DIY: Quani Long's Kinky Conditioner

via Quani Long

My very own deep conditioner, I have an avocado tree in my backyard and insisted on not wasting mother nature's growth. After researching the benefits of avocado and how it can enhance hair growth, alleviate bad cholesterol and obviously, its great with just about anything; soups, salads, sandwiches, etc.

Ingredients

• 1 Fresh, ripe (soft) Avocado
• 1/2 Cup of Mayonnaise 
• 1 Egg
• 1 Tbsp. of Honey 
• 1 Tbsp. of Olive Oil 
• 2 drops of liquid Vitamin E 

Mix well together. Saturate it all over your head before applying a plastic cap. Leave in for an hour. Rinse out with cold water.

Follow POH on Twitter | Like POH on Facebook | Subscribe to POH on YT

DIY: Brown Sugar Scalp Scrub

[Source]

I'm always looking to try new pre-poos now that I wash my hair more. I've had great experience with just my oil pre-poos & now I'm looking to expand. While on NaturallyCurly.com I stumbled across this basic pre-poo scalp scrub that I am definitely going to try this week on my wash day. I may modify it adding more oils but I feel this is a great recipe to start with.

This easy head scalp scrub removes excess, oil and impurities, removes dead skin cells and improves circulation.

Ingredients

• 2-3 tbsp. of Brown Sugar 
• 2 tbsp. of Olive Oil 

In a small bowl mix ingredients. Add enough sugar to make a thin paste Do not heat the oil as this will melt the sugar. Wet hair in shower.If you have styling products in hair, apply a little conditioner to make hair more pliable, rinse. Take a heaping scoop of the scrub and apply to scalp, separating hair to reach entire scalp. In circular motion, scrub the scalp with the mixture for 5 minutes. Rinse well, then shampoo and condition hair as normal.

For those of you that would like to try a similar recipe that you can incorporate into you co-wash, be sure to check out the DIY: Brown Sugar Honey Scalp Massage.

Today's Pre-Poo Regimen

As mentioned, today is my Wash Day. Since I found a sulfate shampoo that my hair absolutely loves, I've increased washing my hair from once a month to bi-weekly. As of right now, I use Avalon Organic Lemon Clarifying Shampoo to wash, followed by the Conditioner. But before I even get to those products, I always start with a Pre-Poo.

Now, about two weeks ago was the first time in five months I was actually washing my hair with shampoo, as opposed to doing a ACV Rinse. You can click HERE to read about the first recipe I used when trying out my pre-poo for the first time. This week I decided to switch up my ingredients and try something different. I absolutely hate the smell of Coconut Oil -- well, actually I hate anything with coconut -- so my first recipe although it turned out wonderful & my hair loves Coconut Oil, I hated the smell. So I knew that would be the ingredient to replace this week. So here's the new recipe I tried, and so far love! Plus it has a way better smell. :)

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup of EVOO 
• 1/4 cup of Vatika Oil 
• 2 tsp of Honey

Mix the ingredients in a small plastic bowl with spoon. Place in microwave for 30 seconds. Since I used honey in this recipe, I figured it was best to moisturize my hair slightly before applying the mix. So I used my spritz bottle (Purified Water + Aussie Moist Conditioner) to dampen my hair slightly, not to the point where it was soaked -- just evenly moisturized all over. I part my hair in four sections with my fingers, and apply the oil mix starting from the scalp and work my way down to the ends. Make sure the mixture is evenly distributed throughout your hair -- from scalp to ends (especially the ends!) before applying a plastic cap. Go about your business, leaving the plastic cap on for anywhere from 2-4 hours, or more if desired. 

DIY: Lemon Honey Rinse

I love mixing the everyday ingredients I have laying around my kitchen & see what I can make for my hair next. I always have an abundance of honey and lemons laying around, so I decided to combine the ingredients to make myself a quick rinse.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp of Honey
• 1/4 Lemon juice
• 4 cups of Purified Water

Combine in a bowl. After co-washing or shampooing, rinse through hair. Don't wash out. Apply your leave-in conditioner, oils and style as needed.

Why honey?
Honey naturally attracts and holds moisture. It is also a natural antiseptic and contains antioxidants. Honey is packed with vitamins and minerals such as magnesium, potassium, calcium, sulphur, iron, zinc and vitamins B1, B2, B3, which aid in hair growth.

Why lemon juice?
Lemon juice for hair is a natural treatment to prevent hair loss and boost growth. Lemon juice stimulates hair growth as it is rich in vitamin A and B, phosphorus and antioxidants. Applying lemon juice on hair makes it healthy, shiny and strong.

Do you use lemon &/or honey in your hair regimens? Any recipes you'd recommend trying? 

DIY: Rejuvenating Hair Spritz

Last night, after my wonderful trip to Whole Body by Whole Foods I came home and begin working on my own homemade spritz that I decided I'd share with you guys. I needed something that would be able to moisturize my hair, as well as eliminate the itchy scalp I sometimes experience periodically throughout the day.

Ingredients (I mixed this into a 4 fl. oz bottle, so let's just say the bottle equals 100%)

• 30% (About 1 oz.) of Purified Water 
• 60% of Jojoba Oil 
• 10% of Avocado Oil 
• 10 drops of Eucalyptus Essential Oil 

Anytime I mix water & oil together, I always start with the water since it sits while oil rises to the top. Pour in your water, followed by jojoba & avocado oil. Make sure the drops of Eucalyptus are the last ingredients you add. Shake well. Keep in mind, since this spritz contains water & oil, you'll always have to shake well first before using. 

Now, the Eucalyptus Oil is really what makes this spritz rejuvenating. Because of the strong minty smell, I decided to only use this as an oil massage for my scalp at night and a quick spritz in the morning, when first waking up. Last night, I rubbed this on my scalp for about 5 minutes, massaging it thoroughly & I absolutely loved the shine it gave my hair while giving my scalp this great tingly sensation, which really had me totally relaxed in time for bed. 

Nonetheless, give it a try if you're interested & let me know what you think! 

DIY: Color Your Hair Naturally

While following some of you on Twitter, we've noticed a lot of you asking questions regarding other means of coloring your hair aside from using Henna. I happened to stumble across this great DIY article on Naturally Obsessed on ways to naturally color your hair yourself.

Red

Henna

It’s just about safe to say that henna is the most popular method of naturally dyeing any type of hair. I researched and found that henna actually has the ability to only dye hair, or anything for that matter, red. So, do not be fooled. There are plenty of mixes out there that claim to be all natural henna and can dye hair blonde, brown, etc., BUT, they’re all lies. Pure, 100% henna can only dye hair red. Also, henna proves effective the more it is used; so, if you have dark hair, you probably won’t notice any drastic changes to your hair color until after a few uses. I was actually interested in henna, but I have black hair, so henna really wouldn’t be the best solution to my interest in changing my hair color. However, if you have hair of the lighter variety and are looking to spice up your color with some red, definitely try henna.

I mentioned in the original post on henna that using acidic liquids, such as lemon juice or apple cider vinegar would cause the henna to release quicker. It’s true. Mixing acidic liquids with henna will cause the dye to release quicker, however, it could also dry your hair out. BEWARE. If you have naturally dry hair and decide to use henna with an acid, be sure to deep condition regularly to combat the dryness AND keep your hair healthy. Also, I saw that some people said that henna has the ability to change the texture of your hair. However, it completely depends on the person and their curls.

Recipe to bring out Reddish Tint:

• Mix 1/2 cup organic Beet juice and 1/2 cup carrot juice. Massage into hair and let sit for one hour.
• Boil 1 cup Rosehips in 2 cups of water. Strain and massage into hair. Can be left in until next shampoo.
• Boil 3 Hibiscus tea bags down in 2 cups of water until you have 1 to 1/2 cup of liquid. Massage into hair. This can also be left in until your next shampoo.
• Boil down 1/3 cup crushed marigold flowers in 2 cups water. Strain and add 1 cup of red wine. Massage into hair and leave in for 30 minuets.

Rosehips & Cloves
Make a strong tea of rosehips and cloves, (or use strong black coffee), and then apply to hair.

Beet & Carrot Juice
1/2 cup of beet juice + 1/2 cup of carrot juice
Mix ingredients together and apply to damp hair. Sit in the sun for about an hour or so and then rinse.

Blondes

Lemons

Well, lemons help with dandruff. Just thought I’d start with that. However, lemons are known to dry hair SO, once again, deep condition regularly to combat the dryness. Here’s a few recipes that can be used to lighten your hair color. This will work for anyone with dark brown, light brown, blonde, or red hair. Followers with black hair, you can try, but it will ideally take longer.

• Mix 1 cup organic lemon juice and 3 cups Chamomile tea. Message into your hair and spend some time in the sun. Far faster results repeat a few times a week.
• Mix up mashed organic Rhubarb with 4oz organic pineapple juice. Let the mixture soak into your hair and spend some time in the sun.
• Mix 3/4 cup honey with 1 1/2 cups organic plain yogurt to damp hair. Massage hair and wrap head in saran wrap. Let sit for up to eight hours and rinse.
• Mix 4 tablespoons Cinnamon with 8oz yogurt. Message into hair and let it soak in for 30 minutes.

Or

First you will need a simple lemon mixture. Mix one part warm water and 2 parts lemon juice together.
Pour the mixture into a spray bottle. Spray the mixture generously to the areas you want to lighten.
Expose your hair to natural sunlight for around an hour or two. Wash hair our and let dry.

Tea, Yogurt and Oil

• 6 Chamomile tea bags
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• Lavender oil

Bring one cup of water to boil and steep tea bags for 15 minutes. Discard teabags. Combine yogurt and 7 drops of lavender oil with chamomile tea, mix thoroughly. Apply the mixture to dry hair, working through to ends. Cover head in plastic wrap and condition for thirty minutes. Rinse.

Brunette

Tea or Black Coffee

Place a large bowl in sink and rinse hair with cooled coffee/tea. Repeat several times, reusing the liquid. Leave final rinse in hair for at least 15 minutes. Rinse with clear water.

Black

Indigo

Indigo can be used to dye hair black or to dye already black hair a blue-black.
Well, if you aren’t a natural product junkie, you can always go to a trusted professional natural hair salon, or use a commercial dye. Just make sure to DEEP CONDITION to prevent dryness, and regularly get your ends trimmed to prevent breakage.

Do you color your hair? What do you use? 

DIY: Citrus Holding Hair Spritz

[Source]

While the summer months are still upon us for a few more weeks, I'm experimenting with more homemade products for keeping my hair moisturized & my curls lasting throughout the day. I came across this homemade spritz on K is for Kinky & thought it would fit in perfectly with my Summer Regimen, especially because it's Citrus flavored. The great thing about this spritz is that it can be for both straight and curly hair. This can also be used on your curls to cut down on frizz & give them some hold.

Ingredients

• 1 whole organic orange (lemons would be too drying for curly hair; however use two (2) lemons if you have straight hair)
• 2 cups of distilled water
• 1 teaspoon castor, olive or jojoba or coconut oil (whichever you prefer)
• 1-2 drops orange essential oil (optional)

Cut up orange into half inch pieces. Do not remove the skin – as that is where the the fruit oils lie. You can also process the fruits in a food processor whole to release the juice and oils even better. Place your orange pieces and water in a stainless steel sauce pan and bring to a gentle rolling boil and reduce heat. depending on your stove, you will probably need to boil for about an hour. After boiling down to 1/2 of what you started with, let cool to a lukewarm temperature and pour in your oil of choice.

Pour reduced mixture into measuring cup (to make the transfer to your spray bottle easier) by straining with cheesecloth or a fine strainer. If you do not have one on hand, a clean nylon stocking works just as well. When your mixture is ready, pour into a dark colored spray bottle and store in the refrigerator. Your citrus hairspray will last for 2 weeks. You can also add 1-2 drops of essential oil to your mixture.

Why oranges?
The natural sugars in the orange give this hairspray hold while the oils from the skin and your oil of choice balance out the citric acid in orange.

Who can use this?
This citrus holding hair spray works for all hair textures from straight to kinky. Give this mixture a try and see how you like it!

DIY: Hair Growth Deep Conditioner Recipe

[Source]

To speed up hair grow, nourishing the scalp and clearing away of impurities is imperative. If you suffer from hair loss or thinning hair there are many natural organic herbs and oils out there to help. Try this hair growth Deep Conditioner recipe:


Ingredients:

• 3-4 Drops Peppermint oil
• 1 Tsp. of Olive oil
• 1 Egg

Combine ingredients in a small bowl. Massage mixture into hair and scalp.Wrap hair in a hot towel or cover with shower cap for 15 minutes. Shampoo & rinse out.

DIY: Honey Brown Sugar Scalp Massage

[Source]

Today I really have been looking for articles & recipes geared towards the scalp. Whereas, I used to neglect my scalp before I now realize keeping it moisturized & clean promotes for great hair growth. Nowadays, I can't keep my hands out my hair & try to give myself a scalp massage every chance I get, usually without oils -- anytime I put my hand in my hair, after briefly playing with the curls I do give myself a quick hair massage. Nonetheless, I stumbled across this hair recipe from K is for Kinky, which is filled with great articles & homemade recipes. Definitely going to give this a try tonight! The results to come soon!

By Kurlybella of K is for Kinky

You’re going to think that you are supposed to eat this but I don’t think you should. Though the idea of a scalp massage may seem foreign to you, don’t worry, it makes your scalp feel so good. I suggest using a finely ground brown sugar and to rub the scalp very softly.

Ingredients:

• 4 tbsps of brown sugar
• 2 tbsps of your favorite conditioner (You can also substitute yogurt, shea butter, mango butter or coconut milk)
• 1 tbsp honey

Mix together and apply to scalp. Massage to remove buildup and impurities. Rinse thoroughly.
This works sooo well for hair that has buildup – you know, when you scratch your scalp and you have gunk that comes off in your fingernails? It helps to clean the scalp without stripping it and making it feel tight and dry.

DIY: Deep Conditioning Treatments Good Enough To Eat

By Alyssa Hawkins of NaturallyCurlly

Who would have thought that items that taste so good in your mouth would also make the best deep conditioning treatments? The key to these great recipes is remembering that they are for your curls and not your stomach (at least until you have finished the recipe)!

You’ll notice that these recipes have a lot of similar ingredients because these are what have worked the best for so many curlies thus far. Try them out and see which base product makes your hair feel the softest.

Special reminder: For some curlies, protein can actually dry out your hair. If you have find that happening, it might be best for you to try a different treatment or alternate between one of these and another one that doesn’t contain as much protein.

Sweet Avocado

The recipe:

• 1 avocado
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Honey

Avocado is great for deep conditioning. It can also be used for a quick softening, conditioning and moisturizing mask. The use of honey on hair is talked about everywhere. Honey by itself isn’t sufficient enough to provide the conditioning necessary, but when combined with other products it can make your hair feel softer and provide smooth hair.

Baby Banana

The recipe:

• Organic banana flavored baby food
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Honey

Banana is another great kitchen item that can help give you that soft hair you have been wanting. The key to this recipe is getting banana baby food instead of using an actual banana. When using a whole banana, if you do not blend it well enough or strain it, it can leave pieces of banana throughout your hair. You would then have to shampoo and condition your hair several times to get them out and that would defeat the purpose! When you use the baby food it’s already strained and liquefied so it can mix easily as well as still provide you with a great conditioner. Not to mention you have the great scent of banana and honey to accompany you throughout your day!

Cucumber & Egg

The recipe:

• 1/2 cucumber
• 1 egg
• 1/2 an eggshell’s worth of extra-virgin olive oil

Cucumber is a natural refresher so it’s no wonder that a great treatment would include it. It’s a great finishing touch to a deep conditioning treatment. Eggs are also great to give your hair a great smooth finish. An important thing to remember when trying this treatment: NO HEAT (including hot water)! The heat can literally cook the egg into your hair and that just spells disaster for everyone. Your hair will also smell like egg unlike banana, the smell of eggs cooked into your hair is not pleasant.

Fruit Salad

The recipe:

• 1/2 banana
• 1/4 avocado
• 1/4 cantaloupe
• 1 tbsp. yogurt
• Any oil

You might be hungriest after making this one so leave some fruit aside for you to enjoy while this treatment goes to work! The fruits in this treatment all work great together to give you soft hair that also will smell just as great. If you are worried about using the banana, substitute the banana baby food so you can be sure to avoid the chunks. If you have no fear of the actual banana, be sure to blend it well and strain it before mixing it with the other items. This recipe will make your hair smell fantastic and it will provide you with a great, healthy snack.

Do you have any homemade deep conditioning treatments you use & would recommend? 

DIY: Tropical Deep Conditioner

By Kurlybella of K is for Kinky

[Source]

This tropical conditioner is all natural and will leave your hair feeling very soft.

Ingredients:

• 1 peeled and mashed avocado
• 1 cup coconut milk or cream

I suggest using Chaokoh Coconut Milk for a few reasons. First, it’s super cheap at around $1 a can and it’s much thicker than most brands and has a uniform creamy texture — what most kinky girls like in their deep conditioners, thus you get a milk and “cream” in one!

Directions:
Combine mashed avocado with some coconut milk in a small bowl. Heat in microwave for approx. 45 seconds. Stir. Test temperature. Massage mixture into hair. Wrap hair in a hot towel or cover with shower cap for 20 to 30 minutes. Shampoo and rinse out.

For deeper conditioning put a hot, damp towel around your head over the shower cap (which you can use saran wrap in place of).

The deep treatment should be applied from root to end for normal hair and half-way through hair for oily hair. Tor normal hair, once the treatment is applied, it should be separated into sections and massaged into the scalp.

Why avocado?
In earlier times, avocado pulp was used as a hair pomade to stimulate hair growth. Its oil is still used today in several hair and cosmetic products. Avocado oil penetrates hair follicles with emollient oils, nourishing vitamins, protein and amino acids to promote healthy sheen and fuller, stronger hair. The mask offers a hydrating effect that is perfect for warding off the effects of summer heat.

Why coconut milk?
Coconut milk contains proteins, which strengthen hair and can help to minimize breakage. It also has properties which protect hair and scalp from UV rays.

Using coconut milk for improving hair growth is another simple home remedy for hair loss that some claim to offer results. It serves to nourish the hair and promote the growth of new hair. In addition, it keeps the existing hair in a healthy condition.

Options:
If you can’t get your hands on coconut milk, you can substitute the natural coconut for one of the coconut based conditioners, such as Organix Nourishing Coconut Milk Conditioner or Suave Naturals Conditioner Tropical Coconut.