The Recipe for Healthy African-American Hair
Add a little…
For the most part the ingredients that work best for black, or any type of hair for that matter, come from good ol’ Mother Earth. So whether you’re relaxed or natural, your products shouldn’t be too terribly hard to pronounce. The next time you’re “navigating the beauty aisles” look for these ingredients:
Biotin: This vitamin promotes the growth of cells that reproduce quickly, like nails, skin, and hair. They actually sell biotin in a vitamin supplement form.
Folic Acid: Believe it or not this is another B vitamin you need to have in your medicine cabinet or under your sink. (Don’t let the F in Folic fool you- it’s B9.) This vitamin also works on the cell level. It helps your body use and create protein, which we’ll learn later is very important for the hair.
Shea Butter: Has anyone else noticed how shea butter seems to be in everything these days? I remember when it was novel to see vendors selling it on the street, now it’s gone mainstream. And rightly so, this magical, motherland cream cures dryness of scalp and hair, adding a sheen to it. It’s easily absorbed and protects hair from the elements.
The Oils: castor, coconut, and peppermint: With the exception of castor these oils sound delicious. Yup the same flavors that excite your tastebuds actually work to stimulate your scalp and nourish your hair.
Castor oil prevents hair loss, moisturizes and has been said to contribute to your hair’s overall thickness.
Coconut oil is the perfect moisturizer for your hair, especially when it’s damp. Remember not to overdo a good thing. Even though it smells heavenly moderation is still key.
Peppermint oil balances the ph in your hair and scalp, so whether you suffer from hair that’s too dry or too oily, the peppermint oil will get you where you need to go to grow. It also stimulates and opens the pores in the scalp.
Panthenol: Here’s yet another form of vitamin B. (Notice a pattern?) This one binds to the hair and extracts moisture from the hair.
Keratin: This is a type of protein found in hair, skin, and nails. As we know much of our hair, nails, and skin are dead but these dead cells protect the newly grown ones underneath. The thicker the layer of fresh keratin the faster your hair (and nails) will grow.
Eggs: This easily accessible food restores protein to the hair. Like keratin the proteins strengthen the hair. You can put raw eggs directly on your hair and use it as conditioner.
