| Do you wear your hair natural? No lye? As many will | | | | your recipes. |
| tell you, once you make a change to go natural your | | | | * Alter the way you apply the mixes to your hair. Try |
| hair regimen must also change. This frequently includes | | | | dousing your hair with your Super Yogurt Surprise |
| an adjustment to the types of products you use on | | | | while your hair is drenching wet in the shower. Does it |
| your coils. A number of your old stand-bys may no | | | | work well this way? Try another time by making it a |
| longer lend you the same results on your kinks as they | | | | bit more liquidy and spritz it on your dried hair with a |
| did on your straight hair. | | | | spray bottle. Perhaps your hair responds better to this |
| Product junkies will agree -- you can spend hundreds | | | | application. |
| of dollars testing out the numerous products available | | | | * For ingredients, a general rule of thumb is if it's ok to |
| on the market, many of which are supposedly | | | | ingest, it's probably ok to apply to your hair as well. |
| intended for natural hair use. However, breaking the | | | | Pureed fruit, honey, apple cider vinegar and many |
| bank is really not necessary for a healthy, strong and | | | | more items are great additions to homemade hair |
| shiny natural. You already have key ingredients in your | | | | recipes. |
| own kitchen and bathroom! | | | | * Take note of what works for you and how it |
| Creating your own hair recipes not only saves money, | | | | worked. Some recipes may be better for clarifying |
| but allows for a more intimate relationship with your | | | | while others make for great deep conditioners. |
| hair -- you can gain a much better insight as to what | | | | * Search and compare! If you're a little timid about |
| your hair craves, prefers, or rejects with your at-home | | | | applying egg whites to your hair, make use of |
| experiments. | | | | resources available to you before doing so. Search the |
| Get creative! There are a few simple rules to follow to | | | | Internet for your particular ingredients. You just may |
| find your perfect concoctions: | | | | find others who have tried the same type of recipe |
| * Don't mix too many things at once. Start out with | | | | and enjoyed success or experienced a nightmare. |
| simple recipes, say, mixing one main ingredient and | | | | * Go beyond your kitchen! Many cities have |
| adding a small amount of another. It's much easier to | | | | well-stocked health food and natural stores with a |
| determine what worked and what didn't when your | | | | huge selection of ingredients to boost your hair recipes. |
| ingredients list is limited. | | | | Experiment with essential oils (a few drops go a long |
| * Create two-ingredient mixes and try them until you | | | | way!), xanthum gum (a thickener, also known as |
| find a mix that works well on your hair. If it's a "perfect" | | | | xanthan), as well as conditioners and leave-ins you |
| mix, continue using it! If it's a "pretty good" mix, retry the | | | | won't likely find at department stores and drug stores. |
| recipe with the same main ingredient then alter the | | | | Remember, a recipe failure is a good thing. It lets you |
| secondary ingredient until you reach perfection. You | | | | know what your hair simply does not respond to well. |
| may find you need to reverse the amounts used, | | | | The worst likely thing that can happen with the use of |
| making the main ingredient the secondary ingredient. | | | | your homemade products is the need to wash your |
| * If there is one particular ingredient you find most | | | | hair again, so get creative! |
| always works well on your hair, make it a staple for | | | | Note: Use of homemade mixes for coloring of hair is |
| your hair recipes, adding it as a standard part of all | | | | not recommended. |