This morning I couldn't resist having a sip of my hair conditioner before I poured it over my head. I just love this - edible hair care - stuff you can grow and make. Try these two edible hair conditioners - apple cider vinegar and aloe vera.
I have started experimenting with apple cider vinegar as my hair conditioner instead of conventional conditioner. Normally my hair is curly and quite dry - particularly on the ends. Using the apple cider vinegar, my hair now feels soft and I have no need for de-tangler or leave-in conditioner. I am absolutely delighted.
Six benefits of raw apple cider vinegar as a natural hair conditioner.
stimulates scalp to promote hair growth
cleans hair without stripping out the natural oils
removes residue build up from synthetic hair products
helps hair retain moisture
is antibacterial and antifungal which helps with flaky and itchy scalps
closes the hair cuticle allowing for shine and fewer tangles
Hair just washed and towel-dried - I used local natural bar soap as shampoo and apple cider vinegar as conditioner. Nothing else. Worked just fine. It actually feels far more soft and manageable than it has for a long time. No lasting vinegar smell.
I asked my kids what they thought. Maia said it smelt really nice and fresh. Hugh said it made it look blonder and smoother, and made me look younger....oh, what darlings!!!
I wrote a post the other day,Organic, Simple, Natural, Affordable & Plastic-Free Hair Care,about starting to use just natural soap as shampoo and conditioning with apple cider vinegar. I am so impressed at how many people wrote to me to say how they have never looked back since they started doing this. Others shared different natural hair routines including using fresh aloe vera.
I have used aloe as a treatment in the past, but don't know why I'd never considered it as a conditioner - it's wonderful. I think perhaps I was just so used to reaching for the bottled stuff! We've become so accustomed to certain ways of doing things that we forget to ask the questions about whether there's actually another way of doing it. Sometimes it takes a problem or crisis before we start looking beyond our 'normal' and shift our thinking and actions. I always wonder how we can reach this point, and encourage others too, without the drama!
So here's two recipes - you can't get much simpler than this....
Natural air conditioner recipe # 1
1 tablespoon raw apple cider vinegar
1 cup of water
Pour it over your hair and leave in for a minute or two (avoid eyes). After I rinsed it out I didn't use any conventional conditioner, or after-wash products. I just brushed then towel dried my hair - that's it.
Good tip: next time I'll be mixing it with warm water!!! The cold water rinse on a cool morning was pretty fresh.
Hair conditioner recipe #2
approx 5 cm length of fresh aloe vera gel
Open the leaf and rub the gel all over your hair. Leave it for a couple of minutes before rinsing out.
Another huge benefits is that you can save yourselves thousands of dollars in expensive hair products by using things from your garden and pantry.
NEW WORKSHOP: DIY Natural Healing and Beauty Products
