Lite’G Oatmeal Water Conditioner Recipe


Making a light (Lite’G) version of the Oatmeal Water Conditioner Recipe was necessary for my youngest daughter’s hair. I tried the regular version on her, and because all hair types (she is type 4A) are different, the product left her hair oily and weighed down. I did some online research and found information about safflower oil and babassu oil as lighter substitutes for the olive oil and the coconut oil in the original recipe. I mixed it up, applied it and crossed my fingers.

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Lite’G Oatmeal Water Conditioner applied to detangled hair

The picture above of her hair with the Lite’G conditioner on it was taken after she had her hair blown out for a week after I used my Low-Heat Protection Lotion Recipe on her. I noticed a difference in my daughter’s hair and how moisturized it felt. Detangling her hair was quick work. Because this conditioner doesn’t have waxy emollients in it, the detangling advantages are from all the slip in the oatmeal, oils, and guar gum. This light version is “the business” for my daughter’s hair!

 

Ingredients

1 cup oatmeal water  (see below for recipe)

2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon safflower oil

2 tablespoons babassu oil

1/2 teaspoon guar gum (trial-size available)

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Oatmeal Water Recipe

1/2 cup Whole Grain Old Fashioned Oats

1 1/2 cup water

 

To Make

Combine the oats and water in a container and allow to soak for 1 hour. Pour mixture into a 2-cup capacity container and use a stick blender to blend, about 1 minute. Strain and retain the liquid. Discard the solid oats. Use immediately. Makes about 1 cup of oatmeal water.

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Lite’G Oatmeal Water Conditioner Recipe

One Hour Before

Prepare Oatmeal Water.

 

To Make

Combine all ingredients into a 2-cup capacity container and stir with a spoon. Use a stick blender to blend ingredients thoroughly, about 1 minute. Allow mix to settle and thicken for about 15 minutes. Use immediately. Makes enough conditioner for bra-strap length (BSL) hair.

 

To Use

Apply after shampooing to saturate hair. Cover head with plastic cap and allow to sit for up to 1 hour. This conditioner can be used with a bonnet dryer for deep penetration. Rinse hair and scalp thoroughly until water is clear. Do not use as a leave-in.

I would love your feedback on this recipe! ❤ Ally

Pear Juice CoWash Recipe


pbnw-yellowbartlett-main-s

 

My Philosophy on CoWashing

CoWashing is a great supplement to the shampooing routine, but it should not completely replace shampooing the hair. Products will not perform as designed if there is buildup blocking the product from coating or penetrating the hair shaft. Removing deposits on the hair with a mild detergent is vital to the hairs strength and health. CoWashing is an option that can give you a little extra time before you eventually have to remove the product buildup off of your hair. This pear juice CoWash recipe is gentle and effective at making the hair more pliable and can revive the hair quickly in situations where there is no time for a full wash routine. I found some great information about the amazing health benefits of pears (Stylecraze.com) in the highlighted link and my hair felt gently cleansed and infused with moisture. Even my highlights seemed brighter. Give it a try and I would love to hear the feedback on this recipe.

Pear Juice Cowash Day after CoWash sprayed with water and styling cream applied.

 

Ingredients

½ cup Chamomile Herb Mix (save the other ½ cup as reserve, see below for recipe)

½ cup fresh pear juice from 1-2 very ripe green Bartlett pears

½ teaspoon guar gum (trial-size available)

1 teaspoon glycerin

1 teaspoon cetyl alcohol (trial-size available)

1 ¾ tablespoons emulsifying wax

3 teaspoons coconut oil

 


 

Chamomile Tea Recipe

 

2 Tbsp. chamomile flowers

1 Cup Water

To Make: Use a ratio of 1 cup of water to 2 tbsp of the dried herb. Pour boiling water over herbs and allow to steep 2 hours in a closed container. Strain herbs and discard. Use remaining liquid.

 


 

Pear Juice CoWash Recipe

To Make

Make chamomile tea in a separate pot.  Use a juicer to extract the pear juice. When chamomile tea is cooled to warm, measure out ½ cup and add ½ cup pear juice and glycerin. Add guar gum slowly to the pear juice mix and stir (the mix should be relatively thick).

Heat coconut oil in the other pot in a small double boiler and add the cetyl alcohol and emulsifying wax. When the water in the bottom pot reaches the boiling point, the cetyl alcohol and the emulsifying wax will dissolve in the coconut oil, about 5 minutes.

Immediately combine the warm pear juice mix with the hot coconut oil (If you do it the other way around you will lose oil) in a heat-proof container (I used a thick glass Pyrex 2-cup measuring cup) and blend 2-3 mins. Allow the mix to cool 10 minutes. The mix should be the consistency of a very rich and thick CoWash. If the mix seems too thick, add some of the chamomile tea reserve to loosen it up. Allow the mix to cool to room temperature. Use immediately.

To Use

Rinse hair thoroughly of as much buildup as possible with warm water. Apply the conditioner evenly to cover all the hair and make sure to massage to the scalp. Cover with a plastic cap and sit under a very warm hooded dryer or dryer cap for at least ½ hour until hair is warm throughout. Remove plastic cap and immediately massage scalp and smooth hair for 1 to 2 minutes. Rinse until water runs clear and hair and scalp are completely free of conditioner. Do not use as a leave-in.

Caution

 The liquids in the recipe are at scalding temperatures. Natural Hair Mixology (Owner, Altaress C.) is not responsible for the assumption of risk in the execution of this recipe.

I would love your feedback on this recipe! ❤ Ally

Low-Heat Protection Lotion Recipe


Low-Heat Protection Lotion


Lotions are so easy to make! The Low-Heat Protection Lotion recipe is vital for Naturalistas who like to change-up their hair texture from time-to-time. This lotion allows the versatility to go from kinky to a blow-out with the grapeseed oil acting as a heat-protectant.

3 Benefits to Using Grapeseed Oil in a Lotion

1. The grapeseed oil is pre-measured into the lotion which avoids overuse of the oil.

2. Using grapeseed oil in lotion form assures more even distribution of the oil in the hair.

3. Application of grapeseed oil in a lotion reduces oil transfer on clothing and pillowcases.

Check out the results when I use the lotion on my daughter’s hair in the post Blowout Results with Low-Heat Protection Lotion.

 

Ingredients

2 ½ teaspoons cetyl alcohol (trial-size available)

3/4 cup lavender tea (see below for recipe)

3 ½ tablespoons grapeseed oil

1/2 teaspoon guar gum (trial-size available)


 

Lavender Herb Tea Recipe

2 tablespoons lavender flowers

1 cup water

 

To Make

Use a ratio of 1 cup of water to 2 tbsp of the dried herb. Pour boiling water over herbs and allow to steep 2 hours in a closed container. Strain herbs and discard. Use remaining liquid.


 

Low-Heat Protection Lotion Recipe

To Make

Make lavender tea in a separate pot.  When the lavender tea cools to warm, add guar gum slowly and stir. Mix grapeseed oil with the cetyl alcohol in another pot in a small double boiler. When the water in the bottom pot of the double boiler reaches the boiling point, the cetyl alcohol will dissolve in the grapeseed oil, about 5 minutes.  Immediately combine the warm lavender tea with the hot grapeseed oil (If you do it the other way around you will lose oil) in a 2-cup capacity container and use a stick blender to blend 2-3 minutes. The mix should be the consistency of a lotion at this time. Allow the mix to cool to room temperature and then refrigerate. Use immediately.

To Use

The lotion can be used on either damp or dry hair. To use on damp hair, after shampooing and conditioning, rub a small amount in hands and distribute throughout clean damp hair. Follow with normal styling routine. On dry hair, start with a small amount on the ends and work up the hair shaft as you smooth down the cuticle of the hair.

Caution

The liquids in the recipe are at scalding temperatures. Mixolo’G, Natural Hair Mixology is not responsible for the assumption of risk in the execution of this recipe.

I would love your feedback on this recipe! ❤ Ally

When It All Comes Together



Fathers Day 2014 2

We all put a lot of work into our hair so that we can gauge how healthy it is and predict how a style will come out when it is really important to look our best. I want to be better at not only formulating recipes to make dynamic products, I want to combine them into a styling regimen that gives me results that I can depend on. Yesterday I could predict that my girls and I would have a good hair day, and that made me feel confident in the recipes that I’m publishing. I’m waiting for the mail man to deliver the goods for more recipes, so stay tuned.

Happy Father’s Day to everyone.

Flax Seed


Flax seed is unlike other gels that dry the hair. Flax seed actually can strengthen the hair by coating it with beneficial Omega-3 fatty acids. Flax seed transfers the fatty acid through the mucilage that it produces when boiled (Chagrin Valley Soap and Salve). Flaxseed gel gives a gentle hold with no flakiness when I use it in my recipes.

I purchased flax seed through Mountain Rose Herbs. To purchase a tria-size amount, click here. If you are into comparative shopping, try a Google search of flax seed and then click the “Shopping” tab. Let me know if you find this ingredient locally or for less $$$!

I would love to know how you use this ingredient! ❤ Ally

Professional Color-Minimal Breakage



Banana Coffee Deep Conditioner
I guess you can call this post a teaser…I may start a new blog on professional color. Has anyone had experience with it? As a cosmetologist I have my technique, but I want to see if the interest is there.

Day 2 hair after conditioner. I just refreshed with plain water today. Man oh man I miss football season! Shoutout to BlitzChics for the dope shirt!

Chamomile Flowers


Chamomile Flower rinses are known as wonderful conditioning treatments for the hair. Chamomile flowers have infused my Slippery Soft Hair Lotion Recipe  with amazing softness and great slip, and it’s also great for soothing the scalp. (Chagrin Valley Soap and Salve).

I purchased chamomile flowers at Amazon.com. If you are into comparative shopping, try a Google search of chamomile flowers and then click the “Shopping” tab. Let me know if you find this ingredient locally or for less $$$!

I would love to know how you use this ingredient! ❤ Ally

Banana Coffee Deep Conditioner Recipe


image_1 (1) Before pic, nice and dry (Scroll down for after pic!)

After spending all day in the intense sun yesterday at Santa Cruz, my hair was THIRSTY. I love my Oatmeal Water Conditioner (see under Recipe tab) but I needed to give it some deep conditioning power. There are many banana conditioner recipes out there, but I wanted to build on what I knew works for my hair. I thought of using coffee off the top of my head, did some research, and decided to try it with the banana. I LOVE the results!!!

Ingredients

Prepared Oatmeal Water Conditioner Recipe substituting avocado oil for olive oil (optional)

1/2 overripe banana

2 tablespoons coffee

Banana Coffee Deep Conditioner 1  Overripe bananas and coffee

 

I wanted to include a picture of how ripe my bananas were so you can visualize what I used (Just use 1/2 a banana!). The softness and gooeyness of overripe bananas are perfect for deep-conditioning.

 

To Make

Prepare Oatmeal Water Conditioner Recipe. Cut up the 1/2 of a banana into 1-inch pieces. Add the bananas and coffee to conditioner and use a stick blender to mix. Use immediately.

 

To Use

Apply after shampooing to saturate hair. Cover head with plastic cap and allow to sit for up to 1 hour. This conditioner can be used with a bonnet dryer for deep penetration. Rinse hair and scalp thoroughly until water is clear. Do not use as a leave-in.

 Banana Coffee Deep Conditioner 4

After pic…never thought my hair would blow in the wind 🙂

I would love your feedback on this recipe! ❤ Ally

Why Glycerin and I Don’t Mix



Glycerin Article

I can’t remember the last time it rained

I live in California and it is so HOT and DRY here. We are in the midst of a worsening drought and I can tell by all the dust on my furniture. Now my hair needs extra special attention under these conditions. I need styling products that will seal and hold moisture in as long as possible until I can refresh my hair with spritzing and another layer of sealant. I heard about glycerin and wanted to give it a try so I bought some, mixed it with water, sprayed my hair down, and went about my business. By the end of the day my hair was telling me NO!!! Glycerin is not the move. And I thought, why does it work for so many others and not for me? I dismissed it as just being a hair-type thing until I read how glycerin reacts in dry conditions. Glycerin can attract moisture TO your hair, if there is moisture in the atmosphere. Good for the East Coast Naturalistas that live in a humid environment and need a moisture boost. But if the environment has little to no moisture in the air, like drought-stricken California, then the glycerin will leech the moisture from your hair! I learned a lesson to think about my environment as well as my hair type when I test an ingredient and its effect on my hair. Because of my environment, my recipes for styling products and leave-ins will most likely be glycerin –free.

But feel free to add it to the recipes if it works for your hair! Here’s a link to Amazon.com for purchase.

Why Glycerin and I Don't Mix

Please let me know if this information was helpful! ❤ Ally

 

Cetyl Alcohol


Cetyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol that is naturally derived from animals and plants and is used to formulate conditioners. It will improve product texture, act as a lubricant, and facilitate moisture retention.  It benefits the hair by allowing the product to spread evenly throughout the hair, softens the hair, and seals in moisture which is great for the hair and the scalp. (Livestrong.com).

I purchased cetyl alcohol through Amazon.com. To purchase a trial-size amount, click here. If you are into comparative shopping, try a Google search of cetyl alcohol and then click the “Shopping” tab. Let me know if you find this ingredient locally or for less $$$!

cetyl alcohol photo

Photo is not endorsing any brand

I would love to know how you use this ingredient! ❤ Ally