Hey Friends!!

As you know, I have 4C hair and it’s extremely difficult for me to find products which give me hydration and retain moisture. I’ve heard all about the benefits of aloe vera but never actually tried it for myself.  As the last straw (since majority of my products have been running out) I decided to source some aloe leaves. Next step was to venture onto Youtube university to learn how to apply it to my hair. After watching various videos from different individuals I came up with three uses that may help me out. For this wash day process I went with a pre-poo treatment.

Pre-poo Treatment

So, I’ve heard about pre-pooing for a while but never actually tried it until my last wash day where  I used warm honey mixed with olive oil. Pre-pooing is a method done before you wash your hair using oils and conditioner. It is used as a means of adding moisture to the hair as well as protecting it from the harshness of shampooing . It’s literally a PRE SHAMPOO TREATMENT. Therefore, a pre-poo treatment can be left in your hair for any time between twenty minutes to overnight.

For my Aloe Vera Pre-Poo Treatment I simply blended the gel extracted from the plant with olive oil and coconut oil then applied it to my hair. I massaged it into my scalp, applied it to the ends and twisted my hair. I covered my hair with a cap then left it on for an hour or so while I got some other tasks done.

While I was applying the mixture to my hair, I realised that it made it easy to detangle and twist. My hair also felt softer and fluffier, so I’d definitely say this is a keeper. I proceeded as normal with my wash day routine by using a sulphate free shampoo and deep conditioning.

• 

• 

Deep Condition

It’s wise to deep condition your hair each time you use a clarifying shampoo. This is done to restore moisture and keep your hair strong. Deep conditioning also helps to make your hair more manageable while adding shine. To get the most out of your deep conditioner it is advised to ADD HEAT. Adding heat makes it easier for the product to penetrate your hair shaft, also if you have  low porosity hair this is key.

The recipe to deep condition is basically the same as the pre-poo but you can add additional oils of your choice. After shampooing and conditioning, simply treat it as your usual deep conditioner.

Styling Gel

The obvious one since most of the aloe vera products are gel based. I used this gel to finger coil my hair. This is also the first time I’ve done this style, it took damn near two hours. They also ended up being different sizes as I was getting tired in the end. However, throughout the process I switched from the aloe vera gel to Ecostyler because I didn’t like how clumpy it was. It also left white particles on my hair (probably since it wasn’t blended). Since then I’ve stopped using Ecostyler not only because of the news articles but it always makes my hair crunchy.

• 

• 

My Review

FIRST TRY: You know how you watch Youtube videos and they make everything seem so easy and cool? I should have known after trying mayonnaise in my hair once that this wouldn’t be pretty. First off I took the lazy easy way out and decided to whisk the mixture with a fork as opposed to using a mixer/blender. In some of the Youtube videos I watched however they simply opened the aloe vera plant then rubbed it directly onto their hair.

I’m also realizing that they used mainly coconut oil with their mixtures. Everyone has been raving about coconut oil but I personally haven’t tried it yet. Maybe I may try this treatment again differently with coconut oil and using a mixer so it’s fully blended. Thus I can’t say for sure if I received the full benefits.

• 

• 

SECOND TRY: I decided to try a pre-poo treatment once again, and this time I used coconut oil and olive oil. The slip was great in detangling, even though I believed I didn’t make enough of the mixture. I also made sure to blend and strain it so I wouldn’t have as many clumps or residue as the first time. As mentioned previously it did make my hair soft and fluffy and added shine. Now that I actually have a plant I’ll be implementing the use of the aloe vera pre-poo treatment within my wash day routine.

• 

• 

Benefits of Aloe Vera

Okay, so now that you got three ways to use this product what are the major benefits? Why do you need this in your life? The Aloe Vera plant is packed with vitamins, minerals and enzymes which help to:

• Lock in moisture by penetrating the hair shaft
• Prevent breakage
• Repair damaged hair
• Prevent dandruff with its anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties
• Promote hair shine and natural sheen
• Promote hair growth

There you have it, I gave you some benefits along with different ways to receive these results. The best part about all of this is, you can either source these leaves in your area (Caribbean) or buy them at the supermarket. I heard that they’re fairly cheap around $US2.

Have you ever used Aloe vera on your hair?

KEEP UP WITH ME: TWITTER ~ INSTAGRAM  ~ FACEBOOK