touching her shoulders).

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Flax Seed (can be found a local food store in the baking aisle)

2 Cups Water

2 TBS Essential Oil (or some sort of hair, oil moisturizer)

Directions:

Mix the above ingredients over medium heat. Let it come to a boil. Be sure to stir continuously. DO NOT let the mixture sit or it will not work well.

Leave mixture boiling and continue stirring for 5 minutes. THEN, let it sit until it cools off. The seeds will still be in the mixture and you will need to strain them using a small strainer. After, get a jar, put the gel-like substance in the jar, and refrigerate it. Keep it in the fridge for up to a 1 or 2 weeks. Or you can store it in a dry, cool place. I found that if I did not refrigerate it, it grows a brown/black substance and gets quite smelly (but yes, it still does curl!).

When using, use on wet hair for longer lasting and prettier results. Apply a small amount to wet hair, comb through and style (twist or braid) hair as desired. Here is my niece's hair, who is now natural like me. It's hard to see it in this picture, but her hair has shortened up and curled quite a bit as a result of the flaxseed gel creation! The picture on the right makes it seem like she has a bald spot, but she doesn't. Her hair, when doing the afro, is twisted in to parts and must be combed out. It puffs out throughout the week!