Recipe (got some of it offline some of it from my mind...etc.)


In a large bowl mix:
8oz shea butter (you can do a little bit more or less)
4 tablespoons of aloe vera gel
2 tablespoons castor oil
2 tablespoons coconut oil (my coconut oil was in a solid state)
1 tablespoon of oil of preference (I used a body oil blend that had jojoba, almond oil, etc)

Mix with a hand held mixer until mixture becomes creamy and fluffy. Add more aloe vera if the consistency isn't thick as you want it. The aloe vera is the defining product, if you don't use enough you won't get a nice hold. The aloe vera also cuts some of the oiliness of the oils and shea butter (IMO). Make sure you don't add too much oil because shea butter is "greasy" enough on it's own.

Store in a Tupperware type container in cool dry place and use as necessary.

Remember, this is not a moisturizer! This is a sealant/ styling agent. It works best on damp hair or after a water-based leave-in has already been applied to the hair.

My braid-outs have never been defined but, since I have been using this cream they have been defined and soft. :)

Enjoy!!

Told you...nice right?!

Defined braid-out...? Achieved

Not so great picture of the back...

See how thick it is?

Look at that shine!!

My hair had been really dry and since I had run out of my deep conditioner, I think my hair was having withdrawals. Well, I stumbled upon a blog where a woman was talking about oil rinsing and how it had given her hair shine and moisture. She showed before and after pics of her hair in a bun and the difference was amazing!!! (Blog)

Here is a thread @ Naturally Curly about it: Oil Rinsing
A post @ Newly Natural: Oil Rinsing
Blog I found out about it on "Textured Playground": Super Slick Bun

Here are the steps "Newly Natural" used:

Oil rinsing is essentially washing your hair with oil before applying your conditioner. I have found that occasionally oil rinsing allows my hair to detangle easier and it also softens it up. To oil rinse, simply do the following:
1. Wash or Rinse hair
2. Apply oil of choice from root to tip.
3. Rinse hair.
4. Apply conditioner and continue as you normally would.
My favorite oil to use for oil rinses is olive oil. It’s nice and thick and goes on easy. It’s way too heavy for me to use on my hair after washing, but perfect for my oil rinses. You can use any oil you like, though.

Here is where my "homemade" method differed....
I didn't want to use it before I shampooed because the shampoo I use is actually very moisturising. (does that make sense? I didn't need the moisture in that step, I needed moisture AFTER the conditioner and before the leave-in)

So what I do is this:

1. Shampoo hair in sections and rinse thoroughly.
2. Apply conditioner and rinse.
3. Apply a light oil to whole head. I used Castor oil for 2 days and then used coconut oil until I shampooed again.
4. Rinsed the oil out. I rinsed about 50% of the oil out.
5. Then I applied a light handed amount of coconut oil and bunned my hair while soaking wet.

I am telling you my hair was so soft!! I did notice that just using coconut oil wasn't very moisturising by itself, unless I put a towel over my bun (like a steam treatment) to seal in some of the oil. I didn't use a leave-in when I oil rinsed and I also made sure to shampoo my hair once a week at the very least or else my hair would feel weighed down. and oily..

I give oil- rinsing a thumbs up in my book and will continue doing it throughout the Winter when I take out my protective style (more on that later...whew...).

Try both methods and let me know which one works for you!! 

I just got back in town after being in dry Texas for a week and a half and my hair is so dry... I wore it in a ponytail the whole time I was there and didn't put a lick of conditioner in it. Sad right? I took my conditioner but the bees were so bad out there that I didn't even want to risk being stung (they were all over me when I wore lotion).

What I plan to do it is do a deep condition with honey, Castor oil, and a cheap conditioner (white rain tropical coconut), shampoo, condition and then do an oil rinse (more on that later).

I am not sure if I will detangle after the shampoo or after the deep condish...

Benefits of honey for hair: It is high in vitamins and minerals, and has wonderful benefits for the skin and hair. Honey is a good humectant and emollient, serving as a good moisturizer and conditioner.

Read more: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/honey-hair-conditioner.html##ixzz11W9LmlMs

Benefits of Castor oil: Castor oil is a humectant as it draws moisture into the hair and skin. Applying castor oil on hair will keep it looking soft, shiny and strong.
Read more: http://skinverse.com/castor-oils-many-uses-for-beautiful-skin-and-hair.html











Of course do your own research to see if these products are great for you. I find that using Castor oil for my oil rinse and them putting a towel over my hair (kind of like a steam treatment) makes my hair really soft. In the morning all I do is add some coconut oil (because it is so light) and bun my hair.

Doing all of this from beginning to end (deep condition to bun) take about an 1 hr.; detangling included.

As you can see I like to Keep It Simple!