Conditioners (and Shaving Cream)

Now that you know the shampoo recipe I use, I will share a couple of conditioning treatments.  The daily conditioner, which is more like a conditioning rinse, is simple a mixture of water, honey, and apple cider vinegar.  I use about 3 cups of water and 1/4 cup each of honey and apple cider vinegar.  The smell takes a while to get used to, but as soon as you rinse out the mixture, the smell is gone.  You will need to shake the bottle before each use because the ingredients will settle.  After about a week, you will notice that your hair is shinier and residue-free.  There is one warning for people with dark hair or colored hair: apple cider vinegar straight from the bottle will lighten your hair color.  It's great if you want highlights without a dye treatment, but be sure to dilute the vinegar enough if you don't want it to effect your hair color; you may want to use less vinegar in your rinse and keep an eye on your hair until you know if it will make a difference for your color.  I love this rinse because it's pure enough to drink and can be made with ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen.  Not to mention, it's very cost effective, especially if you decide to forgo the honey and just do a mixture of water and vinegar.

For those of you who like a deep conditioner, there are three things that I have used on my hair: 

Coconut oil
Avocado
Heated olive oil

All three of these are great deep conditioners because they are all, well, healthy fats that nourish your hair.  I sometimes heat up the olive oil until it's warm, which makes a nice "spa-like" experience, but you don't need to do that if you don't want.  Just coat your hair with whichever treatment you choose and pin it up for at least 30 minutes, and then rinse.  You can shampoo if you want also.  I have left these things in my hair all day for a rich, thorough treatment. Avocado is the only one that rinses out completely without leaving your hair looking oily.  So keep the olive and coconut oils toward the ends of you hair and avoid the roots.  You should probably prepare to wear your hair up the following day just in case the oils leave residue...but it's worth it, and your hair will look fabulous after a wash or two.

I still buy conditioner- but not for my hair.  I use it as shaving cream, and it works wonderfully.  It lasts longer than conventional shaving cream, and it costs less.  I buy the 32 ounce bottle of the 365 brand from whole foods (because it is paraben and sulfate free, and not tested on animals) and I only need to buy it every few months because a little goes a long way.  I highly recommend doing this!  Plus, when you go on a trip, you can just pack a travel container of conditioner and use it for your hair and for shaving.  

Do you have any conditioning treatments to add?  I would love to hear recommendations.  And thanks again for reading about our mindful home.