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While there are several fine product lines on the market for the care and maintenance of curly hair, many girls with curls are advocating a move to more natural products, including those made at home. Below are several recipes you can use if you have an adventurous spirit and would like to experiment.

Apple Cider Vinegar Rinse

There is some debate on whether or not an apple cider vinegar (ACV) rinse alone can clarify the hair; however, it is helpful to bring the hair back into balance after an alkaline solution has come into contact with the hair and will shut the cuticle back down. Repeated use of ACV rinses can be drying, so limit use to once or twice per month at most:

Combine:

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar 1 cup warm water

Pour the mixture over the hair after cleansing (do not rinse out), then condition as usual. Any lingering smell will dissipate as the hair dries.

Baking Soda Clarification

With some silicone-based products, clarification must be done to remove the product that builds up over time on the hair shaft. Rather than resort to sulfate-based shampoos to remove this build-up, which can damage and dry the hair, a baking soda cleanse is preferable:

Combine:

1 tablespoon baking soda 3 tablespoons curly-friendly conditioner

Apply mixture to the scalp and massage firmly, then continue to massage the mixture down the hair shaft to the ends. Work into hair well. Rinse thoroughly with warm water and follow immediately with an apple cider vinegar rinse.

Note: you must follow any baking soda cleanse with an apple cider vinegar rinse. Baking soda is alkaline—meaning it will raise your cuticle and open up your hair shaft. The apple cider vinegar is acidic and will close your cuticle back down. If you don’t follow the cleanse with an ACV rinse, you’ll be leaving your hair shaft open and setting yourself up for more frizz than you’d probably like.

Chlorine Buster

It is always a good idea to rinse your hair with plain water prior to entering any swimming pool to prevent chlorine water from penetrating into your hair shaft; however, this remedy will help reverse any chlorine damage to unprotected hair.

Combine:

1 egg, beaten 2 tablespoons olive oil 1/4 cup pureed, peeled cucumber

Massage well into hair from scalp to ends, then cover with a plastic processing cap. Process for 30 minutes hour at room temperature, then cleanse hair with a non-sulfate based cleanser.

Deep Conditioning Treatment

No time for a deep conditioning treatment? Right before you go to sleep, rake a good deep moisture treatment through your slightly damp curls. Cover your hair completely with a plastic processing cap and/or a satin sleep bonnet and go to sleep (throw a towel over your pillowcase for extra protection). In the morning, rinse out the treatment, then scrunch in your styling products, style and go. Voilà! A deep conditioning treatment that doesn’t take hours from your day!

Essential Oil Blend for Hair Growth

Please note there is no guarantee this oil will stimulate hair growth in every individual. However, researchers from the Aberdeen Royal Infirmary in Scotland published a study of 86 individuals who used this oil for seven months and reported 44% of people in the treatment group had new hair growth compared to only 15% in the control group.

Combine:

3 drops cedarwood essential oil 3 drops lavender essential oil 3 drops lemon essential oil 3 drops rosemary essential oil 3 drops thyme essential oil 1/8 cup grapeseed oil 1/8 cup jojoba oil

Apply several drops of the mixture to areas of hair loss each night, massaging gently into the scalp for 3-5 minutes. Store oil tightly covered and keep away from heat and light. Contraindications: avoid rosemary essential oil when pregnant. Cautions: citrus oils are photosensitive and should not be applied prior to sun exposure.

Hair Detangler

Well-moisturized curly hair is virtually tangle-free, but this recipe can help with the tangles while you are in your re-hydration process. You can keep this in a spray bottle and spray it on in the shower to help detangle your hair while cleansing and conditioning:

Combine:

1 teaspoon aloe vera gel 1/2 teaspoon grapefruit seed extract 2 drops grapefruit essential oil 2 drops glycerin 8 ounces purified water Mix together in a spray bottle and keep in the shower. Spray lightly to help detangle hair. Cautions: citrus oils are photosensitive and should not be applied prior to sun exposure.

Honey Hair Conditioner

Honey is a natural humectant that can help restore moisture to dry hair. The antibacterial properties of honey will release low levels of hydrogen peroxide and can lighten the hair, however, so be sure to warm the honey before use—heating it will negate the effects of the peroxide.

Combine:

1/2 cup honey, warmed in the microwave 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Massage well into hair from scalp to ends, then cover with a plastic processing cap. Process for 30 minutes at room temperature, then cleanse hair with a non-sulfate cleanser. For added penetration, sit under a warm (not hot) dryer for 20 minutes.

Lavender Water Hair Spray

The benefits of lavender essential oil in hair care are many—it can help to disinfect your scalp and skin and it can be very effective on lice and lice eggs or nits. In addition, the scent of lavender has been shown to help reduce headaches, depression, anxiety and emotional stress.

Combine:

1 cup purified water 1/2 tablespoon curly-friendly conditioner or coconut oil 2 drops lavender essential oil

Combine in an 8 oz. spray bottle. Spray lightly on hair to refresh throughout the day. Shake well before each use. Contraindications: low blood pressure, pregnancy prior to second trimester.

Oily Scalp Treatment

While most curly women suffer from dry scalp, curly men often do battle with oily hair and scalp conditions. Whether you are a girl or a guy with curls, the witch hazel in this remedy will act as an astringent and the mouthwash includes antiseptic properties to help with oil reduction.

Combine:

3 tablespoons witch hazel 3 tablespoons mouthwash

Apply with cotton pads (only to your scalp); do not rinse. Cleanse as usual.

Olive Oil Treatment

Olive oil is one of the healthiest natural ingredients for hair that is extremely dehydrated and brittle. Girls with curls who have coarse hair, who historically have the hardest time keeping moisture in their hair, can greatly benefit from the following deep treatment on a monthly or twice-a-month basis (although this treatment is beneficial for anyone with dry hair):

Warm:

1/4 cup olive oil

Massage well into hair from scalp to ends, then cover with a plastic processing cap. Process for 30 minutes at room temperature, then cleanse hair with a non-sulfate cleanser. For added penetration, sit under a warm (not hot) dryer for 20 minutes.

Tip: you can buy a can of olive oil cooking spray (such as Pam®) and use it to spray lightly on hair for shine and frizz control. Be judicious, as you do not want to make yourself oily from using too much. Keeping the spray can at least 10 inches from your hair while spraying will also help to ensure any propellants will dissipate before reaching your hair.

Protein Pack

Some girls with curls, especially those with fine hair, have a tendency to become too over-moisturized with emollients and need additional protein treatments to restore the health of their hair. This is also helpful for lightened (bleached) hair that has not been properly reconstructed after the chemical service:

Combine:

1 egg, beaten 1 tablespoon mayonnaise (the full fat kind, not the reduced fat) 2 teaspoons olive oil

Massage well into hair from scalp to ends, then cover with a plastic processing cap. Process for one hour at room temperature, then cleanse hair with a non-sulfate cleanser. For added penetration, sit under a warm (not hot) dryer for 30 minutes.

What hair recipes have you tried that are not listed above? Any plans to try a new homemade recipe in your weekend hair regimen?

Since I’m still in the “infancy stage” of my big chop (May 12, 2011), I am always on YouTube and other natural hair blogging sites trying to find a hairstyle that is easy to create and will look good on me. I had about two inches of new growth when I did my big chop and it’s grown about two extra inches since then. One of the natural hair blogs I follow, NaturallyCurly.com, has photos of curly hairstyles for wavy to curly kinky hair types. I browsed a few of the pictures on there and the section that caught my eye was the Curly Hairstyles by Hair Length. I have short hair (not too short and not long enough), so the photos in this section will be particularly appealing to me. I plan to bookmark this page and browse this section in the upcoming weeks to find new hairstyles to rock! I have tried the “fro hawk” and didn’t care for this hairstyle and needless to say I won’t be wearing it anymore. Something about it reminds me of Mr. T from the TV show “The A-Team.”

Any who, if you’re looking for new hairstyles to rock based on your hair length, hair type, or you have a special engagement you are attending and want to look your best, I would suggest visiting the NaturallyCurly.com website and checking out some of the fab photos on display! Enjoy!

Let’s see. On the 12th of this month (1/12/12), I celebrated my 8 month natural hair anniversary, since my big chop. I took some pictures of what my length looks like now. I am so happy for my progress and also have a few pictures of the twist outs I’ve been wearing. I also celebrated my 1 year anniversary (Jan 19th) of my decision to go natural and started transitioning on this day. I have enjoyed this journey learning what products my hair loves and hates. Don’t get me wrong! There have been times that I’ve hated how my hair acts after I envisioned a certain hairstyle, only to end up throwing a headband on and calling it a day. I’ve learned that being natural takes patience and perseverance. Time and energy. Faith and understanding. And slowly weaning myself from Hand-in-Hair (HIH) syndrome! There have been times that I would throw my hands up and say, “Forget it! I’m just putting another relaxer in my hair.” However, when I think about WHY I started this journey and keeping my eye on the goals I set at the beginning of my journey, it is becoming easier. Trust me. Momma always said there’d be days like this!

The products I’ve been using lately have been the Shea Moisture line. I haven’t tried all of them, but I’m currently using the Deep Cleansing Shampoo, Balancing Conditioner, Curl Enhancing Smoothie, Curling Soufflé, and Curl & Style Milk. My hair has become really soft and moisturized after using these products. I shampoo and condition my hair once a week, deep condition (Queen Helen’s Cholesterol Conditioner) about twice a month, do a hot oil treatment about once or twice a month, and only co-wash when I think my hair needs it. I’ll continue using these products until my hair says otherwise. It took a little while and many, many different product tries to determine what works for my hair. I’ve become somewhat of a product junkie, but it took becoming this to find products that worked for me, myself, and I.

I haven’t been wearing any protective styles for the winter months. Mainly because my hair isn’t long enough yet to wear the two strand twists, or box braids. I did put some mini twists in back in October of last year, but haven’t had the time or patience to try that again. I’ve done the finger coils when my hair was a little shorter and haven’t attempted them again. These are probably two hairstyles I may need to revisit in the next few weeks, since my hair is a little longer than when I first attempted them. If I do, I’ll post pictures, or try to do a video of me doing them.

I haven’t gotten into the wig thing yet, but may check some out for later in the year. As far as doing protective styling with braids, I could have done the box braids or kinky twists, but tried the kinky twists right after my big chop and 1: the braids kept falling out (had me walking around looking crazy!), and 2: the kinky hair had my head itching like I had lice or something! Therefore, I probably won’t ever go back to putting additional hair in my head, but I’ve been making sure my hair stays very moisturized during these cold, winter months.

Anyway, I’ll be back with my nine month update and more pictures in a few weeks, but here is my progress thus far.

8th month length check

8th month length check- Side

8th month length check- Back

8th month length check- Top

Bantu Knots

Two Strand Twists

Twist Out from Two Strand Twists

How are you doing on your natural hair journey?

However, after transitioning for only four months (got tired of fighting the natural hair and relaxed hair wars) I finally decided to do my big chop. Afterwards, I was neither excited nor sad that I had made the decision. I was sort of indecisive about my decision and chose to put kinky twists in my hair until I could come to grips about the move. This took only two weeks and I removed the kinky twists and since then, I’ve been rocking my natural hair in many different and love versatility that natural hair offers.

Are you thinking about going natural, but not sure what you need to do? Check out this article by Dr. Phoenyx Austin via Madame Noire on five things you need to know before making the decision to go natural.

In addition, read other natural hair blogs, view YouTube videos on natural hair and transitioning, and join a couple of natural hair forums to get the information you need to help you transition to natural hair.