Category: Beauty+ Hair Applications/Recipes

DIY: Away From Home Kitchen Curl Restoration

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ANTOINETTE AROUND THE WAY CURLSMy God. My God. That is some thirsty hair.

How many of you have traveled somewhere (especially during the holidays) and later realized that you forgot all your hair products at home?! It happens to the best of us and this Thanksgiving it happened to me. Keep in mind my momma is white so there was no extra Kinky Curly lying around..no hair steamer… no diffuser… not even a wide tooth comb for goodness sake.

Anyway, I went home sporting my second day Curling Wand Lose Waves thinking I was going to get a day three out of them and play the shyt out of myself. I looked in the mirror on day three and my hair was not only a rat’s nest it was as dry as hay. I looked like the scarecrow. As I combed my hair with the thinnest of combs I watched in horror as my curls began to break off one by one. I sat there disheveled, cursing myself out for a) thinking it was cool to put heat on my hair three days in a row and b) leaving my ish at home. But then I realized that my mom may not be a fellow kinky curly but she is a health nut and surely I would be able to find something to restore my strands in her kitchen. I scurried downstairs and Mom Dukes did not disappoint.

Here’s What I Used 

Prepoo:

2 TBLS of Agave Nectur, 1 TBLS of Organic Coconut Oil 

Apply to wet hair. Let sit for 15-20 minutes. Wash Out. I of course didn’t have my sulfate free shampoo so I used some rinky dink stuff she had lying around.

Conditioning Treatment with a Bit of Protein

 1/2 Cup of Plain Yogurt (Conditioner), 1 TBLS of Mayo (Protein), 1TBLS of Aloe Vera Juice (Sealant)

Add to wet hair after shampooing. Leave on for 20 minutes. For added results, run hot water in your shower and let the steam help to lift your cuticles and penetrate the hair shaft.

  Usually, if your hair is dry, I don’t recommend doing a protein treatment but because I had put heat on my hair the days prior, I thought it was necessary and would help restore/reverse any damage that may have occurred. You always want the protein content and the moisture content of your hair to be balanced therefore too much protein can interfere with your hair’s elasticity and cause it to break. This is why I personally believe that protein treatment should always be in conjunction with deep conditioners.

Non Leave-in Conditioner as Leave-in Conditioner

I don’t know what this stuff was but after I rinsed the conditioning treatment out I didn’t have any slip to my hair and it was difficult detangling it. So, I saw this little green bottle and thought, why not? I added about a quarter size to my head, let that mess dry and it turned out just fine. I really wish I would have had some Kinky Curly or Karen’s Body Beautiful with me because it would have really put the icing on the cake of my ‘Curl Restoration’ but you can’t win them all. Peep the results below.

ANTOINETTE AROUND THE WAY CURLS

antoinette around the way curls

antoinette around the way curls

 I wasn’t mad at the results at all. Needless to say, I’m giving my beloved curling wand a break. I was too hype when I first got it and OD’d but rehab is going well …lot’s of buns, pigtails and deep conditioners.

I must admit, I really like DIY treatments. I feel like a mad scientist or something. Y’all got any DYI’s to suggest that you think I should try?

I Got DANdruff In My Hair!

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I know no one understands why that title “I got DANdruff in my hair” is so funny to me. My dad told me when he was in grade school he and his best friend would terrorize his teacher by yelling “I GOT DAN..druff in my hair!” Say it out loud. Do you see why the teacher was so annoyed by his psuedo-cursing? Isn’t that funny??!!
Anywhooo, real rap I have dandruff. It happens every winter. For some reason, my scalp thinks it is doing me a favor by creating layers of dead skin to shed and keep my head warm. It isn’t severe dandruff but it is enough to notice. I have also been dealing with a really tender, throbbing head. For some reason, after washing and moisturizing my hair, my scalp will ache afterwards. I can’t figure out for the live of me what is going on but with the help of Antoinette (although this can easily be done solo), I attempted some self medication to relieve and revive my scalp using tea tree oil as the active ingredient and jojoba oil as the carrier (it can be any NON-mineral or NON-petroleum based oil).

I hate to gross you out but I wanted to provide a visual of my dandruff. It is not that bad but it is consistently shedding.

My hair was previosly washed, so I did this treatment on dry hair. I started by mixing my Jojoba and tea tree oil together in a bowl. You do not want to burn your scalp with the highly concentrated tea tree oil so make sure you are putting 5x more jojoba than tea tree. I did not measure anything but I can guess-timate that I added 1 and a half capfuls of tea tree oil to 1/4 cup of jojoba.

In order to make sure that this mixture was reaching as much surface as possible on my inflamed scalp I decided to put my hair into 8 straight backs and apply the oil to my exposed scalp area. Honeychild, it felt like heaven.

I know that I will have to repeat this process about twice a week to stay on top of the dandruff because just one application does not do it for me.

I hope this helps any of the tender-headed, dander sufferers out there like me. We in this together!

Product Review: Lush’s Caca Brun Henna Bar

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Ever since our interview with the gorgeous and huge haired Santana Caress Benitez, who so adamantly recommended Lush Henna Bar Hair Treatments, I have been itching to try them out. While walking to Union Square I happened to stumble on a Lush Cosmetics Store so I went on it. I bought myself a bar of Lush Caca Brun Henna. Apparently, that means “Brown Shit” in French. (side eye). If this is your first time reading about henna or for more information about henna read this post first.

According to Lush:

The Bar Breakdown

  • Persian Henna- They use the finest Persian henna, which has been used since ancient times to dye the skin and hair. The leaves are dried and ground into a powder and it is this, mixed with conditioning cocoa butter that forms the basis of their bars.
  • Cocoa Butter- The Cocoa butter provides added conditioning benefits but also helps the henna cling to each strand, maximizing its overall effect.

Product Claim:

  • Coffee Lustre- Choose Caca Brun for sleek, beautiful hair with rich, dark brown tones. Brunettes can use Caca Brun for its fantastic conditioning properties without seeing a drastic change to their natural color. Hair will also be left super shiny because henna coats each individual hair, smoothing cuticles, and protecting them from damage. Hennaed her is strong, glossy and absolutely gorgeous.

What Customers Claim:

  • It’s easy to use and gentle
  • Produces a rich, natural color
  • Overtime makes hair thicker
  • Adds body and shine
  • Is conditioning

My Review:

  • I have to agree with all of the above. Lush has a new customer. This stuff is all that. After only one use this henna bar left my hair a rich beautiful brown and added a ton of body and shine. Now, what really makes this product different from other henna I’ve use is it’s conditioning properties. In my past experiences with henna, while it was definitely strengthening it was also a bit drying and I would always have to deep condition after a treatment. This Lush henna bar has the complete opposite affect. It’s actually one of the best conditioning treatments I have ever used.
  • There are however two drawbacks, while it was easy to use it was a bit messy (but there’s always a risk of mess and splatter when dying your own hair) and it is time consuming. I was a dodo bird and wasn’t paying attention to the time and in the middle of the treatment realized I have to leave for work so I only left it in for 1.5 hours. SMH. Lush says you can leave it on up to six hours and most readers said they left it on for 3-4 hours. So, needless to say my color has faded a bit as a result of my daily wash and goes but that’s my own fault. It’s still richer than it was.

The Cost

  • The 11.4 oz bar was about $25.00 after tax which isn’t cheap but I didn’t have to use the entire portion so it ended up being fairly reasonable for all natural and organic henna.
What You Will Need
Gloves, heatproof bowl, spoon,henna and hot water, vaseline, newspaper, paper towels (not pictured)
Henna does tend to be a bit messy so before you begin especially if you are new to the game, you want to lay some newspaper down and have some paper towels handy.
The Process
Begin by putting some sort of protectant on your hairline, ears and neck. Henna will stain your skin so make sure the area is covered well. I used some good ol’ sheabutter as a protectant.
Add hot water to the henna and stir until it is the consistency of brownie batter. (mmh)
Now, here was my first mistake. I used 1/2 of the bar which was plenty for my shoulder length hair, but I didn’t break the henna up into little pieces before adding water. Make sure you do because breaking the bar down and making a brownie batter-like paste will be a lot easier that way.
Pictured here is the henna after being mixed with water in the consistency desired.
Begin carefully applying the henna to clean and conditioned hair.
I have to be honest. I was going to front and act like I did a test strand first but I didn’t. I went all in and applied it to my entire head. I can’t even front. But really, does anyone ever do a test strand first? I know I’m not the only impatient one out there. But you should just in case.
Swamp Girl Steeze
Finish applying the henna to your entire head. Leave on up to 6 hours. As I stated earlier, in most customer review reports it was said that the henna was left on for 3 hours. For darker hue, leave it on longer. Also, for a more brown hue leave your hair uncovered. Cover with plastic for a red undertones.
Rinse Out. Do Not Wash- This can take a little effort but Be Patient. Just stand in the shower and keep working the water through your hair. Keep rinsing until all the henna is out of your hair and the water is clear. I used some Hello Hydration Conditioner to create some added slip while I worked the henna out of my head. Then style as desired.
The Results
My Dull Colored Hair Before the Lush Henna Hair Treatment
My Vibrant Lush Brown Hair After the Lush Henna Treatment
Shwammmm! I love this stuff.

Visit Lush’s website for more information.
Who’s getting their henna on?

 

Henna Application (Rainbow Henna Brand)

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*This has been reposted since we are getting some e-mails about our experience with henna.


What is Henna?
Henna comes from the plant “lawsonia inermis”. The leaves of the plant contain a red-orange dye molecule that is used for dying the skin, hair and nails. This is why henna is also referred to as “Red Henna”.Typically there are 3 plant powders that are commonly referred to as henna:Neutral Henna- is not henna but rather Cassida Obovata. Cassia obovata contains anthraquinones, particuarly Chrysophanic acid, a remarkable anti-fungal, anti-microbial and anti-bacterial. Cassia obovata has a golden dye molecule that will stain dull blonde and gray hair yellow. It will help damaged hair, make hair full, glossy, healthy. 
Red Henna-  is actually the only true henna. Products that dye the hair any color are some sort of compound henna. Its leaves are harvested, dried and ground into a powder. Liquid is then added to the henna, creating a paste which is used for the hair. Producers of Henna claim it is the best hair conditioner of all making your hair heavy, thick and silky.
Black Henna- Black henna, is a green powder that smells like frozen peas, is neither black nor henna. It is indigo, Indigofera tinctoria. (Source)

Warning

As stated earlier, “blonde”, “brown” and “black” henna do not exist. The only way to alter henna’s red dye molecule is by adding chemicals, metallic salts, OR other dye plants such as Cassida Obovata (which produces lighter colors) and Indigo (which produces black colors). Be sure to use natural compound hennas mixed with only other natural dye plants. Compound hennas with unnatural additives are basically the equivalent to boxed dyes and are extremely hazardous for your hair. 

Henna is grown is warm climates. Many of these warm climate areas do not yet have laws in which protect consumers demand all the products’ ingredients to be disclosed. Be sure to research your henna and be sure to check the label and with your retailer before you buy. Purchase natural henna and henna compounds here.

Benefits and Things to Consider

Price- Henna is not very expensive. Depending on the amount purchased it can cost anywhere from $6.00(single use)- $25.00(multiple use).

Stronger, Healthier More Luxurious Hair- Henna is like great protein treatment. Henna’s dye molecule attaches to the keratin in our hair over time, making our hair stronger and thicker. Henna replenishes the hair by coating the hair shaft and piecing together the rough spots throughout the damaged cuticle.  Henna’s coating however, is permeable and does not lock moisture out. So a good deep conditioner after a henna treatment will not only work, but be icing on the cake.

Change in Curl Pattern- Some have reported that Henna temporarily loosens your curl pattern by reducing shrinkage. I didn’t have those results but there are people who swear by it…CurlyNikki is one of them.

The Smell- I don’t particularly like or dislike the smell. Henna smells very grassy and hay like. The smell also lingers for a couple days after the application. But if your other hair products have a strong fragrance they will probably mask the smell of henna.

Time Consuming- While the application is quick, it takes a while for the color to set. Most reviewers and other natural hair enthusiasts say that henna needs to be keep on for 6-10 hours in order to get the full benefits despite the fact that most product bottles claim that it only takes 1 hour. I suggest using henna at night wrapping your hair securely with a couple of shower caps and silks scarves and sleeping with it applied.

The Mess- Like any hair dye, henna can be a bit messy. Put some newspaper or old towel down to help elevate some of the mess it can create. The good thing about henna is that when mixed with water it forms a thick paste which is easier to handle than other liquid products. Also, when rinsing henna out of your hair, fill the tub a bit with water so that the henna does not stain the bottom of your tub. 

What You Will Need- 
a glass or wooden bowl
2 cups of boiling water
gloves
mixing utensil
towels
vaseline or a thick butter to protect your hairline and ears
a deep conditioner
plastic shower cap and bonnet


The Process

I used Rainbow Henna purchased from Whole Foods. My goal was to get my hair to be more of a chocolate brown but the Rainbow Hennas only ranged from medium brown to black. So, I used the medium brown henna because I wanted to test those results first rather than dying my hair too ark with the black. Keep in mind that this product is a compound henna but the only other ingredient is natural indigo, to make the dye brown instead of red.

I used 2 cups of henna as directed, which was practically the entire bottle.
Using a pyrex/glass bowl, I added 2 cups of boiling water
Next, mix it on up. Keep in mind that the dye molecules are being released as soon as the boiling water is added so you want to be quick. But leave enough time in between for the water to cool down.
The mixture should look like a thick paste once it’s ready. If it’s too thick add more water. If it’s not thick enough add more henna.

Apply henna on damp (not wet) hair. Your hairline should be covered with vaseline or a thick butter to protect your skin from the dye.
Begin applying henna to your hair. Apply generously!
After applying, your hair should be completely covered as pictured above.
Use a wet paper towel to clean any henna that is on your skin. Be sure to get behind your neck, ears and shoulders. Leave the henna on for at least 3 hours. I only left mine on for 1 hour because I followed the directions on the bottle : (   I know better now. For better results leave it on overnight and rinse off in the morning. 

 Results

I was very pleased with this product. The Henna definitely added body and shine to my hair after the first application that has continued to last even after a week. I did not however have much change in my color. One reason for this is because I did not leave the product on long enough. The other, is because I used the same color as my hair! lol I’ll try mixing the medium brown and black next time to get a more chocolate result. Maybe 2 parts medium brown and 1 part black? We’ll see… But the henna did make my original color more rich, solid and consistent throughout my head. I had tons of highlights from the sun and they are no longer there, which I like.
The Verdict
The verdict is still out. The effects of henna can not be determined with only one use. But I will continue to use it every 6 weeks as recommended and document my results. I do however, have a strong belief in the product. With consistent use I believe that it does indeed make your hair stronger and healthier. Pictured below is Curly Nikki’s results after a year of using henna.

Source
The left column is 06′. The right column is 07′ after using henna.
I’m hot for henna! So try it out and let us know how it works for you!
For more information about Henna visit Henna for Hair’s Website

Herbal Remedies- Rosemary

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Before Pantene, Queen Helene and Head and Shoulders, women turned to their gardens, woods and fields for plants that met all of their beauty needs. Whether it be a cure to dandruff, premature balding, dull strands or a desire for a new color there was a plant that they knew could meet their specific demands. I think that as the world is beginning to become more synthetic the less we truly understand the implications of allowing such chemicals, toxins and mad men creations into our bodies. It is important to be knowledgeable and at the very least know that there are natural alternatives to every single demand that humans require whether in sickness or health. With that being said, I have begun my research into herbs that can treat and assist in hair. Let’s begin with Rosemary. (My source for today’s research comes from the book entitled “Back to Eden” written by Jethro Kloss). 

What is Rosemary?

Rosemary is very common and easily accessible herb. It is green in appearance with thin, needle-like leaves with a deep, pungent smell. When it comes to it’s contributions to hair it seems to be all purpose. Here is a brief list of its uses and benefits to hair
-Stimulates and improves circulation to the scalp thus encouraging hair growth
-Due to it’s antibacterial quality it gently cleanses hair
-Increases shine
-Fights premature graying
-Relieves irritated, dry, flaky,  dandruff ridden scalps

How Do I Use It?
As with all herbs there are many different ways that rosemary can be applied externally unto your hair and scalp. These processes can be used with both fresh and dried herbs. But as with cooking, it is always  recommended to use fresh ingredients. (If you don’t use all of your herb initially, you can dry them and store for next time!)  Here are the most common processes for external use of rosemary.
Rosemary Infusion- Wtf is that you ask? It’s a simple as a cup of tea. Actually, it is like a cup to tea! Simply boil water and add your rosemary to the water. Allow it to steep for 15-30mins and then sift away the leaves. You are left with rosemary infused water. The water can then be used for a rinse for any of the following; cleansing rinse, treatment for shine, treatment for graying, treatment for dandruff and scalp irritation. DO NOT RINSE OUT! (Remember to accompany rinses with a nice scalp massage as well). You may have seen Antoinette’s Rosemary Infused Rinse in her Pre-Poo Post

Rosemary Oil- There are two ways that you can achieve an oil infused with rosemary. The first which is the quickest but not necessarily the cheapest is purchasing rosemary essential oil (which is a highly concentrated) and adding a few drops to your oil which you use daily. The second option is buy fresh rosemary and crush it within your hands to bring out the aroma. Put the crushed herb into a GLASS bottle (beer bottle, jelly, jars etc) and pour your choice of oil (olive, jojoba etc) over top the herbs. Try to pick a herb that is not tempature sensitive like coconut oil. Put the bottle in a cool, dark space and allow it to sit for 2-4 weeks. You can then apply this rosemary infused oil to your hair and scalp for the following; dandruff, scalp irritation, stimulate hair growth, scalp massage, added shine and luster.

Rosemary Vinegar- Crush fresh rosemary and add to a jar of apple cider vinegar. Follow the same steps as the oil and store in a cool, dark space for 2-4 weeks. After shampooing hair, combine 1/4 cup of your rosemary vinegar to 1-2 cup of water and rinse hair with it. DO NOT RINSE OUT. This is best used for the following; gentle cleanser, hair treatment for Ph balance, shine and conditioning.

Where Can I Purchase the Rosemary Herb?
You can find rosemary at any grocery and produce store. It is a very inexpensive and very accessible herb. If you are a gardner, look into adding this wonderful culinary and medicinal herb into your harvest being as though it grows easily and yields well. 
Well folks, I hope this was informative. I pray that we begin to take our health and beauty into our own hands and relearn practices that are indeed effective and harmless to our bodies. Next herb I am working on is going to be Burdock. As we learn the herbs we can then learn how to couple what with what until we are mixtresses in our own bathrooms and kitchens!Antoinette’s Results of a Rosemary Rinse

 

Let us know how this works for you!

Banana Deep Conditioner

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*I’m reposting this because so many people ask me what my favorite deep conditioner is and they don’t believe me when I say “Bananas” but it’s true! Most times the best thing for you is right in your refrigerator.  Below is the recipe. Go HAM ladies.*

                                                                                                                                                                     



I recently picked up Eco Beatuy. Scrubs, Rubs, Masks, and Bath Bombs for You and Your Friends by Lauren Cox and Janice Cox. The book is great for anyone that is tired of purchasing over priced products and interested in a more holistic lifestyle and beauty regimen. It not only has recipes for everything beauty under the sun, but has crafty gift ideas and tips on how to be more eco-friendly  without having to forgo any of your beauty needs. They show you how to make a basket out of borwn paper bags for goodness sakes. I tried the banana deep conditioner, altered the recipe a bit and the results were great!
The Recipe

1/2 a ripe banana

Bananas are said to treat a flaky scalp, add shine, improve elasticity and encourage growth. They are rich in potassium, natural oils, and vitamins (specifically zinc). Zinc helps strengthen hair and prevent hair loss. Without zinc, the hair shaft becomes weak causing breakage and slows down the rate of growth. Bananas have such a conditioning effect on the scalp so be sure to give yourself a nice relaxing scalp massage while conditioning. 

2 tablespoons of honey
I used manuka honey but it’s incredibly expensive. Any honey will do but the more organic and pure the better. .Manuka Honey is full of nature’s extraordinary healing properties. It’s been known to treat eczema, ringworm, infected wounds, arthritis and wrinkles. It also makes for a great facial because of it’s anti-bacterial activities.

1 tablespoon of jojoba 
Jojoba is a botanical extract of the seed of the jojoba tree. It is colorless, odorless, non greasy and homogeneous with the natural sebum of the skin. Additionally, it forms a protective, moisturizing layer over the skin, hair and scalp that is completely breathable and porous.

1/4 of warm water
Water is the best moisturizer in the world. Plus, we simply couldn’t live without it. 

The Process
Mix the banana, honey, oil and water.

Blend them together. If you don’t have a blender you can mash it together but it will take longer. Make sure the mixture is smooth and not lumpy. Otherwise, after you condition and your hair dries you will be picking out banana bits all night.

Add the conditioner to freshly washed hair. Be sure to cover all areas.  Prevent dripping by covering your hair with a shower cap or plastic wrap. Let sit for 20 minutes to an hour and then rinse. For extra conditioning, do not wrap your hair, instead sit under a hair steamer for 20 minutes to and hour and the rinse. Any extra conditioner can be stored your refrigerator to be used at a later date. 


The Results

 

I was pleasantly surprised. I really liked this conditioner. I think I am going to trade in my 50+ dollar deep conditioner and see how this one holds up after some repeated use. In case you didn’t know, I live in Brooklyn and New York ain’t cheap. In the words of Jimmy McMillan, “The rent is too damn high” so I’ve got to try to save a dollar anyway I can. Help somebody?!

Anyway, this conditioner added a lot of shine and moisturized the mess out of my hair. It was soft. The increase in elasticity was evident while combing it and has a ton of body despite me forgoing my diffusser and air drying it. Plus, it only took about 5 minutes to make and the ingredients are all things that I purchase on the regular. The only downside was that it did not detangle my hair the way other store brought deep conditioners do. So, keep that in mind if you try the recipe you may want to add a little detangler and be very gentle with your hair while combing. Next time, I am going to add some marshmallow root to the  1/4 cup of water, which is a great natural detangler… see if that makes this conditioner complete. Overall, I’m feeling it.  
Have any of you tried using food in your hair?

Dandruff Treatment With Tea Tree Oil

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We have all read about treating our scalps with tea tree oil but I just wanted to provide a visual so that those who may be confused about the process can see first hand the application. A couple notes I want to include first. You should use 100% tea tree oil, not anything cut with synthetic chemicals or oils. You can purchase tea tree oil at any local health food store, Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods supermarket. Tea tree oil is an excellent anti-fungal and antibacterial ointment. It is an wonderful, soothing and preventative scalp treatment when dealing with itchy, flaky dandruff.

When dealing with tea tree oil, you should never apply the oil directly to your scalp. It is far too strong therefore you have to cut it with an oil. It dilutes the strength as well as stretches the concoction. The choice of oil is completely yours so don’t fret over what is the “perfect” oil.  During these winter months I have been using castor oil so that is the oil pictured. 

Tea tree oil is on the left purchased at Trader Joes (The label rubbed off). Castor Oil on the right purchased at Whole Foods. 

I added one small capful of tea tree oil
I then added the castor oil. You want to add 3X as much oil to the tea tree. You do not want it to be too strong.

Mix

I then rubbed the concoction directly on my scalp. I parted my head in 4 sections and reached the surfaces of my head in this way. It should not burn. It should tingle but not burn. If it burns then you have used too much tea tree oil. Add more oil.

Note: This concoction is meant as a scalp treatment only. You do not want to seal your hair with this and distribute it the length of you hair. Its meant just your scalp!

DIY: Avocado Pit Body Scrub

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Remember that DIY Avocado Deep Conditioner? Welp, I told you not to throw that avocado pit away because you could use it to make a nice body scrub and I wasn’t lying. Why purchase an expensive scrub or go to a spa when you can do it yourself? I was nervous about experimenting with this but it turned out to be a great way to exfoliate, keeping my skin soft and young by removing all of the dead skin cells and revealing the new ones. Build up of dead skin cells increases the appearance of aging and aids acne by clogging up our pores. I am someone with really acne prone skin and I have to say exfoliating 3 times a week has not only made my skin clearer but directly after exfoliating my skin is tighter and softer. Be sure to use sunblock preferably everyday but especially after exfoliating because the younger skin cells are more susceptible to burning and sun damage. I’ll research some natural sunscreens and get back to you on that.
The Process and Recipe 

Crush avocado pit in blender.
I added a couple pinches of crushed cocoa beans that I got from the Dominican Republic. I
had a scrub once that smelled so good. It smelled just like chocolate (I wanted to eat it) and left my skin smelling sweet like it too. And don’t worry it wont leave you skin feeling sticky because it’s not like adding a bar of chocolate to the mix. The cocoa beans are dry and not sweet yet. They just smell like heaven.
I’m sure not everyone is going to have cocoa beans from DR so feeling free to skip this step or add some other smell good…  fresh lavender, rosemary or an essential oil that pleases your senses.
I added 3 teaspoons of almond oil. You can use any oil you prefer.
Add a 2 tablespoons of honey. Honey helps protect the skin from the sun and leaves it glowing and vibrant.
Add a couple drops of water. I added water that I boiled fresh mint leaves in so that my scrub would have a refreshing, tingling feeling to it. Not everyone likes that sensation so you do not have to boil your water in mint. it’s purely up to you.
I then blended it all up one more time making sure the avocado pit was really crushed and the ingredients were mixed well… and TA DA! I have my scrub. Looks kinda gross but it felt great.
Try it! Let us know how it goes!
-Antoinette

DIY: Avocado Deep Conditioner

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After the Avocado Deep Conditioner
So… as I stated in my recent post  Is It Me? my hair has been trippin lately being just as dry and brittle as it wants to be. I’ve been trying to get away with spraying it with water and adding leave-in conditioner but it was still unsatisfied. I thought about doing my Banana Deep Conditioner but decided to try something new especially since a DIY post was long past due. I also thought that avocado would be a much better conditioner for the upcoming winter because its heavier and more rich in oils than bananas. I’m also becoming really dedicated to the idea that anything we need for our hair is already in our kitchen. 
Dry Brittle Hair Before the Conditioner

The Recipe


1 Avocado- Avocados are incredible for hair and skin because they are rich is vitamin A and antioxidants, making them a powerhouse moisturizer. They also are a natural sunscreen. It’s natural and essential fats make hair stronger and shinier by repairing the shaft for an overall healthier head of hair. 


2 Tablespoons of Plain Yogurt- Yogurt is rich in calcium, potassium, magnesium, B vitamins, and Vitamin E. It serves as a natural detangler, eliminates frizz, treats scalp issues while leaving hair shiny and soft. Yogurt is incredibly beneficial not only for hair but for the skin as well. It also has been known to balance vaginal pH levels and also cure bad breath.


1 Tablespoon of Honey- I used manuka honey but it’s incredibly expensive. Any honey will do but the more organic and pure the better. .Manuka Honey is full of nature’s extraordinary healing properties. It’s been known to treat eczema, ringworm, infected wounds, arthritis and wrinkles. It also makes for a great facial because of it’s anti-bacterial activities. Any honey is will suffice. I just happened to have some manuka honey on deck. 


1 Teaspoon of Lemon Juice or juice 1/2 of a Lemon- I used some lemon juice because yogurt has a natural pH of 4- 4.5. My hair seems to respond well to acidic remedies. Shanti is working on a post that will go into further detail about hair and pH. Until you know whether your hair likes acidic or alkaline products leave this ingredient out.


The Process

1 Avocado
*Save the pit because you can make a body scrub with it. I did. Post coming soon*
2 Tablespoons of Plain Yogurt
1 Tablespoon of Honey.
1 Teaspoon of Lemon Juice if you so desire.
Blend or mash it up until it is a paste.
Your mixture should look like this. 

Apply to damp hair. I used a spray bottle full of water. 
Leave on for at least 20 minutes. If you have a hair steamer I recommend
sitting under the steamer for 20-40 minutes. The steam enhances the conditioner
and moisturizes the hair more thoroughly. If you don’t have a steamer run
a hot shower and let the steam hit your hair. Rinse your hair and style as usual.
The Results
Ta Da!
I really like this conditioner. I’m writing this post 3 days after I conditioned and my hair is still happy and shining. I think its great for the winter because it’s so hydrating plus it’s easy to make and CHEAP!
 I really want yall to try this out and see how it works for you. Let us know!


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