Homemade Recipes for Hair and Skin Care

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Over the past few years, I have been experimenting with making my own hair and skin care products. For many Black women with natural hair, finding products that work with our own unique hair type is a process that can involve a lot of time and money. I like to try my own blends and see what works. It's fun and affordable, and after some trial and error, has great results!

My hair is all natural and highly textured. It's wiry, super coily, and tends to be dry. It is thin with a straighter texture around the front hairline, and extremely thick through the crown. My hair care goal is to increase moisture and softness, and make my hair easier to style.

My skin is very dry and highly sensitive. I normally use all natural soaps, or the "sensitive" version of commercial soaps. I use shea butter for moisture, but I sometimes get lazy about applying it. I wanted a skin moisturizer that would make my skin soft and smell good, but as quickly and easily as possible.

I already happen to have quite a few essential oils on hand, and have done pretty extensive research on which ingredients work well for natural hair and skin care. I have developed two products that have become part of my regular hair and skin care regimen: a water based natural hair moisturizer, and a skin moisturizer which doubles as an insect repellent and triples as an insect bite soother.

Kaya's Herbal Hair Cocktail

Fill a four to eight ounce spray bottle with water. I use recycled spray bottles from Victoria's Secret body sprays. They will give you a nice fine mist that doesn't soak your hair and drip all over. Distilled water is great, but I use tap water.

Add a few drops of Suave Tropical Coconut Conditioner. To that, add about a quarter teaspoon or five to six drops each of rosemary essential oil and cinnamon essential oil. If you like, add a few drops of grapefruit, vanilla, sweet orange, or lavender oil. You can use an eyedropper, or just eyeball it.

I like to spray this mixture on sopping wet or towel blotted hair and allow to air dry. This is after either rinsing my hair with water, or washing my hair with conditioner. I wash with shampoo occasionally.

If I haven't rinsed or washed my hair on a particular day, I spray my cocktail on my dry hair and let it sit for five to 10 minutes while I take a shower or brush my teeth. Then I use my hands to finger comb my hair into place.

If my hair is extra unruly, or I'm wearing twists and want them to lay a certain way, I use bobby pins to pin it down while it dries. I also use this spritz as a styling aid when I'm double strand twisting my hair. It makes my hair soft and easy to comb, and my twists come out soft and well defined.

If you want to add extra moisture to this mix, add olive oil, vegetable glycerin, or aloe vera juice.

Kaya's Herbal Skin Cocktail

This summer, the mosquitoes are biting like crazy. My skin is dry and itchy with the changing temperatures, and because I ran out of my usual soap and had to use a backup. So, I made myself a little mix.

Fill up a spray bottle with water. Add a little bit of apple cider vinegar, rosemary essential oil, peppermint essential oil, and tea tree oil. Add some extra virgin olive oil; a teaspoon or two. I lightly spray the mixture over my entire body after my shower, while still standing in the tub. You want to spray your whole entire body, including your face if you like, without dousing the place. You can also spray this mixture on your hair.

The great thing about this moisturizing body spray is that it also repels insects and soothes itchy insect bites. I spray it directly on bites if I get them, and it stops the itching almost immediately. It smells great at the same time.

Safety Issues

Essential oils are potent. If you are pregnant, trying to become pregnant, nursing, on medication, or in a state of ill health, be extra careful with them. Even if none of the above are the case, you should still research any essential oil you use, and check with your doctor before trying something new.

Try your new blends on a test area before using on your entire scalp or body. See if you notice any reactions such as redness, swelling, itching, or burning. If so, discontinue use.

Never use essential oils full strength. A few drops in four to eight ounces of water is plenty.

Start with blends of only one or two ingredients. This makes it easier to use the process of elimination if you have a bad reaction to something.

Many essential oils have natural antiseptic properties, and retard bacterial growth. However, when you mix oil and water there is the potential for contamination. Applying products to your skin that contain bacteria or fungus can cause a lot of itching, inflammation, or worse. Store your concoctions in the refrigerator to lengthen their shelf life.

See Also : All Nature&Beauty