The Easiest Way To Make Shealoe

I finally found my Holy Grail of hair moisturisers. It's only made with two ingredients, shea butter and aloe vera gel=shealoe. It smooths down frizz and moisturises hair ends. You can use it as a hand and body moisturiser too.

Shealoe is easy to make it yourself at home. Make small quantities so it doesn't spoil before you've used it up.  

I make mine in a clean Lush mask container and that's how it's stored. It only takes five minutes to make.  If you don't have a Lush container, any small container will do as long as you can fit a beater from a hand mixer inside with space. 

The proportion of ingredients is 1 part shea butter to 1 part aloe vera gel. Keep that in mind when filling the container because you need extra room for whipping. Allow atleast double the space taken on ingredients for whipping.

1) Place 1 part shea butter in the container and microwave until it's just melted. I put it on high for 20 seconds first and keep checking every 10 seconds.

2) Add 1 part aloe vera gel and mix with a hand beater on a slow setting for 30 seconds. Make sure to hold the container firmly or it will splatter everywhere.

3) Ensuring there's enough height on the container to hold everything, whip at a high setting for 3 minutes. Don't whip any longer because the shea butter will solidify and separate in clumps.

4) Tap off the mixture from the beater into the container and let it fully cool before putting the lid on it.  

5) Clean off the beater with your fingers and apply to your hair or on your hands. Waste not, want not!

This is what it looks like after the initial mixing on slow.

You can see shea butter particles suspended in the aloe vera. 

After a three minute whipping, this is the final product. Creamy and thick like whipped cream. 

You can add a few drops of essential oil like tea tree or lavender for preservation and scent. Keep it in a cool place. I use shealoe after every wash and this is the right quantity to make without the need for preservatives. 

To use, take a small amount and warm it between your hands before smoothing onto the ends of your hair. 

Hope this helps those who want an all natural, cost effective multi purpose moisturiser. This stuff is a life saver for my dry hair.

9 All Natural Haircare Practices-What Works And What Didn't

It's been a year since I started using natural hair products and it's been fun experimenting. I've saved cash from ditching the manufactured products and the unnecessary chemicals too!

1) Co-washing:

It's useful when you need a light wash but still have to shampoo the next day. Co-washed hair becomes flatter and greasier faster than shampooed hair. I co-wash because I go to the gym almost everyday and can't stand sweaty hair. I use Tressemme Naturals.

2) Using Ayurvedic Herbs For Washing Hair:

My staples are shikikai and aritha powders. They gently clean and remove drandruff. As for other herbs like alma, maka, tulsi and brahmi, I add them to my cleansing mix but it's hard to tell if they do anything. I guess that's what happens when you use too many things at once. I know shikikai and aritha works so I'll only replace the"shikritha" powders when they run out.

3) Oiling Hair: 

I used to oil my ends and no matter what I used, coconut, olive, almond, jojoba, avocado, grapeseed, rosehip oils, I would get stringy looking hair. For coconut, grapeseed and rosehip oils, my hair would feel even drier than before. Avocado is my favorite oil because it feels the most nourishing. But no oil makes my hair feel moisturised. It just coats it. As for oiling the scalp and hair overnight, I've never done it consistently enough to know if it makes a difference but it's too messy. I only oil my hair before a gym session, when I know I have to wash it out soon.

4) Black Jamaican Castor Oil: 

Yes indeed this works. I can't explain how but it's regrown hair for me. Every few nights I massage a few drops on where my hair has thinned out and it's regrown to how my hair was in my early twenties. When I'm oiling my hair, I use this on my scalp. Sometimes I'd thin it out with Kumarika oil. I also use BJCO on my excema and it calms it down and protects the skin. This stuff is gold!

5) Coconut Oil:

This does'nt work for me anymore. It's too light to weigh my frizzies down and isn't moisturising at all. My hair looks stringy and feels dry. I bought a small bottle of Parachute years ago and I won't be replacing it. There are more effective oils such as olive and avocado.

6) Henna:

I'm obsessed with henna! It gives a red tint and conditions the hair. The day after a long henna treatment is the best because I have "wonder hair". Straighter, thicker-feeling, and very shiny. I happily henna my hair every month for atleast 5 hours at a time. My favorite brand is Jamila. This one has given the most intense red colour for me.

7) Shealoe:

I've recently discovered this combo of half and half aloe vera gel emulsified with shea butter. Shea butter on it's own is heavy but mixed with a light, liquid and moisturising ingredient, it makes a effective moisturiser for ends. I was tired of using oils that only make it feel drier. This mix is perfect for keeping my ends nourished and smooth without that dry-coated feeling.

8) Glycerin and Water Moisturiser:

Works well on skin as a light refreshing moisturiser. I tried it on my hair and it made more tangles and feels sticky. The strands cling together and my hair felt weaker. Now after washing I wait until my hair is almost dry and use a Tangle Teezer to get rid of the knots. I finish the ends with shealoe.

9) Avoiding SLS. Mineral Oil and Silicones:

The jury's out on whether these things ruin your hair or not. There are alternatives to SLS effective enough to remove dirt and grease. Personally SLS free or not, I'm fine with it because it gets washed out anyway. As for silicones, they remain on the hair. Granted for kick-ass detangling, silicone products are the most effective. My personal preference is to avoid them and look after the hair so they don't need silicones. Too much and they make hair flat and it builds up. This requires a strong wash to clarify the hair. So SLS is OK for very dirty days and avoid silicones. As for mineral oil, there isn't enough conclusive evidence that it causes harm. It can be washed out so I'm not bothered using products containing mineral oil.

Kumarika Nourishing Hair Oil

The benefits of a henna treatment seem to wash out quickly on me. Its been less than a week or two washes and my hair is tangly again. My hair kept caught onto christmas trees as I walked past them today!

My girlfriend brought my back a bottle of this Kumarika hair oil Sri Lanka. She says everyone uses King Coconut Oil there to nourish their scalp and make hair grow. In Sri Lanka it's not unusual to oil your hair and leave it in all day. But it's not a socially acceptable thing to do in the western world. She says that there is a big difference to her hair and her sister's, who lives in Sri Lanka. Of course genetics plays a part but apparently oiling your hair, eating gelatin from meat products and maintaining a healthy diet is the reason why hair grows thicker.  

I was excited to try king coconut oil. It's also made with rice, but I'm not sure how. There has to be mineral oil in this because there's no way coconut oil can stay liquid at this time of the year. Still, I'm willing to give it a try because my girlfriend raves about it. 

The bottle contains an ornamental sprig of rice. I tried googling for the ingredients but couldn't find anything. There are no instructions on the label. 

The oil is very light and gives smoothness and shine. It will still make hair look stringy if you use too much but no way as bad as pure coconut oil.  There is a tolerable scent that goes away after a while. I like how there's a stopper with a little hole on the top so you can control how much comes out. This oil is more for smoothing down frizzies and ends and oiling the scalp. 

This is definitely nicer smelling and lighter than the alma oils and heenara oils I've tried. And the bottle is also the prettiest!

Goodies From Naturally Thinking

My friend buys her organic avocado oil and other natural products from the site Naturally Thinking. When the little decanted bottle she gave me ran out, I checked out their website and I love their concept. Natural, pure, decent prices and all the refillable bottles and tops and spray you need to reduce waste. And no, I'm not paid to post this!

They run courses on aromatherapy and making cosmetics so they really know their oils and other ingredients. Also their packaging is practical and so darn pretty for aluminium bottles. My order arrived in less than a week. It's a little disappointing that you need to spend £80 or more to get free shipping but I felt the value in their products made the cost worth it. You can also pick up from their Croydon store for free if you're nearby.

I bought 100ml rose water which smell beautiful and 100ml rosehip carrier oil. The latter is not a dark as the more expensive kind but is still cold pressed from rosehips. It feels lighter and there is no fried chip smell so it's perfect to use on the body or better yet, hair as I've recently discovered.

I ordered a spray cap to use on the rosewater to spritz my face before applying rosehip oil. The caps and bottles are great value. I also bought a foamer bottle to reduce the wastage on handwash. I fill the bottle 1/4 with handwash and the rest with water. Instant foam and you can get hands clean just as well with much less product going down the drain!

I recently bought a Neals Yard oil burner (for only £4 at the charity store!) and wanted to get back in to burning aromatherapy oils again. It helps me concentrate and makes the home smell nicer. My favourite essential oils are rosemary, lavender and sweet orange. I wanted to try to the palmarosa for the first time because it resembles rose and is cheaper. I will definitely buy more oils from Naturally Thinking when I'm running low.

The Wonders Of Rosehip OIl

I've often seen rose hip bushes but never appreciated the benefits of the fruit until now. Rosehip oil is touted as a wonder ingredient for dry skin and now I've tried it and love it.

I read up on rose hip oil and ordered on Amazon where I've found it to be the cheapest. I paid £16 for 100ml of organic oil in a glass spray bottle. When you buy it, make sure it's stored in an opaque or dark glass to protect it from light. For skin, don't use rose hip carrier oil as it's mixed with cheaper oils or of a lower quality.

For my handbag, I also bought this bottle from Aussie company Moogoo. I love their stuff and I managed to track down a stockist not far from me. It was 25ml for £8 which is good value compared to the Trilogy brand.

You should notice that rose hip oil is orange red in colour and it has an oily odour. It does not smell like roses! It smells like fish oil but it goes away as long as you don't use too much. The oil feels light and absorbs quickly.

All you need is 4-5 drops for your face. Distribute on your palms first and smooth it on cleaned skin. Give your face a light massage and it will thank you for it. Sometimes I spray my homemade moisturising spritz first to get my skin hydrated.

The oil is also excellent for hair as its a dry oil. It's known to fade skin imperfections such as scars and stretchmarks.

The result for me after two weeks is impressive. My wrinkles have definitely softened and my skin glows. The wrinkles around my eyes when I smile do not crease as much-yay! My skin has a sheen immediately after I've applied the oil but it takes only a few minutes for it to fully absorb.

A few months of using this oil and I've noticed an issue. I'm now only using this oil on my crows feet. There's something about it that's causing acne on my chin and since I've stopped putting it all over my face, the acne has gone away.

11 Natural Oils For Hair and My Absolute Favourite

If you haven't used pure natural oils to nourish and protect your hair, or you want to ditch the commercial oils with chemical additives, the best place to start is probably in the kitchen! Here's the round up on all the oils I've tried and my favourite which I never leave home without it.

1) Olive Oil - as mentioned you can start trying natural oils for hair from your own kitchen as it's a common ingredient for cooking. Any kind will do as long as it's cold pressed. It's nourishing and is perfect for mixing with treatments as it's a bit heavier than some oils. I add it to my henna treatment for moisturising my hair. 

While this oil has an array of heath properties it's worth noting that all natural oils do but hair doesn't metabolise like our digestive systems. I won't go into the nutritional properties of these oils. It's just good to know what you're using on your hair is all natural and even edible.

2) Coconut Oil - The first natural oil I tried as a hair treatment. I bought pure unrefined coconut oil from an Indian grocery store and it's cheap. This oil penetrates the hair shaft so it nourishes from the inside. To be honest, I can't tell if it does or not although it has been documented in published studies. I just know that's a lovely smelling oil which is good to use for pre-shampoos. 

It solidifies when the weather is cold so it's good for scooping out of a tub. When it's hot, it's liquid and is best stored in a bottle. The only problem is that I don't find it moisturising as a leave in. It makes my hair ends crunchy and stringy. Read about how I use coconut oil in my post here. 

3) Jojoba Oil - has been known to "trick" the skin into thinking it has produced enough oil and thus balance oil production. It's chemically comparable with the human sebum. That's the theory and the reason why I moved on from coconut oil. It's spreads well and doesn't give that stringy effect when used as a leave in. Feels moisturising and enriching on the skin. 

4) Sweet Almond Oil - I find this feels similar to jojoba oil but lighter. This oil is high in vitamin E which is the reason why I don't bother about using the Tocopherol in my mixes. This is a good all rounder oil. Very nourishing and doesn't have a scent.

5 ) Castor Oil - this is the unrefined version and is widely available as a laxative when taken orally. It's well known to also thicken hair, especially eyelashes. The reason why I bought it was to regrow my hairline and it works but it only enhances what mother nature gave you. It won't make you grow hair where there was none. For something that's all natural, it's worth trying out if you are trying to recover from hair loss. 

I put it on my hairline before bed and within a few days, baby hairs are growing longer. The only downsides is that you have to keep using it for the effect. It's a thick and sticky oil. It's hair thickening properties is due to it coating your hair. If you're using it on your hairline, it will look and feel greasy so it's best used mixed with other oils as a hair treatment.

6) Argan Oil - I used to carry a 10ml bottle of this oil in my handbag and used it to seal my ends. It's light, odourless and absorbable. While it's all the rage with commercial hair products today, I don't think it's more superior than any other type of natural oil. Twenty years ago no one had heard of it and all of a sudden it was like the world's best kept secret in hair care. It's a good oil but for me, I think it's similar to sweet almond and jojoba oils.

7) Black Jamaican Castor Oil - this oil is harder to find but it's touted as the best kind of oil to grow your hair on Youtube. I bought mine from an ethnic hair and beauty store called Paks. It's "black" because the castor beans are roasted before the oil is extracted. Apparently the hair growing properties is in the ash so I bought the extra dark version. It has a smoky smell that dissipates after application. So far it's working to not only grow my hair line but also I'm using it protect my eczema patches. As to whether it's more effective than normal castor oil, that remains to be seen and I will update in a few weeks time. 

Since castor oil is thick and sticky, its easiest to dispense it from a nozzle tipped applicator bottle. 

8) Shea Butter - not really an oil as it's waxy textured and can be a thickener for making your own lotion. You can use it as a lip balm or heavy duty hand protectant. I use it to seal my hair and weigh down frizzies. The raw unrefined kind has a smell so I use it sparingly. The is great for taming and moisturising my hair without oiliness.

9) Grape Seed Oil - reknown to be super light and making heavy oils runnier. I bought a cheap supermarket version which I presume was not cold pressed. I liked it because it did'nt have a smell and it's indeed light. You can get away with using a fair bit without looking greasy. However it makes my hair feel dry, like it's only coating the hair and not nourishing it. I used the rest of the oil for cooking.

10) Rosehip Oil - It's pricey and worth it, especially for keeping wrinkles at bay. The orangey oil is rich in fatty acids and makes the hair feel moisturised. I feel that it absorbs better than any other kind of oil and if you buy the pure cold pressed carrier oil version, it doesn't have that fried chip smell. This cheaper version is paler and odourless which makes it perfect for hair application. This is my second favourite oil for hair. 

11) Avocado Oil - this is my absolute favourite oil. I find it light and easily absorbable. I love the healthy green colour. There's no crunchiness or smell. I'm also using it as a face moisturiser by applying pure aloe vera gel after cleansing then smoothing on a few drops of oil. My hair and skin just soaks it up. Many commercial hair products contains avocado oil but why use it with chemical additives when there's the unadulterated thing?

Queen Helene Cholesterol Hair Conditioning Cream And Adding Egg For Protein

I've become so obsessed with African hair care that my girlfriend from Barbados thinks I'll be growing an afro soon!

I went to Paks Cosmetics in Finsbury Park for the first time. They have THREE shops on the same street, two for wigs and one for products.

There was so many products I wanted to try. They all promised wonderful things with the words: super grow, hair fertiliser, hair food, and mega thick hair. They sell cosmetics, hair care, toiletries, hair dressing and beauty supplies. My neck almost hurt having to look at everything as I passed through the aisles.

I found Queen Helene Cholesterol Hair Conditioning Cream which I've always wanted to try and believe it or not, a huge tub was only £1.99! I also bought Jamaican Castor Oil £5.99, an applicator bottle 79p and a Blue Heaven kajal stick 59p. Cheaper than online and better value than anything from the high street. I was tempted to impulse buy and forced myself to leave the store. Although I don't think it will be long before I'm back...

I tried the Conditioning Cream after my gym session today as a deep treatment. I shampooed my hair with Bawang and smothered this thick creamy goop all through my hair and scalp. The instructions says to mix it with a little warm water which helps spread it along. I used two scoops with my fingers. The cream smells like plain cold cream, no added scent.

I put on a shower cap and sat in the steam room for 10 mins, pottered for 5 and rinsed it out. Surprisingly it rinsed really easily for a heavy product. I suspect it's because there's SLS in it.

My hair felt hard as I rinsed out the cream. I wondered if it had moisturised at all. As it dried, my hair felt drier than usual. I put on a little avocado oil on the ends and my hair felt better and it seemed to soften. I had volume, body and shine. Softness too but not the ends. For the price I couldn't fault it. It has no silicones and didn't make my hair flat.

The next time I used it as a protein treatment by mixing it with a beaten egg. It was a 25% egg and 75% cream mix and it was perfect for distributing through my hair. I put on a shower cap, wrapped a towel over it and sat in the steam room for 10 mins. (I really had to be careful not to cook egg in my hair!)

Having freshly shampooed hair is not essential although it's in the instructions. As long as your hair isn't super greasy, rinsing hair with warm water is fine. The treatment rinsed off clean and although my hair was hard, it felt strong. Much better than stretchy and fragile!

When my hair dried (and I picked out a few bits of white membrane), I put a few drops of avocado oil on my ends and my hair was phwhoarrrrrrrr!

That's the only way I can describe the result in one word. My hair was shiny, strong full of body and healthy looking. I love this treatment so much, it's a weekly essential. Who needs a separate protein treatment when you have eggs in the kitchen?