by Sherrell Dorsey of OrganicBeautyVixen.comAt times I suffer from what I like to call ALC, also known as Ashy Loc Syndrome. Since I could remember, I’ve always had extremely dry hair and scalp. My mom would “grease” my scalp with the coconut gel (you remember the one that came in the jar and was blue) and give me hot oil treatments with a bottle of V05.
My other tried and true moisturizers were Luster’s Pink Lotion, castor oil and a host of other gunk that left my hair shiny but also with massive amounts of residue.
So what’s a kinky-hair girl to do to add some hydration to her luscious locks? Head to your kitchen! After spending ridiculous amounts of money on moisturizers, masques and the like, the only thing that I’ve found that works for me is the same thing I use to suatee my veggies and mositurize my skin …. olive oil.
Mix up your own home-made hair moisturizer in several different ways to keep you hair shiny, healthy, soft and hydrated without dropping major dough. I do a daily dousing of extra virgin olive oil on my hair. I pick mine up from Trader Joe’s for less than seven bucks and spread it easily through my locs and massage it into my scalp. I don’t have issues with the oil breaking out my skin or being too greasy to do the other things I need to do. And to think, I’ve wasted so much time on things that didn’t work, all I needed to do was open the cabinet!
Here are a few of my great tips and tricks for using olive oil for your hair.
- Hydrating Spray – Grab a spray bottle, fill it half way with water and add three table spoons of olive oil. That’s all you need… Oil and water (what most of our products are made of anyways…. go figure). Shake well and use daily to add moisture to the hair. Spray liberally. You can always make more!
- Scalp Renewal – Give your scalp a little bit of love by using a dropper to apply olive oil directly to dry areas. Massage into the scalp and feel the love.
- Deep Conditioning – My friend and I came up with this little dry hair trick. After shampooing hair, douse your hair with olive oil and cover with a plastic cap for 20 minutes. Rinse out and run your hands through your super soft mane.
You can add rosemary, lavender, sage and even a few drops of your favorite tea to customize your scent. Have fun with your eco-beauty and budget-friendly moisturizer.
Do you have any haute home remedies for dealing with dry natural hair?
Sherrell Dorsey is a natural beauty expert, writer, speaker and advocate of health, wellness and sustainability in communities of color. In addition to creating OrganicBeautyVixen.com, Sherrell writes beauty articles for Tyra Banks’s beauty and fashion site TypeF.com, Jones Magazine, MySalonScoop.com and Posh Beauty. Follow Sherrell on twitter at www.twitter.com/organicvixen and connect with her on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/
I use rosemary in my locs, and its really good for colour and sheen. I prepare it as a tea by pouring boiling water on the rosemary, then put it in the fridge to cool while i wash my hair. Then I use the rosemary mix to rinse my hair thoroughly. I also put the mix in a spray bottle with some olive oil and spray on the hair to moisterise.
@Dolores
I have noticed that many of the butters and moisturizers for hair are also used for skin. Take many of the popular butters- shea, mango, cocoa, etc as well as the other ingredients such as Aloe Vera. I think the difference for me is that my hair requires a deeper level of moisture than my skin. My skin is still alive and receives moisture from my body as well as what I put on it. Where my hair is just what I put on it and sebum that my scalp releases. So I tend to use more intensive items on my hair.
HTH
Has anyone ever tried putting skin lotion in their hair? I have, and it made my hair soft and moisturized. I like it b/c it's not greasy, not tacky (or "product-y"), and it doesn't flake or cause shrinkage (if you use a small amount). I discovered it by noticing that many of the top ingredients in lotion are also in conditioner. I prefer the lotion b/c it evaporates/dries faster, it does not require water, and it is lighter. Thoughts?
Prior to washing a cover my hair with EVOO and let it set it in for at least 45mins as I do things around the house. This keeps the shampoo from drying my hair out during the wash!
Jherri curl moisturizer. Usually worlds of curls. I add EO's too it because I don't like the smell. That's it.
great tips! I need these for my twists! Also, recently, I've noticed that Miss Jessie's Buttercream works REALLY well in keeping my 4b hair moisturized while in twists. This is the first time that my twists have stayed completely moisturized for more than a day (most moisturizers leave me high and dry within a few short hours). I'd say that the buttercreme is worth a try on twists. It may be too much for loose hair.
http://artofbeingcool.blogspot.com/ (check out my Throwback ;))