Homemade Hair Recipes – Thank God I'm Natural (2024)

Today, we’re talking about the awesomeness known as Tea Hair Rinses. In addition to being great for the hair, drinking tea, especially green tea, is known to help with weight loss and preventing cancer. So now, we’re just learning some more about tea and it’s fabulosity. I’m excited! Are you?

What is a tea rinse?

A tea rinse is done by pouring a cup of tea, commonly green or black,over the hair to reduce shedding or stimulate hair growth.

How is it supposed to work?

The caffeine in the tea penetrates the hair follicles.

Is there any proof that tea rinses make hair grow faster or reduce shedding?

One scientific study shows that caffeine can stimulate hair growthwhen used in tiny amounts (0.001% caffeine in water). The same studyalso found that applying too much caffeine to the hair follicles canactually stunt growth. A different study found that caffeine inshampoo can penetrate the hair follicles when left on for 2 minutes.Both studies were done on the hair follicles of men with androgeneticalopecia. So, no scientific studies have been done to test the effectsof caffeine on a woman’s scalp who doesn’t have a hair loss disorder.Generally, the current evidence says that caffeine definitelypenetrates hair follicles and may stimulate hair growth, but no oneknows for sure. It’s impossible to say how much additional growth youmight see, if any. Don’t expect more than an inch or two per year.There are no published scientific studies on caffeine and shedding.

How do I do a tea rinse?

1. Before you prepare for your shower, brew a weak cup of green orwhite tea.

Hair Tea Rinse Recipe

Ingredients:
– 4 Lipton regular teabags
– 5 cups of water

Pour water into a pot or saucepan and bring to a boil, then turn off stove, and place teabags in hot water. Let steep and cool for at least 1 hour.

Black tea has higher caffeine content, so it’s not a goodchoice. You don’t want to make the tea too strong or you could do moreharm than good. Try brewing 1 tea bag for only 1 or 2 minutes.

2. Cool the tea down to lukewarm.

3. Use a color applicator bottle or spray bottle to apply the tea to your scalp.

4. Leave it on for at least 5 minutes and up to 30 minutes. There’s noway to tell how long wouldbe best.

5. Shampoo and condition as usual.

6. Repeat the tea rinse 2 or 3 times a week. If you don’t see anyresults after 1-2 months it’s best to spend your efforts somewhere
else.

7. You can also experiment with using tea to stimulate eyebrow growth.Follow the same steps as above and watch to see if the hair grows
thicker or more quickly.

For those of you who love making your own products at home, check out my bookThank God I’m Natural: The Ultimate Guide to Caring for and Maintaining Natural Hairfor over 50 natural hair care recipes.

Source: Hairliberty.org

We so support homemade hair treatments here at Thank God I’m Natural. I mean, we’re like all about them.

One of the best homemade hair treatments is the mayonnaise treatments. It’s a miracle worker. It’s cheap, it’s easy and quite frankly, it’s just epic! With all the stress we put our hair under, heat, excess combing or brushing, the trial and error we got through when using new products, damage is inevitable. But withthis treatment, damaged hair will soon be a thing of the past.

1) Get some mayonnaise. It doesn’t matter the brand, it just needs to be gold-old fashion mayo.

2) Use warm water to prepare it for the treatment. You want to get your hair damp, not soaking wet.

3) Take some mayo out of the jar and begin rubbing it into your scalp. The amount of mayo you use it truly up to your discretion and depend on your hair texture, thickness and length. So lather in however much you feel.

4) Wrap your hair in either a plastic bag, or shower cap to trap the heat. The heat will help the treatment truly penetrate your hair and scalp.

5) Let the treatment sit on your hair for about 20 minutes or for however long you feel your hair needs it due to how damaged your hair may be.

6) Wash the treatment out. This will be best achieved if in the shower using a diluted shampoo.

7) Dry and style as desired.

I would suggest using this treatment as needed. If your hair isn’t damaged, then cool beans. If you’re beginning to see some things that you don’t like, than go ahead. Do you boo!

Ladies, if you’re just now tuning in, you might’ve missed the 150 million times we’ve preached the wonders of shea butter.

If you’re ever low on cash, and need a deep conditioner shea butter is the way to go. It locks in moisture and leaves your hair rich with the vitamins it needs. However, shea butter is also great for your skin. It’s thick coat moistens your skin and helps breath new life into it.

Avocado does the same. If you leave it in your hair for twenty or so minutes and then rinse, you’ll notice a world of a difference. Your hair will be softer and shinier. Although the verdict is still out on whether its a fruit or vegetable, we can all agree avocado hits the natural hair spot.

Olive oil is also up there on the list ofawesome home products. Olive oil, which is a great moisturizer (along with honey) can also be doubled as a body moisturizer as well. The aloe in it helps prevent bruising on your skin, as well.

So ladies, what homemade products do you use in your hair and on your body as well?

Today Savvy Brown is putting us hip to a new way to deep conditioner our hair by using Bentonite Clay. I know. I know, it sounds a bit…different, but I promise you, I wouldn’t suggest something I didn’t have complete faith in. I’ve mixed bentonite with psyllium before in my detox/cleansing drinks. Bentonite clay is not only great fro the hair, but it helps to draw out toxins, including heavy metals, drugs, waste and mucus from the system. It can also be used as a facial mask to help clean out your pores.

So, let’s dive in this together, shall we?

Savvy’s Take on Bentonite:

If you’ve been following this blog and the savvybrownblog twitter page then you’ve heard me talk about the many uses for Bentonite Clay. One of my favorite uses for it is as a Deep Conditioner for my hair. Bentonite clay can remove buildup without stripping hair of its moisture making the hair really soft and easier to detangle. It can also bring out curls if any, and add sheen. It is sometimes mixed with another ingredient like marshmallow root powder, coconut milk, yogurt or just water. I like mixing mine with Apple Cider Vinegar. Although I have some coconut milk left over and I think I’ll try that this weekend! Aztec Secret is a popular brand, and it’s available in the Savvy Shop!

Here’s what I did:

Bentonite Clay Deep Conditioner

Ingredients:

• 6 tbsps Bentonite clay
• 2 tbsps + 1 cup of Apple Cider Vinegar (I use the real kind with the apple bits floating around)creamy and smooth

Directions:

Mix the clay and vinegar until it’s the consistency of yogurt. You can add more vinegar if you need to. Apply all over making sure to cover hair and scalp thoroughly. Leave in for 30 mins. Do NOT let the clay dry. This is not a treatment that you want to leave on over night. Rinse thoroughly with cool water, and then again with 1 cup of ACV. That’s it! Apply your leave-in conditioner and style as usual. My hair is so soft after a Bentonite Clay treatment and I get great twistout results

Bentonite Clay Application

The Results

Ladies, let me introduceyou to one of the most savvy sistahs I know.Savvy Brown has joined us today and will offer us some valuable information about leading a healthier, greener life without us having to dip into our 401-K. Ms. Brown, is dedicated to looking good from the inside out, and you KNOW that’s what we’re all about ’round these parts.

This is my favorite deep conditioner, and although I use store-bought DC a lot, I keep coming back to this one!

Avocado/Mayo Deep Conditioner

Ingredients:

1/2 of a RIPE soft Haas avocado meat mashed with fork well
1/2 cup regular mayonnaise (DON’T leave this out, otherwise you’ll have pieces of avocado left in your hair!)
2 tbspof oil (I use raw coconut oil, but you can use jojoba, olive, grape seed, etc.)

Directions:

Put the avocado and the oil in a mini food processor or blender and blend, then add the mayo until smooth. Apply to hair from root to tip and cover with a plastic bag or plastic shower cap and wrap head with a towel. Leave on for a couple of hours, then rinse out with warm water.Put any extra in the fridge (or add chopped tomatoes and turn it into a dip!)

Try it and tell me whatcha think!

NOTE: This Deep Conditioning Treatment is NOT to be used with heat. I wrap my head in a plastic bag and a towel, and let it sit while I clean my house. A couple of hours later I wash it out!

******For more information on the benefits of shea butter and other natural emollients,you can learn more abouthow to maintain and care for your hair bypicking up a copy of my new book Thank God I’m Natural: The Ultimate Guide to Caring for and Maintaining Natural Hair now available at Barnes & Noble, Amazon.com, and in the Thank God I’m Natural Store

If you’ve ever wanted to make your own natural lock and twist gel, here’s a great recipe using flax seed oil.

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp Whole Flax Seeds
1 cup water
Pure Aloe Vera Gel, if desired
Few drops of essential oil for scent

Instructions:

Bring water to a boil. Stir the seeds into the water and reduce heat. Simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring constantly, until a gel-like lotion is formed. Strain through a fine strainer or cheesecloth into a small bottle. Add essential oils and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. If desired, you can add some pure aloe vera gel for its moisturizing properties. Fill the bottle with flax seed gel until bottle is about 3/4 full, then fill to the top with pure aloe vera gel. Gel will not flake or make the hair hard or crunchy. Safe to use everyday.

Where to buy: Whole Foods, any health food store, any farmer’s market.

For of those of you who love making your own products at home, check out my bookThank God I’m Natural: The Ultimate Guide to Caring for and Maintaining Natural Hairfor over 50 natural hair care recipes.

There is nothing sexier than seeing a man or woman with some locs that are just healthy, happy and glistening in the sun.

Locs take work and a lot of maintenance, so when I see someone and their hair looks fresh, I tip my proverbial hat off to them because locs are no walk in the park.

But not everybody’s hair looks fab. Sometimes it looks quite…drab.

No worries folks, I’ve got the answer on how to keep your locs shinning in the sun, and it all comes down to one word: MOISTURIZE

Option #1

Hydrating Spray:

Grab yourself a spray bottle. Fill it about half way with good ‘ol H20 and three table spoons of olive oil. (Yep, that’s all you need) Shake well and spray liberally all over you head. Don’t get worried if you become a bit excited. You have more water and olive oil, so if you find yourself running out, just re-up!

Option #2

Scalp Renewal

Every now and then, fill a dropper with some olive oil and place it directly into your scalp then massage. Once you make this a habit, you should start to notice a difference in your locs, and your hair’s texture overall. The olive oil will also add some well deserved and needed shine to your mane.

Option #3

Deep Conditioning: After you’ve shampood your hair, douse your hair with olive and put a plastic cap (a shower cap should do the trick) over your head for about 30 minutes. When you’re done, rinse and rub your fingers through your locs. It should feel nothing short of soft, smooth and the shine should be off the charts!

So there you have it. These are just three simple ideas one can use to help make their locks healthier and provide a bit of shine. Don’t say we’ve never done nothing for you. (Wink)

For more information about caring for your natural tresses, pick up a copy ofThank God I’m Natural: The Ultimate Guide to Caring for and Maintaining Natural Hair, the book that Essence Magazine calls “Your Natural Hair Bible”.

In the winter, we preach the power of Shea Butter so hard, we need to own some shares.

Shea Butter is one of the best natural hair conditioners out. It’s like the Jay-Z of the natural world. It’s been around for some years (kind of like since the beginning of time) and always delivers.

However, in the winter months when the cold weather is ripping our hair a new one, Shea Butter seems to be Superman for our tresses and really comes through.

It provides moisture, protection acts as a leave-in…I mean the possibilities are endless.

But during the summer, do you find that Shea Butter doesn’t do everything it’s known to do?Does it become a big mess as opposed to moistening your hair? Do you find that it weighs your hair down instead of giving it life? Does it take away from you tresses instead of enhancing it?

What are your thoughts?

ACV, is the acronymused for Apple Cider Vinegar. It’s a natural procedure often used on hair to help clarify the hair and rid it of build up caused by the use of hair products, and just natural elements we encounter on a daily basis.

But the Apple Cider Vinegar movement doesn’t always work for everyone. If you can attest to it being a total fail, here are eight alternatives that you can use, also natural, that can help you do, what the ACV didn’t.

#1

Baking Soda, mixed with warm water (a teaspoon to one pint of water) or added to the lather of your shampoo. Or simply, sprinkle the baking sodaon top of the lather of your shampoo and wait for the bubbles to happen, which will help clear your hair of all the unneccessary build up. This is a great option for naturals with extremely oily hair.

#2

Try using honey and warm water during the final rinse of your shampoo and conditioner. You see, sometimes, we already have everything we need for great hair, it just so happens to be in our kitchen cabinet.

#3

Dilute 100 % pure apple juice (not sweetened) with warm water. Add that to your final rinse and it should clear you up pretty good.

#4

For my vegetarians out there, instead of using honey, try using Agave and warm water to your final rinse.

#5

Good ‘ol coconut water just does the body good, all the time. Fresh 100 percent coconut water contains a whole slew of vitamins such as C, B1, B2. B3, B5, B6and amino acids, and antioxidants, which are nothing more than pure gems when it comes to clarifying your hair. Try using that, along with warm water to your hair, and it should be pretty clean.

#6

Add half part grape fruit juice(with the pitts) to two parts water to your final rinse. The acid in the grapefruit should definitely help keep your hair clean.

#7

Fresh Rosemary boiled in water for 10 minutes. Use the twigs and everybody. Let it cool. Once cooled, use in hair for your final rinse.

#8

Try using an organic white willow bark herbal rinse.

So there you have it ladies. It’s just that simple. If you’re using the ACV method and its not working, try these alternatives. I promise you, one of them has to work.

For more information about caring for your natural tresses, pick up a copy of Thank God I’m Natural: The Ultimate Guide to Caring for and Maintaining Natural Hair, the book that Essence Magazine calls “Your Natural Hair Bible”.

Looking for a shampoo that actually works with your hair instead of against it? Tired of so called “salon quality” cleansers that leave your hair dry and stripped of every scrap of its natural shine? Then why not make your own?

Homemade shampoos are a great way to get your locks looking fabulous. (And at a fraction of the price of store bought stuff, it’s tough to find a downside!) Here’s a killer recipe for a gentle and effective shampoo for you to try at home:

* ½ cup water
* ¼ cup castile soap
* ½ tsp jojoba oil*

*Please note, if you have oily hair, ditch the jojoba oil altogether, or swap it for sesame oil instead.

Mix all of the ingredients together and pour into a clean squeeze bottle. Let thicken overnight, and then use just like any other shampoo. (For maximum shine, use cool water to rinse your hair after cleansing)

So what do you think, ladies? Do you have any experience making your own beauty products? Drop us a line with your own homemade hair recipe…

For of those of you who love making your own products at home, check out my bookThank God I’m Natural: The Ultimate Guide to Caring for and Maintaining Natural Hair for over 50 natural hair care recipes.

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