Friday’s Formula/Tasty Tresses: Cantaloupe (ongoing contest)

I don’t know if you all are enjoying this series but I’m having a ball! It’s so amusing to see all the creative hair recipes for edible items. I’m sure that many may look at these posts from time to and think that I’ve totally lost it, lol. Just trying to get you to “think outside the box”. Get involved and try to figure out what I’m going to cover next week. Let’s take a look at cantaloupe this week.

What’s on the menu for your mane #6 – Cantaloupe

CANTALOUPE: Our hair thrives when we give it what it needs. Vitamin A is an antioxidant that aids in producing healthy sebum in the scalp which keeps the hair and scalp moisturized. Without a sufficient amount of vitamin A the hair becomes dry. Vitamin C maintains the capillaries that circulate blood. Amongst other nutrients, cantaloupe is rich in these two vitamins.

Here are the cantaloupe hair recipes I found:

Fruit Salad Deep Conditioner Recipe
1/2 a banana
1/4 avocado
1/4 cantaloupe
1 tablespoon wheat germ oil
1 tablespoon yogurt
Blend all ingredients. Apply to hair. For extra conditioning, squeeze in the contents of a vitamin E capsule. Leave in hair for 15 minutes. Then rinse.

Natural Hair Conditioner Recipe
2 oz. purified water
1/2 banana
1 tbsp. plain yogurt
1 tsp. honey
1/4 cantaloupe
1 tbsp. sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp. wheat germ oil
In blender combine all ingredients and pulse on medium 10 to 20 seconds. Using fingers, apply mixture to hair in downward motion, smoothing as you go. Leave on at least 45 minutes. Rinse with warm water, and shampoo. You can skip your regular conditioner, but do a final rinse with cold water to seal each strand.

~Ongoing contest (click here for details and rules)~

Can you guess what next week’s hair food (or drink) will be?

Leave your entry below in the comment section.

Thanks for reading. Be blessed!

CallaLily

* Other recipes can be found in the "hair recipe" category to the right

Study Hall: Information Overload

After MUCH aggravation and technical difficulty, I am finally posting this.

Ok, I’ve been working on this project for a week and a half; did the best I could. Since I know some of us like to support black-owned businesses, I wanted to compile a video listing for you. I know this is not “all known to mankind” but it’s what I unearthed over the hours I worked on this project. Some are very popular while others you may not have heard of before. I just wanted to get the information out to interested parties. Hope you enjoy.

Here are my disclaimers:

* I am not promoting any company for personal gain

* To the best of my knowledge, the company’s owner/creator is of black or mixed race

* Company offers a full line of hair care products; if I did not see the company offer cleansers, conditioners, moisturizers and styling products, they weren’t put on the list

* I do not attest to know if all companies on this list have excellent customer service

* Some companies on this list are not makers of “all natural products”; you need to research that for yourself

* Common company lines that can easily be obtained at a beauty supply stores or Walmart were excluded from this list



If you have information that conflicts with my listing, please let me know of any error. Feel free to leave a comment if you know of any other companies to add.

Thanks for reading. Be blessed!

CallaLily

>

Back to Basics: Condition (A Hair Regimen Series)

The world of hair conditioners is so vast it might make your head spin! With companies promising their products will do this, that, and the other it is hard NOT to become a conditioner crack-head! There is no doubt many aspects take a toll on our tresses. The environment, how we manipulate our hair, whether we choose to use chemicals (including color) and what we use to cleanse our hair are some things that take from it. Conditioning is the step we take to give back.

Step 3: Condition

What: Conditioning is applying a product to the hair after cleansing. Keep in mind that conditioning should enhance your hair’s overall health and appearance.

When: After cleansing

Why: The purpose of conditioning hair is to restore balance.

How: Types of conditioner (with examples) (1) Rinse through (VO5 & Suave) – leave in for a few minutes and rinse out (2) Homemade (avocado & mayonnaise) – single ingredient or mixture of edible ingredients; heat can be used for better penetration (be careful with eggs though). Also note that some homemade treatments can call for a gentle shampoo afterward (3) Deep (Elasta QP DRR-11 & Curls Ecstasy Hair Tea) – leave in for 15 minutes or longer; heat can be used for better penetration. (4) Leave-In (Jane Carter Revitalizing Leave-In; water based & SheaMoisutre Shea Butter Leave-In; cream based) – apply to hair and do not rinse out (5) Herbal rinse (Hairveda pH24/7 & Adiva Apple Cider Vinegar Clarifying Herbal Rinse) – pour through hair; it can be left in or rinsed out. You can also make your own tailored rinses. (6) Intense Treatment/Special Purpose (ApHogee Keratin 2 Minute Reconstructor & Motions CPR) – follow manufacture instructions carefully. These conditioners usually have “repair”, “reconstruct”, or “protein treatment” on the label.

Other notes: It is good to have more than one conditioner to alternate. This is because your hair can get used to one and will not respond the same.

Thanks for reading. Be blessed!

CallaLily

Friday’s Formula/Tasty Tresses: Bananas (ongoing contest)

Yum - I love this versatile fruit. However, when it comes to using bananas in hair recipes, I learned a lesson that will forever stick with me. As with avocados, I approach using bananas with caution. You may have seen me post before that I prefer using the jarred baby food. Sure I could just as well puree them, but I allow myself to be lazy with this one.

What’s on the menu for your mane #5 – Bananas

BANANA: This fruit is high in carbohydrates; vitamins A, B, and C; and minerals, especially potassium. It has excellent humectant and moisturizing qualities for the hair.

These are only a few banana hair recipes I came across:

Moisturizing Banana Hair Conditioner
1 small, ripe organic banana
1 tablespoon organic honey
1 teaspoon sweet almond oil
Mash the banana together with the honey and sweet almond oil. Apply this mixture to your shampooed hair. Cover your hair with a plastic bag to allow for body heat to accentuate the conditioning effect, and leave mixture on for 15 to 30 minutes. Rinse thoroughly.

Banana Hair Mask
1 banana
2-3 dollops of mayonnaise
1 tablespoon olive oil
Put banana in blender and puree until completely smooth (you don’t want clumps of banana in your hair). Then add mayo and oil and blend until smooth and creamy. Apply to hair. Cover with plastic cap and let sit for 15-30 minutes. Rinse with warm water and shampoo as usual.

Fruity Deep Conditioner
Combine ½ banana, ¼ avocado, 1 tbsp wheat germ oil and 1 tbsp yogurt. Also take a vitamin E capsule and squeeze its content into the mixture. This is for extra conditioning. Apply in hair and leave for 15 minutes. Wash with mild shampoo.

Hope you enjoyed this. Now go monkey around with some of these recipes :-)

~Ongoing contest (click here for details and rules)~

Can you guess what next week’s hair food (or drink) will be?

Leave your entry below in the comment section.

Thanks for reading. Be blessed!

CallaLily

* Other recipes can be found in the "hair recipe" category to the right

Inquiring mind: Reader's conern

Hello all! I received an email from a reader with concerns about breakage and braiding. I will address them in this post. I did do some investigating on this topic, but please realize that I am not a hair professional.

Hello Callalily,

I just came across your interesting blog a few days ago and it's extremely informative. I wonder if you could help me with a teeny tiny question.

My hair used to fall off very badly a couple of months ago and after the final abuse from a stylist that was supposed to be one of the best I decided I'd had enough and would take my hair care into my hands. My hair is shoulder length now. Since I started my new regimen, my hair has started coming back to life very slowly and is growing quite well. It still falls out but not as much as before and it is reducing day by day. At the moment I do not wish to relax at all until the damage has been rectified but at the same time it is getting a bit harder to manage the new growth so I'm thinking of braiding it for a few months to give it time to recover from the damage. My question is do you think it's advisable to braid my hair while it is in this condition? I would be making medium sized braids and not micro braids? If braiding is not advisable then what could I do to put my hair away for a while apart from wigs and weaves? The middle east weather is TERRIBLE for African hair.

I don't use heat at all on my hair, comb as gently as I can and use logona organic shampoo and Lush handmade shampoo. My conditioners are logona wheat protein conditioner, bodyshop honey moisturiser, garnier fructis long n strong, tresemmes and mane n tail. I use mayo and eggs for protein treatments. I also use olive, coconut, rosemary and eucalyptus oils for daily moisturisation after adding leave ins. A lot of other products I could use are not available in UAE so I try to improvise best as I can.

I look forward to your response. Thank you :)

I’m very sorry to hear about your experience. This is the perfect time to embark on your healthy hair journey! It seems you already have a good understanding of what your hair needs and are on the right track with your hair care.

Assuming you can exclude other causes for breakage (i.e. medical issues, diet, etc.) we will focus on the hair. Hair requires a balance of protein and moisture. When the balance is off, I believe breakage occurs. While your hair is in a weakened state, less manipulation is better. Braid extensions can protect a person’s hair from excessive styling and breakage. When you approach this protective style correctly, you can have great success with nursing your locks back to health.

Before: It is important to give your hair some deep conditioning treatments. Preparing the hair in this way, prior to braiding it, can strengthen hair that is in a weak condition.

During: During the process of braiding your hair, make sure of several things (1) your braids are not too small (2) your braids are not too heavy from adding too much hair (3) your braids are not too tight!

Getting braids is not a ticket to maintenance-free hair (I learned this the hard way). While you are wearing your braids, remember to moisturize daily. You can choose to cleanse your scalp during this time also. Various methods exist for this purpose. You can apply witch hazel or another product to your scalp to remove build up. You could also mix shampoo and water in an applicator bottle to cleanse, then thoroughly rinse afterward. If you choose this method, you may want to section your hair and put it in a few big braids first. Remember to protect your style with a scarf before going to bed. If you find it necessary to oil your scalp, use a light oil 2-3 times a week.

After: It is recommended that you keep extensions in for no longer than 2 months. During this period, you can re-do the edges if necessary. Removing braids should be done gently. You can spray diluted conditioner on your braids prior to taking them out. Then, after the extension has been removed and the hair still wet, gently comb out the hair that has been shed while you have been wearing this style. There is no need to be alarmed when you end up with a mass of hair after you have detangled all of your hair – this is normal.

Now that your hair is free and detangled, make sure to use a good moisturizing shampoo and deep condition again. You can give your hair a resting period and then return to another braided style if you desire. If you intend to go back to relaxing and you feel your hair is in condition to do so, read this article to give you a guide on approaching this wisely.

I hope this helps you. Good luck with your hair journey.

Thanks for reading. Be blessed!

CallaLily

* This site provides terrific information and instructional videos for those who want to wear their hair braided.

Water is not the ONLY way

I’m still researching my weekly Study Hall post so here is a "sub" to sit in; didn’t want to leave you hanging :-) Study Hall will be back next Wednesday.

Also look for a stimulating post tomorrow where I address a reader’s hair concerns.

I not only enjoy making hair treatments and products, but face and body treatments/products as well. While water is a fabulous liquid to utilize, you can feature others that could give it that extra oomph. With all that is available to us, there is no reason to get stuck in a rut. I persuade you to try something different – you may like the results even more!

Next time you whip up a treatment or product for your hair, face or body, try one (or a combination) of the following to replace all or part of your water.

Water alternatives:
* alcohol (vodka, brandy)
* aloe vera juice/gel
* tea/herbal infusion
* flowal water/hydrosol
* vinegar
* witch hazel
* milk (buttermilk, coconut milk, cow milk, goat milk, rice milk, soy milk - Does that cover them all?)
* yogurt
* cream
* juice (fruit or vegetable)
* honey/honeyquat/agave nectar
* molasses
* syrup
* glycerin
* oil

* tinctures (diluted)

Thanks for reading. Be blessed!

CallaLily

You've got style!

O’ Happy Day! I couldn’t resist putting up a second post today. I wanted to share a new style discovery. I lot of ladies are seeking protective styles with the season change and I believe this would fall into that category.


At times, we all can experience panic or discouragement when we don’t have a hair do planned (or nothing you are trying is working the way you want it) before having to head out the door. That happened to me today. Prior to going to bed, I had two-strand twisted my hair (24 twists) and set it in bantu knots. This morning, I took the bantu knots down but didn’t want to separate the twists. I couldn’t decide what I wanted to do with my hair and nothing I tried look right. Light bulb moment. . . I threw a headband on and used a few bobby pins to center the curly twists to my head. Crisis over! I was pleased with the outcome and will definitely be visiting this style more through the season. Let me know what you think of it.


Thanks for reading. Be blessed!


CallaLily

Back to Basics: Cleanse (A Hair Regimen Series)

Here is part 2 in the 6 part hair regimen series. There are more elements on the topic of cleansing one’s scalp/hair than you may think. I did my best to cover all areas but if I left anything out, please let me know.


Step 2: Cleanse

What: Cleansing is applying a product – with concentration on the scalp – to remove dirt and build-up before you condition.

When: Before conditioning

Why: The purpose of cleansing – stated above.

How: People have a myriad of ways to approach this step – (1) Shampoo – can be store bought or made at home (2) Shampoo bar – solid shampoo in the shape of bar soap (3) Conditioner – aka “co-wash” using a store bought conditioner for cleansing instead of shampoo (4) Herbal Tea/Paste – Ayurvedic herb combinations (in their powdered form) are steeped with water to the desired consistency, then applied. Teas are strained and used as a liquid rinse. Pastes are applied and left on for a period of time. Please check out this youtube channel for further clarification on using Ayurvedic herbs (listed under “Herbal Hair Care”).

I should also mention that some people like to clarify on a regular basis in the following ways – (5) Baking Soda – baking soda diluted in water or added to store bought conditioner (6) Apple Cider Vinegar – acv diluted in water (7) Lemon Juice – fresh or store bought lemon juice diluted in water or added to store bought conditioner (8) Clay – some natural clays can also be used for hair care; make a paste with clay and water, then apply and leave on for a period of time. This information on bentonite clay was sited on Anita Grant:

Bentonite Clay - Naturally Curly and Afro Curly Popping Hair Care Treatment:

This recipe depends on the length and thickness of your naturally curly hair.

Prep time: 10 mins

Instructions:

Mix 1 to 2 parts Bentonite clay Slowly add *water to the clay until you achieve a pancake mix texture.Apply to your hair (dry or wet)Allow to set for between 15 - 20 minutesRinse thoroughly until it's all out of your curls, kinks and coils.

*water can be replaced with your choice of liquid for example:

Organic Coconut Milk

Herbal infusion

or anything you like...

Hair Care Benefits:

After you Shampoo - One single treatment of Bentonite Clay will remove build-up from your scalp leaving naturally curly and Afro hair clean and clear.

As a shampoo replacement - Bentonite Clay may also be used like a shampoo trapping and removing dirt, debris, build up and other particles from your hair and scalp.

Other notes: Have fun experimenting with some cleansing routines you haven’t tried yet! I am going to begin experimenting with Ayurvedic herbs.

Thanks for reading. Be blessed!

CallaLily

Friday’s Formula/Tasty Tresses: Avocados (ongoing contest)

It’s getting cold in my neck of the woods! I’ll be gearing up to start sporting some protective styles. This week’s Tasty Tresses is avocados. The flesh can be used alone or mixed with other ingredients for a wonderful hair treatment. The oil from this fruit has the capability to penetrate the hair shaft. And I also learned that you can use the pit as a massage tool! :-)

What’s on the menu for your mane #4 – Avocados

AVOCADO: The flesh of this fruit is 75 percent fat and up to 25 percent oil. Avocado is high in vitamins A, B, and C, as well as minerals, and is an excellent emollient and moisturizer for the hair and skin, particularly dry conditions.

Here are some avocado hair recipes I found that use common ingredients:

Avocado Dry Hair Conditioner
1/2 ripe avocado
1 teaspoon wheat germ oil
1 teaspoon jojoba oil
Combine all ingredients. Work the mixture through your shampooed hair and scalp. Cover your hair with a plastic bag to allow for your body heat to accentuate the conditioning effect, and leave the mixture on for 15 to 30 minutes. Rinse thoroughly.

Avocado & Honey Conditioning Mask
1 ripe avocado
1/2 cup honey
Scoop out flesh of avocado and mash. Add honey and combine thoroughly. Apply to dry hair. Cover with plastic cap and wrap towel around head. Leave on for 10 to 15 minutes. Rinse and follow with shampoo.

Avocado & Mayo Conditioner
1 mashed avocado
1/2 cup plain mayonnaise
Take mashed avocado and mix with mayonnaise. Massage the mixture into your dry hair and scalp. Put on a shower cap and wait 20 minutes. Rinse the mixture out with cool water and shampoo afterwards with a gentle shampoo.

Tropical Deep Conditioner Recipe
1 peeled and mashed avocado
1 cup coconut milk
Combine mashed avocado with some coconut milk in a small bowl. Heat in microwave for approx. 45 seconds. Stir. Test temperature. Massage mixture into hair. Wrap hair in a hot towel or cover with shower cap for 15 minutes. Rinse out and shampoo.

The ways in which you can use avocado as a hair conditioner are endless. I’m sure you can seek out dozens more recipes if this has peaked your curiosity. I’ve mentioned in a previous post that I puree avocado with some water in the blender to use in hair concoctions – food chucks left in your hair is NOT COOL!

~Ongoing contest (click here for details and rules)~

Can you guess what next week’s hair food (or drink) will be?

Leave your entry below in the comment section. Stay warm!

Thanks for reading. Be blessed!

CallaLily

* Other recipes can be found in the "hair recipe" category to the right

Study Hall: Information Overload

Another cool site coming at ya! Although it doesn't look like this site is currently being updated, there are still lots of great articles and other information to explore.

NOTE: To a lot of us "nappy" is a taboo word because the meaning is associated with something negative. Our God-given hair is beautiful and versatile. Don't let the name of this site discourage you from checking it out! I hope you can benefit from the knowledge it offers.

Nappy Kitchen

Thanks for reading. Be blessed!

CallaLily

Life revelation

Good morning divine creation! I hope your weekend was enjoyable.

Life is full of ups and downs – no way around that! And the truth has a way of exposing itself to each individual. At times, I get a word at a certain moment that really causes me to stop and take note of its truth. I will begin to share with you some monumental insight that I receive on occasion. I have to realize that the revelation I receive may also be intended for another. It may not be for me to keep to myself, but to be a messenger to benefit someone else. This is not going to turn into a planned or scheduled format on this blog – when it hits me, I’ll post on it. This way, I can give a positive word to my readers AND keep it fresh in my own mind and spirit. We tend to go through life having to learn and re-learning valid truths. So this morning, on my way to work, this is the revelation I received:

When someone speaks negativity into your life, you have a CHOICE to believe what they say or to dismiss it and replace it with positive.

Thanks for reading. Be blessed!

CallaLily

Back to Basics: Pre-poo (A Hair Regimen Series)

On my natural hair journey, I am learning how uncomplicated a solid hair regimen can be. Often times we seek out information, products, and hair methods that further confuse us. I wanted to do a 6 part series spelling out the basic foundation to giving our tresses the care they crave.

Step 1: Pre-poo

What: Pre-pooing is applying a product (oil, conditioner or a combination of the two) to the hair and leaving it on for a period of time before you cleanse.

When: Before cleansing

Why: The purpose of pre-pooing is to condition and protect the hair.

How: Here are your options – Method #1 – You can start with dry or damp hair. Apply heated or unheated carrier oil (such as olive, coconut, etc) to hair and/or scalp. Cover hair with plastic cap and scarf/towel/cap. Wait at least 20 minutes before rinsing out (you can also make this an overnight treatment, rinsing it out the next day).

OR

Method #2 – You can start with dry or damp hair. Apply conditioner (or conditioner/oil combination) to hair only. Cover hair with plastic cap and scarf/towel/cap. Wait at least 20 minutes before rinsing out. It is NOT recommended to do this method overnight.

With either method, if you are doing a 20-30 minute session, you can incorporate heat from a dryer or heat cap.

Other notes: Honey and molasses are also popular pre-poo ingredients. They can be used alone or added to your oil and/or conditioner.

Thanks for reading. Be blessed!

CallaLily

Friday’s Formula/Tasty Tresses: Apples (ongoing contest)

Hope everyone has had a wonderful week. This week’s Tasty Tresses is apples. The beverage we drink internally from this fruit is said to have numerous health benefits. As for hair, I’m sure that we’ve all read about the advantages of using apple cider vinegar for our hair (build up remover, cuticle closer, pH balancer, etc). There are countless concoctions that use this ingredient in hair rinses.

What’s on the menu for your mane #3 – Apples

APPLES: This fruit contains malic acid, an alpha hydroxy acid, which works as an exfoliant and emollient to lift dandruff away from the scalp. Used in small quantities, malic acid is moisturizing; in higher quantities, it is exfoliating.

Here is an apple cider hair recipe:

Apple Cider Dandruff Treatment
1/2 cup apple cider (preferably organic)
Massage the cider into the scalp area with your fingertips. Repeat after every shampoo; you will see significant results after several applications. Repeat treatment whenever outbreaks of dandruff occur.

I’ve also seen where you can add apple juice to your homemade shampoo recipes.

~Ongoing contest (click here for details and rules)~

Can you guess what next week’s hair food (or drink) will be?

Leave your entry below in the comment section. Enjoy your weekend!

Thanks for reading. Be blessed!

CallaLily

* Other recipes can be found in the "hair recipe" category to the right

Study Hall: Information Overload

Short and sweet - just wanted to quickly pop in to share two great sites.

Check them out!

A New Era in African Hair

From Grandma's Kitchen

Thanks for reading. Be blessed!

CallaLily

More kitchen experiments

This weekend I’ve been creating more hair potions. Pictured from left to right: conditioning spritz, herbal acv, herbal hair oil.

Conditioning Spritz: water infusion of the same herbs used in my oil. To this was added, aloe vera gel, vegetable glycerin, grapefruit seed extract, sage essential oil and tea tree essential oil.

Herbal ACV: I put herbs in a glass jar, poured the apple cider vinegar over the herbs and stirred it. The herbs will need to steep in the vinegar for at least 3 weeks. I will stir or shake the jar once a day for the first week. After I strain the herbs, I will use this for hair rinses (diluted in plain water or an herbal infusion). NOTE: You MUST use a plastic lid or put a plastic barrier between the opening and lid if you are using a metal lid!

I used these herbs:

Mint – Wonderfully fragrant, mint is refreshing, stimulating, and invigorating. It is antiseptic and anesthetic in nature, creating a cooling, soothing effect.

Lavender – The flowering tops of this herb have a delightful aroma. Lavender has cleansing and astringent qualities. It is also very beneficial as a cellular regenerator for the skin.

Oregano – This aromatic herb is stimulating, antiseptic, and astringent (having good cleansing properties). Oregano is effective as a hair detangler and softener.

Rosemary (see oil post for info)

Nettle (see oil post for info)

Herbal Hair Oil: This is the result of my infused olive oil from two weeks ago. I wanted to let it infuse for another week but was getting impatient. After I strained the oil, I added vitamin E, peppermint essential oil and lemongrass essential oil.

I am really having fun with the various herbs I’ve purchased for hair concoctions. Hubby teases me when he walks in on my experiments – refers to me as a mad scientist (sinister laugh and all) :-). Hope this will inspire you to whip up a batch of tonic for your tresses.

Thanks for reading. Be blessed!

CallaLily

* Information was referenced from Naturally Healthy Hair

Friday’s Formula/Tasty Tresses: Aloe Vera (ongoing contest)

I had one entry for the first contest. However, this is an ongoing venture so I’m optimistic that it will ignite more involvement. Having said that, this week’s Tasty Tresses is aloe vera. This may be a strange one to see here but aloe vera can be used internally as well as externally. Many people choose aloe vera as a health tonic.

What’s on the menu for your mane #2 – Aloe Vera

ALOE VERA: The gel found within the leaves of this plant has remarkable properties, including healing, soothing, antibacterial, antiseptic, emollient, and moisturizing qualities. Studies have shown aloe enhances cellular regeneration. The juice from aloe vera has been used as a shampoo, hair setting lotion, and condition, with remarkable results for both the hair and the scalp. Diseases of the scalp are often treated directly with aloe vera juice.

Here is an aloe vera hair recipe I found that uses common ingredients:

Tress Rescue Conditioner
2 ounces aloe vera gel
1/2 teaspoon olive, avocado, or jojoba oil
2 ounces organic apple cider vinegar
1 ounce powdered milk
Combine ingredients in a bowl, stirring to blend. Apply to freshly-washed damp hair. Allow to remain on hair for 10-30 minutes, then rinse thoroughly. Makes enough for one treatment. Discard leftovers.

I’ve also seen countless recipes that use dietary aloe vera as an ingredient in shampoos, hair spritzes, hair butter creams and hair gels. . . way too many to post here!

~Ongoing contest (click here for details and rules)~

Can you guess what next week’s hair food (or drink) will be?

Leave your entry below in the comment section.

Thanks for reading. Be blessed!

CallaLily

* Other recipes can be found in the "hair recipe" category to the right