Homemade Banana/Coconut Milk Masque

Given my recent battle with breakage I was reviewing my hits and miss list and it just occurred to me that I didn't post my Homemade Banana/Coconut Milk Masque recipe. Natural recipes , such as my avocado masque recipe are not something I use anymore for the following reasons, but I found this banana mask made my hair extremely soft and moisturized. Since I will not be using it for the purpose of infusing protein in my hair, I will be adding it to my regimen to bump up the moisture level of my hair. When you read my results, you'll understand why.

1 banana

1/4 C Aloe Vera juice (add more if consistency is too thick)

1/4 C Coconut Milk

1 tsp each of Avocado oil and Castor oil

Blend all the ingredients until smooth. The masque was thick, smooth and silky and smelled like a banana smoothie. If you changed the oils to flaxseed you could definitely drink it--but I digress. When I use it, I will apply the masque to freshly washed, towel dry hair, from root to tip, covered with a plastic cap and let it sit in my hair for 2 hours---without heat. If you apply heat, you'll regret it. Trust me. After I rinsed I out, my hair felt incredibly soft, it detangled beautifully, felt silky and there was absolutely no hair loss. The softness even lasted while styling, which I never feel with my other conditioners. When you compare the price for commercial conditioners (less than $1.50 per batch vs $3.50-$4 per use) and the fact that this is 100%, it's hands down the best alternative imo.

If you give it a try, let me know how you like it.

                                 

Homemade Avocado Masque/Brief Hair Update

*ETA: Please note that this was written when I my hair was relaxed. I am currently natural and no longer do an avocado masque treatment for the following reasons.

I have always found the love-hate relationship I have with "Diva!" has always been an interesting one. I rarely feel like I love her (which may be part of the problem), but when I love her--I really love her. I recently tried a homemade avocado mask and it was WONDER-F-U-L, emphasis on the "full". My hair felt thicker, fortified and strong, without feeling brittle or rigid. Once I followed up with my moisturizing conditioner it was silky and just lovely. And breakage?--what breakage? Now that may not seem like much success to the rare women that experience absolutely no breakage during their wash routine, but given the drama I have been experiencing over the last four weeks, it is a pleasant change. My hair air dried beautifully and looked thicker, if that is possible.

In its natural state avocado can be used as a protein conditioner, which is how I used it. I typically do a protein conditioner the week after a relaxer to replenish the lost protein and nutrients following such a harsh chemical treatment. Up to this point I have always used Aphogee 2 Minute Reconstructor, but this masque whooped that conditioners butt hands down. I say this, not because the Aphogee 2 Minute is a bad product, or even because it is hard on my hair. Unlike most protein conditioners it has never left my hair stiff or hard. I say this simply because the avocado masque is all natural--and hello-- it cost me roughly $1.95 (per use) when you take the cost of the avocado, the egg and the oils used. Compare that to Aphogee, which cost me $13-15 CDN a bottle. No real contest. Here is the recipe I used and how I used it:

1 small hass avocado

1 egg

1 tbsp each of EVCO, EVOO, JBCO

1 tbsp honey

 First I blended the avocado and oils well in a blender until smooth then add the egg and the honey. The mask was thick, smooth and silky. Your final product should look like a green coloured creamy mayo--it will smell like that too. I added about a tsp of lavender essential oil to mask the smell a little, but it's not necessary. If you are going to add a scent please be sure to use an EO that will benefit your hair in some way.


I applied the mask to dry hair, from root to tip with an application brush, wrap with saran wrap, plastic cap and then two scarves to protect my pillow. I left it in over night and in the morning rinsed it out. I then used a moisturizing shampoo gently on my scalp in sections allowing the suds (not my fingers) to wash my hair and followed with my moisturizing conditioner/oil mix for 2 1/2 hours without heat. Finally I applied my ACV herbal rinse as a final rinse, (I did not rinse out the ACV herbal rinse), applied my moisture based leave in(s) and air dried as usual. That's it.

Initially, I was worried because it wasn't drying as soft as I like, but once it was completely dried, it was very soft and strong. It also dried a lot smoother and shiner than it typically does. Overall, I am very pleased with the results. Eventually, I want to be able to replace all my synthetic based hair products, so I am very happy that this worked out so well. I just need to make sure I don't overdo it.

                                 

Retaining Moisture with ACV

First off, I have to say ACV is the truth! I wanted to wait after a few more wash days before posting my thoughts on ACV as a final rinse treatment because I wanted to make sure the benefits I saw weren't a fluke. Let me say it was not. As I am writing this (approx 1 hour and 30 min after shampooing my hair) my hair is still damp and moist!

I use to read Sunshyne's blog and think, what does she mean it takes 2 hours to dry her hair--whoa, her hair must be mega thick! Little did I know hair density had absolutely nothing to do with moisture retention, which was what I was struggling with. After reading some of the entries on her blog and some of the things she does to retain moisture (she apparently struggled with dryness as well) I had to try some of her hair remedies out. I am glad I did. My hair feels strong, moist--OMG I love my hair right now! This is what I did (I added a few extra things to my treatment):

Boil 2 1/4 cups of filtered water. After boiling, remove the pot from the stove and add 1 tbsp of mix dried herbs (equal parts sage, rosemary, rose hip, horsetail and nettle). Cover pot and allow herbs to steep overnight. In the morning strain herbs from brew then add 1/4 cup of ACV. After rinsing your conditioner pour brew over hair and massage into scalp (be sure not to tangle hair--this brew has no slip). Allow to sit for 30 sec-1 min then rinse thoroughly. Proceed to style as usual. That's it! Magic in your own kitchen. Who would have thought?

Original recipe:
1/4 cup ACV
2 cups water

I am currently very  happy with the results from my regimen now that I have added this final rinse treatment. I need to streamline it a bit--I am doing a lot of stuff to my hair right now (pre-poo, dc, oils, ect...), but I want to continue with it for a while. It works, and if it ain't broke, why fix it?!

ETA: I have since modified this recipe to 3/4 tsp per 2 cups of water after reviewing Kimmay Tube's video on pH balance. I've also changed the herbal mix as well.  Since changing it I have had good results, but now I can use this recipe on a weekly basis vs. once every other week/month. See my updated regimen for details.

HHG!

Relaxer Day

So I got a relaxer today, and I must say I was little disappointed with my progress. I know I shouldn't be too surprised because I have been neglecting my hair big time, which was why I started this blog in the first place . However, I sort of hoped I would see some progress in terms of growth. Alas, there was none! I've posted a picture of my hair below.

As usual, once I returned from the hairdresser I re-washed my hair with Motions neutralizing shampoo, a practice I adopted a few years ago.I will usually let the lather from the shampoo sit on my hair while I take a shower. I do this because I really don't want to take any chances with the relaxer, as many scalp disorders (namely baldness) can occur when the relaxer is not washed out properly. Any woman that self-relaxes her hair will tell you that you need to wash your hair at least 3 times, in which the last wash is done for a minimum of 5 minute to truly neutralize the relaxer. Now ladies, when was the last time a hairdresser neutralized your hair for 5 minutes? Time it and see, I'll bet you it's under 45 seconds! Your probably asking "well why don't I just tell my hairdresser to wash my hair for a longer period of time?" Eh, I'm a control freak and just like to play it safe.

Following my shampoo I proceed with a deep conditioner, utilizing a recipe I got from my girl Sunshyne over at HI, which I use to replenish the lost moisture and proteins that was stripped from my hair during the relaxing process and the multiple washes. For this I applied:

2 tbsp Aphogee Keratin 2 min reconstructor

3 tsp avocado oil

3 tsp castor oil

3 tsp coconut oil

I am going to have to modify this recipe a bit. I found it way too "soupy" with the oil to conditioner ratio way too high. I will update the changes I plan to make.

Following this process I noticed that my scalp didn't feel as tight (irritated) and my hair felt strong. Shoulder-length here I come!

ETA: New post relaxer treatment recipe

3 tbsp Aphogee Keratin 2 min reconstructor

1 tsp avocado oil

1 tsp castor oil

1 tsp coconut oil

                                 

Castor Oil Recipes

There are currently a variety of castor oil hair treatment recipes that are available for specific hair concerns.

In conjunction with moisturizing castor oil treatments you can try, you can do a number of things to keep your hair healthy and create the best possible conditions for growth.

• Try to stay in good overall health by maintaining a balanced diet, exercising regularly, getting adequate sleep and avoiding smoking. 
• Sticking to a regular hair care routine can also be helpful. In fact, consider giving yourself a scalp massage now and again while washing or conditioning your hair. This can increase blood flow to your scalp and stimulate hair follicles.

Here are some recipes you can also try:

For dandruff and itchy scalp:

Mix equal parts castor oil with jojoba oil for a scalp treatment.

Rosemary EO* also works well with castor oil to balance the oils of the scalp.

For hair loss/thinning hair:

Mix equal parts of castor, jojoba and grape seed oil then combine thyme*, cedarwood,  rosemary* EO. These essential oils stimulate the hair follicles to encourage hair growth and prevent future hair loss.

• Apply the mixture to your scalp by gently massaging it and covering the entire scalp including the areas around your ears and above the back of your neck. After doing this procedure, completely wrap your hair with a towel and leave it covered for at least 15 to 20 minutes in order to allow the oil to fully penetrate your scalp and maximize it's effects.
• Afterward, you can rinse your treated hair with warm water and completely wash out the solutions. If you do not like the smell of your hair, you can use shampoo after an hour to allow the effect of the solution to be fully optimized. Repeat this procedure for at least twice per week for the next few months and you shall observe great improvement on your current condition. 
• If you have dry, relaxed and colored hair, add 3 tablespoon of Castor oil to your favorite conditioner.  It adds extra moisture to your hair and seals it in. 

 * do not use these essential oils if pregnant

                                 

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