Deep conditioning* is meant to enrich our hair and put back all of the nutrients which have been stripped by the harsh shampoos. DIY deep conditioners are a great way to save money because we are using the pantry and fridge for a twofold purpose that is to feed our tummies as well as feed our hair.
Additionally, it also saves money because instead of throwing away very ripe food we can use them in our hair. As a money savvy and time conscious natural haired person, it is safe to say that I tend to DIY a lot. With that said here are some tips on how you can get the most out of your DIY conditioning process.
Always use a blender*
A few years ago when I was a newbie in natural hair, I had a very ripe banana and I thought instead of throwing it away I would make a banana conditioning mix for my daughter’s hair.
However, instead of blending the banana I thought since it was very ripe I could mash it with the back of a big a spoon because in my head it would save me time from having to wash the blender.
I was wrong. Anyway, I went ahead with my plan and applied it on my daughter’s long hair. When it was time to wash her hair the banana bits would not come out.
I washed her hair more than 5 times which took much longer than just washing the blender*. I couldn’t wash the banana off completely so I just ended up stretching her hair to dry and applied oil. We spent the entire week taking the banana bits off her hair.
Moral of the story, use a blender to get your DIY mixture as smooth as you can before applying to your hair.
Make sure your ingredients are not rotten
There is a difference between a fruit which has gone bad and one which is ripe. So check and make sure the fruit is just ripe otherwise your hair will smell pretty awful. If you are not sure, just err on the side of it being rotten.
Add oil in very small quantities
For instance, you could add an oil of your choice to your mix but add less than a teaspoon. If oil is your main ingredient then, by all means, use as much as you want, but when your main ingredients are your food items then using just a little will ensure that the mix is not too runny.
Do you DIY often?
