Number of trials: three (2x on dry hair prior to wash; 1x on wet hair after wash)
Ingredients - 4 tbs of coconut oil, 2 tbs of natural honey
Instructions - Place coconut oil and honey in a small plastic bag and place the bag in a hot cup of water for 1 minute to warm. Apply to hair, wrap hair in a towel for 20 minutes. Wash then dry hair.
How I prepared and used it:
I used extra virgin (i.e., pure and natural) coconut oil for the homemade mix. I also prepared about 2 times the serving because my hair is thick, dense, and naturally dry.
... as a hot oil treatment - Mixed 8 tbs of coconut oil with 4 tbs of honey in a bowl and heated it in the microwave for about 15-20 seconds to speed up the melting process. (The conditioner may/may not lose some of its benefits by being heated in the microwave; I'm not certain. I recommend that you stick with the official instructions above and I will do the same in the future.) Applied the warm mixture to hair, and wrapped hair with a plastic grocery bag followed by a turban towel. Let sit for 20 minutes. Washed hair with one lather of a moisturizing shampoo.
... as a deep conditioner - Washed hair with a moisturizing shampoo and toweled blotted until damp. Prepared the conditioner the same way as done for the hot oil treatment. Poured the mixture onto hair, and wrapped hair with a plastic grocery bag followed by a turban towel. Let sit for 20 minutes. Rinsed 80-90% of the conditioner out with warm water and then followed up with a blast of cold water to flatten the cuticles.
Recipe Source: http://hairrecipes.homestead.com/hotoilrecipes.html
FULL REVIEW:
This mixture makes a good hot oil treatment (used prior to washing) or a great deep conditioner (used after washing). I am not a fan of hot oil treatments in general, so I prefer to use this concoction as a deep conditioner instead. It is moisturizing (honey) and strengthening (coconut oil), so I get the best of both worlds. It is also super easy to make and requires minimal ingredients. I personally used two servings of the recipe because my hair is really thick, dense, and naturally dry. The conditioner is a bit messy to apply; I find it easiest to:
Bend over the tub so the mixture does not drip onto floor; pour the conditioner gradually onto my hair and let it drip into my hand; take the remainder in my hand and massage it into the parts of my hair that the conditioner didn't reach; once I'm done pouring, do a full-on massage of my hair to distribute the conditioner.
Do not expect this homemade conditioner to leave your hair smooth and silky like with commercial conditioners containing cetyl alcohol and cones. It did, however, leave my hair feeling strong immediately after rinsing it out. The moisturized factor kicked in after I let my hair dry for some time; my hair was supple and had a nice sheen. I usually apply a moisturizer after deep conditioning, but in this case, I was able to skip on some of it.
PROS RECAP: Quick and easy to make, Inexpensive, Minimal ingredients, Ingredients with long shelf life, Moisturizing, Strengthening, All Natural
CONS RECAP: Bit messy, No slip like with commercial conditioners
RATING:
Overall, I rate the Coconut Honey Deep Conditioner 4 out of 5 stars. It's natural and inexpensive, it moisturizes and strengthens in one, and it's not a hassle to make. It will become a regular part of my hair care regimen.
IDEAL FOR THOSE WHOSE HAIR:
* dislikes protein but requires strengthening
* is damaged and/or dry
HEADS UP:
*Be sure to wash behind your ears and around your hair line after using this homemade deep conditioner. Coconut oil can clog the skin and contribute to acne.
*Honey, when in contact with water, supposedly lightens the hair color over time. Hair lightening may occur when this conditioner is used on wet as opposed to dry hair.
FOR THE MIXOLOGISTS OUT THERE:
Feel free to experiment with adding an inexpensive conditioner (such as Suave or V05) to your mixture, or an additional favorite oil of yours (such as extra virgin olive oil). I like the Coconut Honey conditioner as is, though!
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