Hair Herbs & Essential Oils for your hair!

Ida at chagrinvalleysoapandcraft.com has supplied us with some useful information about the benefits of various herbs and essential oils for hair! Enjoy!

Useful HAIR Herbs Burdock: great for thinning hair, dry, irritated scalp, dandruff, and seborrhea Calendula: conditions Catnip: Promotes healthy hair growth Chamomile: a healing and soothing herb to soften hair, soothe the scalp, lighten, condition, and stimulate growth Horsetail: Helps brittle hair due to its high silica content Lavender: useful for all hair types it stimulates hair growth, and degreases

Marigold: lightens hair color Nettle: conditions, improves color and texture, helps with dandruff, irritated scalp, and dry scalp Parsley: enriches hair color and gives a nice luster Plantain: great for dry, irritated scalp, dandruff, and seborrhea Peppermint: stimulates the scalp Red Clover: Rosemary: excellent for all hair types and problems it acts as a tonic and conditioner, one of the best herbs to use, gives luster and body, stimulates growth, helps with dandruff, and brings out dark highlights in the hair

Sage: traditionally used to restore color to graying hair, excellent for week hair Saw Palmetto: good for hair thinning and hair loss Thyme: good for oily hair, dandruff, and mild hair loss Witch Hazel: leaves and bark are astringent and cleanse oily hair Yarrow: for oily hair Yucca: Navajos swear by yucca root to prevent hair loss and to cure dandruff.

Essential Oils: You may add essential oils to the recipe above (I would suggest adding up to 10 drops of lavender or 5 drops of rosemary essential oil) or use the essential oil hair rinse recipe below. Some words of CAUTION:

• There are many wonderful essential oils that could be used but you MUST do some research.
• Essential oils are very strong and many can be skin irritants if not used correctly. Lavender is one of a very few essential oils that can be used directly on skin. Others like clove or thyme essential oil WILL irritate your skin if used full strength. Even though the oils are diluted in this recipe–you must be knowledgeable about the amount of essential oil to use in your dilution.
• Essential oils are expensive. But do NOT use the cheaper fragrance oils or “nature identical” oils. These are synthetic, can cause skin irritation and provide none of the benefits of natural botanical essential oils.

Apple Cider Vinegar Hair Rinses

Apple cider vinegar is very acidic in nature. It is often used diluted as a balancing hair rinse after shampooing with a basic shampoo. So what is apple cider vinegar specifically?

Apple cider vinegar, otherwise known simply as cider vinegar, is made from cider or apple must, and is often sold unfiltered, with a brownish-yellow color; it often contains mother of vinegar. It is very popular, partly due to its beneficial health and beauty properties. Due to its acidity, apple cider vinegar can be very harsh, even burning the throat. If taken straight (as opposed to usage in cooking), it should be diluted (e.g. with fruit juice) before drinking.^[3] Others dilute it with warm water and add some honey.^[4] There have been reports of acid chemical burns of the throat in using the pill form.^[5]

Apple cider vinegar smooths the hair and can be used in conjunction with various herbs or honey. So how do you do a well-diluted ACV rinse?
1. Shampoo your hair with the shampoo of your choice.
2. Apply conditioner of your choice for 2 minutes then rinse out.
3. Diluted 1/4 cup of ACV in 500mL of water. Or, you can infuse the diluted ACV with herbs or honey which is explained in the recipes below.
4. Rinse with the ACV then rinse with water. Your hair should feel really smooth because acv lays the hair cuticles flat whereas shampooing temporarily lifts them!

From chagrinvalleysoapandcraft.com

Ingredients 2 tablespoon of cider vinegar herbs of choice about 2 cups of boiling water

Directions:
1) Boil the water in a small saucepan.

2) Add the herbs and vinegar. Cover and allow the “tea” to steep for at least 15 minutes. If you want a stronger herbal infusion, add more herbs, cover and simmer on the stove for 15 minutes. Then turn off the heat and allow to steep for 30 minutes.

3) Allow your infusion to cool. It should be used that day or refrigerated for later use. You may also double or triple the recipe. Just be sure to refrigerate the unused portion.

4) When you have finished rinsing the shampoo out of your hair, pour the rinse on your hair and massage your scalp. If you have very long hair, as I do, you can dip your hair into the jug before pouring its contents over your head. Avoid getting the rinse in your eyes, particularly if you have used essential oils. Also make sure the temperature of your rinse is just right for you.

5) Rinse it out with fresh water or, for extra conditioning benefits, just leave it in and towel dry hair. The vinegar scent will disappear as your hair dries.

6) Make sure you rinse out the shower afterwards, as some herbs can leave it looking slightly tea stained; similarly, watch out for your towels. The staining is only temporary and washes out very easily; it is more likely to occur with extra strong infusions.

Herb & Vinegar Hair Rinse Recipe #2: This recipe makes a larger batch and takes longer to prepare

Ingredients 2 cups of cider vinegar 1 cup chopped herbs of choice

Directions: 1. Place approximately 1 cup of chopped herbs in a glass jar. 2. Cover with 2 cups of vinegar. 3. “Steep” this mixture in a tightly closed jar or bottle in the refrigerator or in a dark, cool place for two weeks. 4. Strain steeped vinegar from herbs through cheesecloth or a coffee filter into a fresh, clean bottle. 5. Refrigerate up to 6 months. (I always leave about a weeks worth in my shower!) Tip: If you don’t want to wait two weeks, speed up infusion by heating the vinegar before pouring over herbs. “Steep” for a few days! When ready to use: dilute 1/2 to 1 tablespoon of the herbal vinegar in 1 cup of water. Rinse through wet hair after shampooing. Rinse it out with fresh water or, for extra conditioning benefits, just leave it in and towel dry hair. The vinegar scent will disappear as your hair dries.

Rose Vinegar: 3/4 cup vinegar One tablespoon fresh dried rose flowers One cup distilled water Heat the rose flowers with the vinegar and water. Bring to a boil and steep for 30 minutes. After cooling , place mixture in a jar with a tight fitting lid and let sit for 2 weeks. Strain the rose flowers from the vinegar and use the liquid for your hair rinse. Beauty Secret Vinegar Facial Soak: Heat the rose vinegar slowly until it is a comfortable temperature to apply to the skin. Soak a clean warm wash cloth in vinegar and lay over the face for five minutes. Repeat this procedure four times, each time re-dipping the washcloth to reapply. For best results, keep the washcloth on the skin for a total of 20 minutes. This facial soak is an excellent exfoliant and skin stimulant.

Natural deep conditoning recipes

You guys know how much emphasis we place on natural recipes!! Here ya’ go!

Moisture= BLUE ; Protein= RED

Avocado Hair Treatment

-Mashed avocado
-Coconut Milk 1/4 cup
-2tablespoons honey

Extra Rich Hair Oil Treatment Recipe

Summary:

This extra rich hair treatment can be used hot or cold formulated for thick coarse hair that drinks up lot of oil

Ingredients:

4oz jojoba oil
2oz monoi de Tahiti (Jasmine)
2oz camelina oil

Instructions:

Blend all oils in a glass bowl and pour into bottle.
To use as a hot oil treatment just heat up on stove or microwave in a plastic container.
To use as scalp oil part hair and apply small amount to scalp work through hair with wide tooth comb. Enjoy the results.

Combine all ingredients and let sit on hair for an hour then rinse out well

Basic Deep Conditioner:

Mayonaise
Avocado

Mash together equal parts mayo and avocado until the mixture is a mint green color. Apply to damp hair, cover with saran wrap and a hot towel. Leave on for 20 minutes, shampoo and rinse.

Frizz Fighter:

Add honey and glycerin to above recipe

Lavender Hot Oil Treatment: (soothes scalp, adds moisture to dry hair and scalp)

Lavender flowers
Lavender essential oil
Carrier oil
Glycerin
Vitamin E oil

Same as above.

Egg Conditioner:

Carrier oil
1 egg yolk
About 1 c. water

Beat yolk, add oil, beat again add water. Apply and massage into hair and scalp, rinse. (after shampoo)

Changing your hair color without damage

Women are characters of change..so many of us like to alter our hair color. Well when doing so, you can damage your hair to point of no return. Especially if you have relaxed hair, you must be very careful to care for your color-treated hair. But there is a way to color your hair without the mess of henna and without the worries of chemical box colors such as Bigen and Clairol Natural Instincts. This solution is called a rinse! It is a temporary hair color that is applied as much as the user wants. I strongly suggest Colorshowers Color Rinse, a dominican rinse that can be found at the following link:

Colorshowers Dominican Hair Rinses

I have used Jazzing and Clairol Beautiful and they do not take AT ALL even when using heat and leaving the color on for an extended amount of time. I use Colorshowers in Black and although it costs 20 dollars a bottle, it lasts about a year with prolonged use. This is the method that I take to ensure I have maximum color coverage from Colorshowers:

1. Clarify hair with shampoo: Nexxus Aloe Rid or Organic Root Stimulator Aloe. Then shampoo with moisturizing shampoo: Creme of Nature Dry/Damaged.
2. Apply quickie conditioner then do a rinse with heavily diluted Apple cider vinegar to balance pH out.
3. Apply colorshowers liberally to the hair and put a plastic cap over the hair. Sit underneath a dryer for 20 minutes on high then 10 minutes on medium. Then sit for 20 minutes out of the dryer.
4. Rinse out colorshowers and deep condition with a moisturizing conditioner. I like to use Proclaim Aloe&Shea moisturizing conditioner. Avoid anything with extra virgin olive oil because this will strip your color out. Deep condition for an hour without heat.
5. Rinse out the deep conditioner and style your hair. Your hair should be nicely colored!

How to Conditioner-Only Wash without buildup

Washing with conditioner only and omitting shampoo is a big method for many people. There are a lot of advantadges to this method including increased hair moisturization, decreased hair dryness from sulfates in shampoo, and increased growth.
So how do you conditioner-only (CO) wash?
Well when i started co washing, I would leave the conditioner on my dry hair and slather coconut oil on top then use it as a deep conditioning for an hour then rinse. This however left me with greasy hair a lot of the time. Now what i do, is i jump in the shower, apply my conditioner after wetting my hair, put my hair up in my shower cap and bathe, then rinse for 5 minutes while combing. You must rinse well for co washing to be an adequate cleaning device without leaving you with icky greasy hair.
The conditioners I find the most moisturizing and cleansing are: VO5 kiwi lime, Suave tropical coconut, VO5 free me freesia, and VO5 champagne kisses.

Experiment with the CO washing method and don’t forget to clarify every 4 weeks so that your hair is not weighed down and can respond to products normally. You would clarify by either using baking soda or a clarifying shampoo such as Nexxus Aloe Rid or ORS Aloe.

Happy conditioner washing!

Coconut Milk!

So i first came to know about using coconut milk in your hair about 8 months ago on Longhaircareforum.com. It has been really nice to my hair, particularly, it has made my hair shiny, strong, and moisturized! The only gripe about using coconut milk in your hair is that you cannot use it too much or your hair becomes too rich with protein and is dry.

So what is coconut milk??

Coconut milk is a sweet, milky white cooking base derived from the meat of a mature coconut. The color and rich taste of the milk can be attributed to the high oil content and sugars. In Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia coconut milk is called santan and in the Philippines it is called gata. It should not be confused with coconut water (coconut juice), which is the naturally-occurring liquid found inside a coconut.

You can pick up coconut milk at your local grocery store in the ethnic food isle or at a latin american, thai or indian grocer in your area.

How do you use coconut milk in your hair??
1. Coconut milk soaks. This involves no other ingredient other than coconut milk coming into contact with your hair. You douse your hair in coconut using the whole can and leave on your hair for about an hour. I have not done this because most people comment that it is so drippy while your are waiting that hour..but they do say it makes their hair feel nice!
2. Coconut milk+Conditioner mixtures. I do this very frequently, about every other week to ensure that I do not have hair protein overload. I mix coconut milk with my moisturizing deep conditioners (not protein conditioners because coconut milk is a protein remember!!). The conditioners that I have had great success with coconut milk are Lustrasilk Sheabutter Cholesterol (in the bottle) and Proclaim Aloe&Shea all of which you can find at your Sally’s beauty supply. I mix coconut milk with these conditioners and add other natural ingredients including coconut oil, aloe vera gel, and castor oil. You can change your recipes based on what your hair wants. The general recipe for the coconut milk+conditioner mixture is as so:

• 1/4 cup coconut milk
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1/4 cup conditioner

Mix all of these ingredients and let sit on your hair for about an hour and rinse out! Strong fluffy hair for the rest of the week!

Courtney’s Ilipe-Mango-Coco Body Butter

4tbs Ilipe butter
1.5tbs mango butter
2tbs Cocoa butter
4tbs coconut oil
2tbs castor oil
1 squirt honey
3squirts aloe vera gel

Put the ingredients into a bowl and whip with a hand/electric mixer. Add fragrance oils if desired. Store in refrigerator. make sure all utensils are sterilized.
Use on body after showers.

Courtney’s hair butter

1.5tbs shea butter
1.5tbs avocado butter
2tbs castor oil
3tbs coconut oil
3squirts aloe vera gel
1.5tbs avocado oil
fragrance oil(optional)
Combine all the ingredients and put in microwave for 30 seconds. Pour into sterilized container and put in refrigerator until solid.

I can’t wait to see what it’ll look like when it’s solid!!!
ETA: Ahh the butter is solid! It’s so yummy lookin’ I love it! I’m going to use it to seal after moisturizing
It smells so flowery and yummy too b/c my fragrance oil!
Ok my hair loves this butter! I’m gonna use it up then make it again with different butters!
I didn’t add enough fragrance though because the ickypoo butter smell is still kinda there lol

my hair is so soft!

How to get Black hair with HENNA & INDIGO

Learn just how easy it is to achieve brown to black tones naturally using indigo powder for hair Please remember to do hair strand tests first when using any new hair product. Mixing indigo for jet-black hair -Indigo takes better if you have henna’ed your hair first, so please follow our guide on how to henna your hair. Once this has been done and the henna has been washed out, then you will prepare to follow this guide on how to apply indigo to your hair. -Mix indigo with warm water and allow to sit for 5-10 minutes. Add enough water to make the paste the consistency of pancake batter. You may also choose to add salt to darken or CMC to thicken up your paste. -Apply indigo paste to your hair by sections starting from the back and moving forward. Make sure you wear gloves when applying indigo, as it will stain your hands. -Wrap your hair and allow to sit for 1 hour -Rinse or wash the paste out. Some prefer to use only conditioner when washing the paste out. -Your hair’s color will darken over the next two days. How to store your powder: fridge or cool dark place How to store your paste: Throw leftovers away as indigo paste does not keep well. Mixing indigo for brown hair: -Prepare the henna paste as directed. -Once the henna paste is ready, mix your indigo as directed above. Mix these two together. The more indigo you add the darker the brown. -Apply the paste to your hair by sections starting from the back and moving forward. Make you wear gloves, as it will stain your hands. -Wrap your hair and allow to sit for 1 to 5 hours. -Rinse or wash your paste out. -Your hair’s color will darken over the next 2 days. How to store your powder: henna in your freezer, and indigo in your fridge or cool dark place How to store your paste: throw leftovers away as the paste does not keep well New Note (added June 3, 2007): Indian henna powder is becoming ever so popular. Our clients use this one the most. If you want really rich reddish tones in your hair, indian henna is a must. I begun using this henna powder now for at least the past year. If you do prefer to bring out more subtle red tones, moroccan henna is the choice, and also good for mixing along with indigo to create browner tones, and not so red.

Butter Hair Recipes

Since I’m getting so many butters ..i’m so spoiled.
Ingredients in red are those i don’t have.

Recipe for hair pomade (Sweetcocoa’s Hair Butter):

4 oz of shea butter(unrefined)- melted in microwave…
to which I added the following -
1 tablespoon of amla oil
2 tablespoons of coconut oil
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 tablespoon of castor oil
1 tablespoon of almond oil
10 drops of rosemary oil
2 tablespoons of aloe vera oil
I put it in the refrigerator to harden. Then take it out and let it come to room temperature. It should be nice and creamy(or if you prefer leave it hardened…works both ways). This is very rich so a little goes a long way. I only apply it to my hair. Works best on damp hair.

Cocoa Butter hair crème

1oz sweet almond oil
2oz jojoba oil
8oz cocoa butter
Essential oils of your choice

Combine all ingredients, and stir well. Pour into sterilized jars and let sit until it solidifies. It will have the consistency of soft butter at 70 degrees. Melt a small amount in your hands and use on wet or dry hair to keep ends soft and free of splits. A little goes a very long way! Keep in a cool place or it will melt.

Shea Butter hair crème

1/2 oz sweet almond oil
1oz jojoba oil
8oz cocoa butter I only have 4oz
Essential oils of your choice

Combine all ingredients, and stir well. Pour into sterilized jars and let sit until it solidifies. It will have the consistency of soft butter at 70 degrees. Melt a small amount in your hands and use on wet or dry hair to keep ends soft and free of splits. A little goes a very long way! Keep in a cool place or it will melt.

Coconut hair butter

8oz melted extra virgin coconut oil
2oz jojoba oil
10 drops vanilla essential oil (optional)
10 drops sandalwood essential oil (optional)

Combine all ingredients, and stir well. Pour into sterilized jars and let sit until it solidifies. It will have the consistency of soft butter at 70 degrees. Melt a small amount in your hands and use on wet or dry hair to keep ends soft and free of splits. A little goes a very long way! Keep in a cool place or it will melt.

Hair Oil Recipe

Summary:

an oil for moisturizing dry hair

Ingredients:

1 C herb infused olive oil
1 C liquid lecithin
1 T of melted shea butter
A few squirts of jojoba oil
A few drops essential oil for scent

Instructions:

Melt the oils and pour into a bottle. Use only a small amount at a time. I like to infuse my olive oil with conditioning herbs like rosemary, nettle, and chamomile leaves for a special conditioning treat. You can do this by putting the dry herbs in a big jar, then put the jar outside in sun and leave it for a week. Be sure to shake it up everyday. Then strain oil through cheesecloth or a fine strainer to remove herbs. Or, you can put the herbs in a large, plastic measuring cup, pour the oil over the herbs and put the measuring cup inside a large pan filled with water. Simmer over low heat for about and hour, then strain.

Creamy Hair Lotion Recipe

Summary:

Moisturizing lotion for the hair

Ingredients:

6 oz distilled water
1/2 oz shea butter
1/2 oz cocoa butter
1/2 oz olive oil
1/2 oz avocado oil
1/2 oz jojoba
1/2 oz emulsifying wax
pinch of Vitamin C (optional)
1/2 tsp Vitamin E 1400 IU
Essential oils of choice 30 drops total.

Instructions:

Melt butters and emulsifying wax in a double boiler. When melted completely for 20 minutes at 175 degrees, add oils and Vitamin E. In a separate container add vitamin C to warm previously boiled water and dissolve. When both oils and water are about the same temperature, slowly add water to oils mixng with a stick blender.
Blend 2 minutes, wait 5 minutes. Repeat 3 times. Wait until cool to add essential oils. Blend once more before placing in containers. Store in a cool place or refrigerate if necessary. Use within 1 month.

LOC Butter Recipe

Summary:

Shea butter recipe for loc care and maintenance

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp shea butter
2 Tbsp mango butter
2 Tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp lanolin
1 tsp sweet almond oil
1 tsp jojoba
1 tsp avocado oil
10 drops-ylang-ylang
1/8 tsp vanilla fragrance oil (or fragrance oil of your choice)

Instructions:

Melt ingredients together, pour in container and let cool. Good for hair and skin.
Makes approximately 4 ounces.

Hair Oil Treatment Recipe

Summary:

A rich moisturizing hot oil treatment.

Ingredients:

1 Cup Macadamia Nut Oil
1 Cup Sunflower Seed Oil
1/4 Cup Hemp seed Oil
1/8 Cup Avocado Oil
1/8 Cup Jojoba Oil
2 TBSP Vitamin E Oil
1/8 Cup Cocoa Butter
1/8 Cup Avocado Butter
1/8 Cup Mango Butter

Instructions:

Add all the ingredients to a double boiler and let them melt. Pour into a jar. When ready to use, heat gently for about 10 minutes in a bowl of boiling water until liquid and warm, but not hot. Apply liberally to hair and scalp, let soak for 15-20 minutes, then shampoo out. A second shampooing may be required. Apply treatment once a week and enjoy the luxurious results!