The Avocado

I recently read the Avocado: A Luscious Hair Care Treatment article on Naturally Curly. Not too long ago a purchased an avocado with the intention of using it on my hair (I don't eat them) because I already use the oil so I became curious about what the actual source would do for my hair. The oil keeps my hair soft, is light, and doesn't have a heavy smell to it.

According to the article the avocado is a fruit that can be used as a deep conditioning treatment for the hair. The avocado is filled with proteins, vitamins, and amino acids. At the end of the article there is a list of recipes and since I never used and avocado before - those recipes served as my starting point:

Avocado Conditioner

Avocado Conditioner is designed to be made and used immediately. Discard leftovers, use as a facial or share it with someone else to use.

Flesh of a ripe avocado

¼ cup coconut cream

¼ cup coconut water

3 tablespoons mayonnaise containing egg

In medium-sized bowl mix avocado and coconut cream). In very small bowl whisk together coconut water and mayonnaise; use spatula to add this to the first mixture. Whisk all together until smooth.

Divide hair into 6-8 segments. Slather green mixture on each segment working all the way into hair, from scalp area to the ends. Put on shower cap or other loose fitting plastic cap. Sit out in the sun if possible or under dryer on medium high setting, if available. Leave on hair for 45 minutes. Rinse thoroughly. Shampoo and style as usual.

Mixtress Moment: Spring Shea Butter mix

...the Spring Version. I call this one the Spring version because it contains glycerin. There is more moisture in the air during the Spring (compared to winter) and glycerin will come in handy.

1/4 c Shea Butter

2 tsp Coconut Oil

1 tsp Vitamin E

1 tsp Cocoa butter oil

2 tsp Aloe Vera

2 tsp Glycerin

Blend/whip with a spoon (the back of a spoon) until creamy and well mixed. No heat was used for this mixture. If you don't like a whole lot of oil in your hair - use this with a light hand.

During the cold weather months I like to use my Moisturizing Shea Butter mix

If you haven't noticed by now, I LOVE experimenting with shea butter.

Protein Treatment

I did my first protein treatment since my youth and I want to wait a few days to post the results. The verdict is in and I LOVE IT! I refuse to buy anything else so I made my own treatment.

1/3 Cup Lustrasilk Shea Butter Cholesterol

1 Large Egg

2 tablespoons Olive Oil

Apply to entire head (dry hair) and let sit for 30 minutes. Rinse with cold water. Deep condition and style as usual.

I never did a protein treatment before because I ate a pretty high protein diet and I didn't want to overload. For the past few months my diet has been extremely poor and I could tell my hair was missing something. You know that voice in your head? It told me to try a protein treatment. I did and my hair feels so much stronger. As of this moment I have not decided if this is going to be a regular in my regimen. I will do it as needed.

Aloe Gro Treatment REMIX

Recall the Aloe Gro Treatment video that I found on YouTube. Well, I really liked it but because of lack of proper ingredients, I had to get creative when I mixed up the next batch. It still feels awesome!! So now I believe that as long as you have the water and organic aloe-you can substitute the essential oils to suit your hair care needs.

Here's what I mixed:

1.5 Cup Organic Aloe Vera Gel

1 Cup Water (distilled)

6 Drops Rosemary EO (Pregnant women should not use this EO)

10 Drops Peppermint EO

5 Drops Tea Tree EO

Mixtress Moment: Moisturizing Shea Butter

From my FOTKI:

Whipped Shea Butter

I attempted to make my first batch of whipped shea butter today. Normally I just add a little oil to shea and use it that way--not whipped.

This time I actually whipped it with a mixer until it reached a thick creamy consistency. My goal was to create something both my husband and I could use on our hair and body.

I made a small batch since this is my first time. I wanted to make sure it's something we love before I make more. I mixed: Shea butter, Coconut Oil, Africa's Best Ultimate Herbal Oil, and Olive oil. Hopefully, we will know in about a week whether or not this is going to work for us.

So far, it feels nice...

Trying Henna for the First Time

This is my first time trying Henna. I am nervous and excited all at the same time. Here's my step by step process.

First:

I read recipe after recipe trying to determine how I wanted to mix my henna. After reading about the drying effects of lemon and ACV I didn't want to go that route. I also read a few blogs and posts about unfavorable results (but not too many) when mixed with oil-since I read that more than once I didn't want to do that either. The only thing I read about that didn't come with complaints was mixing with yogurt.

My Mix:

1 package of Jamila Henna

1 1/4 Cup of yogurt

A few shakes of Cinnamon (I couldn't take the smell).

I let that sit on the counter overnight.

Second:

I washed my hair using a clarifying shampoo, detangled in the shower using conditioner, and then towel dried my hair.

Third:

While wearing gloves, I applied Henna to damp hair.

Fourth:
Let the Henna sit on my hair for 3 hours.

Fifth:
Rinsed under plain water until the color of the water was just lightly tinted, then with Suave Tropical Coconut conditioner until the water from my hair was coming out clear. I didn't use gloves with this step fortunately I did not have any staining on my skin or hands.

Sixth:

Applied deep conditioner and sat under the dryer for 30min.

1/2 Jar of LeKair Cholesterol

5 drops of rosemary oil

5 drops of peppermint oil

1/4 cup of Olive Oil

1 tbs of Honey

Seventh:

Rinsed again, this time with cold water.

Now I am noticing the softness and the color. I was surprised to see so much color since I only left it on for 3 hours. However, I did have in some commercial color that I did a few months ago.

Last step:

Styled my hair!

This was truly an all day process.

*´¨)
¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*¨)
(¸.•´ (¸.• tia¸.•*´¨)

Aloe Gro Treatment

I recently came across this vid on YouTube in which the Vlogger was creating a mix to use called "Aloe Gro." I was impressed by how she gained 5inches of growth in 4 months so I decided it was worth giving a try. Also, I can tell by the ingredients that even if I did not experience amazing growth that it would be beneficial to my hair and scalp in other ways.

So far, I have been using the mix on my hair and my hubby's hair for 3 days. He says he is experiencing less itching. I love the refreshed feeling the mixture gives.

Check it out, try it out:

Mixtress Moment: Holding Cream

After not being happy with the performance of many gels and trying to avoid the alcohol content in them. I came up with this:

2/3 cup of Suave Tropical Coconut Conditioner

2 tsp Olive Oil

2 tsp Sweet Almond Oil

4 tsp Honey

The conditioner can be substituted for a scent or conditioner of your choice, just be sure that it is not to thick. A thick conditioner may leave too much residue on your hair.

I a little bit of every hair type on my head and then held the style in each area. This mixture has become a staple in my product stock.

Tip: If you have an essential oil scent that you just love, use a plain scented conditioner and add a few drops of the EO for a nice smelling holding cream.

Protein in your diet

The nutrients that we take into our body are reflect by our outward appearace. If you indulge in a lot of healthy snacks and drink lots of water, more than likely you will have that healthy glow. However, if you take in a lot of junk....you get the picture.

Over the summer my husband and I began to workout and part of our work consisted of us drinking protein shakes. During this time I was also trying to discover the best hair care regimen for me. I began to look at different protein treatments and I am so glad that I did my research before I put one of those treatments on my hair. Too much protein will make your hair hard and brittle. Since I was drinking protein shakes daily, I was getting way more than my recommended daily value. When you intake too much of anything it gets absorbed into your body and/or excreted out. So basically, my hair got it's protein through my nutritional intake.

Hair is a protein so if your diet is rich in protein that will often result in better hair growth.

Protein Shakes:

1 Cup of fresh fruit (your choice)

1 Scoop of protein powder

1 squirt of lemon juice (optional)

1 tablespoon of honey (or more to taste)

1-2 cups of plain yogurt

Yummy quick delicious breakfast. There are many variations of making protein shakes but this is just how I preferred mine every morning. Now that it is getting cooler....I need to look into other options.

Question and Answer: Stuck in a rut

Question: ...OK, so I have been relaxer free for 1 1/2 years. I have not been able to find a product that doesn't dry my hair or may it hard and flake. I have tried a few things on my hair. A few of my friends have told me get Ms.Jessie products. I usually try a leave in conditioner and sheen. I just a few good products to test to see which is best for me. My hair has is naturally curly (cause I have Indian in my family lol.) I also need styling tips I try the twist and let them loose but during the summer this last about 1/2 maybe 1 day at the most. I need something that will hold my curl and not dry my hair out.Please help a sista out...

Answer:

When you say "sheen", are you talking about "oil sheen." That stuff is not good for natural hair-it tends to just sit on top of the hair and our (really all hair) craves moisture. As for Miss Jessie's, I have not bought any of her products so I don't have an opinion about them. I am nervous about trying new things when they are pricey.

For dryness I would recommend applying a leave-in conditioner to your hair nightly and then "sealing" with a light oil. Olive oil, Hot Six Oil, and Sweet Almond Oil are all good to use. I hear coconut oil is good but I have not tried it yet, it's next on my list.

Personally I love Suave Conditioners, I co-wash with them and leave a little in even though they are not leave in conditioners. Do you wash with shampoo a lot? Stop. You really only need to shampoo 1-2 a month or when you KNOW that your hair is dirty. Use conditioner in between the shampoos, that should help with a lot of the drying

To help with making a twist out last longer...I love using this recipe that I found on MotownGirl

Frizz Controller

Ingredients

1/2 cup conditioner

1/4 cup honey

1 tablespoon almond oil

The instructions say to wash it out but I prefer to use it like a gel and apply a little bit lightly when I twist each section of hair.

For styles, you have to visit FOTKI! The natural ladies on the photo site have endless styles you can choose from. Here are a few that I am addicted to:

Jenteel, PrettyDimples (she also has a YouTube channel with style tutorials), DeeCoily, KinkyCurlyQueen, Nigerian Queen

*´¨)
¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*¨)
(¸.•´ (¸.• tia¸.•*´¨)

Baking Soda & Conditioner Treatment

I originally found this treatment on Naturally Obsessed

Immediately after administering this treatment to my hair it felt soft-that is while it was wet. As time progressed my hair started to resemble the feeling of coat thread, real hard and stringy. I had to do a super deep conditioning to get my hair back to it original state. I have read reviews of this treatment working for some but I realize this is not for me and my tresses. Trial and error is the name of the game.

Baking Soda Treatment

1/2 Cup of Baking Soda
1 Full Cup of Conditioner
1 Cap Full of EVOO

Directions:
Apply to rinsed damp hair. Do NOT shampoo first-baking soda is a natural cleanser. Once hair is saturated, cover with a plastic bag and cover with a warm towel. Leave on for an hour. Rinse with lukewarm water and co-wash gently.

*´¨)
¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*¨)
(¸.•´ (¸.• tia¸.•*´¨)

Just shea butter and olive oil

One weekend my hubby and I had some friends come into town-also some natural heads. Anyhoo......the guy (a chef) showed me a new way to blend my shea butter and olive oil. I always thought I had to melt the shea to get it to blend with the olive oil, NOT! (which, it never really worked anyway).

Basically, he showed me how to add a little bit of olive oil at a time to some shea better and then use the back of of a spoon to mash it all together. We were up at 3am mixing shea butter and olive oil, lol. I used this mixture on my hair for a braid out. I wore the braid out for almost a week and my hair shined the entire time- I couldn't stop looking at it. I was very impressed.

Shea Butter
Olive Oil
Blend with spoon

Essential Facts for Essential Oils

Almost every natural healthy hair care "addict" has heard about the use of essential oils. There are so many that can be hard to keep up with them all. I listed just a few of the top mentioned oils and their functions.

Basil - is a beneficial herb that stimulates and promotes hair growth, massaging with this oil promotes healing, health, and improves scalp circulation which, in turn, promotes hair growth. Basil is good when used together with fenugreek and ivy burdock herbs. Basil is used in many shampoos and conditioners that are designed for scalp health.

Burdock: It helps with skin, scalp and hair cell renewal. It also helps to stimulate blood flow to the root of the hair. Burdock Root Essential oil is also supposed to help with hair loss in both men and women.

Fenugreek: Fenugreek has long been used for stimulating blood flow especially to minor capillaries such as those that feed the hair root. Fenugreek makes for a great topical application like in shampoos, conditioners and in hair tonics. Fenugreek for hair care is an excellent choice especially for those that are having problems with hair growth. Fenugreek also compliments sage, lemongrass, lemon peel, burdock and ivy extract.

Lavender can be used in any type of hair product as it does a good job of soothing the scalp and the hair. Effects: Soothing, Relaxing. Aroma: Middle note. Scent: Sweet, Herbal, and Fruity combines well with: Bergamot, Geranium

Myrrh: Myrrh is not typically used in hair care products. If it is then Myrrh is typically used for those have greasy hair and those that want a more purified scalp. It is used in very small quantities.

Peppermint: Peppermint helps to stimulate blood flow to the root of the hair. This helps the hair to receive proper nourishment and to grow correctly. It is a great for hair that is growing slow or hair that is thinning. Peppermint makes the scalp tingle and this is what stimulates the blood flow to the hair. This stimulation can help with hair loss and thinning hair in women and men.

Rose Essential Oil: We love the smell of Rose and love the way that it feels in the hair but the only problem with rose for hair products like shampoo is that it costs a lot of money for rose essential oil.

Tea Tree Oil: Works daily to get to the heart of dandruff other scalp conditions that can be helped with Tea Tree oil as it works to purify the scalp. It is often included with Jojoba oil for hair as the two are used to deep cleanse the scalp. Tea tree oil works extremely well for those that suffer from scalp psoriasis and scalp dandruff.

Thyme essential oils and herbs for great hair! Thyme is often used is deep cleansing shampoo and works well when used with even the mildest cleansing agents. It works well when combined with other anti oily scalp products such as Thyme and sage.

Ylang ylang - Ylang Ylang is from the first part of the distillation process, and is considered by most to be the best. This essential oil has properties: aphrodisiac, anti-depressant, anti-infectious, anti-seborrheic, antiseptic, euphoric, hypotensive, nervine, regulator, sedative, stimulant, and tonic. Historically, it has been used for cosmetic and hair care, skin diseases, and to prevent fever and fight infections. Is also used to soothe insect bites. Ylang Ylang blends well with lavender, sandalwood, rosewood, jasmine, vetiver, opopanax, bergamot, mimosa, cassie and rose. It is non-toxic, non-irritant and a few cases of sensitization have been reported.

Rosemary - has effect in stimulating the hair-bulbs to renewed activity and preventing premature baldness.

Arnica - A hair rinse prepared with arnica extract has been used to treat alopecia neurotica.

Sage - A strong infusion of sage used as a hair rinse may darken hair color and help reduce hair loss.

Bay - helps your hair grow. If you have dull hair, this essential oil can restore it, also well for dandruff problems. For stimulating your hair health you can add three drops of bay essential oil to the shampoo you regularly use.

Jojoba oils – great to use as a carrier oil, has healing properties for damaged and breaking hair.

If you do not have a local store in your area that sells essential oils, they can easily be purchased online: Buy Essential Oils

Resources

Aromatherapy At Home

Ezine Articles

List of more Essential Oils