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Erica’s Leave-in Conditioning Hair Tonic

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This image shows a whole and a cut lemon.

Hello Goddess!

Today’s Hair Hydration is an update on one of my classic recipes (formerly known as Erica’s Soft Lemon Spritz).

I’ve always used panthenol, but recently ran out.

Since it can take up to two weeks to receive packages in Maui (and no luck finding liquid panthenol on the island), I picked up the hydrolyzed wheat protein that was lurking in the back of my cabinet.

The rest is healthier, stronger hair history!

If your hair enjoys protein treatments, make this penetrating leave-in hair conditioner today!

When I use this on Team Lavish’s in-between hair wash days, we each have shinier hair with minimal shedding.

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What is Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein?

According to the Environment Working Group’s Cosmetics Database (EWG), hydrolyzed wheat protein is a “hair and skin conditioning agent” that actually penetrates the cuticles of your hair.

I first learned of it’s magical powers while reading The Natural Haven’s posts about protein conditioning. I was a newbie mixologist with hair so thin (from heat damage) that I couldn’t trim it, cut it, or moisturize it fast enough! 

Good times.

This was a few years ago now, but if you Google hydrolyzed wheat protein, you will not find a better, more thorough description of what it is and what it actually does (with diagrams!!!) than in her posts here and here.

 

Secret Ingredient: Calendula Extract

The calendula extract in this recipe gives your hair a soft and silky feeling.  I LOVE it and add it to almost everything!  It controls frizz, is a natural antiseptic, antifungal, antibacterial skin soother (try saying that 5 times fast:).  I order mine from Mountain Rose Herbs but it’s easy to find online.  

Just Google “where to buy calendula extract”

If you 

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Erica’s Lemony Rose Leave-in Conditioner

I love adding rose essential oil for this mix as well.  Roses add extra conditioning power AND act as a natural mood lifter.  

Play around with your favorite essential oils to make this spritz even more delicious!

 

**To make this blend even more moisturizing, fill the bottle to the top (or top off with) aloe vera juice.

 ***EWG.org, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein

 

Leave-In Lavishly:)

 

 

 

 

 

DIY Scalp Replenishing Treatment

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Hello Natural Adventurer!

Lavish is a week into some havana twists and I am completely enjoying this time “off” from daily hair care.

I went for a smaller twist this time so I didn’t use 3 strands of hair.  Only about 1 big strand…maybe 1 and 1/2. I also braided them in, instead of twisting them in so that they would last longer.

Click here to watch my Havana Twists Tutorial for Goddesses:)

As much as you know I LOVE playing in my hair, Lavish enjoy’s being left alone as well. Gives us both time to grow!

Since my hair is protected within the twists (and I have juicy hair tonics & luscious hair teas), I’m treating her to some much needed rest and relaxation – starting at the crown!

 

This week it’s:

Sexy Scalp Care

 

Here are 2 quick recipes that will turn your store bought conditioner into a deep conditioning powerhouse (add a few drops with raw honey to really take it over the top!)

 

The Scalp Replenishing Treatment is an essential oil blend I use for light scalp massage.  It also works well in homemade conditioners, gels, and leave-ins.  This essential conditioning treatment is nutrient rich with natural vitamins, minerals, and extracts.

 

The Jojoba Hair Growth Recipe is the first hair growth oil I ever made.  Little did I know I was onto something:)

 

How will you practice sexy scalp care this week?

Let us know in the comments…

 

DIY Scalp Replenishing Treatment

3 drops Rose Essential Oil

3 drops Ylang Ylang Essential Oil (**may help with alopecia and hair loss)

3 drops Nettle Leaf Extract

3 drops Lavender Flower Extract or Lavender Essential Oil

1/8 tsp Vitamin E

2 ounces of Jojoba Oil

2 ounce bottle with lid/top

Pour 1/2 of jojoba oil into your bottle.  Add essential oils and extracts.  Pour remaining oil into the bottle and gently shake it until blended…the oil too:)

twist-out-lavish

 

DIY Jojoba Hair Growth Oil 

4 drops Lavender Essential Oil

2 drops Cedarwood Essential Oil

2 drops Rosemary Essential Oil

2 drops Thyme Essential Oil

2 ounces Jojoba oil or Grapeseed Oil (both work well in this recipe)

2 ounce bottle with lid/top

The ingredients in the hair growth oil are the same ingredients used to successfully treat hair loss in men and women.  This sensually soothing scalp massage serum is what I reach for when the itchies set up shop in my crown:) 

Check out this #Throwback pic of me wiggin’ out.

Anytime I want a straight style without the hours of styling I can just put one on!

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Ingredient Tip of The Week

 

 

REST & RELAX LAVISHLY:)

Calendula Oil | DIY Recipe & Benefits

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calendulapicHello Goddess,

This week we’re making an ancient, all-natural healing oil that’s as beautiful as it is powerful!

we dive into it, join me in Congratulating Krystel Thashera, our Winner of the Henna Sooq Red Raj Giveaway!

You Rock Goddess!

A BIG THANK YOU to EVERYONE who participated,

Love You Naturalistas! 

Calendula Oil

Calendula oil (Calendula officials) is a light, moisturizing oil that adds shine and eliminates frizz. It’s antimicrobial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, and antiviral. 

Cover these flowers with sunflower or olive oil, and let it sit for a few weeks — you’ll have a decadent oil that works well by itself AND blends well with others! 

Calendula Flowers

Calendula oil comes from the petals of the marigold flower. These daisy-like flowers are often vibrant orange to bold yellow in color.

This flower is most often used in aromatherapy to treat skin problems and wounds. It stimulates the production of collagen at the wound site, which helps reduce scarring.

During the Middle Ages, calendula flowers were used to color and flavor different cheeses!

Calendula Oil Benefits & Uses

  1. works as a natural emollient
  2. calms diaper rash and irritation
  3. soothes and prevents chapped lips when used in lip balms
  4. great for sensitive skin
  5. soothes scalp irritation
  6. calendula tea can be used as a toner to heal acne 
  7. reduces inflammation in skin conditions like eczema and dermatitis.
  8. it’s rejuvenative properties help hair follicles grow BODACIOUSLY, creating thicker hair 
*Do not use calendula if you have an allergy to ragweed or similar plants
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Cherry Lola Caramel Treatment
A deep clarifying, conditioning treatment that preps the hair for the Max Hydration Method.
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Ingredients
  1. 1/2 of an overripe banana or plantain
  2. 1/2 avocado
  3. 2 tablespoons greek yogurt
  4. 2 tablespoons organic apple cider vinegar
  5. 2 tablespoons raw honey
  6. 2 tablespoons liquid aminos
  7. 2 tablespoons baking soda
  8. 1 tablespoon unsulfured molasses
Instructions
  1. Add honey, liquid aminos, molasses, banana and yogurt to blender. Blend for 2 to 4 minutes or until banana and avocado reach smoothie texture.
  2. Add yogurt, baking soda, and egg and blend for 1 to 2 minutes. The treatment should have the consistency of a smoothie.
Lavishly Natural http://lavishlynatural.com/
This oil is perfect to use for scalp massage or as a finishing oil!

blow dry calendula oil

 
I use one small section at a time so I can see everything!

I blow-dried Lavish (on the coolest setting) for the first time in 2 years. I followed that with a little flat ironing (on 275° – almost the coolest setting). I was a little nervous, ya think?

The results?

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I used some flat rods on the ends and wrapped my hair for most of the day. I love the shine!

I ended up wearing buns all week because I loved the high bun look! I kept my ends moisturized with calendula oil of course, and some burnt sugar pomade.

I don’t plan on blow drying again for a while, but it was fun seeing the new growth.

How ’bout you? 

Do you use heat to style your kinky curls?

 

 

 

 

 

*Web MD  – Do not use calendula flower if your are allergic to flowers in the Asteraceae/Compositae family. Members of this family include ragweed, chrysanthemums, marigolds, daisies, and many others. If you have allergies, be sure to check with your healthcare provider before taking calendula.
 
 
 
 
 

Amla & Hibiscus Curl Defining Deep Conditioner Recipe

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Hello Gorgeous!

Last weekend I gave Lavish her first full henna treatment in over 2 years. It was the Henna Mix of ALL Henna Mixes. It had beetroot and hibiscus tea for sumptuous red highlights.  I added cocoa butter for decadent moisture, coconut water for hydration, and this amla & hibiscus conditio
ner that just pushed it way, way over the top!  

Amla’s Not-So-Secret Powers

I’ve used amla powder to add more conditioning power to my clay mixes and deep conditioners. I didn’t realize it could help me keep my curl pattern during a henna treatment. Apparently, this is Henna Head Gospel!  Amla powder can also be used to:

  • tone down red henna highlights
  • strengthen hair
  • add volume
  • promote hair growth
  • enhances curl pattern
Note: If this is your first time using amla powder, do a strand test before applying it to your whole head. Amla can be very drying.

 

Amla & Hibiscus Curl Defining Deep Conditioner

I started with dried hibiscus flowers I had left over from my henna ‘tea.’ Using my blender I created a powder for the mix.

You can buy the powder directly from many online sites. I bought this from Mountain Rose Herbs ($9.50 lb).   

 

I mixed the hibiscus and amla with other hair loving ingredients. 

Added the honey and coconut water…

It looked like this:


 My kids thought I was making red velvet cake:)

I added 1 tablespoon (combined) of melted coconut oil & cocoa butter to this mix:


The honey and marshmallow root powder make this really easy to rinse out. 

amla-rinse

Make some this weekend and let me know what you think!

Carrot Cake Carrot Oil
This oil is great to use for hot oil treatments, styling, facial serums, and scalp massage.
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Ingredients
  1. 3 carrots (2 were kinda small)
  2. 1 cup of olive oil
  3. 1 cup coconut oil
  4. 4 to 6 drops vanilla essential oil OR 1/2 vanilla bean
Instructions
  1. Wash and peel your carrots.
  2. Grate the carrots. Once you've grated them, wrap the carrots in a paper towel and squeeze as much liquid out as possible. You can also place the carrots in a nut milk bag and squeeze excess water out that way.
  3. Once you've removed the excess water, allow the carrots to continue to dry for about 2 hours. Lay them out as flat as you can on a dry plate or paper towel.
  4. They should be dry to the touch. Add them to your crock pot.
  5. Add your oil(s).
  6. Put your crock pot on the warm setting.
  7. I let CCCO simmer on the warm setting for up to an hour. Make sure your oil doesn't begin to boil or burn. Turn of the heat and allow the oil to cool for about 4 hours.
  8. Pour the carrot oil through the strainer to remove the carrots. Discard carrots after use.
Notes
  1. I like to add at least one half of a whole vanilla bean to my carrot oil. This gives it a beautiful carrot cake smell (if you like carrot cake – you’ll love it) but it’s really light and it doesn’t stay.
Lavishly Natural http://lavishlynatural.com/

Condition Lavishly :-)

60-Day Hair Growth Challenge Results

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hairchallengeresults

Hello Naturalista!

Well, it has been a hair cleansing good time over the past week for Lavish.

I washed, deep conditioned, hot-oil treated, and twisted my hair — and have some very shiny results!

I had so much fun with my curlformers, but ended up sweating them out in the heat on Day 3.

I hadn’t done a deep condition in a while, and it was the perfect time for a no-heat hot oil treatment!

curlformers

I like lots of honey in my oil so I make a raw organic honey conditioner.

It makes a great natural gloss that highlights your hair (if you use it over time).  

For that recipe see Lightening Your Hair With Raw Organic Honey. 

I use the recipe in the video, minus the banana.

honey

If I’m mixing it by hand (which I usually do) the banana is too hard to wash out. I’m picking out banana pieces for days!

Marshmallow root powder, pureed banana or pumpkin (both are deeply conditioning for hair), and coconut milk are neater options.

Lavishly Natural’s Raw Organic Honey Deep Conditioning Hair Gloss

I mixed 2 tablespoons of raw organic honey, 1 tsp of rhassoul clay, 1 tsp of marshmallow root powder, and 1 to 2 tablespoons of  coconut oil, in a small plastic container.

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I used a homemade organic coconut oil & castor oil mix (pictured above).

I applied the gloss to dry hair.

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deepconditioninghairgloss

 

I was going to rinse the gloss out with my conditioner, but I wanted to try something new. I tried oil rinsing after reading this article and watching the video.twostrandtwists

LOVE LOVE LOVE the results!!! I’m so happy I didn’t use the conditioner.

I didn’t have to apply anything once my hair was rinsed and dry.

It was deeply moisturized, detangled, and naturally shining! 

 

I wanted to put the twists in on slightly damp hair so I spritzed with Jane Carter’s Revitalizing Leave-In Conditioner, used Burnt Sugar Pomade on the ends, and flaxseed gel for the full luscious strand.

No frizz or loose hair!

I’m trying out some updos with these twists so I’ll post some photos of my results soon.

 

Hair Update

Can you see the growth over the past year?

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The Hair Growth Challenge has been a success, but not in the way I originally planned.

(Read my first hair bio here)

I’m still using the same homemade and store-bought natural products, and my hair is still growing at about a 1/2 inch or more each month.

In a protective style this seems to double.

My hair is super healthy, strong, growing, and I finally cracked the moisture code for my kinky, coily, soft, wavy, curls!

Now I can address my concern about covering the myriad of grey hair that has literally taken root near the front of my head.

I love my silvery strands of wisdom, but I love henna highlights even more! 

I have a sexy henna recipe, but think I’m going to opt for a beetroot and hibiscus tea base, to really put the RED in some red highlights.

Still On My Raw Foods Ish…

So I’m still juicing everyday and keeping up with my One-Raw-Food-A-Day Challenge.

Did you juice with me during Juice Week?

This infusion of daily delicious nutrients are really helping heal the dry skin around my chin, and stop the breakouts from having a party on my cheeks!

 

 

 glow

Hydrate Lavishly :-)