Shimmer and Shine: Making Homemade Shampoo & Conditioner
Give your hair the love it deserves with natural shampoos, conditioners and rinses.
December/January 2005
By Janice Cox
Recipes:
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Having strong, beautiful hair doesn’t require exotic hair treatments, or cost a fortune. Simple, homemade products can keep your hair healthy, bouncy and full of shine — and they’re easier to make than a pot of soup.
Great-looking hair is something everyone desires, and it is not difficult to achieve. If you eat a well-balanced diet, drink plenty of water and get plenty of rest, your skin and hair will show it. Although proper hair care and conditioning are vital, the most important thing you can do for your hair is to keep it clean and well nourished.
Hair-care products, such as shampoos, conditioners and rinses, all perform specific functions that keep your hair looking and feeling its best. Shampoo cleans the scalp first and hair second by loosening dirt and oils. Conditioners protect the hair from drying out and becoming too brittle, which can result in breakage. Rinses clean the hair thoroughly and help to remove any hair-product traces.
Make sure to keep homemade hair products in clean containers in a cool, dry place. Avoid germ contamination by washing hands before making and using hair-care products. If the products separate, simply stir the mixture thoroughly. If one of your homemade products smells very bad, it probably is. Throw it out.
Are You Shampooing Correctly?
• Shampoo is liquid soap for washing your hair — a combination of water, detergent and some type of fat or oil. How often you wash your hair is a matter of personal choice, but keeping it clean is important. Here are a few guidelines I use when washing my hair:
• Use a small amount of shampoo (the size of a quarter); it is better to repeat the amount than waste too much the first time.
• Pour the shampoo into the palm of your hand, never directly onto your head. Rub your palms together gently to create a lather before applying the shampoo to your hair.
• Remember to massage the shampoo into your scalp to get it really clean. A clean scalp is important for healthy hair.
• Rinse well for at least two full minutes and use the coolest water you can stand. My mother always told me that the colder the water, the greater the shine!
• Dry your hair gently; blot rather than rub dry with a towel. I like to make a turban-style hat out of my bath towel and wear it on my head for 10 to 20 minutes. This helps absorb the water.
• Always use a wide-toothed comb on wet hair, never a brush.
• Most people prefer their shampoo in liquid or cream form. Extra ingredients often are added to shampoos for desired treatments or benefits, such as more body or shine. The following recipe is for a basic shampoo. It will seem thinner in consistency than most commercial shampoos. I assure you that the results are equivalent.
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