So for the past few months I’ve been in Pakistan (shout out to my homeland!). Now for those of you who don’t know where it is, it’s in South Asia and boy did I pick the wrong time of year to visit Pakistan! Not only did it hit 124°F (51ºC) out there, it was the worst climate for my Wavy/Curly hair. Think humidity, heat, dust and to top it all off monsoon rains! So how did I maintain healthy frizz free curls in that climate? Hence the idea behind this article. Here’s presenting my “curl rejuvenating regimen”
As I mentioned before it was crazy hot in Pakistan, which meant my hair was a big ball of frizz and we all know washing your hair every day is a no-no it strips our hair of natural oils, damages the hair and just dries it out. This left me in a dilemma, should I walk around looking like I’d just been electrocuted with a giant frizz ball on my head – or did I give in and wash my hair daily to get my curls back?? It wasn’t just the drying weather and frizz that was bothering me. It was the dust, it was making my hair grimy I needed to find a solution and fast.
This is where my great aunt Amina came to the rescue with her healthy hair tips and tricks which I’m going to share with you. I fully believe in natural remedies, they may have a different way of doing things in Pakistan but it works! It definitely works for the temperature out there. Which means this regime is perfect for the hot weather or if you go on holiday to a dusty region.
As always the key to healthy hair is moisture, moisture, moisture and once again MOISTURE! I washed my hair every 3rd day with coconut milk. Coconut milk is a great moisturizing and nourishing treatment. Applying the coconut milk is basically natural nourishment for your hair from the roots to ends. Saturate your hair from scalp to the tips of your hair in the milk, let it sit in your hair for between 15-20 minutes and then rinse it out. Coconut milk is gold dust to dry hair. Listed below are some of the benefits of using coconut milk on your locks:
• Moisturizes and nourishes the hair
• Prevents dandruff
• Prevents and sooths an itchy scalp
• Adds shine to the hair
• Is a great antibacterial – so it keeps infections and irritations at bay
• Smooths out the hair shaft working as an anti-frizz agent
After washing out the coconut milk use an oil, a few good examples include:
• Olive oil, which is rich with fatty acids that coat the hair shaft, thus making it a great sealant
• Jojoba oil, is the most similar to natural hair sebum, high in Vitamin A, B1, B2, B6, and E and it
doesn’t interfere in the scalps natural balance
• Coconut oil, coconut oil is one of my personal favorites. Coconut oil is one of the few oils that actually penetrates the hair shaft and it is a sealant and reconstructs hair protein.
In addition to my 3rd day coconut milk rinse I did a deep conditioning treatment once a week – the Pakistani way. Back here in the UK I have so many store brought deep conditioning masks but these were mega expensive in Pakistan, so with the help of my great aunt Amina we made our own.
I’m going to share my top 3 favorite 100% natural, unbelievably easy to make and inexpensive deep conditioning masks that actually work. I know banana and egg are super beneficial for our hair but I just didn’t like the texture of banana or the hassle of washing out the egg. So these 3 masks are banana, egg and hassle free, but feel free to throw in a banana or egg in any of these masks for added nourishment. That’s the beauty of these masks – they are customizable.
Deep Conditioning Mask 1
• 1 avocado – deseeded and peeled
• ½ tablespoon of honey
• 2 tablespoons of coconut oil
• 1 table spoon of aloe vera gel
Mash the avocado thoroughly, whizz it in the blender then stir in the rest of the ingredients. Leave this mask in for 30 minutes before rinsing out with a mild shampoo and then enjoy your soft bouncy hydrated curls.
Deep Conditioning Mask 2
• ¼ cup of Plain yoghurt
• 3 tablespoons of olive oil
• ¼ tablespoon of honey
Stir the ingredients together and eave this mask in for up to 20 minutes and rinse out with a mild shampoo.
Deep Conditioning Mask 3
• ½ ripe papaya – deseeded and peeled
• 1 tablespoon honey
• ½ tablespoon of olive oil
• 2 tablespoons of coconut oil
This one is the ultra-hydrating, mother of all deep conditioning masks. Mash the papaya and whizz in the blender to get all the lumps out, stir in the rest of the ingredients and rinse out after 20-30 minutes. Your hair will be left feeling super soft and thoroughly hydrated.
Let me know if you use one of these masks and how it works out for you in the comments below. Over and out from this Curlista until next time.
Photo Credit: Aileen of TheStyleBoro.com
