Saa, Glycerine, Avj...what Next?

[CluelessJL]

So I've made a compromise with myself to keep the inner PJ happy

The deal is that I won't buy any more products or oils until I've used up some of the things I'm not planning on repurchasing. I've got quite a lot of products now which are fine, but haven't got that wow-factor I'm looking for in my search for my staples! Still, I want to use them up rather than let them go to waste.

However, I'm still allowed to buy raw ingredients (for want of a better phrase - I can't think of the word I'm looking for ) to add to those products - if anything, it'll improve the process of using them up!

I already have silk amino acids (which I love!), glycerine and aloe vera juice. What other 'stuff' would you recommend to add to products/make products with?

 

[InBloom]

I don't do ayurvedic items, but I understand they are wonderful to add to a regimen.

Oils of course.

Honey, Molasses...

 

[IDareT'sHair]

Honeyquat, an Assortment of Tea(s), Herbs, Cold Pressed Oils etc.....

 

[DarkJoy]

Depends on what youre trying to do. Styler? Moisturizer? Sealant?

 

[CluelessJL]

Depends on what youre trying to do. Styler? Moisturizer? Sealant?

I guess primarily things to add to DCs and leave ins?

 

[CodeRed]

Agave nectar for softness and shine.

Nettle tea for softness.

Coconut water for shine.

Coconut cream for softness and strength.

Black tea for strength.

Yucca for gentle cleansing

Irish moss for strength and softness

Fenugreek seeds for strength

I've used all except the yucca root in/as my deep conditioners.

 

[krissyhair]

I would add some oils. K.I.S.S.

 

[Nightingale]

So I've made a compromise with myself to keep the inner PJ happy

The deal is that I won't buy any more products or oils until I've used up some of the things I'm not planning on repurchasing. I've got quite a lot of products now which are fine, but haven't got that wow-factor I'm looking for in my search for my staples! Still, I want to use them up rather than let them go to waste.

However, I'm still allowed to buy raw ingredients (for want of a better phrase - I can't think of the word I'm looking for ) to add to those products - if anything, it'll improve the process of using them up!

I already have silk amino acids (which I love!), glycerine and aloe vera juice. What other 'stuff' would you recommend to add to products/make products with?

LOL @ you finding a loophole for your PJism.

As far as additives go, I like Vegemoist (glycine betaine) from ingredientstodiefor.com. It helps add moisture to your hair, but doesn't draw it from the atmosphere like glycerin.

 

[CluelessJL]

Thanks for all the suggestions!

Any tips on how to best use any of these?

 

[HappyAtLast]

LOL @ you finding a loophole for your PJism.

As far as additives go, I like Vegemoist (glycine betaine) from ingredientstodiefor.com. It helps add moisture to your hair, but doesn't draw it from the atmosphere like glycerin.

@Nightingale Vegemoist? I'm intrigued. I've never heard of this. I use glycerin for my hair because it's the ONLY ingredient that gives me lasting moisture and softness. But I'm held back by it to because it's sensitive to humidity and a twistout or braidout doesn't stand a chance with it.

So if I use this, I should get the same long-lasting moisturizing and softness as glycerin?
What ratios should I use when I add it to my mix? Currently I use 1:1:1 water/glycerin/avj as my holy grail hair moisturizer.
Thanks so much for mentioning this.

 

[Nightingale]

@Nightingale Vegemoist? I'm intrigued. I've never heard of this. I use glycerin for my hair because it's the ONLY ingredient that gives me lasting moisture and softness. But I'm held back by it to because it's sensitive to humidity and a twistout or braidout doesn't stand a chance with it.

So if I use this, I should get the same long-lasting moisturizing and softness as glycerin?
What ratios should I use when I add it to my mix? Currently I use 1:1:1 water/glycerin/avj as my holy grail hair moisturizer.
Thanks so much for mentioning this.

With the vegemoist I didn't see immediate results. It took about a week for there to be noticeable softness. I can't compare it to glycerin because for me, glycerin hardly ever works. This will give you more info.


You can use the vegemoist at up to 10%. I add it to my diluted shampoo and in my spray bottle of distilled water. Its already in my DC and leave in. I've also seen it in store products like AsIAm's curling jelly.

 

[CodeRed]

Thanks for all the suggestions!

Any tips on how to best use any of these?

Agave nectar for softness and shine.

Nettle tea for softness.

Coconut water for shine.

Coconut cream for softness and strength.

Black tea for strength.

Yucca for gentle cleansing

Irish moss for strength and softness

Fenugreek seeds for strength

I've used all except the yucca root in/as my deep conditioners.

I added teaspoons/tablespoons of agave nectar to my deep conditioners. I used it on it's own once and it didn't work for me... just kind of stuck to my hair and made it dull.

I used to spray my teas and coconut water in my hair... I've done rinses with them also. Rinse = put enough in a cup that's going to moisten my scalp and hair without a heavy drip. If you want to combine the two (steep tea in coconut water or aloe vera juice) then you can get the benefits of more than one thing at a time.

I made a deep conditioning treatment out of coconut cream, coconut water and Irish Moss (soak the moss for a few days first). It made a nice fluffy, smooth mixture after I blended them in my blender. I'd apply and either steam or add heat then conditioner wash out. You can add any amount you want of any of the three (or the mixture) to any deep conditioner you want to give a little "push" to.

Fenugreek seeds need to be soaked to get the full use out of them. I soaked mine for days and then blended it. You can use coconut water, aloe vera juice, teas or anything else you want to soak them in and blend them with.

I soak yucca root (the actual shredded root) in a pitcher of water (or again, a tea, aloe vera juice, coconut water) and just leave it in there. I would pour a cup over my head and gently massage it in to my scalp/hair. It doesn't make a huge lather but it does make a gentle, almost unnoticeable lather that washes off.

I also want to note that my hair doesn't like coconut oil so that's why I was using so many coconut alternatives. They all worked for me but for some reason my hair hates the oil - it makes it hard, breaks it off... basically the opposite of what it's supposed to do. So just because your hair doesn't like one doesn't mean it won't like derivatives.

 

[CluelessJL]

Thank you for the details!

@CodeRed does that mean coconut water will last a while, and it's ok to use as a spray without rinsing out?

 

[CodeRed]

Thank you for the details!

@CodeRed does that mean coconut water will last a while, and it's ok to use as a spray without rinsing out?

I believe so. I've used it without preservatives or anything but it also had tea with it... I kept it in my bathroom under the sink. Not sure what kept it from going "bad".

 

[CluelessJL]

Just thought I'd update

For the last three weeks I've been rinsing with coconut water between shampooing and DCing, and have added coconut cream to my DC mix. My hair has felt very, very soft However, it doesn't hold a curl as well. The two flat twists I put in overnight have produced slight waves rather than actual curls. I don't particularly mind though; just means it hangs lower and looks longer!

I didn't get on with coconut water as a leave in spray though. It matted my hair up something terrible (which is odd considering how good it's been as a rinse!) and left a residue.

I'm still eyeing mollasses on ebay...!

 

[uofmpanther]

I added teaspoons/tablespoons of agave nectar to my deep conditioners. I used it on it's own once and it didn't work for me... just kind of stuck to my hair and made it dull.

I used to spray my teas and coconut water in my hair... I've done rinses with them also. Rinse = put enough in a cup that's going to moisten my scalp and hair without a heavy drip. If you want to combine the two (steep tea in coconut water or aloe vera juice) then you can get the benefits of more than one thing at a time.

I made a deep conditioning treatment out of coconut cream, coconut water and Irish Moss (soak the moss for a few days first). It made a nice fluffy, smooth mixture after I blended them in my blender. I'd apply and either steam or add heat then conditioner wash out. You can add any amount you want of any of the three (or the mixture) to any deep conditioner you want to give a little "push" to.

Fenugreek seeds need to be soaked to get the full use out of them. I soaked mine for days and then blended it. You can use coconut water, aloe vera juice, teas or anything else you want to soak them in and blend them with.

I soak yucca root (the actual shredded root) in a pitcher of water (or again, a tea, aloe vera juice, coconut water) and just leave it in there. I would pour a cup over my head and gently massage it in to my scalp/hair. It doesn't make a huge lather but it does make a gentle, almost unnoticeable lather that washes off.

I also want to note that my hair doesn't like coconut oil so that's why I was using so many coconut alternatives. They all worked for me but for some reason my hair hates the oil - it makes it hard, breaks it off... basically the opposite of what it's supposed to do. So just because your hair doesn't like one doesn't mean it won't like derivatives.

I have this problem. My hair likes Coconut cream, but not Coconut oil. I'm not sure if it like Coconut water yet.