Natural Hair - Get Creative With Homemade Recipes

Do you wear your hair natural? No lye? As many will tell you, once you make a change to go natural your hair regimen must also change. This frequently includes an adjustment to the types of products you use on your coils. A number of your old stand-bys may no longer lend you the same results on your kinks as they did on your straight hair.

Product junkies will agree -- you can spend hundreds of dollars testing out the numerous products available on the market, many of which are supposedly intended for natural hair use. However, breaking the bank is really not necessary for a healthy, strong and shiny natural. You already have key ingredients in your own kitchen and bathroom!

Creating your own hair recipes not only saves money, but allows for a more intimate relationship with your hair -- you can gain a much better insight as to what your hair craves, prefers, or rejects with your at-home experiments.

Get creative! There are a few simple rules to follow to find your perfect concoctions:

* Don't mix too many things at once. Start out with simple recipes, say, mixing one main ingredient and adding a small amount of another. It's much easier to determine what worked and what didn't when your ingredients list is limited.

* Create two-ingredient mixes and try them until you find a mix that works well on your hair. If it's a "perfect" mix, continue using it! If it's a "pretty good" mix, retry the recipe with the same main ingredient then alter the secondary ingredient until you reach perfection. You may find you need to reverse the amounts used, making the main ingredient the secondary ingredient.

* If there is one particular ingredient you find most always works well on your hair, make it a staple for your hair recipes, adding it as a standard part of all your recipes.

* Alter the way you apply the mixes to your hair. Try dousing your hair with your Super Yogurt Surprise while your hair is drenching wet in the shower. Does it work well this way? Try another time by making it a bit more liquidy and spritz it on your dried hair with a spray bottle. Perhaps your hair responds better to this application.

* For ingredients, a general rule of thumb is if it's ok to ingest, it's probably ok to apply to your hair as well. Pureed fruit, honey, apple cider vinegar and many more items are great additions to homemade hair recipes.

* Take note of what works for you and how it worked. Some recipes may be better for clarifying while others make for great deep conditioners.

* Search and compare! If you're a little timid about applying egg whites to your hair, make use of resources available to you before doing so. Search the Internet for your particular ingredients. You just may find others who have tried the same type of recipe and enjoyed success or experienced a nightmare.

* Go beyond your kitchen! Many cities have well-stocked health food and natural stores with a huge selection of ingredients to boost your hair recipes. Experiment with essential oils (a few drops go a long way!), xanthum gum (a thickener, also known as xanthan), as well as conditioners and leave-ins you won't likely find at department stores and drug stores.

Remember, a recipe failure is a good thing. It lets you know what your hair simply does not respond to well. The worst likely thing that can happen with the use of your homemade products is the need to wash your hair again, so get creative!

Note: Use of homemade mixes for coloring of hair is not recommended.

Elle Paris is the owner of My Natural which provides no-nonsense user reviews for hundreds of products for natural hair care.

RELATED ARTICLES Healthier Skin Naturally in 7 Days or Less Many people think that drastic measures are required in order to have flawless, youthful skin. Nothing could be further from the truth. A Review of Popular Sunless Tanning Products When the weather starts to warm up and the days get longer, we are all drawn outdoors to enjoy the sun. Many will recall seemingly endless hours outdoors, soaking up the sun's rays without a care. Understanding The Dangers Of Tanning Beds When it comes to getting a tan in a tanning bed, there is much controversy. For starters, people across the country have been building golden tans for several decades. Rhinoplasty (Nose Job) Information: Worth the Cost The nose is the central part of the human face, and is thus one of the first features everyone will see. Many people with high, wide bridges, drooping tips and large nostrils are highly self conscious about the way their nose looks and how others perceive them because of it. More Care Hair Myths - the Truth and the Lies We all have a favourite myth about hair care - some of them are as old as the hills! In this second in a series of 3 articles, we examine some of the most widely known myths - and seek out the reality?1. Dry hair is damaged by too-frequent washingFALSE: Hair is more likely to be damaged if it's left too long between washes. Tooth Whitening, Tooth Treatment: Get that Perfect Smile! I would say a smile throughout the day keeps doctor away. Undoubtly, laughter is the best medicine as it not only supplies nutrients to the skin but also makes your skin glow. Tanning Bed Lotion Apply a tanning bed lotion an hour before and immediately after every tanning session. Tanning bed lotions protect your skin and help to accelerate the tanning process. Seven Quick and Simple Reminders for Healthy Skin Healthy skin is a sign of good health. The skin is the largest vital organ in our body comprising of about two billion cells and has a surface area of around two square meters. Plastic Surgery - A Risky Business When most of us think of plastic surgery, we contemplate the different things we would - or are going to - have done: that bump on the nose smoothed down, the perky boobs put in, the fat we'll have sucked out. But perhaps the most important question we should ask when considering plastic surgery is not what - but rather why?Plastic surgery is becoming an increasingly popular choice as people realise that they no longer have to tolerate a body part that they find aesthetically upsetting. Color Contact Lenses for Light Eyes - What Works Best? You may ask why a person with naturally blue or green eyes would want to wear color contact lenses? One reason is to make the natural color look brighter and more defined. Another reason is to change the hue just a bit - ad a touch of emerald to naturally blue eyes, for instance, and you will get a beautiful aquamarine. Factors that can Influence Your Skin Type Normal skin typeNormal skin is smooth, finely-textured, soft and supple. If you are lucky enough to possess this skin type, treasure it by using light cleansers and lotions and mild toners and fresheners. Discover Effective Home Remedies to Dandruff Dandruff is a common problem. You can fall victim to excessive dandruff at any age. Cleanse and Stimulate Your Scalp with the Right Shampoo! Shampoo contributes to good hair care. In our quest for the perfect makeup, the vital importance of good hair care is mostly ignored. Natural Beauty: What Is It Really? Natural beauty is the ideal many people strive to achieve when they purchase make-up, creams, shampoos and other forms of cosmetics. But what really constitutes natural beauty, and how can it be achieved?Many consumers, in an attempt to cleanse, tone, moisturize, mattify, shine, colour, enhance and so on, have overloaded their skin and their cabinets with too many needless products. Tips on Using a Hair Iron The hair iron is coming more and more popular. It is used by women of all ages and for various purposes. Natural Mineral Makeup, a Natural Alternative to Greasy Makeup Mineral Makeup is a natural alternative to acne causing and pore clogging oil based makeups that dominate the market. Cosmetics are big business, but just because something costs more doesn't mean it's better for your skin. Personal Care Products Can Lead To Cancer Our skin is a two way membrane. During perspiration toxins are eliminated from our body through it. Sun Protection The skin has a defence mechanism against sun-damage, in the form of melanin. The production of melanin is accelerated on sun-exposure. Whats Up With Botox? BOTOX® is part of a family of drugs called "botulinum toxins". Specifically, it is the Registered Trademark and brand name for "botulinum toxin type A" which is manufactured by a company called "Allergan". Permanent Cosmetics What is Permanent Makeup?Permanent makeup is a state-of-the-art form of cosmetic tattooing. The specialized techniques used for permanent cosmetics are often referred to as micropigmentation, micropigment implantation or dermagraphics.