Yummy! My Homemade Moisturizing Cream

...The hold of a gel, the softening qualities of a humectant plus the moisturizing benefits of the most nutrient-packed butters...who knew I could have it all?!
And look how yummy!

I just might market this stuff.

For you mixtresses out there, here are the ingredients:

mango butter

shea butter

kokum butter

glycerin (very little)

gel

a bit of olive oil

fragrance (vanilla)

I make a 4oz amount by mixing about 1/4 cup of melted mango and kokum butters (you must melt separately because their melting points are different and if you melt together you may over-melt the mango butter) with 3 tablespoons melted shea butter (also melted separately). I mix the melted butters together in a blender at high speed, adding a bit of glycerin, olive oil and about a 1/2 cup gel. Once all ingredients are together I remove from blender (while still warm) and begin to mix by hand painstakingly until the mix has cooled (solidified) into a smooth, whipped cream (see pic above).

That's all folks. This stuff works great on my kinky curls, giving both the definition and moisture I need.

The Low-Down on my Current Regimen

There have been some minor changes to my haircare regimen, especially as she is growing, growing, growing!
Here goes:

Washes
Since my hair is growing out, which means more detangling, I have reduced my co-washes from every day to about every other day, sometimes I go even two days. Of course I de-tangle in the shower with a wide tooth comb while conditioner is in my hair. When I don't co-wash, I still let steam and water get to my hair by leaving it out in the shower or I spritz with this mixture:
Glycerin
Water
few drops of jojoba oil
a drop or two of tea tree oil (to prevent my mix from mold)

I poo-wash once a week, sometimes I'll go a week and a half. I no longer use shampoo.  I have successfully transitioned to my homemade shikakai hair cleanser.  It's awesome and my hair responds well to it which makes me happy! *happy*

When I use the shikakai to cleanse my hair, I detangle after the wash, with my commercial-brand deep conditioner in it.  The shikakai mix does not provide slip so I don't try to de-tangle until the conditioner is in my hair so I have some slip.  More slip equals less breakage.
If I feel buildup, I will shampoo once a month with Organix Coconut Milk shampoo, but only if I feel like I need some clarifying that an acv rinse or bentonite treatment is not providing.  If I shampoo, I apply my daily conditioner before the shampoo and detangle with the conditioner in it, then add a bit of shampoo on top of the conditioner to cleanse.  I rinse then deep condition.

Conditioning
My daily conditioner (used for my co-washes) is a pretty generic one from Whole Foods.  It's called Everyday Shea, is natural, and most importantly, is gentle enough for everyday use.

My commercial-brand deep conditioner is still my Kerastase Oleo-Curl but I plan to mix that with DevaCurl Heaven in Hair (right now its just Kerastase).  I recommend Kerastase only if you don't mind paying alot for your conditioners, and its why I'm switching to DevaCurl which I've heard rave reviews about.  I'll let you know how my hair responds to the mix.

Of course there are my homemade deep conditioners, some of which I have shared with y'all.  Some of these have changed, for example, my bentonite clay hair treatment now includes marshmallow root powder  which acts as a humectant (and adds slip).  I will share new recipes and changes to posted recipes in later posts.

My homemade deep conditioners can be broken into four categories which I alternate based on how my hair is behaving:

Clarifying Treatments
Right now, my homemade bentonite clay treatment does the trick

Protein
This is my Braggs Liquid Aminos treatment that I shared in an earlier post (I'll add the link here).  This is great for those who do not need or whose hair does not respond well to protein treatments (like mine).  It is a 'lighter version' of a protein treatment.

Moisturizing
Usually for this, I just use my commercial-brand deep conditioners but when I feel like treating myself I do treatments like my chocolate treatment  (add link here) or a caramel treatment.

This also includes my pre-poo hot oil treatment (recipe provided in an earlier post - will add link).

Strengthening and Growth
This includes my henna and brahmi clay treatments which I have yet to share - but will, definitely.

I generally do deep conditioning treatments no more often than once every two weeks and I might cut back to once a month depending on my hair needs.

Daily Care

Scalp Moisturizing. I have a scalp oil concoction which is a mix of the most nourishing oils I know of:
Here is what is included in this mix:
Hemp seed oil
Castor oil
Jojoba oil
Macadamia nut oil
Kukui nut oil
Few drops of Tamanu oil
Spearmint essential oil (to cut the nutty smell from the macadamia nut oil and the castor oil. Nutty smells drive me crazy!)

I think olive oil but I can't remember.  Anyway, I massage a bit of this mix into my scalp at least every other day, and if I'm home all day, I do this more often.

After Wash
After a wash, I apply a pureed mix of gel, butters and olive oil.  It provides the hold to define my curls but doesn't make me choose between curl definition and moisture.

When I don't want any gel in my hair, usually if I will be home all day, I apply my super-moisturizer:  Its a pureed mix of the following:
Mango Butter
Shea Butter
Kukui Nut Oil
Coconut oil
Glycerin
Fragrance (I add almond fragrance oil with vanilla and it makes this mix smell super-yummy!)

If I am going out, getting dolled up, I will do a leave-in like Knot Today and gel, usually Eco Styler and big, loose, messy twists.  Its my current NSTWA going-out look. :)

That's the full scoop. If I left anything out, I will add it later.

Shikakai Homemade Shampoo

Result after washing with Shikakai mix, then deep conditioning with my usual commercial-brand deep conditioner and applying a pureed mix of shea butter and gel:

Shikakai Shampoo Mix

Ingredients:

1.5 -2 cups water

1.5-2 tspns whole flaxseeds

1 tspn amla powder

¼ cup shikakai powder

½ tspn brahmi (gotu kola) powder

¼ tspn amla oil

½ tspn jojoba oil

1 tspn honey

¼ tspn neem oil (optional)

Fragrance oil (optional) (I used a Brown Sugar fragrance oil and it kind of cut the woody shikakai powder smell)

Note: The jojoba and amla oils are optional if your scalp tends to be oily. Mine is always dry and because I know the shikakai can be drying, the oils are a must for me.

Instructions:
Note: I have only used this recipe on hair that has been oiled overnight.  If I know I'm going to shampoo the next day, I apply my pre-shampoo hot oil treatment (see recipe here) the night before.  Then on the day of, I apply any oil that can be absorbed into hair (usually coconut oil, sometimes olive oil).  I don't recommend applying to hair that has not been pre-oiled even if you tend to have oily scalp but adjust recipe as needed.


Bring water to boil in a clean pot, once boiling, add flaxseeds.  Let boil 3-4 minutes then reduce heat to simmer.  Add amla powder and let simmer another 10 minutes.  After 10 minutes add shikakai powder and bring to boil again.  As soon as mixture begins to boil shut off heat and let cool for 4 hours or overnight.


When ready for use, bring mixture to boil again, and as soon as mixture begins to boil, add brahmi powder, stir and immediately shut off heat.  Cover and let mixture cool.  Once mixture is warm, strain mixture and discard solids (I strain twice to ensure all solids are removed).  Add the following remaining ingredients to the remaining liquid: amla oil, jojoba oil, neem oil (optional) and honey.  You may add a drop or two of tea tree or cajeput oil in place of neem oil for antibacterial properties. Mix well. Pour mixture into bottle or other sealable container.  This recipe will make enough for at least two uses depending on the length of your hair. Use and refrigerate the rest. Make sure to shake well before each use.

To use on hair:
Hair should be dry or mildly damp (except for pre-poo oils). Part hair into small sections and apply directly to scalp making sure to saturate scalp.  If hair is long, apply some directly to hair to coat as well.  Use as little as possible to saturate. Massage gently into scalp and let sit for about 5-10 minutes (I put on a shower cap to prevent dripping). After this time, gently massage scalp before rinsing the shikakai mix out of hair.  Rinse well to make sure there is no residue left in your hair. Apply conditioner.  If your hair tends to be dry, be sure to deep condition.
Warning: this treatment is messy! Be prepared to have a messy towel and possibly messy clothes, like I did. Next time I will use in the shower. :)
 The pics below might help:

Strain mixture

Strained solid and liquid portions

Mix in remaining ingredients

Pour liquid mixture into sealable container

Note soapy consistency after shaking

Hair Goddess Tip - Homemade Chocolate Conditioning Hair Treatment

 Every once in awhile I like to treat myself. It has mainly been homemade skin spa treatments  - I have countless homemade recipes for body scrubs, face masks, and such that have worked on my sensitive skin.
But since this blog is about my hair journey, I wanted to share my latest indulgent treatment and it has my favorite food in it! If you haven't guessed it yet - it's CHOCOLATE !

Mmmmmm!
I loooove chocolate. Actually hold on while I grab a piece of chocolate to snack on while I write this post....
Ok I'm back and since my chocolate bar has now put me in an even better mood...let me elaborate on the reason for making a chocolate hair treatment. (I may just write another post on the benefits of dark chocolate for lifting mood etc.)
 Chocolate has great properties the hair can benefit from. The main one is the same reason green tea rinses and coffee conditioners have become so popular - yep you guessed it: Caffeine.

Now I can't speak for the effects of caffeine on the hair but on the surface of the skin, in this case the scalp, caffeine works the way it does in the body (to a much milder degree of course) - as a stimulant, increasing blood circulation to the scalp.

Chocolate has other great benefits through its antioxidant properties but we only benefit from these when chocolate is taken internally. Antioxidants cannot work their magic when applied externally. I could get into the biochemical reasons for this but we'll keep this light.  :)

I'd love to take the credit but I didn't invent chocolate treatments for hair. Brazilians have been using chocolate as a glossing treatment for straightened hair for years.
And mostly because chocolate is thought to impart shine when applied to hair.

But enough about that, here it is (Remember to adjust for the amount of hair you have. This is enough for a small twa):

1 tbsp honey
1 overripe banana
3 tbsps coconut milk
2 tbsps coconut oil
3-4 tspns melted pure cocoa butter
1-2 tspns jojoba oil (olive oil can be used as a substitute)
1/4-1/2 cup pure cacao (cocoa)  powder or enough to thicken

If you make the mixture too thick it will dry out fast and you don't want it to dry out on your hair so to liquify in case it gets too thick just add more coconut milk.
Mash and then blend bananas with coconut milk first until pureed (if not you will end up with banana chunks in your hair). Add cocoa powder last.

Apply with fingers to clean hair (I shampoo first) from root to ends until hair is saturated then cover with a plastic cap and let sit about 10 minutes. Rinse out with lukewarm water until water runs clear. Then rinse with an apple-cider vinegar-and-water mixture (1/4 cup apple cider vinegar to a gallon of water)  or a mildly clarifying rinse of your choice to ensure any buildup or excess rinses away.

Thats it. Your hair will smell great and feel oh-so-soft.
To finish, I moisturized with a mixture of melted cocoa butter and a light oil (jojoba oil is best but I also alternate with sweet almond oil).

If you try this decadent treatment, let me know what you think.