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!

Yea for natural, beautiful hair and SAVING $$!!!!!!!

This is naturally us!

I Became a Product Junkie! Part I

I don't think I really understood the term "product junkie" until I became one. As I was trying to stay in the "my hair does not define me" I was working hard to find out what my hair needed in order to be healthy and produce growth.


So, I HAD to become a product junkie. That is when I began my second job: spending hours (on and off of course) on youtube or doing research in magazines or on the Internet learning all that I coud about African American hair. Though I've learned so much, I'm still learning as I continue on this hair journey. The more I learned, the more I wanted to experiment with the effects of the products on my hair.


I want to introduce you to some of the products that I believe have made this journey much easier.

Aphogee

This product has a huge line! But, DON'T RUSH OUT and buy everything (because being a product junkie can get expensive)! Aphogee was the product I used most often during my transition stages. Before I began my hair journey, I was near balding on the right side of my head, near my temple. Years of wearing my hear in weaves AND perming it (NOTE: weaving is not altogether a bad thing) had finally done its damage. I was 23 with a thinning hair line and near balding in some areas. I lost the pictures to show you this, but it's really quite neat how much Aphogee contributed to the regrowth of my hair. I'm NOT bald anymore!

The Aphogee products I suggest you purchase and invest in are below (costs range from $5-$7)

Product to the Left: Shampoo for Damaged Hair. Now, you learned from the "Natural Hair Lingo" post that the amount of shampoo used on natural hair is little next to none. But I found this shampoo, during the beginning of my hair journey, to be quite effective in restoring health and strength to my hair.
Directions: You don't need too much; a little goes a long way! When you do put this in your hair, massage your scalp for a minute or two before washing the shampoo out.

Product to the Right: 2 Minute Reconstructor. Honestly, this is really what started to promote the regrowth and growth of my hair. I loved this product! Though I do not use it as often anymore (because my hair is healthier now) I highly recommend it! It's crucuial though that you follow the directions for this product!

Directions: You will need to purchase a shower cap in order for the 2 Minute Reconstructor to work at it's fullest power. Once you put the reconstructor on (you'll need a generous amount), place the shower cap on head. This is a 2 minute process, right? So you should leave it on for 2 minutes, right? Yes and no. When I first began, I followed the directions: 2 minutes only. The more I began to understand my hair, I left it on for longer, usually 5-7 minutes top. No damage ever occurred. Now, if I use it, I will simply do the 2 minutes.

Product to the Left: ProVitamin Leave in Conditioner: This is a liquid, so be careful, it spills out fast! It might be best to pour the contents of this bottle into a spray bottle (also something you might want to consider purchasing...you can also use an old body spray bottle like I did). After your shampoo and 2 minute reconstruction, you need to put a good amount of this leave in conditioner throughout your hair.

Product to the Right: Keratin and Green Tea. This is to be used after the conditioner. Again, spray a good amount in hair.
Directions: After using both products, be sure to massage scalp for 30 seconds to 1 minute.

NOW YOUR HAIR IS WET?????? WHAT DO YOU DO?

1. You can let your hair air dry; however, most of us don' t have time to do that. So...
2. Blow dry it. BUT (and this is a MUST) before you blow dry it, you must PROTECT it!
3. Use a heat protectant ALWAYS before putting any type of heat on your hair.

My Favorite Heat Protectant

CHI Silk Infusion: $25.00 (one of my most expensive products). Worth it? It smells great, protects the hair from heat, leaves hair feeling great, and because a little goes a long way, it has lasted me a little over a year (and I use it on 5 people).

More Cost Efficient: I've tried the other heat protectants below, but CHI is the one my hair loved best!
Cost: $6-$10


4. Once you have your heat protectant on, begin blow drying.
5. Once your hair is near dried or completely dried, let the styling begin.
6. NOTE: You should not need to put anymore products on your hair at this point (unless it is a gloss or a hair spray to finish).

ALL PRODUCTS CAN BE FOUND AT SALLY'S, some at Target, WalMart, or Meijer.

If you have a local hair store that specializes in Ethnic hair, these products should be avaliable too (and sometimes they will be less expensive or more expensive. You will quickly learn where to go for what).

Next Post:

A Few Styles!