Your Crowning Glory

A Beautiful Mess of Tresses

As you may have guessed this post is all about hair... long hair, short hair, curly hair, straight hair, fine hair, thick hair, red, brown, blonde, black hair, messy hair, unruly hair... the list can go on hair lol 

I shall be giving you a few hints and tips, and recipes for how to make your own hair products naturally.

This is a pic I took of my hair today its two days in from washing it, unstyled. I have naturally coarse quite greasy hair that cannot make up its mind. 

Our hair defines us, we all want it to look its best, it's our main accessory to our wardrobe. So I know when I am having a major wardrobe malfunction it stems from having a bad hair day. We all get those moments and it cant be helped, from shifting hormonal patterns to a bad diet. All we can do is eat the best organic food we can find, treat our insides well as we do out outsides, and our body, hair and skin will reward us back accordingly.

So to start, you will need to make sure you are eating all the right things and drinking plenty of water, as a solid foundation. (That will come in a different post at a later date) 

To make a start with caring for your hair naturally, it takes patience and time. There are quite a few recipes out there for home made shampoos, for which I have personally tried and tested most of them. I have had some serious bad hair days as a result of that (plus I have the photos to prove it!) 

The transition over from commercial detergent based shampoos (that have sls's parabens/preservatives and lots of other nasty chemicals that I cannot even pronounce) to natural is not an easy task. Most people don't stick to the transition as it can take up to 6 weeks for hair and scalp to balance itself out with its oil production and normalise. I know this, as I nearly gave up. But I figured I have come this far, it would be a shame to stop now. I ended up having to wear hats and head scarves over that 6 week period as my hair was an icky sticky mess and looked a very sorry sight indeed. However I was determined I was going to get this right. 

Now after a year of using a natural solid bar base shampoo, my crowning glory is at its finest it has ever been. It is now half way down my back its not been cut for that whole year, and I have not one single split end. 

I use natural hair dyes like henna, indigo, walnut powder, amla powder (all on separate occasions) All of these are very good for your hair and act like deep conditioning treatments as you are dying!

The one I use the most is the amla powder maybe once every two weeks. I mix it in with coconut milk until it becomes a paste much like custard texture and slather my hair in it. Wrap it up in cling film and leave it on for half an hour, rinse, then I go about washing it normally with my shampoo bar. Amla powder is made out of dried indian goosberry, and naturally darkens and deep conditions hair. As you can see doing things naturally seems back to front. but its the best way to do it. You condition then you wash.

Now onto shampoo bars. They are good for the environment as they don't use plastic packaging, and do not contain any nasties.

Here's a basic recipe that I use to make a luxurious shampoo bar:
What you will need is: 
5oz Castor oil
2oz Cocoa butter
9oz coconut oil
3oz Jojoba oil
9oz Olive oil
2oz Shea butter
1oz Beeswax

10oz water*
4.05oz of lye

*here you can make a herbal infusion of your choice instead of just plain water
Also optional but not necessary up to 2% essential oils of choice. 

As there are hundreds of tutorials online of how to make your own cold process soap,I shall let you do your own research. 

Dont want to make it? You can find it in my shop here or visit my store for various scented shampoo bars.

Citrus Burst shampoo bar

My youngest showing off her locks after freshly washing it lol hers is fine and flyaway

My Eldest has the thickest most unruly hair on the planet. I took this photo of her not long after getting out of bed haha she was not impressed with me.

As you can see from the above photo's all three of us have very different hair types. We all use my shampoo bars and we don't use a conditioner anymore. 

This bar makes for a very dense lather and is highly moisturising to the point I don't need a conditioner. But for extra added shine I give a final rinse to my hair with a Apple Cider vinegar solution, which is:

1tbsp ACV
1cup water**
10-12 drops of essential oils of choice. Please note if you add the essential oils you will have a lingering scent on your hair until your next wash.

**Another variation of this is to make a herbal tea instead of plain water and add the essential oils, or choose to just have the herbal tea.

A good mix of herbal tea recipe for all hair types is as follows:
This one is an all time favourite in my house as I tend to have all these herbs to hand and one size fits all :)

Rosemary & Thyme herbal rinse for all hairtypes:
1Tbsp rosemary
1Tbsp thyme
1tbsp comfrey
1tbsp calendula
1tbsp marshmallow root
1tbsp burdock root

Mix it all together in a bowl and store in a jar to use whenever needed. 
To use, all that is needed is 1 tbsp of herb per hot cup of water, cover (to allow for all the herbal goodness stay in the tea) steep for around 15 mins strain out the herbs, then rinse over your hair.. and thats it! How simple is that!

If you don't have the time or the herbs to make this yourself please don't forget to visit my website to get yours today. For rinses specifically for different hair types please take a look at the different options available.

Here is an explanation and breakdown of what each herb is good for:

Rosemary stimulates new hair growth by improving the circulation to your scalp. It is antibacterial and gently cleanses. Increases shine to your tresses, fights premature graying, and also relieves irritated, dry, flaky scalps. 

Thyme has antiseptic and antifungal properties that cleanse, heal and soothe the scalp. It's helps ease dandruff and stimulates the hair follicles to help with hair loss.

Comfrey, gives the conditioning 'slip' that your hair needs therefore softening your hair. Therefore giving lifeless hair body and bounce. Your hair will feel softer, shinier and stronger. 

Calendula, another soothing herb for sensitive scalps, rich in plant minerals that protect hair from free radicals, and the scalp from bacterial growth. Adds shine to dull hair. 

Marsh mallow root, is high in mucilage, giving extra slip, to help detangle, condition and moisturise hair. High in plant proteins, marsh mallow nourishes the scalp promoting healthy hair growth and lustre.

Burdock Root, rich in fatty acids that stimulate blood flow to the scalp, nourishes and strengthens hair follicles, to promote healthy hair growth and improve the overall condition of hair. The silica and phytosterols in burdock help soothe irritated scalp conditions like dandruff, decrease breakage and repair hair while adding sheen, hydration & luster. It increases shine and gives body to limp hair. The mucilage in Burdock Root also helps add “slip” to your hair to make detangling easier.

How to clarify your hair:

If you find your hair is quite gunky and has a build up of styling products, two ingredients are needed. Bicarbonate of soda and water. before you wash your hair prepare a mix by adding 1-2 tbsp of bicarb to a cup or two of water wet your hair then rinse it through, massage your scalp and bring it down the shaft of your hair. Then rinse your hair with water and wash as normal.

For a more intense clarifying mix, make your bicarb solution into a paste by adding less water.and massage it gently to the scalp for a few mins. Wash it out with water then wash hair as per normal.

I will write up a separate post on how to make your own hairstyling products naturally, from hair balms, to hairspray, to hair gel... look out for the next post

Happy washing!!