What crazy/unorthodox products do you use that actually work? | Black Girl with Long Hair Black Girl with Long Hair | Natural Hair Styles and Natural Hair Care

25 June 2010 ~ 43 Comments

What crazy/unorthodox products do you use that actually work?

Natural Hair Products

When yesterday’s style icon Gabby said that she used Crisco for her deep conditions, I did a double take. But given that Crisco is a soybean oil blend… it’s not really that surprising.

But it got me thinking…. What are some crazy/unorthodox products that you use that actually work?

I think the craziest thing I’ve tried is lemon juice (which, I guess, isn’t that crazy….) I added it to my deep condition to brighten up my natural highlights. Did it work? Actually I’m not sure :/

In any case; what are your crazy products that are still effective.

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43 Responses to “What crazy/unorthodox products do you use that actually work?”

  1. v.c. 25 June 2010 at 1:36 am Permalink

    I know many people use Dawn diswashing liquid to get rid of buildup in their locs. Whatever works lol.

    Reply
  2. Naturally Alise 25 June 2010 at 4:56 am Permalink

    When I was a kid I used to think it was crazy my mama used mayonnaise on my hair as a conditioner…. smelled gross during the process, but I had the shiniest hair EVER!

    Reply
  3. Jc 25 June 2010 at 5:14 am Permalink

    I don’t use any strange stuff. I do have to say that I was pretty surprised to know that Chicoro uses petroleum jelly.

    Reply
  4. A Simple Thing 25 June 2010 at 5:26 am Permalink

    Molasses – my mum used to feed it to me when I was younger and it used to make me gag!
    But now I can tolerate it in my scalp scrubs… -3-

    Reply
  5. BigSyd4life 25 June 2010 at 9:08 am Permalink

    I use cinnamon and honey to lighten my hair……..sometimes I use mayo OR peanut butter to condition my hair, lol…it can get pretty sticky!!!

    Reply
  6. BigSyd4life 25 June 2010 at 9:09 am Permalink

    Oh!!! Forgot, sometime I do an egg rinse!! I learned the hard way that it must be rinsed out with COLD water, or else it cook sin your hair!! YUCK!!!

    Reply
  7. Felicia 25 June 2010 at 9:25 am Permalink

    I use plain yogurt coconut oil and honey as a deep conditioner sometimes and i get defined curls with a really nice sheen to them when i do it

    Reply
  8. AGrlCanMac 25 June 2010 at 9:27 am Permalink

    I like to condition my hair with plain yogurt (mixed with coconut oil and honey) sometimes. The shine, softness and curl definition I get is bananas!

    Reply
  9. Stacey 25 June 2010 at 9:37 am Permalink

    I use plain yogurt, coconut oil, honey and olive oil as a deep conditioner. Sometimes I substitute the yogurt for a couple blended avacodos.

    Reply
  10. v.c. 25 June 2010 at 9:50 am Permalink

    Looking back, I used to use yogurt for a conditioner that was mixed with honey and oil.

    Reply
  11. MsOverproof 25 June 2010 at 10:39 am Permalink

    I used fenugreek seeds soaked overnight and then pureed to combat hair loss.. That sucka WORKS! but it smells a bit like curry…LOL

    Reply
  12. Tanaka 25 June 2010 at 10:57 am Permalink

    here i was thinking all these things are normal lol, i use mayonaise as a conditioner from time to time – makes hair easy to detangle.
    Coconut milk, coconut oil, olive oil, water and avocado– makes my hair so soft.
    Eggs,olive oil and bananas- with a bit of conditioner– works wonders
    Ive used lemon and lime juice before with my mixtures but i didnt find the significance.

    Have yet to try honey and the apple cider vinegar rinse. To those who have acne,an egg white and lemon juice face mask and applying diluted apple cider vinegar on my face worked wonders in curing my skin. That was after spending almost a hundred pounds on products.

    Reply
  13. Ameerah Pearman 25 June 2010 at 12:45 pm Permalink

    I just went into my kitchen and put some mayo and castor oil in the microwave for 30 secs and then put it on my hair. I put a bag over it and left it on for 20 mins. I washed it out and I am IN LOVE! My hair is soft, shiny, and my curls are more defined without a BIT of curling aid! I just ran some avocado oil thru my hair and I’m DONE! I have 4/a/b/c hair all over… I love it!! I’mma play in the kitchen more often!

    Reply
    • lovecoco 30 October 2011 at 12:18 pm Permalink

      Do you have any pics of your hair after you have used the mayo and castor oil?

      Reply
  14. Elise 25 June 2010 at 2:40 pm Permalink

    I do the apple cider vinegar rinses. It’s usually the only thing I wash my hair with. My hair is baby soft.

    Reply
  15. Kim 25 June 2010 at 6:47 pm Permalink

    I’m going to try the egg white and lemon juice mask tonight. I’ve been having issues since I cut my hair and the product I use to define my curls has caused acne. I love my hair, but hate the pimples which ensured.

    Reply
  16. bnatural 25 June 2010 at 7:47 pm Permalink

    miconazole nitrate!

    Reply
  17. LBell 25 June 2010 at 10:36 pm Permalink

    Everything except the miconazole nitrate (Monistat for the uninitiated)…those aren’t crazy or weird to me. Guess I’ve been natural too long, lol. I didn’t use Dawn when I had locs, but I did use a mix of Sea Breeze and witch hazel to combat mildew. It worked.

    Monistat, the various horse mane growth potions, and yeah, Crisco…I’m not going there anytime soon. Also the whole cayenne pepper spritz thing…that’s not hair growth you’re feeling, that’s skin irritation!

    Reply
  18. Jasmyn 25 June 2010 at 11:42 pm Permalink

    Cayenne pepper! On BlackHairMedia forum, I joined the Cayenne Pepper challenge where you mix cayenne pepper with water into a paste and place it on bald spots or other trouble areas (edges and the nape area), leave it on for a minimum of 1 hr, and rinse it out before cowashing. It’s supposed to stimulate the scalp for hair growth. I’ve seen a few fuzzies growing in the two months I’ve done the challenge, but with consistent use, it may prove beneficial in the long run.

    Reply
    • Likewaterforchocolat 6 December 2011 at 10:49 am Permalink

      I used a cayenne pepper olive oil blend as a pre-poo twice a month and noticed that my edges grew back. I always rinsed it out, though. Cayenne is a stimulant that works. I’ve heard of a cayenne/vodka paste as well, but never used it.

      Reply
  19. Jc 26 June 2010 at 6:52 am Permalink

    I actually think there is some science to using Crisco. The size of the oils (unsaturated and monounsaturated) in theory could allow penetration into hair similar to coconut and olive oil. I will add and it is a big add – this is a theory suggested by previous research (Journal of Cosmetic Science, pg 169-184, 2001)and crico was not studied here!

    Reply
  20. Nicole 26 June 2010 at 12:33 pm Permalink

    Im from Belize. My cousins from the rural parts of Belize use Crisco aka lard on their hair regularly instead of grease or anything else actually (due to being financially limited)and their hair always seemed to grow rapidly. They also barely manipulated their hair.

    Reply
  21. BeautywithinSherry 26 June 2010 at 12:34 pm Permalink

    @ JC if you look at Chicoro’s Fotki in the Hair Care Recipes section, you will see that Chicoro uses un-petroleum jelly for her hair which contains no mineral oil.

    Reply
  22. MP 26 June 2010 at 5:49 pm Permalink

    I don’t do anything I consider crazy, but I guess they are unorthodox. I’ve tried the honey in conditioner thing and it didn’t work out. I do apple cider vinegar rinses. I do turbinado sugar scalp scrubs. I’ll also do yogurt & honey face masks.

    Reply
  23. Shones 26 June 2010 at 10:18 pm Permalink

    I don’t consider a lot of this stuff to be strange anymore, but if someone told me before I went natural that I’d be using baking soda, ACV, honey, and henna, I would have LOL’ed.

    I use castor oil in my hair… and everywhere. Lots of castor oil. I use it on my face in place of moisturizer. I always get so many compliments on my “make-up” when all i have on is castor oil, blush, and lip gloss. I think the weirdest thing I’ve ever put in my hair is bentonite clay in liquid form. Then I actually tried it for *ahem* internal purposes. Man, that stuff (and aloe vera gel) works you out. Sorry, i digressed from hair.

    Reply
  24. Chris 26 June 2010 at 10:43 pm Permalink

    I use Oil of Olay in shower body body moisturiser sometimes. I use this moisturiser on my body and then put some on my hair. Sometimes also if I’m stranded somewhere with no hair products I will use body lotion on my hair. It does the trick for the time being.

    Reply
  25. Apps 28 June 2010 at 12:11 am Permalink

    I sometimes use mayo as a deep conditioner but I prefer Miracle Whip. It leaves my hair feeling just as soft and moisturized but has a milder smell and is more lightweight. Try it!

    Reply
  26. intelligentbeauty 28 June 2010 at 2:28 am Permalink

    I like bananas and coconut milk in my deep conditioner mix. But I may consider criso………lol

    Reply
  27. Cygnet 28 June 2010 at 1:11 pm Permalink

    At its most basic, mayonnaise is a combination of only three ingredients that are commonly used in homemade hair preparations: eggs/egg yolks, food grade acid (lemon juice, vinegar, etc.), and food grade oil (olive, canola, etc). All you need to bring them together into the emulsion we know and love so well is a mixer with a good motor and lots of patience. I’ve only made it twice, but I used the second batch as a deep conditioner in order to avoid wasting it when it went past the safe-for-eating period, and I was impressed enough with it to keep the rest for another conditioning session that is soon to occur.

    Because mayo is so easy to make, it makes sense to me that the knowledgeable kitchentician can make her own hair mayonnaise by combining base and essential oils in compound and adding various helpful herbs and other things to the emulsion. Perhaps, Leila, some of us could try this and submit the recipe and results of use. Or perhaps we could submit recipes and results of these not-so-weird hair products we’ve cobbled together over the kitchen sink and used in the past. For instance, how did someone use the Crisco? Did you melt it, or just scoop it out of the can? Did you use it alone or in combination with something else, as some have already attested? I’ll check back on this to see what other people may share.

    Reply
  28. Danielle 28 June 2010 at 4:06 pm Permalink

    I use a mixture of olive oil, honey, and regular conditioner in my hair overnight. Makes your hair soft and super shiny. You can see the results and recipe here:

    http://www.projectdanielle.com/2010/01/hair-today-super-shine.html

    Reply
  29. R 6 August 2010 at 9:26 pm Permalink

    I saw a white lady in the nail salon smiling from ear to ear with the shiniest face I ever saw (on a white lady) giving me the run down on how she puts crisco on her face everyday. Had to say after the shell shock of her shiney face I thought about it.

    Reply
  30. Javann 14 August 2010 at 1:08 pm Permalink

    Lately I’ve been mixing together coconut, olive, safflower, sunflower, grape seed and peppermint oils. I eyeball it and don’t really measure, though I probably should. It’s also great for skin.

    I’ve never used Crisco, but I’ll try anything (beauty-related!) once.

    As far as the oily lady @R, that’s one reason I think “black don’t crack” and somebody must have told her! I’m getting away from the oil-control chemicals for that reason and going back to the good, oil-fashioned absorbency sheets or (in a pinch) kleenex. Does anybody have a natural way to control oil?

    Reply
  31. Anon 9 October 2010 at 7:41 am Permalink

    Well, when I was in school (oh so many years ago) it was the in thing to dye your hair with kool-aid. It didn’t last and washed out but it was fun. Obviously it was done by making a paste with the little packets of kool-aid as opposed to pouring the liquid juice over your head. Also, fabric softener! I put Downey in/on my hair and it was SOOOOO soft!

    Reply
    • Sharell 11 October 2011 at 3:07 pm Permalink

      “I did the kool aid over the summer lol.”

      Reply
  32. Javann 10 October 2010 at 12:21 am Permalink

    Okay, Downy just made my jaw hit the floor.

    Reply
    • Sharell 11 October 2011 at 3:07 pm Permalink

      “Same here lol.”

      Reply
  33. Stacey 13 December 2010 at 11:30 am Permalink

    I must admit that I added the crisco to my spritz and I like it…the vegetable blend

    Reply
  34. alexis 20 March 2011 at 5:16 pm Permalink

    crisco was recommended to my household from my doctor when my daughter broke out with eczema to be used as lotion. we have seriously used it for years, and no we don’t smell like chicken :)

    Reply
  35. Nya 3 November 2011 at 4:32 pm Permalink

    :) Funny, about one week ago I opted for some Crisco since I ran out of olive oil; ironically it’s not that uncommon…yay Crisco

    Reply
  36. Lucky 5 December 2011 at 8:52 am Permalink

    I don’t use Crisco, but personally I’d rather use it than to use petroleum-based products. I know there’s a grease bandwagon, but I can’t see myself getting onboard.

    Reply
    • Aplus 21 December 2011 at 10:02 pm Permalink

      why is it a grease bandwagon? haven’t some people been using grease their whole lives and thrived with it? why the negative speech?

      Reply
  37. Bkallday 12 March 2012 at 11:42 am Permalink

    I use Febreeze on my locs if I’ve been around smokers or if I cook something with a strong smell (fried foods in particular ).

    Reply

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