Secrets of beautiful hair
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free skin care · Wed Oct 08, 2008 8:04 am

That's what the honey is for! I mean the honey does serve its own purpose and it's great for hair but one side effect is that it cancels out the smell of the apple cider vinegar. Smile

And you don't need a lot of apple cider vinegar, just a little bit. It's easier for me than doing a full on rinse every week.

Keliu wrote:

I'm not Nimue but I have tried putting cider vinegar in my conditioner - I didn't like the smell too much. However, I do rinse my hair with vinegar and water every week. Haven't tried the honey though.

free skin care · Thu Oct 09, 2008 8:45 pm

I know this is going to sound gross - but my dermatologist (yeah, I ask him lots of stupid questions) says that washing your hair as little as possible will help keep your hair stronger. (Supposedly getting the hair wet - and then all the drying and styling really wreaks havoc on the hair cuticles)

I can't say that I follow *that* advice - but I find that a couple times a month - an overnight hair mask really helps. (Try to do this when no one will see you - as it's so NOT sexy)

I use avocado oil - or other natural oil - combined with Terax hair conditioner - completely soak the hair - and then put a shower cap on - and wrap my head in a towel. Then, I put on an old pillowcase on my pillow - and go to bed.

Next morning, rinse out and wash as usual.

My hair is almost to the small of my back and no split ends!

free skin care · Sat Oct 11, 2008 1:20 pm

Nimue wrote:

..... I also add honey and apple cider vinegar to my conditioner. I use suave coconut conditioner- I like it because it's cheap, it smells nice, and it doesn't have silicones. I wash my hair with the conditioner mixture about 3 times a week.

Do you just add a splash of honey and ACV to the conditioner when you CO? Or do you pre mix?

free skin care · Sun Oct 12, 2008 12:02 pm

I premix in the conditioner bottle. I start out with a conditioner bottle that's not full. I also sometimes add water. So it's conditioner, then a splash of apple cider vinegar, (maybe) a splash of water, and some honey. (more honey than apple cider vinegar and water put together)

GirlieGirl wrote:

Nimue wrote:

..... I also add honey and apple cider vinegar to my conditioner. I use suave coconut conditioner- I like it because it's cheap, it smells nice, and it doesn't have silicones. I wash my hair with the conditioner mixture about 3 times a week.

Do you just add a splash of honey and ACV to the conditioner when you CO? Or do you pre mix?

free skin care · Sun Oct 12, 2008 12:23 pm

Nimue,
I'm game for trying your concoction! My hair is highlighted so I'm going to test it first. What should the consistency be like?

free skin care · Sun Oct 12, 2008 5:38 pm

Fox, I also drink strong nettle tea(infusions) to strengthen and add sheen to my hair...almost every day in the winter...but i haven't tried using it externally on my hair yet..will do so tomorrow!

a couple of things i wanted to add about it....it can be drying when taken internally so it can be a good idea to add a moisturing herb like marshmallow to it.

also...i make a soup out of mine...with onions, sweet winter squash, parsmips, greens, etc..it tastes much better that way to me...quite yummy actually

free skin care · Sun Oct 12, 2008 7:14 pm

I never thought to wash with conditioner. Does it get rid of product like pomade or hair spray?

free skin care · Sun Oct 12, 2008 7:34 pm

sahmisme wrote:

I never thought to wash with conditioner. Does it get rid of product like pomade or hair spray?

Yes it does - and, strangely, my hair does not get as greasy as when I was washing with shampoo. The product, grease and dirt just slides off with the conditioner - but you do have to get used to not having all the foam.

free skin care · Mon Oct 13, 2008 12:49 pm

wow! Nettles Soup and conditioner washing! The things I have learned here! thanks!

free skin care · Tue Oct 14, 2008 7:37 am

Great! I don't know if I can comment on the consistency, it doesn't change much, since it's mostly conditioner. The apple cider vinegar and water thins it out, but the honey thickens it, so play around with the proportions until you're happy with it. What does change is the color, mostly due to the honey. It beomes this yellowish beige color.

Now that it's winter, I am going to try (emphasis on try) to wash my hair less often. I want to try washing it 2-3 times a week and see how it works out.

fawnie wrote:

Nimue,
I'm game for trying your concoction! My hair is highlighted so I'm going to test it first. What should the consistency be like?

free skin care · Wed Oct 15, 2008 8:03 pm

WoW! guys....I've done the Suave conditioner + ACV (Bragg's organic) + honey wash twice now and *amazement* my hair is shiny/bouncy/soft. I am going to experiment and add some peppermint to it for a little zing!
My scalp doesn't feel itchy at the end of the day now. Nice idea!

free skin care · Thu Oct 16, 2008 8:08 am

Try the molasses! I still can't get over how good it was Laughing

free skin care · Thu Oct 16, 2008 8:30 am

Okay, here's a few ideas for creating natural golden highlights. The first is a really simple and surprising method using cinnamon.

Cinnamon (the kind you have in your kitchen and sprinkle on deserts) gradually bleaches hair if applied topically. It does this slowly so you don't have to worry about turning strange colours over night, and you can easily adjust the amounts you use.

Recipe one:

Add a pinch or two of cinnamon to your regular shampoo and conditioner. Wash as normal.

That's it! I found this "recipe" on a message board where one woman was trying to scent her hair with cinnamon. She said, "Well, let's just say that two and a half months later, my very dark brown hair is looking quite a bit more "golden" these days. People keep pointing out how I have "dyed my hair". And of course I haven't. But it certainly has jumped 3 or 4 shades lighter. I have nothing else in which to attribute the change in color, I haven't changed my routine. I use the same water, I use all my same products, I am very sure it was the cinnamon that did it."

I haven't used it on myself yet (but I will in summer to get sun kissed tresses) but apparently it was widely used in ancient times to colour hair.

WikiHow gives this recipe:

Quote:

1. Make sure hair is moderately damp. Run a small amount of conditioner through your hair (for the cinammon to stick) and grab your cinnamon. Mix the mixture together and evenly spread throughout your hair.

2. If you are using a brush make sure to get the brush nice and wet so the cinnamon will glide onto your hair better.

3. Rub or paste the cinnamon in the desired areas or all over your hair. Make sure to get underneath and to rub your hair together to spread the cinnamon all over the hair. Rubbing it helps to evenly cover the desired areas.

4. Gather your hair into a loose bun and secure it with a ponytail pin or desired item. Grab your Saran wrap and wrap it firmly across your head to keep everything together and protected.

5. If desired, place a plastic bag over the head to assure full protection and secure it tightly. This helps if you are planning to sleep with the mixture in your hair,which happens to work the best.

6. Leave the mixture in your hair overnight for best results, or for 6-8 hours depending on the shade of your hair. 4 hours work as well but might not give you the shade that you want so try to have it on for as long as you can. Remember you might feel some tingling sensation!

7. Rinse out your hair. If you have curly hair, use shampoo to get the cinnamon out. When dry, your hair will smell amazing!

My advice would also be, if you really want to give your hair a golden kick, to rinse it with lemon juice diluted in water afterwards. (Even if you don't want to lighten your hair, I highly recommend you rinse your hair with apple cider vinegar or lemon juice anyway. It will make your hair super shiny and stronger.)

Add additional cinnamon to the lemon rinse or not, it's up to you - OR - wash your hair as normal and just rinse with the cinnamon and lemon juice at the end.

And, if you're into oiling your hair, add cinnamon essential oil and cinnamon powder to the oil before you massage it in.

Enjoy!

free skin care · Thu Oct 16, 2008 11:02 am

Another recipe:

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon or ground cardamom
1/2 tablespoon of coconut oil
6 tablespoons of water

OR

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground cardamon
1 tablespoon coconut oil
12 tablespoons of water

If you have a preferred oil, you may use that instead of the coconut oil. Extra virgin olive oil can be used to bleach hair too.

Coconut oil has been used in India for thousands of years to protect hair from the sun, and oiling can benefit all hair types, including already oily hair.

I'm sure I'll be back here to talk about oiling you hair again soon Laughing

Instructions:

Wet your hair throughly before apply the herbs.
Mix the ingredients together: some people find shaking them in a bottle works better than stirring.
Cover your hair with the "potion" and put on a shower cap.
Leave in for one hour. Put your feet up and watch a film.
Rinse out (shampoo if you like) and enjoy your hair!

free skin care · Thu Oct 16, 2008 1:49 pm

Fawnie,

I'm glad your hair liked it! It wasn't a sure thing, since different things work for different people, but I'm glad you're seeing success with such a simple and inexpensive method.

Fox, you mentioned somewhere you make your own cleanser and I would love to learn about it! I make my own cleanser too. Mostly, I just throw everything in there and keep it gentle. I almost think that my cleanser is a placebo sometimes, but it looks like I really don't need anything harsh.

Right now, it has: honey, cetearyl alcohol (for thickening), lemon juice, msm, green tea extract, and vitamin E. The honey is cheap clover honey, not the more expensive manuka honey I make facemasks with. The msm I got from garden of wisdom and I'm pretty sure it's not the same msm that you would take as a supplement.

free skin care · Sat Oct 18, 2008 11:46 am

Flannery wrote:

Alyssa- on a whim I asked my neighbor here (who owns horses) if she had Mega-Tek. She did and I borrowed a bit! So now I´m sitting here with the stuff on my scalp waiting for a miracle! I guess I´ll always be a sucker for promises for beautiful locks as I´ve always suffered with my thin, limp strands. My scalp feels a bit "activated" but I couldn´t possibly go out looking like this... How long does it need to stay on? And how often should I use it to see results? Any info?

I googled stuff about Mega-Tek and sure enough it seemed to be good for all manner of beasts and body parts- horses, cats, paws, claws, hair! But the instructions were scanty and I wanted to hear from you again personally? Anyone else interested in experimenting with me?! Laughing

Flannery

Hi Flannery: Did your friend think you were nuts? Laughing

Has she used it before on herself? I read a review online that was written by a woman who had horses and used mega-tek on herself because the results were so good.It is an awesome protein treatment!

I have been using mega-tek for a few months now and I love it except you do have to be careful not to use too much on your hair because too much protein can be drying. I just received my ovation cell therapy yesterday. I wanted to try the OCT because some people on other forums report that the mega-tek gives you thickness and length whereas the OCT gives you quicker length. I personally do not need thickness just the length. It does double the usual hair growth (for me it did). You should just put it on your scalp and leave it on for a couple of hours or overnight. Apply it to your scalp when your hair is wet it is easier (PM me if you need tips). Then you rinse your hair and apply a moisturizing conditioner without protein. It is very simple! You also do not need the Ovation shampoo or conditioner, just use what you already own. The product that gives you growth is the Cell Therapy. You can also leave the product on until you wash your hair again. Once your hair dries the product is not visible and it does not leave your hair greasy. You also do not need alot, start out slow to see how your hair reacts to the protein.
Hope this helps Smile

free skin care · Sat Oct 18, 2008 3:23 pm

Here is another recipe to try:
Variation on the Caramel hair treatment
2 over-ripe bananas,
1/3 C Honey
1/3 C Molasses
1/3 C EVOO
1/3 C Coconut Oil
1 capful ACV
*you can also add wheat germ oil/and or shea butter.
Apply to wet or dry hair.
Put the ingredients in a blender and that's it. You can freeze the leftovers.
This is especially nice for curly hair because it relaxes the curl. I use this on my daughters hair.

free skin care · Sat Oct 18, 2008 6:56 pm

allyssa wrote:

Hi Flannery: Did your friend think you were nuts? Laughing

Has she used it before on herself? I read a review online that was written by a woman who had horses and used mega-tek on herself because the results were so good.It is an awesome protein treatment!

I have been using mega-tek for a few months now and I love it except you do have to be careful not to use too much on your hair because too much protein can be drying. I just received my ovation cell therapy yesterday. I wanted to try the OCT because some people on other forums report that the mega-tek gives you thickness and length whereas the OCT gives you quicker length. I personally do not need thickness just the length. It does double the usual hair growth (for me it did). You should just put it on your scalp and leave it on for a couple of hours or overnight. Apply it to your scalp when your hair is wet it is easier (PM me if you need tips). Then you rinse your hair and apply a moisturizing conditioner without protein. It is very simple! You also do not need the Ovation shampoo or conditioner, just use what you already own. The product that gives you growth is the Cell Therapy. You can also leave the product on until you wash your hair again. Once your hair dries the product is not visible and it does not leave your hair greasy. You also do not need alot, start out slow to see how your hair reacts to the protein.
Hope this helps Smile

Allyssa is this how you use the Cell Therapy or the Mega-tek or both?

free skin care · Sun Oct 19, 2008 9:13 am

Mishey wrote:

allyssa wrote:

Hi Flannery: Did your friend think you were nuts? Laughing

Has she used it before on herself? I read a review online that was written by a woman who had horses and used mega-tek on herself because the results were so good.It is an awesome protein treatment!

I have been using mega-tek for a few months now and I love it except you do have to be careful not to use too much on your hair because too much protein can be drying. I just received my ovation cell therapy yesterday. I wanted to try the OCT because some people on other forums report that the mega-tek gives you thickness and length whereas the OCT gives you quicker length. I personally do not need thickness just the length. It does double the usual hair growth (for me it did). You should just put it on your scalp and leave it on for a couple of hours or overnight. Apply it to your scalp when your hair is wet it is easier (PM me if you need tips). Then you rinse your hair and apply a moisturizing conditioner without protein. It is very simple! You also do not need the Ovation shampoo or conditioner, just use what you already own. The product that gives you growth is the Cell Therapy. You can also leave the product on until you wash your hair again. Once your hair dries the product is not visible and it does not leave your hair greasy. You also do not need alot, start out slow to see how your hair reacts to the protein.
Hope this helps Smile

Allyssa is this how you use the Cell Therapy or the Mega-tek or both?

You can use both the same way. It is the same product except mega-tek was made for horses and the ovation cell therapy was made for human use because the mega-tek became so popular.

free skin care · Sun Oct 19, 2008 10:30 am

As an added bonus, you can apply the mega-tek or OCT to your nails Exclamation

free skin care · Sun Oct 19, 2008 4:38 pm

I tried the molasses hair mask today and my hair looks great and is incredibly soft! I used sweet orange essential oil in the mixture and I keep getting little whiffs of it, even 10 hours later.

Now for the interesting part. As the day's progressed and I keep stealing glances of my gorgeous hair in the mirror, I've noticed that my hair looks darker than usual. I've been dyeing or highlighting my hair for the past several years and have recently decided to go back to my natural dark brown. So right now, my roots don't match the rest of my hair. It's not that much of a difference in the color, just enough that I notice it. Luckily, I have short hair, so it will be a relatively short process. Anyway...Today I can barely tell a difference between the old and new growth. Yesterday there was a definite difference.

I googled "molasses for hair" and, lo and behold, tons of results came up! Apparently, ingesting molasses regularly (like mixed in coffee or something) and/or applying it directly to the hair can darken your hair. Some of the stories I'd have to see to believe, like someone who went from prematurely white hair back to the black hair of their youth. There's even a molasses company (Crosby I think) that mentions using molasses to darken hair on their website. Blackstrap molasses is supposed to be the best, but I just used the regular, old molasses I had in the pantry.

I am so excited to find something natural and inexpensive to darken my hair while I wait for it to grow out! I've been using Aveda's Black Malva conditioner to deposit color and tone out the warmth, but this may actually work better and save me money.

I also read that while molasses can darken hair, honey can lighten hair. Hmm...I think I'm going to mix up a batch of Nimue's conditioner recipe and substitute molasses for the honey. I'll let you know how it works!

Sun Oct 19, 2008 5:18 pm

I am new to this forum but have posted on a few other topics. This post might get thrown out for seeming like an advertisement but I have done a few things recently that have completely changed my hair. It is now growing more, not breaking off (despite being highlighted every six to eight weeks), and feels fabulous with lots of shine & moisture.
The first thing I did was to get a water filter for the shower that removes chlorine and other harsh minerals found in tap water.
I also purchased a great blowdryer called T3 Evolution which retails for $300 but I got on eBay for $150. I bought this 8 months ago and it not only dries my hair lightening quick but it leaves it actually moisturized and with lots of bounce!
Then, I discovered WEN Cleansing Conditioner through an informercial. One bottle will last about a month and costs $28, but it is a shampoo and conditioner in one and it cleans without stripping. My favorite is the Sweet Almond Mint but I use the Cucumber Aloe a couple times a week because it has astringent properties that deep clean really well. I love love love WEN and will never shampoo my hair again!
And finally, I just discovered the benefits of MSM through this forum and literally within a few days of mixing MSM powder with Vitamin C (Ester) powder, my hair was thicker and definitely growing. Amazing!
Anyway, I've probably spent a lot of money on the quest for better hair.. and there are most definitely cheaper ways to do what I did, but I just wanted to share the changes I made in how I take care of my hair that have really made a difference which has absolutely boosted my confidence and made me love my hair again! Very Happy

free skin care · Sun Oct 19, 2008 6:20 pm

allyssa wrote:

As an added bonus, you can apply the mega-tek or OCT to your nails Exclamation

Thanks for that Allyssa, might just as well paint my nails with it while I'm at it. I could do with some thickening so I'm gonna go with the mega-tek. Hopefully I can get that here in Oz, I'll look into it. Smile

free skin care · Tue Oct 21, 2008 5:42 pm

Has anyone tried mega-tek on their eyelashes? A few women mentioned it on another beauty forum but didn't go into details about how they did it (I found these comments while googling "mega-tek" to see what would come up). I don't know what would happen if it got in your eyes though.

Has anyone tried it?

free skin care · Wed Oct 22, 2008 8:10 am

Keliu wrote:

sahmisme wrote:

I never thought to wash with conditioner. Does it get rid of product like pomade or hair spray?

Yes it does - and, strangely, my hair does not get as greasy as when I was washing with shampoo. The product, grease and dirt just slides off with the conditioner - but you do have to get used to not having all the foam.

This is surprising! Well I'm going to try it. It made your hair less oily? I wonder if because we strip the oils when we shampoo everyday that our scalp overcompensates by producing too much oil? Anyway I would love to have less oily hair, and I always thought shampooing every day was the only answer. I'm going to try this, and I might try the honey and apple cider vinegar as well.

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