Back to Pre-Treating my Hair with my Homemade Aloe Vera Custard


2.5 years in this natural hair game and I'm still playing around with certain aspects of my hair care routine. It's a journey, kurlies, I'm telling you! But a fun one, in my opinion.

I'm back to pre-poo'ing my hair with my aloe vera gel and grapeseed oil mix. It has awesome slip, so it's great for detangling, and leaves my hair feeling so soft and smooth. I don't really remember why I stopped using it for a spell but I'm back to using it and it still refuses to disappoint.

I don't measure the ingredients precisely. I just eye ball it like I do most of my concoctions. I shared this recipe with you all a while back but I'll share it again especially for those new to my blog that probably didn't go back that far (I have a lot of posts. I've had this blog for 3 years now!) back to see it.

* Aloe vera gel - not the food grade kind. I use the 99% one by Lily of the Desert or the 98% one by J/A/S/O/N

* Grapeseed oil - you can use whatever oil you like or have on hand. My hair has an affinity to grapeseed oil so that's what I like to use.

* (Optional) Honey - just a quick squirt. It gives my hair a shot of moisture and adds a pretty sheen to my hair.

The concoction is mainly aloe vera gel. I keep stirring in the grapeseed oil till a smooth and creamy consistency is achieved. That's it. Super simple and easy to make and it doesn't spoil fast if you buy a commercial brand aloe vera gel.

I should think of a catchy name for this mix. Hmm... AVGoil? AVGO? Aloe Vera Custard? I like the sound of custard. It does have a custardy, creamy consistency when I've completed mixing it. I think I shall call this mix my Aloe Vera Custard. It's official. :D

Any old hair care practices, mixes, or products you all have found your way back to?

PS (Still luvin my Denman D31 detangling brush.)

Comments

Moni said…
I've gone back to using coconut or Vatika oil to seal and prepoo. I tried using grapeseed oil, but it is just not for me. It makes my hair shiny, but does nothing else, whereas coconut helps my hair to be softer, more moisturized and shiny. I think I might try your aloe custard, using coconut oil. I think I have a good balance between maintaining my routine and slipping new products/techniques into the mix.
Milan said…
Moni! So good to see your comment! How are you doing?!

My hair loves grapeseed oil to pre-poo or seal with. Coconut is excellent for pre-pooing with for me but I can't apply it to my hair daily, it leaves it with great sheen but crunchy even when I use it sparingly. Oh well. It's so funny how what works for one doesn't always work for another. I'm going to use both oils in my next batch though. :D
Cherie said…
Hey Milan, I have the 99% Lily of the Desert aloe vera gelly that I've used in my shealoe mix. I was planning to buy the 98% one by J/A/S/O/N the next time I need aloe vera gel. My question is, how do these two gels compare? Do you have a preference?
Savannah said…
Right on time! I was just talking to one of my CurlyNikki Forum friends and she suggested that I use something similar for my wash n go's. Like Moni my hair prefers coconut oil so I will try it with that.
mangomadness said…
My staple pre-poo is a coconut oil pre-poo. I forgot about it for a while but have restarted it now.

With that said, I love an aloe vera gel/coconut oil mix as a detangler/pre-poo and/or leave-in conditioner. It leaves my hair super soft no matter how I use it.
Milan said…
Thanks for chiming in kurlies.

Cheri: In my experiences, I don't notice a difference. Both are good in my book but I prefer the J/A/S/O/N brand. I will go back to it once my Lily is all used up.
Cherie said…
Thanks for getting back to me, and thanks for this post! Like mangomadness, I always pre-poo with coconut oil. I'll have to try it mixed with aloe vera gel, it sounds lovely (:
Naprika said…
Just to clarify, is this only when you use shampoo or just before your clay wash?
Milan said…
I should re-word my title. Lol. I dont use shampoo. I use my clay wash exclusively. So I should be saying that I "pre-treat" my hair with this custard. Hope this helps.
Todra Payne said…
Argan oil is my hair's best friend. I have very fine hair that wilts to nothing if I pile too much oil on it - even coconut. Argan oil is really light and disappears in a moment. It's completely natural and a fair trade item. One of my writers did a detailed story on it. http://www.healthybeautyproject.com/beauty-space/argan-oil-moroccos-national-treasure/

I can't seem to get the hang of mixes with shea and aloe. I've tried several times, but they just come out gloppy.
Anonymous said…
I tried this last night and I love it! Detangling was so much easier and my hair came out smooth and soft!