Thursday

Make Your Carrier Oils For Your Hair Last Longer


How to make your Carrier oils last longer

Hey Curly's

I purchased some vegetable oils for my hair a while ago, and went to reach for one to make my hair oil and to my surprise it smelled funny. No that was a understatement it was down right funky. LOL! It was rancid or spoiled if you will, and i could have kicked myself because thinking back i remembered i didn't do much to try to extend the life of my precious oils. I mean I paid enough for them why not try to make them last? So i remembered what i learned when i would make my homemade soaps that there are steps you can take to preserve your oils a bit. So here's a little of what I know about it.


Carrier oils (soft oils) by nature are unsaturated fats which mean they go rancid after a period of time. Because they are more receptive to oxygen than saturated fats they oxidize and smell funny.

Because solid oils (hard oils) such as coconut oil, palm oil, or nut butters are saturated fats they do not need to be preserved making their shelf life extremely long.

So to extend the shelf life of your liquid oils, as well as extend the life of soap for all the natural soap makers. it is a good idea to add vitamin E oil to act as a preservative. It is best to use a antioxidant such as a mixed-tocopherol vitamin E for the best benefit.


Vitamin E is composed of many types of tocopherols, such as alpha, gamma, and omega,


Alpha are especially good effective for healing the skin, so as a mixed tocopherol vitamin E your getting the optimum preservative in vitamin E oil.



Rosemary extract is an excellent antioxidant



Grapefruit seed oil is not an antioxidant but it does have anti-fungal and antibacterial properties.

So you paid your money for those oils and some can be costly so extend the shelf life.

Tuesday

How To Detangle Your Curly Natural Hair.

Do you remember when you were younger, and you never wanted your hair combed, because it hurt so muchhhh? You cried, you sobbed possibly got hit with the comb because you just couldnt sit still. Well thank goodness those days are gone. If only mama knew what we know now.

Saying Goodye to Snap-Crackle & Pop
*One thing all natural curly's need to know is never, ever try to detangle or comb through natural hair while it's dry.
*Never, ever start combing the hair from the roots.

What you will need.
-Hair clips (depending on length of hair)
-Detangler of choice (i use a home made mixture)
-Wide tooth comb ( i use a large rake comb)
-Or detangling brush (A lot of curly use a denman brush there are others also).
-Also with longer hair in addition to brush or comb utilize your fingers.


When using a water & glycerin mixture, (also used as a moisturizer)
or a hair detangler.

Step 1 Spray on hair working throughout.
Step 2 Begin detangling at the ends first working up towards the scalp until hair is fully untangled.


When using a conditioner (used during co-wash or as a conditioner)
make sure hair is wet first

Step 1. Section hair and clip. (detangling 1 section at a time)
Step 2. Spray hair with water
Step 3. Spray on or apply the detangler of your choice
Step 4. massage in well
step 5. *start detangling at the ends first working up to the scalp
then place back in clips. clip back up

TIPS
While rinsing your hair, after detangling it, do not wash out all of the conditioner. Leave some of the conditioner in the hair, as it would protect your hair until the next wash.

Sunday

Moisturizing Your Kinky,Curly,Coily Natural Hair

Do Oils & Butters = Moisturizing?


I remember as a child running to go get the comb, brush, and a jar of grease either Vaseline or Dax because it was time to get my hair done. And it seemed no matter how much was slathered on my hair the combing process was so excruciating, and I was told "your soooo tender headed"
Oh sure water was occasionally sprayed on the hair, and the grease helped some. Well my hair got done but there should have been a better way.

Why Mineral oil is not the best for your natural hair.
Yes Mama and big big Mama used it as well as many other folk, but mostly because it's cheap. If we could have afforded to buy nut oils and butters and if they were readily available I'm sure we would have. But we have always had to work with whatever we had. hence the use of Vaseline, mineral oil, and petrolatum for everything. But this should make you think twice.

Mineral oil is a derivative of crude oil (petroleum) that is used industrially as a cutting fluid and lubricating oil. This commonly used petroleum ingredient coats the skin and hair just like plastic wrap. The skin's natural barrier is disrupted as this plastic coating inhibits its ability to breathe and absorb moisture and nutrition. The skin's ability to release toxins and wastes is impossible through this "plastic wrap," which can promote acne and other disorders. It further hinders normal skin respiration/transpiration by keeping oxygen out. This process slows down skin function and normal cell development causing the skin to prematurely age. Petrolatum - A petroleum-based grease that is used industrially as a grease component. Petrolatum exhibits many of the same potentially harmful properties as mineral oil. Just know it cost more money to dispose of this oil then to sell cheaply to manufactures that use it in cheap bath and body products.

Moisturizing
The first step in moisturizing the hair is WATER. Water has to be present but, water evaporates too quickly so something more is needed.

This is where EMOLLIENTS come in which are oils & butters.
vegetable,(corn) ex
fruit(olive) ex
nut (sweet almond) ex
seed (sesame) ex
butters (cocoa,Shea) etc.
These emollients work with water to help seal in moisture.
Other natural emollients include jojoba oil (which is considered a wax more than a oil), rosehip seed oil, and avocado oil

Now we need a bridge between the water and the oil.

These are known as HUMECTANTS.
Humectants by definition are substances that are added or applied to another to help it to retain moisture such as glycerin.

Glycerin is a colorless orderless sweet syrupy liquid, and is a natural by-product of soap. It can come from vegetable fat or animal fat.(vegetable is best) Glycerin acts as a humectant, drawing moisture from the air , and holding it to the skin or hair. This makes it emollient and moisturizing. It is also a form of alcohol. A lot of naturals use the infamous glycerin and water mixture for detangling and as a moisturizer and it works wonders for them.


Other natural humectants are used in most hair care products include honey, Lecithin, Panethol (pro vitamin .B5), and vitamin E (mixed tocopherol)

When it comes to moisturizing your tresses these are three things that be included in your moisturizers. as well as any other plant extracts, essential oils etc

So whats in my water bottle you ask?
Spring water
honey
Vitamin E
EPO Evening primrose oil
jojoba
sweet almond
safflower
black Castor oil