A little recipe for y'all.

[RancheroTheBee]

Yesterday, I decided to flat-iron my hair. I rarely do this, keeping it for special occasions, so I really baby my hair before hand to minimize the damage. Anyway, in the process, I stumbled upon something nice.

I washed my hair, CO, and left it in for a minute. For anyone wondering, I used Suave green apple mixed with a little bit of honey. Then I used a final rinse (it's pretty big, but I like to be thorough).


Three cups of distilled or filtered water, boiled.
Three teaspoons of dried stinging nettle.
One teaspoon of dried hibiscus leaves, crushed.Combine last two ingredients in a tea strainer or clean sock. Steep in boiling water until the water is a deep red color. Leave to cool to room temperature, and then use as a final rinse.

So, bear in mind that I did use this in conjunction with CO/honey, mostly to wash away a lot of the minerals. I also blowfried after, and my hair is quite thick. It also felt disgusting until it dried. Just a warning.

The effect: My hair was softer, fuller, tangle-free (an amazing feat for me!) and I also detect a small brightening effect, but I'll have to try it again for confirmation.

[bijoux]

Ooohh. Sounds nice. Did you use the hibiscus for its red color? Or the honey to lighten?

[Heidi_234]

Honey mixed with conditioner wouldn't lighten hair, but it makes a great conditioning boost, which I heartily recommend!

[dor3girl]

Thanks for that...:cheese:

[mooglewoo]

My hair LOVES nettle! I'm glad this is working for you. and I hear ya on the iron, I do mine for special occasions too lolz

[jera]

That sounds great. :D Thanks for sharing.

[RancheroTheBee]

Ooohh. Sounds nice. Did you use the hibiscus for its red color? Or the honey to lighten?

I use hibiscus for scent primarily, but it seems to have a thickening effect on the hair. Nettles seem to act as an astringent, meaning I won't have to wash my hair until Saturday! :D I usually just use honey as a conditioning boost. As long as I rinse well, I can use it pretty often.

[Wyldekat]

I know this is a lame question, but where do you get hibiscus and nettles?

[RancheroTheBee]

I know this is a lame question, but where do you get hibiscus and nettles?

I actually got them from a soap-making supply shop. :) Look for stores in your area that sell natural ingredients for soap and cosmetics.

[Heidi_234]

I know this is a lame question, but where do you get hibiscus and nettles?
Both are used sometimes as teas. So if you can think of a place that sells dried herbal teas (by weight for example, but not only), then those two might be there. Spice stores maybe. If you know of a local 'herb farm' business, where they grow herbs for therapeutic use, then surely they have it.