My blogging and natural beauty journey began with a really bad hair day. I was sitting at my vanity table lacking all sense of vanity because, at that very moment, my hair was crispier than a freshly opened pack of crinkle cut chips. I wanted to believe that the sad-looking banshee pretending to be my reflection wasn’t me, but in my heart, I knew that I had done this to myself. Years of heat-styling and chemical straightening had finally murdered my naturally curly hair. My hair was dead straight on one side, threatening to split into a million weak and broken strands at the slightest touch. The other side stood out like a brown bush of candy floss around my ear. Suffice to say, it was not ideal.
I made a promise to the hopeless girl in the mirror that this wouldn’t be the end to her mop of curls. I scoured the internet, harassed my aromatherapist mother, interviewed naturopaths, read libraries of blog posts, articles and books and tested the best recipes I could find. I got rid of all my shampoos containing sulfates, as these strip the hair of even the natural oils, which are essential for healthy hair. While I was at it, anything containing parabens got the boot too! No place for those toxic and potentially cancer-causing chemicals in my natural beauty regimen.
The result? I present to you my favourite recipes for natural clarifying and moisturising shampoos and deep conditioning treatments.
Please note: the results of using these recipes may vary from person to person. If these recipes do not work for your hair type, I encourage you to keep looking and find the natural or toxin free hair care regimen that works for you.
Natural Shampoo for Hair Growth:
1 Tbsp bicarbonate of soda
5 Tbsp water
3 – 5 drops of Rosemary essential oil (great to help stimulate hair growth)
Mix together and massage into your scalp. Allow the shampoo mixture to rinse through your hair to clean the ends. This is particularly useful for dry hair, as shampoos tend to dry your hair even more and the ends of the hair tend to be the most dry. If you have used an oil treatment,Β you may need to repeat this process.
Deep Conditioning Banana Milkshake Mask:
1 ripe banana (and I mean ripe! – I didn’t take pictures of a brown banana for kicks π )
250ml of coconut milk (fresh and organic is best but the tinned version works well too)
2 Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp melted coconut oil (for particularly damaged hair)
Blitz all the ingredients in a food processor. If the mixture is thick (and sticky from the honey), add more coconut milk or some water. Separate hair into four sections and apply the mixture from root to tip, concentrating mostly on the tips but trying to ensure even distribution. Cover with a shower cap or some cling wrap. This helps to seal in the moisture and prevents the inevitable dripping. I like to sit under a hooded dryer for 15 minutes at a low heat to help the process, but it isn’t essential. It is probably best to shampoo twice once you are done, as the coconut oil does require some encouragement to stop conditioning and to just let go. It is such a hard worker! You can then follow with your usual paraben free conditioner.
If you are experiencing dandruff or dry scalp or if your hair is heavy, lifeless or dull, you may have a build up of product on your hair. This tends to happen when we use a multitude of shampoos, conditioners, deep conditioners and styling products on our hair. Mix 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar with 1 litre of water and after you have shampoo’d your hair, rinse your hair thoroughly with this mixture. It acts as an excellent clarifying product and also helps to add and lock in moisture. And don’t worry about the smell! I use this recipe on my hair every month and by the time I am done conditioning and styling, the scent of the vinegar is gone.
Hope you guys enjoy spoiling yourselves with these healthy and natural home remedies. I will keep posting my favourite DIY home remedies as I find them.
Love and Light,
Rox
xxx