I Thought This Would Be Easier....

**KSmile** · 05-09-2013, 05:20 PM

Hello fellow naturals.
I am presently living in Burundi, East Africa. I am in search of some truly "homemade" recipes. Like things I can find in my refrigerator. Unfortunately if I want to purchase "American" hair products here the cost is quite astronomical. I would love if anyone has some really good leave-in recipes as well as deep conditioning recipes they can share. Thank you so much!

**Intellexual** · 05-09-2013, 05:52 PM

I'd like to get some perspective on what sort of homemade mixtures are viable. Are oils like coconut, jojoba, and castor available or are you only able to access condiments and produce?

Shampoo: Baking Soda & Vinegar
Leave-In Conditioner: Fabric Softener; Diluted Mayonaisse
Conditioner: Beer (adds volume)
Deep Conditioner: Mayonaisse

**KSmile** · 05-09-2013, 07:24 PM

Originally Posted by Intellexual

I'd like to get some perspective on what sort of homemade mixtures are viable. Are oils like coconut, jojoba, and castor available or are you only able to access condiments and produce?

Shampoo: Baking Soda & Vinegar
Leave-In Conditioner: Fabric Softener; Diluted Mayonaisse
Conditioner: Beer (adds volume)
Deep Conditioner: Mayonaisse

Wow these are some really good ideas! I never thought of fabric softener before. Do you just use it straight or do I have to dilute it? I do have access to a few oils here like coconut, avocado, and almond. But no castor, or jojoba. I happen to have some jojoba oil here a friend just "imported" and gave me though. It's funny when I found out I would be moving to Africa I just knew I was going to see shea butter everywhere. Not so much here in east africa as it is in west africa though.

**Intellexual** · 05-09-2013, 07:39 PM

Diluting as much as viable, no matter the concoction, is probably ideal. The baking soda and vinegar shampoo can be overdone, for instance, based on frequency and concentration of usage. Everything, even consumption of water, warrants moderation, observation, etc.

Thank you for the insight. I have a better feel for what's available based on how you broke those down. If you have access to authentic black soap, that is and can be a staple ingredient. Letting us know if that is available at a reasonable fare can also be instructional. Otherwise and either way, I'll edit this post to include basic concoctions from "raw" oils rather than some of the more tediously repurposed products listed above (like beer, teehee).

Shampoo: Aloe Vera Gel, Coconut Milk, Almond Oil, Vitamin E (can crush up pill form). This sort of shampoo gives a change of pace from washing with baking soda.
Leave-In: EVOO - Extra Virgin Olive Oil (great for sealing in moisture).
Conditioner: Olive Oil & Eggs; ACV - Apple Cider Vinegar
Deep Conditioner: Jojoba Oil; Olive Oil & Eggs

pH levels matter greatly. There's information on this forum in other threads which discusses ideal targets per specific application. If you have an ordeal of finding those insights here or elsewhere online just let us know and we can discuss it here too.

**KSmile** · 05-09-2013, 07:52 PM

I'm not sure if they have black soap here. I will have to ask around. Some of the things people wash their hair with would curl your toes in horror...i.e. laundry detergent. I never thought about using EVOO as a leave-in. I'll have to try it. These are all such great ideas. I really appreciate it.