The much-recommended SMT (Snowymoon's Moisture Treatment)

[Anje]

Figured we should get basic directions for an SMT up, since noobies tend to get directed to it quite often. This isn't my recipe -- LHCer Snowymoon (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/member.php?u=613) came up with it, and it's a great moisture treatment that many of us swear by.

SMT Recipe
4 parts conditioner
1 part honey
1 part clear aloe gel

Heat in the microwave for a few seconds til it's warm, then apply to wet or dry hair (especially the ends). Cover hair with a shower cap/shopping bag/clingy food wrap/whatever, and let it sit for as long as you can stand it (30 minutes to overnight). Rinse out, do not shampoo.

A few notes:
Conditioners work best when they have minimal protein. Many people also avoid conditioners with silicone compounds for this. (I haven't experimented with protein ones, so that's word-of-mouth. I think protein-containing conditioners are likely to give lumpy, blobby results.)
No, the honey shouldn't leave your hair sticky. Try it with the honey first.
Aloe gels should be free of alcohols and numbing agents. Usually, the clear ones (as opposed to the green and blue ones) are best in this regard.


A recipe with protein in the form of gelatin added, inspired by meteor's experimentation:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=128&p=3403117&viewfull=1#post3403117

ETA: Snowymoon's Original Post

Snowy's Deep Moisture Treatment:inlove:

I have used my own moisture treatment twice with GREAT results. Hair is still wet, but very happy!!!

Snowy's Fave Moisture Treatment
1 part Fave conditioner (must be moisture), mine is VO5-Sun Kissed Raspberry.
1/4 part honey
1/4 part clear aloe vera gel (I use Fruit of the Earth).

Place in a cup and warm in microwave for 10 to 15 seconds--just until warm. Wash hair and squeeze out excess, blot dry, leave in under heat cap, warm towels or shower cap, what have you, for an hour or so. Rinse well. Finish (add leave-in if you do so) and style as usual Wah-la!!! Extreme Moistness. This is great after protein treatments!!! WOOT!!!:rockerdud

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Flaxen's added notes:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~ My own Method ~

I thought I would share with you the method I use most often when using SMT.

When I make it, I do the following:

~ Mix all ingredients in a cup and stir with a spoon.
~ Pop in in the microwave for a very short time, just enough to warm it.
~ Stir it again with a spoon.
~ Thoroughly rinse hair.
~ Clean hair with method of choice if not using SMT as the cleanser (CO wash) and rinse well. If using SMT as the cleanser, rinse hair well and go to the next step.
~ Squeeze out excess water.
~ Blot dry with a towel gently.
~ Apply the SMT all over, massage it into the scalp and comb it through for a bit.
~ wrap hair in a bun on the top of my head and put a plastic bag or shower cap over this.
~ Can use a heat cap here, and sometimes I do, but usually I just put a towel over that.
~ Leave on for an hour, if you can, or even longer.
~ Rinse well.
~ Finish, dry and style as usual.
~ Shiny hair! :biggrin:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

SMT...it's not just for deep treatments anymore!!

For an added treat, if your hair likes oils, you may want to try Ursula's Mega-Moisturizing Oil/SMT/Aloe Wash (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?p=66716#post66716) (MMW). It is a great way to use SMT as a cleaning method.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A NOTE OF THANKS

I would like to thank all the people who posted replies in this thread, and all who will post in the future. With your help, the following lists were created, which in turn will help all those coming across this thread for the first time. You all make this place great!

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LIST OF CONDITIONERS; THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY

Some conditioners appear to work in this recipe better than others. In an SMT gone wrong, many report lumps, clumping and difficulty rinsing. So, if you try a conditioner you are unsure of and you see lumps, chances are it may not be a conditioner that will work well with SMT. You can post here or PM me if you would like to add a conditioner to the following lists.

Conditioners and other ingredients reported to work well
Africa shea oil
Aubrey Organics GPB
Aussie 3MM
Aussie Mega conditioner
bananas from babyfood jars
bear-jar honey
Biolage Conditioning Balm
Body Shop Brazil Nut Conditioner
Burt's Bees Avacado pre-shampoo treatment
castor oil
Devacurl One conditioner
Down Under Naturals papaya moisture care conditioner
Elucence conditionerExtra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
Fekkai shea butter
Flaxseed oil
Fresh f21c Meadowfoam Conditioner
Fudge Dynamite
Giannini's Curl & Twirl conditioner
Giovanni 50/50
Kenra
KMS Curlup Curl Hydrator
J/A/S/O/N Jojoba conditioner
Jessicurl Weekly Deep Treatment (best results reported when using Lily of the Valley aloe gel)
jojoba oil
Les Karités
L'Oreal Vive Smooth-Intense Masque
Lush Henna (1 square used as a henna glossing treatment)
Origins Happy Endings
ORS carrot oil
ORS Hair Mayonaise
Mane N' Tail conditioner
Melrose Spray-in conditioner
molassas
Nature's Gate Herbal
Nature's Gate Jojoba conditioner
Nexxus Ensure
Nexxus Humectress
Nexxus KeraPhix
Pantene conditioner
Terax Crema
Trader Joe's Aloe Vera Gel
Trader Joe's Honey
Trader Joe's NourishSpa
Redken Smooth Down
shea butter
Suave Aloe Vera
Suave Milk and Honey (contains protein--see problem list)*
Suave Naturals Chamomile
TRESemme Vitamin E Moisturizing conditioner (see the problem list)
various essential oils
VO5 Blueberries and Cream
VO5 Extra Body
VO5 Tangerine Tickle
VO5 Tea Therapy Calming Chamomile
VO5 Sunkissed Raspberry
VO5 Free Me Fresia

Conditioners and other ingredients reported to be problematic
AO Honeysuckle Rose (too thin?)
Beauty Formulas Avocado Oil Treatment Wax (no cones or proteins, but white buildup reported)
Burt's Bees Avacado (some stickiness reported)
Conditioners containing cones
Clover honey (flakes reported)
De~Luxe conditioner (specks reported and not good results)
Finesse Moisturizing
Jessicurl Weekly Deep Treatment when used with FOTE gel (curding reported)
Joico Moisturizer (white chunks, hard to rinse)
honey (frizz reported)
honey with beeswax
Inecto Moisture Miracle (flakes reported)
mango
Nature's Gate Herbal (rubbery feeling reported)
Nature's Gate Jojoba conditioner (flakes reported)
Redkin Heavy Cream (stringy, snotty white stuff reported)
Regis Olive Oil conditioner (white stuff reported)
Satinique Hair Repair Masque
Suave Aloe (chukiness reported)
Suave Mango Peach (some white chunks reported, but rinsed easily)
Suave Milk and Honey (curds reported)
Suave Strawberry (waxiness reported)
Toni and Guy Shine Addiction
Trader Joe's Clover Honey (rubbery feeling reported)
TRESemme Vitamin E Moisturizing conditioner (flecks reported--contains cones)
VO5 Blueberries and Cream (chunkiness reported)

Aloe gels reported to work well
Aloe fresh from live plant
Fruit of the Earth aloe gel clear (available at Wal-Mart)
Fruit of the Earth aloe gel green (see problem list)*
J/A/S/O/N Aloe Gel
Lilly of the Desert (available in health-food stores)
Nature's Life Aloe Vera Herbal Blend
Nature's Healer Aloe Vera
Mystify Your Senses
President's Choice Pure Aloe Gel

Aloe gels reported to be problematic
Aloe gels with pain relievers added (usually green in color)
Lilly of the Valley aloe gel (flakes reported)
Fruit of the Earth aloe gel (one report of this being problematic) clear gel
Real Aloe Vera Gel (rubbery feeling reported)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Trouble shooting:

If it went wrong it could be...

* It was overheated; try not heating the mix or just warming it.
* Wrong conditioner (see the above lists); cones seem to cause adverse effects, curdling and hard rinsing.
* Wrong aloe gel (see the above list)
* Wrong ratios; usually too much aloe gel will result in possible coating/harder rinsing.
* Not covering with a plastic bag or shower cap--if this mix dries on your hair, it can be hard to rinse out. If that does happen, soaking your hair in a tub of plain warm water for about 20 minutes and then doing a CO wash may loosen it and help remove it.

Hints:

* Some report using SMT as a CO wash with great results.
* If honey leaves you frizzy, try just using aloe gel mixed with conditioner.
* You may have to try different conditioners until you find the one that gives you the results you are looking for.
* You don't have to use a microwave to heat the mix, you can set a cup of it into a bowl of warm water. That may be a good option and an even more gentle way of warming it up.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From the lists above, I think it is safe to say that dimethicone should be avoided when looking for a good SMT conditioner.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Some common abbreviations you may find in this thread:

CO - Conditioner or condition-only washing method.
C-COW-C - Condition-wash with shampoo/conditioner dilution-condition washing method.
CWC - Condition-wash-condition washing method.
SKR - VO5 Sun kissed Raspberry conditioner.
WO - Water only washing method
__________________

[FrannyG]

Thanks for posting this, Anje. :flower: I think this is one of the most helpful recipes for a lot of people. Thank you also to Snowymoon for inventing it! :flower:

[Amnell]

Thank you
I´ve forgotten how i to made it

[Patrycja]

one question-I know from previous experiments that my hair does not take to honey well.Makes it terribly frizzy and hard to manage.I know its a small part of the SMT but is there a substitute or some kind of tweaking so I don't get that reaction from the honey?

TIA

[Anje]

ilovemycop, I imagine you could reduce the honey or cut it out entirely. I've heard (but not tried) of people using molasses instead, which might have different effects and can temporarily darken hair.

The idea is that honey is a humectant, which means it attracts moisture to itself. Glycerine is also a humectant, and might work similarly in a recipe like this, but I don't know what proportion you'd use.

[Mahars]

My hair loves honey but I've also had good results with olive oil. I use less oil than I would honey, but my hair still benefits from the combination. Sometimes I have to shampoo if I use too much oil, but a good long CO would probably do the trick if that's what you normally do. Hope that helps!

[Snowymoon]

Yep, that is it. Pretty simple. Thank you for posting it. :)

[coppercurls]

ilovemycop, I imagine you could reduce the honey or cut it out entirely. I've heard (but not tried) of people using molasses instead, which might have different effects and can temporarily darken hair.

The idea is that honey is a humectant, which means it attracts moisture to itself. Glycerine is also a humectant, and might work similarly in a recipe like this, but I don't know what proportion you'd use.

I add a few drops of glycerine & a bit of coconut oil to the mix & it works great. I have read somewhere (can't remember-I have cold medicine head at the moment) that you need to keep the glycerine to less than 5% of the total mix. HTH

[Patrycja]

ok.I'm going to try 1/2 part coconut oil and 1/2 honey for the first try.I'll go from there.thanks!

[DolphinPrincess]

Just a question for anyone who has used this and experimented a bit. Do conditioners with protein just not work as well for this?? My hair loves protein, and I CO my hair every other day with a protein condish. I've just never tried anything else.

Help? :o

[Rory]

Okay, I definitely want to try this. How can you tell if a conditioner has a lot of protein in it? I assume it is the list of ingredients, but what are the words I need to look for?

Thanks,
Rory

[Anje]

Let's see... Things with protein often have it emblazoned across the front of the bottle: Now with Soy Protein! or Silk Amino Acids! or Wheat Protein Isolates!

Look for "___ amino acids" and "protein" or "protein isolates" on the ingredient list. That will get you a long way.

[Bonny]

I seem to remember someone had posted a long list of conditioners and whether or not they worked well in an SMT. Does anyone have this list saved somewhere?

ETA: I just came back to this thread and saw that it's been edited into the first post. Thanks so much! :flowers:

[birdiefu]

I've done SMTs with protein conditioners (I can think of Nexxus Keraphix, specifically) with great results. Keep in mind that my hair likes protein anyway- I wouldn't try it unless you know how your hair reacts to protein in general.

ETA: Proteins in conditioner are usually listed as something like- keratin or silk amino acids- or hydrolyzed wheat (or collagen, or whatever protein type they use) proteins. Look for the 'amino acids', 'protein', or 'hydrolyzed' (mostly done to a protein to make it more soluble in water).

[GlassEyes]

I can vouch for the protein thing.

I can wash with a protein condish, but I can't CO or SMT with one because it yield shitty results. I can even use a protein leave-in, but not those two.

Lack of protein makes for better hair for me.

[yufeyziqi]

I tried the formula last night for the 1st time. It's amazing! Very moisturizing. I replaced honey with coconut oil because I don't want honey's lighting effect.

What conditioners do all of you use for this treatment?

[Curlsgirl]

Even though it's quite expensive to use for this particular thing, I tried the Jessicurl Too Shea conditioner this time with my SMT. I am waiting on the results. I have used WREB and VO5 strawberries and cream with very good results. I have also left out the honey with great results too. I may try adding some coconut oil next time. Hmmmmmm

[cindy58]

Is that big list of types of conditioners, etc. and how well they worked for SMTs still around? I've been searching but haven't been able to find it.

Thanks for helping if you can!

[cindy58]

Thanks, Flaxen!

[pariate]

Thanks Flaxen, that list is so useful. I'm glad it wasn't lost!

[Flaxen]

Ursula’s Mega-Moisturizing Oil-SMT-Aloe Wash

The summer AC has been very drying on my hair. This routine for washing has worked very well in getting my hair through it. I suggested it to Snowy, and it seems to do her good, as well, although she's using jojoba instead of coconut oil, and plain SKR instead of SMT. I'll sometimes do the plain SKR, as well. It depends on my mood.

First, at night, I oil my hair heavily. Coconut oil, and lots of it. I add more and more, as much as my hair will take. Then I braid in two braids, and apply castor oil to the braids’ tassels.

Sleep well.

In the morning, I mix up a batch of Snowy’s Deep Moisture treatment, using VO5 Sunkissed Raspberry or Tangerine Tickle. Wet down hair with water in the shower, and massage the SMT through the hair. Wrap in a bun, cover with a plastic bag and towel. Let the mess soak for 30 minutes to an hour.

Rinse well. I rinse in the shower, combing as I go. I part my hair, and comb and rinse each half for about a minute each, followed by about a minute of rinsing and massaging my scalp.

Finally, I blot my hair with a microfiber towel. Then I take 1 to 2 tablespoons of aloe gel, and apply to each half of my hair, combing it through.

Sometimes, I will oil and braid in the morning, and finish the wash routine at night. Oiled braids look sleek for daytime wear. I’ll then flip my hair, loose, up over my pillow to air dry at night. When I wake in the morning, amazing curly waves.

[Flaxen]

I've just updated the SMT thread, so I'll merge this into it. :smile:

[amaiaisabella]

Thank you all for posting this recipe. I have been dying to try it but have one BIG concern- I just colored my hair a few weeks ago, and have been hearing that oil strips/fades the color from the hair. I also know that honey lightens but I think I read here that its power is decreased once it is heated. Would doing this treatment harm the color? My hair is super-dry and really needs it, but I'm not going to do it if the color is going to fade :(

[Jeni]

From the lists above, I think it is safe to say that dimethicone should be avoided when looking for a good SMT conditioner

OK I'm confused. Aussie 3MM is listed as a yielding good results, but it has dimethicone in it.

I think I'm going to try SMT again. The first time I ended up with curds and my hair was really dry. I think maybe I'll use a different conditioner, maybe less honey and a little oil (coconut or EVOO).

Jeni

[cindy58]

Do you think that 1/4 part of the solid coconut oil instead of honey would make it too greasy?

One thing I like about leaving the conditioner on so long is that your hair will really absorb the scent (that is, if you like the scent!).

Last night I did it with 1 Tbs. honey, 1 Tbs. aloe, and 4 Tbs. conditioner -- I probably should have mixed up more. I was surprised that it seemed to really absorb into my hair before I rinsed it out. (I hadn't noticed my hair as being particularly dry at the time, either.)

[Jeni]

I probably should have mixed up more. I was surprised that it seemed to really absorb into my hair before I rinsed it out.

Yea when I did it, it seemed to absorb into my hair too. It was weird, I soaked my hair in it and wrapped it up, 2 hours later, it was a lot less slimy.

Jeni

[justgreen]

I tried the formula last night for the 1st time. It's amazing! Very moisturizing. I replaced honey with coconut oil because I don't want honey's lighting effect.

What conditioners do all of you use for this treatment?

If you heat the mixture, it stops the lightening process from the honey.

[ktani]

The original recipe recommended mircowaving the mix 10-15 seconds.

I would recommend over 10 seconds under one minute to ensure destroying the enzyme in the honey that produces peroxide.

There was a report in the Honey thread recently from somone who slept with an SMT on their hair, which had not been microwaved and they got unintentional lightening.
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showpost.php?p=59225&postcount=241

[cindy58]

A girl from work was thrilled with the results of her first SMT -- she had colored 4 (!) times in a single day prior to this!

I just *might* be able to persuade her of the value of some of our techniques if she doesn't do that again!

[Patrycja]

4 times!!!!!!! wow I thought I was bad doing it once every three weeks.I've changed my evil ways though.

[lookingglass]

I've used Aussie 3MM with good results. Yes, it has cones, but is also very moisturizing.

[Jeni]

I did my second SMT yesterday (after cassia) used 3MM, coconut oil, honey and aloe. No curds, no dryness. I normally use cone conditioners, so I think that was my problem last time, the suave had no cones. Will definitely do this again, my hair felt great.

[Katze]

I LOVE SMT, with 'cones (Dove) and without (Lavera deep conditioner 'Repairkur' for other German speakers).

It does clump and curd, especially with Dove conditioner, but this does not cause a problem.

SMT is one of the very best things I've gotten from this site - it has helped my hair immeasurably.

Sometimes I wash with just honey as an alternative to WO washing or when my scalp is acting up. It really makes my hair soft and shiny, but I have to remind myself to rinse it out well. ;)

[Myrddin]

I LOVE SMT, with 'cones (Dove) and without (Lavera deep conditioner 'Repairkur' for other German speakers).

It does clump and curd, especially with Dove conditioner, but this does not cause a problem.

SMT is one of the very best things I've gotten from this site - it has helped my hair immeasurably.

Sometimes I wash with just honey as an alternative to WO washing or when my scalp is acting up. It really makes my hair soft and shiny, but I have to remind myself to rinse it out well. ;)

Hey Katze,

it´s a bit OT, but how do you wash your hair with honey?

[Anlbe]

Has anyone tried using aloe vera juice instead of gel for SMT?

[Myrddin]

Has anyone tried using aloe vera juice instead of gel for SMT?

Yeah, that one from Aubrey Organics. Finally there is no difference between the two of them. Juice is the pure form and the gel is juice with some thickener for a nicer application. The thickener though doesn´t have any effect for the hair.

Hope that helps.

[Snowymoon]

Thank you, Flaxen. :smooch:

:o

I am amazed at how many people my little experiment has helped. Wonderful. :heartbeat:

[Flaxen]

You are very welcome! :grouphug:

You know, your recipe really is one of the cornerstone recipes at TLHC. :agree:

[Katze]

Myrddin, I either use crystallized honey and "scrub" my scalp with it - similar to how I imagine people do brown sugar scrubs. Brown sugar is hard to find and expensive here, so I wouldn't waste it on my hair.

The other option is just to use honey like shampoo. Because I started doing honey masks years ago, then started washing my face with honey, the idea of using it as a hair wash came naturally. It acts like a WO wash, but more moisturizing and cleaning at the same time, and again, rinsing enough is KEY.

Yesterday I did my first SMT without aloe because I couldn't find my aloe liquid. Conditioner mixed one-to-one with honey, left on for about 3 hours, also gave me soft, smooth hair and moisturized ends.

I have to agree that the SMT is one of the very best things about this site. Again, hats off to Snowy! Her treatment has totally changed my hair and scalp for the better.

[Myrddin]

Myrddin, I either use crystallized honey and "scrub" my scalp with it - similar to how I imagine people do brown sugar scrubs. Brown sugar is hard to find and expensive here, so I wouldn't waste it on my hair.

The other option is just to use honey like shampoo. Because I started doing honey masks years ago, then started washing my face with honey, the idea of using it as a hair wash came naturally. It acts like a WO wash, but more moisturizing and cleaning at the same time, and again, rinsing enough is KEY.



Hey Katze,

thank you for your decription. I will try it, when I can risk greasy looking hair in case it won´t work out. I might consider using honey mixed with my usual shampoo.

[GlassEyes]

I have some SMT in my hair as we speak actually. xD I plan on leaving it on all night and the rinsing with an ACV rinse and then conditioning the hair again.

[Katze]

the SMT without aloe didn't seem to moisturize as much as that with. I guess the aloe is there for a reason. :)

[RavennaNight]

After reading the many posts about this concoction, and after much nerve rattling over the honey aspect, I decided to try the original recipie SMT. I used the 4 parts freesia VO5 (I never tried the stuff before. I'm dumbfounded about how inexpensive it is) to 1 part honey and 1 part CVS generic aloe gel. I mixed, then microwaved it 30 seconds, and applied it, all the while pondering the lightening effects of honey and how they are really not welcome in my hair. I have discovered that my hair really loves the combination, and had no adverse lightening. Thank you to everyone involved! :):D:cheese::cool::)
One question: How often should one SMT? Weekly? More? I guess it depends on your hair type? Why does nuked honey smell like peroxide for a few seconds? Okay that was a few questions. I'll be quiet now and revel in the greatness of the masters who invented it:D

[justinekay]

Can anyone tell me if they have a problem with shedding after an SMT? My hair seemed to shed more when I tried CO and, at a different time, from honey. I wondered if anyone else found they make them shed when applied to the scalp and if there's an alternative. I really want to try an SMT but am a little nervous!

[lookingglass]

My hair was feeling frizzy but coated and dehydrated, even though I had been COing all week. I clarified and did a SMT with VO5 tea/Honeysuckle Rose combo, and got several complements from strangers on my beautiful hair!

AO Honeysuckle Rose is THICK, thick thick!!! and works really well for this. I mixed it with the VO5 b/c I am almost out. I have used Suave Aloe with good results as well.

[GlassEyes]

Why does nuked honey smell like peroxide for a few seconds? Okay that was a few questions. I'll be quiet now and revel in the greatness of the masters who invented it:D

Probably because honey contains peroxide which lightens the hair UNLESS you microwave it. And I believe however much you SMT is up to you and what your hair can handle. xD I used to do them everyday for no good reason.

[<She>]

Yesterday I made myself a bit modified SMT, without the aloe. I diluted 3 teaspoonfulls of honey with a little water and added conditioner (Cliven, an Italian brand) and added almost a teaspoon of ground cinnamon. I applied it on slightly damp hair and kept it about 2-3h. After that I just rinsed it and my hair was soft and nice.
I've tried it with aloe last summer but after rinsing, the hair frizzed all up, it was strange. That was on freshly washed hair. Another time i tried it on slightly damp and again I got frizzy hair. I wonder what's the problem, why my hair and the aloe in SMT don't get along? Otherwise, aloe applied on my dry hair is ok.

[mommy2one05]

Myrddin, I either use crystallized honey and "scrub" my scalp with it - similar to how I imagine people do brown sugar scrubs. Brown sugar is hard to find and expensive here, so I wouldn't waste it on my hair.

The other option is just to use honey like shampoo. Because I started doing honey masks years ago, then started washing my face with honey, the idea of using it as a hair wash came naturally. It acts like a WO wash, but more moisturizing and cleaning at the same time, and again, rinsing enough is KEY.

Yesterday I did my first SMT without aloe because I couldn't find my aloe liquid. Conditioner mixed one-to-one with honey, left on for about 3 hours, also gave me soft, smooth hair and moisturized ends.

I have to agree that the SMT is one of the very best things about this site. Again, hats off to Snowy! Her treatment has totally changed my hair and scalp for the better.


Did you put this on wet or dry hair?
And one to one meaning equal parts honey and conditioner?
I am thinking of trying an smt.

[justgreen]

I always do SMT on wet, freshly washed hair. Some may do it differently.

I never use aloe anymore, just 2 parts conditioner, two parts honey.

[Katze]

yes, one-to-one means one part honey, one part conditioner.

I always put SMTs on freshly washed, wet hair, and only ever honey "wash" my hair when it's wet. Otherwise, I can imagine it getting much too sticky!

[mommy2one05]

So I can do an smt with only conditioner and honey? Does the aloe provide any added benefits that I would miss out on? How long is best to leave it on the wet hair? And when I go to rinsing it out do I just rinse or do I need to use shampoo to get the honey out? Now if I don't heat the honey I could have color lightening but if I heat the honey then it should countereffect that right? Sorry for all the questions. Thinking about trying this out this weekend. Looking forward to moisturized hair.

[justgreen]

You never have to shampoo honey out of your hair, it is water soluble, which means it rinses easily with water.

I wouldn't worry about the lightening effect unless you are using fresh raw honey. If you don't want the lightening effect, just make sure you nuke the SMT before applying it. You can rarely go wrong with SMT, don't worry so much about it. I've slept with it on my hair overnight before. That was the best moisture treatment my hair has had since I started growing it long.

[Siava]

I've got SMT on my hair right this very moment! I'm excited as it's my first.
Ingredients used:
1 tsp honey
1 tsp CVS aloe vera gel
4 tsp Suave Aloe Vera and Water Lily Conditioner
Crossing my fingers for good results! It sure smells good. :)

ETA: The SMT was wonderful. My hair still smells so good. Like other posters have mentioned, my hair really sucked in the moisture. There was no curdling. I wrapped my hair in a plastic shopping bag so the SMT rinsed out easily.

Can CVS aloe vera gel please be added to the list? I think I'm the 2nd person to mention this successful brand. Thankoo!

[mommy2one05]

Ok I have my version of an smt on my hair now. This is what I did: I washed my hair with vo5 shampoo first and then wrung out the hair and then applied my mix which was
1/4 cup vo5 conditioner
1/4 cup honey
1 tsp. aloe vera gel (green)
1 tsp. castor oil
Then I wrapped my hair in a scrunchie bun , covered with a shower cap, and covered with a towel. I am planning on leaving this on for an hour this time...is that enough time or how much time is best??

[mommy2one05]

I ended up leaving this on for 90 minutes instead of the 60 I had planned on. I rinsed out with just water but then when I was trying to comb my hair it was soooo tangly that I had to go find a cone conditioner (I have been using no cones for a couple weeks but I dont think it is gonna work) and the only one I had in the house was some of my pantene deep conditioner and I had to put that on and then I was able to comb my hair no problem. So not really sure if I will be able to tell if the smt was good for my hair or not. If I decide to try this again can you use a cone conditioner in the smt and would it give my hair the slip (or detangling ) that it needs? Any tips or advice???

[Celebrian]

I always do SMT on wet, freshly washed hair. Some may do it differently.

I never use aloe anymore, just 2 parts conditioner, two parts honey.

Good. I came here to find out just this very thing - partly because I have no aloe, and partly because I don't like the smell of aloe.

Do you use cone-free conditioner?

[mommy2one05]

justgreen - I see you said that you have " slept with it on my hair overnight before "...so did you put the smt on wet or dry hair and how did you contain the hair when you slept?

[mommy2one05]

Sorry about all my questions. I am just trying to make sure I dont do anything bad to my hair since I am still learning. So I am always short on time I was wondering can you make an smt mix ahead of time? Like could I at the beginning of the week make my smt mix and then leave it in a container with a lid on it and when I am ready for it just pull it out???

[CimarronSun]

mommy2one- looks like the green aloe gel is not recommended- maybe that is what caused the tangling? Castor oil is pretty sticky too.

[mommy2one05]

IMHO I don't think the Smt did much for my hair.
I did another one yesterday and still nothing.
I think that I can get a very good treatment from my pantene or aussie deep treatment.
Maybe my hair is too picky.

[BunnyBee]

Has anyone used Lush conditioners for this? Specifically Retread http://www.lush.co.uk/products/Retread_1982.aspx the ingredients are listed there if that helps.
I really want to do this tonight but I don't wanna mess it up lol

[Magicknthenight]

I would like to try this. is 1/4 the measurment? How much is 1 part?
I guess i'll just have to see what works! *crosses fingers!*

[n3m3sis42]

I would like to try this. is 1/4 the measurment? How much is 1 part?
I guess i'll just have to see what works! *crosses fingers!*

"1 part" isn't a specific amount; it's a ratio. So, for example, if you used 4 tablespoons of conditioner, then you would use 1 tablespoon each of aloe gel and honey.

Good luck! :D

[NorthernDancer]

I'd love to try this. I'm trying WO at the moment, so I don't want to mess that experiment up with trying something else.
Anybody here WO and use this method?

[Magicknthenight]

"1 part" isn't a specific amount; it's a ratio. So, for example, if you used 4 tablespoons of conditioner, then you would use 1 tablespoon each of aloe gel and honey.

Good luck! :D

ohh i see. thanks!:D

[kwaniesiam]

Does anyone here use more or less equal parts of honey and aloe to conditioner? I find better results with more honey, and I'm an avid SMT user.

[n3m3sis42]

Hi, all! I finally tried the SMT this past Friday, and I thought I'd share what I used and how it worked out for me.

What I Used:
Goth Rosary "Dead On Chocolate" conditioner (4 tbsp)
CVS 100&#37; pure aloe vera gel (1 tbsp)
Some regular, non-organic honey from the grocery store (1 tbsp)

How I Did It:
I washed my hair beforehand (it was my usual wash day) with Chagrin Valley's Honey Beer & Egg shampoo bar. I've used this shampoo bar before and my hair likes it, although now I'm wondering if there is a good reason to avoid using shampoos that contain protein immediately before an SMT.

After I washed my hair, I patted it dry gently with a microfiber towel, and then turbaned it in the same towel for about 5-10 minutes. I combed out my hair the way I normally would after washing. Then I microwaved the ingredients for about 10 seconds, mixed it all up one final time, glopped it on my hair and then covered with a plastic shower cap and a do-rag. I left it on for about 4 hours and then went in the shower and rinsed it out with lukewarm water.

My Results:
I didn't really have any trouble rinsing it out of my hair, and my hair felt REALLY silky when it dried. In fact, it felt so silky that for the next couple of days, it was really hard for me to get it to stay in updos very well. It smelled great and seemed rather shiny, although I had it up most of the time so I'm not too sure how it looked. Its updo-hold seems to be about back to normal now, finally.

I didn't notice any ill effects, but I think my hair still needs moisture because my shed hairs are still failing the stretch test (they snap without stretching at all first). I'm not sure if this means that an SMT is not a good option for me (although it's not any worse than I started off, in any case) or if it means that I need to do more SMT's.

My Questions:
-Would using a shampoo bar that contains protein to clean the hair immediately before an SMT would cause problems?
-Has anyone noticed better or worse results depending on how damp (or not-damp) their hair is when they apply the SMT?
-How often do most of you do this treatment? Is it unusual for hair that's pretty dry to need several treatments at first?

[n3m3sis42]

Since my hair seemed to like the first SMT I did last Friday, but also seemed to still need moisture, I'm doing another one. I'm working from home today, which means I have all day to sit here with this gunk on my head if I want to.

I'm using the same method I described in the post above this one, with three changes:

1. I washed my hair with CV Mud and Clay shampoo bar (instead of Honey Beer and Egg, which is what I used last time) before applying my SMT.

2. I used Goth Rosary "Tea and Sympathy" conditioner (instead of Goth Rosary "Dead On Chocolate"). I'm not sure this makes any difference since it's the same conditioner with different fragrance ingredients, but felt like noting it just in case.

3. Last time, when I heated my SMT I heated it for 5 seconds, checked on it, then heated for 5 more seconds. This time, I heated for 10 seconds straight. I had a small amount of clumping this time, but nothing nasty. I'm wondering if it needs to be heated on lower intensity next time. We shall see.

I will probably leave the SMT on until after work, unless it starts to annoy me. I will update later on with my results.

[Elettaria]

As I'm a good little vegan, can I simply replace the honey with molasses? And if so, do I need to nuke the mixture? The conditioner I use may be seen at http://www.houseofmistry.com/shop/ginseng-herbal-conditioner-p-9.html, and its ingredients in English are water, sunflower oil, wheatgerm oil, Korean ginseng, marigold, rose, beetroot, nettle, chamomile and henna.

Also, I'd love to coax my boyfriend into doing this with me, his hair could really do with it and if we're playing around with the stuff in the shower together I might be able to convince him in the name of silly shower fun. My hair is down to the tops of my thighs, medium-thick, and his is to his shoulders, a bit thinner than mine. How much goop should I make up to cover both of us? I presume that I should try to persuade him to leave it on as long as possible, say overnight (since I don't think he'd take very well to walking around with cling film on his head for hours - he always mocks me when I have a henna gloss on, tells me the turban makes me look like a gnome)? Come to that, if any of this gets on the sheets, will it stain?

[ktani]

Elletaria

Molasses has been reported to darken hair but you can buy light coloured molasses.

Molasses has no peroxide value when diluted or otherwise - you do not need to nuke it.

Here is a now archived post on the differences between honey and molasses for use on hair.
http://archive.longhaircommunity.com/showpost.php?p=807963&postcount=8 (http://archive.longhaircommunity.com/showpost.php?p=807963&postcount=8)

[n3m3sis42]

Okay, I'm back with a quick update. I ended up washing out my SMT after about 4 and a half hours because I started getting annoyed with having a shower cap on my head. :S

It was weird, because my hair felt more tangly than it has in a long time after I washed out my SMT and let it dry. Has this happened to anyone else? I'm sort of wondering if I failed to wash all of it out this time. The good news is that I *think* it may have helped with my dry hair problem at least a little bit. My shed hairs still aren't really stretching before they snap, but I have to pull a little harder to snap them at least. Sigh.

Also, I hope you all won't mind if I repeat my questions from a couple of posts ago. I'm not trying to be pushy; I'd just still be interested in everyone's take on them and don't want them to get lost in the shuffle. :)

Questions:
-Would using a shampoo bar that contains protein to clean the hair immediately before an SMT would cause problems?
-Has anyone noticed better or worse results depending on how damp (or not-damp) their hair is when they apply the SMT?
-How often do most of you do this treatment? Is it unusual for hair that's pretty dry to need several treatments at first?

[LadyMoon11]

Okay, I'm back with a quick update. I ended up washing out my SMT after about 4 and a half hours because I started getting annoyed with having a shower cap on my head. :S

It was weird, because my hair felt more tangly than it has in a long time after I washed out my SMT and let it dry. Has this happened to anyone else? I'm sort of wondering if I failed to wash all of it out this time. The good news is that I *think* it may have helped with my dry hair problem at least a little bit. My shed hairs still aren't really stretching before they snap, but I have to pull a little harder to snap them at least. Sigh.

Also, I hope you all won't mind if I repeat my questions from a couple of posts ago. I'm not trying to be pushy; I'd just still be interested in everyone's take on them and don't want them to get lost in the shuffle. :)

Questions:
-Would using a shampoo bar that contains protein to clean the hair immediately before an SMT would cause problems?
-Has anyone noticed better or worse results depending on how damp (or not-damp) their hair is when they apply the SMT?
-How often do most of you do this treatment? Is it unusual for hair that's pretty dry to need several treatments at first?

Hello, I will try to answer from my experiences, but it seems that everyone has a diff. experience with conditioning methods. :silly:

1. I do NOT like shampoo bars, so on this I cannot comment....
2. I noticed better results, by far, by applying it on damp hair. For me, it was easier to wash out, less tangled afterwards, and more silky.
3. I do an SMT about bi-weekly. Sometimes more often. I would think it would benefit your dry hair to do several in a row, yes. :) After that, I would do it as you feel you need the moisture again.

Sometimes my hair has felt a bit tangly and dry right after the SMT, as it does right after I use henna sometimes. But I think this has to do with so laziness with the rinsing...:oops:
Also, like I said above, I found much better results, especially regarding the dryness/tangliness by applying it to damp hair.
I would say there is a good chance that you did not wash it all out, though, and that is probably why you are experiencing the dryness. I have to rinse for a very long time after an SMT. If you has residual SMT in your hair, you would get the dry tanglies.
HTH :flower:

[n3m3sis42]

Sometimes my hair has felt a bit tangly and dry right after the SMT, as it does right after I use henna sometimes. But I think this has to do with so laziness with the rinsing...:oops:
Also, like I said above, I found much better results, especially regarding the dryness/tangliness by applying it to damp hair.
I would say there is a good chance that you did not wash it all out, though, and that is probably why you are experiencing the dryness. I have to rinse for a very long time after an SMT. If you has residual SMT in your hair, you would get the dry tanglies.
HTH :flower:

Thank you so much for sharing this! :D

I'm pretty sure you are right that my weird dry/tangly thing is due to lazy rinsing. I didn't have this problem the first time I used the SMT, but yesterday I was in a hurry and I bet I didn't rinse well enough. I'll be extra careful next time.

[MeMyselfandI]

I was rereading the instructions for SMT to double check how to use it. Last time I used it I did not cover my hair and found that the SMT had dried.

How should I tweek my routine to make it better?

I wash my hair with neutragena clarifing shampoo, then henna. I remove henna with mermaid soak and cheap conditioner. I then use a normal conditioner and rinse with white vinegar. I rinse out the vinegar rinse. I do not shampoo after henna.

A couple of days later, I use coconut oil on my dry hair. I do not wrap. (I think I need to ask questions in the coconut oil thread.) I leave the coconut oil on for a 30 minutes to an hour.

I then put on the SMT over the coconut oil. I wrap it up and leave on for an hour or more. I then shampoo and condition my hair as normal. I rinse with a vinegar rinse (1-2 teaspoon in 4 cups water). I rinse out the vinegar rinse.

I made a big batch of SMT, it has clumps in it now. I wonder what caused the lumps. I used the following for the SMT?

Fruit of the Earth aloe gel clear
1/2 Sauve Coconut conditioner and 1/2 Sauve lavender conditoner for the conditioner part
honey.

Should I be making up a new batch of SMT each time?

I plan on using a different conditoner and see if left a long time will become lumpy.

When my hair was very damaged a few months ago, I used SMT more often. I wonder if I should use it more often again?

Is it bad to use SMT on dry hair?

Is the SMT less effective on dry or oily hair?

[sipnsun]

Thanks for posting, I finally wrote it down so I won't forget.

[maja04]

I think this treatment seems reallly good but unfortunately my hair doesn't like honey at all. :(

Do you think I can use glycerin instead as a humectant (spelling?) if not what else can i add to get a similar effect? And if that is ok, how much, 1/4 as with honey? :confused:

[Elettaria]

I am currently sitting with an adapted SMT treatment on my head. I mixed up 1 tbsp black treacle (aka molasses, though I now realise that golden syrup, aka light molasses, might be a better choice; I don't use honey as I'm vegan), 1 tbsp aloe vera and 4 tbsp Mistry's aloe vera jojoba conditioner (http://www.houseofmistry.com/shop/aloe-vera-jojoba-conditioner-p-10.html) (ingredients: water, aloe vera, jojoba, rosemary extract, nettle extract, sunflower oil, wheatgerm oil, beetroot), and it promptly turned into soup. Is this meant to happen, and what will have caused it? I didn't fancy trying to get that to stick to my hair, so I added some amla and coconut powder (which form a very nice face mask, smelling like mince pies) to thicken it. I forgot that the coconut powder was basically very fine dessicated coconut rather than the powdered coconut milk that dissolves in liquid (can't use the latter as it has milk in it), and the bits of coconut swelled. It wasn't that fantastic to apply to my head, and I think I'll need a mermaid soak to get all the bits of coconut out.

What's up with the SMT turning into such a thin liquid?

[Magicknthenight]

I'm having a little problem. So far i have done this 2-3 times. I heat it for about 15 seconds. But it has these little...white things in it. So i thought maybe its normal? and i put it in my hair and their were white things everywhere in my hair from the mix. Had to wash it out of my hair:o
ive tried to heat it for less time but i was worried about lighting effects.
Am i doing something wrong? These white specks that are in the mix are annoying and hard to get out. I use clear aloe vera, honey, and Vo5 free me freesia. I dont know what could be causing this? Maybe the condictioner cooked a little?:confused:
Hoping for some answers!
thanks!:D

[DARtheSTAR]

I love this!! this is probably one of the best moisturizing treatments I have ever put in my hair!

[Siava]

I'm having a little problem. So far i have done this 2-3 times. I heat it for about 15 seconds. But it has these little...white things in it. So i thought maybe its normal? and i put it in my hair and their were white things everywhere in my hair from the mix. Had to wash it out of my hair:o
ive tried to heat it for less time but i was worried about lighting effects.
Am i doing something wrong? These white specks that are in the mix are annoying and hard to get out. I use clear aloe vera, honey, and Vo5 free me freesia. I dont know what could be causing this? Maybe the condictioner cooked a little?:confused:
Hoping for some answers!
thanks!:D

Maybe it's the conditioner? My SMTs consist of aloe, honey, and Suave Naturals Aloe and Waterlily. I've not noticed any white specks in my hair after rinsing. I heat mine for 20 seconds (10 seconds, stir, repeat).

[brixxgirl16]

I did an SMT the other day, and was a bit...disappointed.
I made sure I used non-problematic ingredients off the "good" list, didn't overheat, no specks, etc. All was well.
I let it sit for a little over an hour. While it was rinsing my hair felt lovely and silky, but when it dried it felt the same as always. Not really any added shine to speak of; my hair was also a bit frizzy but I think that was due to the rainy weather.

Is it just that my hair doesn't like this treatment? Should I try it again, heat longer, let it sit longer, etc.? :confused:

[Marcipangris]

I used SMT yesterday, and it left my hair unusually silky, soft, fluffy, light, and fluid. Lately it had been kind of crunchy, dry, and wavy, with a larger body. So it definitely made a difference. I even asked people to feel it and they said it was silkier. :)

Here is what I used:
4 Tablespoons Nature's Gate Aloe Vera Moisturizing Conditioner
2 Tablespoons Trader Joe's Creamed North American Clover Honey (unfiltered, uncooked)
1 Tablespoon Pacific Sun Aloe Vera Gel from Longs Drug Store (first four ingredients: water, glycerin, polysorbate, Aloe Barbadensis gel. I picked this because it had glycerin, a humectant)

I didn't microwave the ingredients-- just finger mixed them until smooth. I applied to damp hair that had been clarified, covered with a shower cap, and left for 1 hour. I noticed that by the end of the hour, water was dripping out of the shower cap. I guessed this could be because 1. the humectants were gathering water from the air, which was moist because I had just taken a shower, or 2. I was sweating.
When I took the shower cap off, my hair was much warmer than before-- probably because I am sick, and my head heated up my hair within the shower cap.

I should mention than even though I used unfiltered, uncooked honey, and did not microwave it, I still did not get any noticeable lightening. I wonder if this could be because of any vitamin C in the aloe gel, acting as an inhibitor to the peroxide producing enzyme........? I have relatively fine hair (the virgin part) which lightens fairly easily.

[Magicknthenight]

Maybe it's the conditioner? My SMTs consist of aloe, honey, and Suave Naturals Aloe and Waterlily. I've not noticed any white specks in my hair after rinsing. I heat mine for 20 seconds (10 seconds, stir, repeat).

Hm maybe it is the conditioner! Weird! I shall simply try a different one. Does the main, tail, and body conditioner work? I have given away alot of stuff i didnt use so thats the only other one i have except for a deep condictioner called -Paul Mitchell super-charged moisturizer. Also the vo5 made my hair feel kind of..soapy especially around the scalp. Then again i can use it for CO...
Maybe i should heat it a little while longer and it will break them up?
But first im gonna try a different conditioner. Thanks!!!:D

[Magicknthenight]

OK! i have just tried a new conditioner with this. I used Mane, tail, &body, honey, aloe vera, a little Garnier fructis, and also some Garnier leave in. I barely use the leave in though because i dont like the smell. Oh and also some Paul Mitchell super charged moisturizer. Wow i didn't realize how much i used:p
Anyway i heated it for 15 seconds and had no weird little white things in it! i left it on for about 10 minutes and rinsed it out. My hair was super soft in the shower!! I'm still waiting on it to dry:rolleyes:
But i can't wait to see the results!:D

[Elanor]

I just tried this for the first time and so far I loved it! I put loads of this stuff in damp hair before washing and let it sit 1 and a half hours under a shower cap. Then I rinsed and did a gentle CO-wash. When dried my hair was so soft and lovely! Usually too rich conditioners flatten my hair and make it too heavy, but this even added some volume without making my hair at all dry or crunchy.

[maja04]

I've noticed that my hair doesn't like honey to much, does anyone have a suggestion of what i can use instead?

[Cinnia]

I'm doing SMT's regulary but "with a twist"; my hair dislikes Aloe gel for some reason, and it just refuses to mix with my conditioner and honey.
A swedish site for CO-washers has introduced "Klick", a waterbased lubricant intended for very diffrent purposes :rolleyes:, as a great moisturizer for hair (glycerin is the dominant ingridient) - and it really work wonders in the SMT, as an alternative to the aloe vera.
I'm very happy that I found this treatment here, it's really made a difference to the health of my hair :).

[hennared]

Ive been away from this site for a good while, but came back looking for help! In the past few months, I moved to a very arid climate, have undergone a ridiculous amount of stress (loss of new job, loss of old relationship, new relationship), and have also managed to get my hair longer than it's ever been (it nearly covers my front private parts, now, if I sweep it to the front of my chest :) ). All this resulting in my hair looking terrible, dry and 'crackly' the last 2 or so inches. It's been impossible to comb, and I've been losing hair.. yikes!!!

So, I've been trying everything, and then I stumbled upon reference to 'the SMT' on this board. Well, I've tried it twice, now, and it's fantastic! I thought nothing would smooth my crinkly crackly weathered tresses.

My recipe:

3/4 c Alberto VO5 'extra body' conditioner
scant 1/4 cup aloe vera juice (pure stuff)
1/8 cup molasses (my hair frizzes with honey)
1 generous tablespoon homemade nettle-infused vegetable glycerin
scant tsp of MSM powder

This formula was a bit clumpy and seperated a bit in the bowl, but seemed to rinse out of my hair just fine; no flakes or clumps. I did not heat anything. It's seemingly the ONLY thing I can do to my hair to make the ends comb-able even when wet, without pulling hair out! My hair is sleek and has great shine and no frizzies after the SMT treatment (I leave it in for about 20 minutes). Seems to hold it's effect for a day or two, at least.

I've also begun washing every other day or every third day, and simply not combing the ends! and that has helped a lot with the hair loss, bu the SMT is definitely helping my hair look and feel a LOT better when I do wash. Yippee!!

Thank you all so much for this idea and all the feedback!

-Henna Red

[bkitty09]

I'm trying my first SMT and well it's still up so I don't know the dry results.
Here's how I did it.

1 part aloe
1.5 parts honey, cheap, walmart kind
4.5 parts Sauve Cucumber Melon Splash....or whatever they call the cucumbery melon flavor now.

Mix the honey and aloe together in a container that you can shake. Then heat for 15 seconds. When you take it out stir it a little more. Then put in your conditiner. Then shake, shake, shake.

I will be back later, when i rinse it out and it dries.
I love this. It came out really liquidy. At the bottom, there were a little tiny lumps.

[bkitty09]

My hair feels softer than when I used commercial DTs. Next time I'm going to follow up with something that will seal more moisture in my hair.

[mommy2one05]

OK! i have just tried a new conditioner with this. I used Mane, tail, &body, honey, aloe vera, a little Garnier fructis, and also some Garnier leave in. I barely use the leave in though because i dont like the smell. Oh and also some Paul Mitchell super charged moisturizer. Wow i didn't realize how much i used:p
Anyway i heated it for 15 seconds and had no weird little white things in it! i left it on for about 10 minutes and rinsed it out. My hair was super soft in the shower!! I'm still waiting on it to dry:rolleyes:
But i can't wait to see the results!:D


why did you only leave it on for 10 minutes? I thought an hour was the recommended time. I never thought of using a leave in in the mix....I have a herbal essence leave in I don't use....will have to try it now.

[Magicknthenight]

why did you only leave it on for 10 minutes? I thought an hour was the recommended time. I never thought of using a leave in in the mix....I have a herbal essence leave in I don't use....will have to try it now.


I do believe i just did that to test weither it would leave the little white specks. I don't remember exactially but time might have been a factor.
Good luck!


I think since then i've kept it in an hour.

[RavenDream]

I just did an SMT. My hair is so soft but unfortunately very fluffy. I used Suave Tropical Coconut, but I think next time I'll try a conditioner on the list.

[plainjanegirl]

I don't know what I did wrong. I have experimented some with AVG and my hair does not like it. So today I did a treatment with conditioner, honey, and coconut oil and left this on my wet hair for 20 minutes. My hair is still drying now but I can tell my ends are dry and rough feeling. Not sure what happened. I know my hair likes oil. So if it still feels bad tomorrow I will probably do another wash with just regular s&c and see if that helps. Any ideas what caused this? Does the oil not go with conditioner and honey very well?

[bkitty09]

Maybe you should try leaving the mixture on for a longer time, or try a different conditioner.

[lawyermom]

I just tried this for the first time and I think it might be the best thing I've ever put on my hair. I hate the feeling of overconditioned hair and was worried that's what the result would be. But ironically, even though I left a gob of conditioner on my hair for well over an hour, it didn't feel like that at all. It felt fabulous. Conditioned from the inside out, if that makes sense.

This is definitely now part of my normal routine.

(I used 4 TBPLs VO5 vanilla mint, 1 TBL of FOTE Aloe, and 1 TBL of generic, store brand, clove honey. I threw it all in together and the heated, and got curds so then re-rinsed with an ACV. Next time, I'll heat the honey first before whisking in the other ingredients.)

[Elleyena]

hmmm...I tried an smt a couple days ago. I used VO5 Kiwi Lime Squeeze clarifying conditioner, and aloe from my plant. I don't think I got the right ratio of Aloe, Honey, and conditioner, because that was my first time getting the gel out of the plant. Anyways, I left it in overnight, and washed it out the next morning using WO (I had washed my hair before applying the SMT using VO5 KLS shampoo). I ended up getting my hair trimmed that day too. Then the next day, my mom said that my hair looked super oily (it was a no wash day for my hair) so I chalked it up to that. Then today she said that my hair no longer looked cute it looked limp and I should never do whatever treatment I used again.

So...was the limp oily hair a result of the SMT or should I have washed my hair the next day? I liked the softness of my hair yesterday, and I didn't think my hair looked bad or even that oily. Could someone help me? :confused:

[Patrycja]

I completely forgot to post my finally sucessful SMT on this thread.

I used VO5 Calming Camomille Tea Therapy,FOTE aloe,a few drops of Tea Tree EO(itchy scalp), and store brand clove honey.I microwaved the honey for 10 seconds,cooled,added the aloe,oil, and then the condish.Applied to dry hair and let it sit for over an hour.It leaked out from under my plastic bag hat but it stayed on reasonably well.I rinsed with warm water and put Burts Bees Sugar Beet and Grapefruit Super Shiny condish on my ends.Rinsed that out and voila! Great shiny hair.The last time I attempted a SMT-I got the evil curds. I will most definately have to do it again.

Oh,I did have coconut oil in my hair prior to the SMT.So-it was more like Ursula's Mega Moisture Wash.

[NurseMama]

I did my first SMT today. My ends had been feeling a little crunchy from oil that hasn't been totally coming off with this new condish that I have been CO with, so I clairfied first to make sure that the SMT could get through to the ends. I followed the recipie exactly with a deep conditioner that I have (I must be getting older because sitting here at the comp I can't remember what kind!), honey, and aloe. I left it on for 2 hours and then rinsed and rinsed some more. I followed with a ACV rinse. That was several hours ago and I damp bunned my hair so it isn't totally dry, but I can already tell how much more moist it is! It is so much softer, although a little flyaway, but I am willing to deal with that to get the moisture back.

This will become a part of my regular routine!

[n3m3sis42]

I'm doing a modified version of the SMT today. I can't decide, but I'm not sure that my hair likes aloe vera gel. As a result, I am using coconut oil "instead of" the AVG this time. I realize that coconut oil isn't the same as AVG, but I was just curious what would happen.

Of course, because I fail at only changing one variable, I also got some organic honey recently and am using that this time. And I decided to microwave the honey only and then mix in the other ingredients, because the mixture was getting gloppy and a little clumpy when I microwaved it all. Microwaving the honey did make the consistency of the mixture MUCH nicer, so if I do go back to using AVG the next time, I'm definitely going to do it that way.

I used Aubrey Organics Honeysuckle Rose conditioner, in case anyone is curious.

Has anyone else tried doing a modified SMT with coconut (or other) oil instead of AVG? I have read this whole thread, but it's been a while and I can't remember if anyone mentioned trying that. I'd go back through and look, but I'm working and probably shouldn't even *be* on the Internet right now.

Anyway, I will wash out my SMT later today and will update with my results (if I can remember).

[NurseMama]

I just wanted to update that today is 2 days since I did the SMT and I have no greasies! None! My hair is still soft and freshly washed looking. Why would that be when normally with CO I get greasy by the second day at least?

[plainjanegirl]

I really wanna try this but all I have is green aloe vera gel and coney conditioner. So could I do a modified Smt with only honey and the coney conditioner or would that be asking for trouble??

[MeMyselfandI]

I really wanna try this but all I have is green aloe vera gel and coney conditioner. So could I do a modified Smt with only honey and the coney conditioner or would that be asking for trouble??


Hello again jane,

Only experimenting will give you the best answer.

Here are two old posts, one about cones and one about half and half honey and conditioner. Both seem to be in favour of giving what you have at home a try.

Do not forget to microwave the honey. I forgot to do that the second time and I lightened my henna. Honey may/will lighten natural hair as well.

Good luck.


I LOVE SMT, with 'cones (Dove) and without (Lavera deep conditioner 'Repairkur' for other German speakers).

It does clump and curd, especially with Dove conditioner, but this does not cause a problem.

SMT is one of the very best things I've gotten from this site - it has helped my hair immeasurably.

Sometimes I wash with just honey as an alternative to WO washing or when my scalp is acting up. It really makes my hair soft and shiny, but I have to remind myself to rinse it out well. ;)

I put in bold part.


Myrddin, I either use crystallized honey and "scrub" my scalp with it - similar to how I imagine people do brown sugar scrubs. Brown sugar is hard to find and expensive here, so I wouldn't waste it on my hair.

The other option is just to use honey like shampoo. Because I started doing honey masks years ago, then started washing my face with honey, the idea of using it as a hair wash came naturally. It acts like a WO wash, but more moisturizing and cleaning at the same time, and again, rinsing enough is KEY.

Yesterday I did my first SMT without aloe because I couldn't find my aloe liquid. Conditioner mixed one-to-one with honey, left on for about 3 hours, also gave me soft, smooth hair and moisturized ends.

I have to agree that the SMT is one of the very best things about this site. Again, hats off to Snowy! Her treatment has totally changed my hair and scalp for the better.

[lookingglass]

I really wanna try this but all I have is green aloe vera gel and coney conditioner. So could I do a modified Smt with only honey and the coney conditioner or would that be asking for trouble??

Sure you can! Pleanty of people add just honey to their condish all the time. Heat it up, leave it on for a good long time, and you have yourself a deep tx!

[WritingPrincess]

I'm going to do this tonight. My mom buys bulk honey, but she's protective of it because of the problems with bees lately. So she wants to know if I can use molasses, as we have a big bucket of that that a) is half as expensive and b) we've been working our way through for about 7 years.

When I want to wash again I'm going to try Ursula's MMW

[coolbreeze212]

Thanks for posting all the SMT info. I'd like to try this soon!

[Monsterkitti]

I did my first SMT on Friday and I still have lovely soft and shiny hair, my hair seems to love honey and actually doesnt seem to mind the aloevera once its mixed with something else :)

Going to do another one tonight as I didnt manage to leave the last one on very long and want to see if a longer application works well.

I wanted to try a henna gloss, would this work using a SMT as the conditioner the henna is mixed with? Would save having goo on my head for hours twice :)

[Katze]

I just wanted to update that today is 2 days since I did the SMT and I have no greasies! None! My hair is still soft and freshly washed looking. Why would that be when normally with CO I get greasy by the second day at least?

Perhaps because SMT has honey, which is antibacterial and lightly cleansing? ;)

As someone with SD/eczema, I really like washing skin and scalp with *just* honey. At the moment it does not get my hair clean enough as a wash on its own, but every time I do have it on my scalp it calms the itchies and flakies and is just sooo NICE.

CO made my hair greasy and my scalp terribly unhappy. Personally I think it is overrated, whereas SMT and honey are not appreciated enough! :cheese:

Contrary to what's popular here, I strongly disagree that honey lightens hair. At least for mine, which is relatively light to begin with, it has not made a difference in hair color. Ditto for BF, who I regularly do SMT on and whose hair is 1-2 shades lighter than mine.

Glad you like SMT; I think it's one of the best things I ever did for my hair. Planning one tonight! :D

[Ms Monnie]

Frick. Is there an action plan for if curds occur? I was lazy and instead of juicing my own aloe I picked up my mum's bottle of aloe gel, it's 99.9% aloe but it's still made a difference. I've rinsed and rinsed but decided to give up. Do they come out when it dries? Does this affect how well it works?

[Energy Recruitm]

Figured we should get basic directions for an SMT up, since noobies tend to get directed to it quite often. This isn't my recipe -- LHCer Snowymoon came up with it, and it's a great moisture treatment that many of us swear by.

SMT Recipe
4 parts conditioner
1 part honey
1 part clear aloe gel

Heat in the microwave for a few seconds til it's warm, then apply to wet or dry hair (especially the ends). Cover hair with a shower cap/shopping bag/clingy food wrap/whatever, and let it sit for as long as you can stand it (30 minutes to overnight). Rinse out, do not shampoo.

A few notes:
Conditioners work best when they have minimal protein. Many people also avoid conditioners with silicone compounds for this. (I haven't experimented with protein ones, so that's word-of-mouth. I think protein-containing conditioners are likely to give lumpy, blobby results.)

[Beaglebuddy]

Can someone tell me, is using the SMT as a preshampoo deep treatment defeating it's purpose. This is the way I have been using it as I like to use preshampoo treatments. I do shampoo and then follow with a conditioner anyways.

[Marlowe]

I'd like to add a gentle warning for those who do SMT type treatments with molasses instead of honey. If you're the klutzy type that tends to get the conditioning glop on every surface but your hair do not for the love of god absent mindedly lick your mouth when you get some on there because your brain goes 'molasses=hey that's edible, right?'. You will realize a half second later you've just managed to consume molasses flavored *conditioner* and you will proceed to feel like the worlds biggest moron.

(Hey kids, paint chips off the wall also taste like candy. Won't hurt you, I promise. The adults are just lying to you and trying to keep all the paint chips for themselves.)

[Odile]

I am happy to report another conditioner that can be added to the list. I used Suave Naturals Coconut successfully two weeks ago. It made for some absolutely yummy smelling stuff!

I made two batches, one for me and one for sis. Hers I nuked so the honey wouldn't do any color change. Mine I didn't. The end result after an hour left on? No color change for either of us. But maybe my hair is too dark for the honey to do any appreciable lightening.

[willowcandra]

Can someone tell me, is using the SMT as a preshampoo deep treatment defeating it's purpose. This is the way I have been using it as I like to use preshampoo treatments. I do shampoo and then follow with a conditioner anyways.

You shouldn't need to shampoo at all afterwards. I damp my hair then smt and rinse out.
I use aussie 3mm for mine. My hair always feels squeeky clean afterwards so shampoo seems redundant.

But if your method is still giving you good results then carry on.

[mandeloo]

wow, seriously I just did this yesterday and I only left it on for about 30 minutes. I know I should go longer but I have lots of kids LOL and no heat cap. Anyway, I combed through it as I was rinsing it and I was AMAZED at how my hair did not break. I just had a baby so alot of my extra pregnancy hair has been coming out, especially when I wash but I did SMT as a CO wash and I may have lost 4 hairs. This is crazy cool. My hair is not greasy at all and easier to brush. I did have one or two spots of honey clump up after it dried but nothing I couldnt brush out. I am a newb so I would imagine I am not perfect doing this yet. My hair looks fly away-ish but I have it highlighted so I think it would look that way anyway. I may try the oil or glycerin idea. Anyway, thanks Snowy...you could put that Chaz Dean guy out of business! (Wen haircare)

[Snowymoon]

Just popping in to say thank you, Mandeloo. :smooch: I am glad the treatment worked so well for you. :flowers:

[mandeloo]

I may never put shampoo in my hair again. Last night I decided after 3 days (or was it 4 I lost count) of not shampooing my hair I would put the VO5 and aloe (no honey) in my hair, rinse, shampoo ONLY the scalp area, rinse, then my regular conditioner with protein and cones (on aformentioned scalp area), rinse well. My hair looks hell of funny today, the area where I shampooed is all poofy and the rest of my hair is smooth and pretty. Shampoo sucks! Ban it! Make it go awaaaaaay.
I had a great aunt who came from Italy, she got a tidbit of advice from an old barber once who told her never to shampoo her hair. She used water only for her entire life and never smelled bad and had gorgeous long hair til the day she died.
Right on Snowy, I called nearly every woman in my family yesterday giving them the SMT, especially my grandmother who suffers from severe hair breakage. I figured if it kept my hair from coming out it may help her too.

[arylkin]

I need to pick up some aloe gel so I can make some of this!

QUESTIONS:

1- Can I make up a big batch of this to store at room temp (I don't see how anything in it would go bad).

2- I haven't (yet) put honey in my hair- with these amounts does your hair get sticky when you put it on?

Thanks!!

Once I pick up some shea butter and aloe I think I'll have all the ingredients to make any number of mad-hair-scientist recipes! :)

[Eireann]

I've read that people use honey to lighten their hair. Does the honey in this mix lighten hair? (I like my dark hair, so if there's any chance of lightening, I'll pass). Thanks in advance.

[thankyousir74]

Alright my first ever SMT. It's on my head ATM and I'm hungry so pretty soon I will get up and fix myself a sandwich... :stomach growls: The following is in my SMT

**1 part V05 Split Ends with panthenol (not really specifically this is just the last bottle I have left. Must add "go conditioner shopping" to my to-do list)

**1/4 honey

**1/4 NO-AD Aloe gel

In regards to my AVG, I just looked at the AVG in my pharmacy with the aloe vera the highest on the ingredients list and with no alcohols (the was the only one). I didn't recall the clear is best rule so we'll see how this goes. However, the main reason against the colored ones is the fact that there is a pain reliever ingredient in it, yes? Well I looked up each ingredient in google, and it didn't say much about pain relieving about any of the ingredients (just a bunch of stabilizers and preservatives ._.)

Sucks i think i put too much honey because it's a bit sticky on my shoulders... I kinda eyeballed the measurements...well... COMPLETELY eyeballed them there was nothing scientific about my measuring... we'll see how this turns out.

[thankyousir74]

mmk so my hair is still wet and I'm thinking the honey's getting it to frizz up around the top... maybe less honey next time...

[arylkin]

Well! I just did an SMT for the first time and have to say that I'm THRILLED with the results!!

I was worried that it was going to be hard to rinse the honey out of my hair for some reason, and actually, the SMT cleaned my hair really well with a bit of CO afterwards. I had quite a bit of oil and shea in my hair and was worried I'd have to resort to shampoo to get it out, but I put on the SMT- wrapped some plastic wrap on my head, and let it marinate for an hour. It washed out easily and beautifully and left me with lovely shiny hair! :cheese:

[nayver]

I have my SMT mix in my hair. I'll let it stay for a an hour or so. I put some of my Lavera conditioner, honey and aloe vera gel, but I overheated :S I hope it will not become a problem.

[Bianca]

I bought some honey and aloe vera gel today so I could try SMT :p I have it in my hair right now. Can't wait to see how it turns out :cheese:

[Heidi_234]

Please please convince me there’s no harm in heating up a chemical conditioner!
I hear here people getting great results, but I can’t seem to understand how they are not worried taking that conditioner, that they have no idea what’s in it, what chemicals, how do they react to high temperature, maybe they deform, produce toxics in a chemical heat induced processes, and then they go on and rub it onto their precious hair.
If I feel I get great results with 100&#37; natural and safe EVOO in a hot oil treatment, should I bother/consider SMT?

[Bianca]

Tried SMT today and I didn't know my hair could be so soft :p

[Fencai]

ok Im home sick today, and thought that pampering myself would help me feel better.

so Im going to do my first SMT...

my hair is right now fairly greasy from sweating from the fever, do I need to clean my hair first? or can I just apply it and let it sit for a few hours?

[Katze]

Please please convince me there’s no harm in heating up a chemical conditioner!
I hear here people getting great results, but I can’t seem to understand how they are not worried taking that conditioner, that they have no idea what’s in it, what chemicals, how do they react to high temperature, maybe they deform, produce toxics in a chemical heat induced processes, and then they go on and rub it onto their precious hair.
If I feel I get great results with 100% natural and safe EVOO in a hot oil treatment, should I bother/consider SMT?

I really don't think you should bother worrying about this! My chemist BF says the substances are inert enough (and have gone through enough animal and human testing, lol) that there would be no harm from heating...but his doctorate is in inorganic chemistry, not biochem. :)

SMTs with "natural" ('cone and artificial perfume free) conditioners have given me wonderful results. Much better than oiling, which weighs my hair down and require multiple shampoos to get out of my scalp.

Ultimately it is your decision. If you are uncomfortable heating conditioner, don't do it.

[Heidi_234]

I really don't think you should bother worrying about this! My chemist BF says the substances are inert enough (and have gone through enough animal and human testing, lol) that there would be no harm from heating...but his doctorate is in inorganic chemistry, not biochem. :)

SMTs with &quot;natural&quot; ('cone and artificial perfume free) conditioners have given me wonderful results. Much better than oiling, which weighs my hair down and require multiple shampoos to get out of my scalp.

Ultimately it is your decision. If you are uncomfortable heating conditioner, don't do it.

That's true. I won't do something I'm uncomfortable with, and that attitude is what I really love about TLHC. But I've seen quite few recipes that people swear by and include conditioner being heated. So on one hand I really want to try them, but on the other hand I'm rationally recoiled.

[Siava]

ok Im home sick today, and thought that pampering myself would help me feel better.

so Im going to do my first SMT...

my hair is right now fairly greasy from sweating from the fever, do I need to clean my hair first? or can I just apply it and let it sit for a few hours?

Up to you. I've applied after a fresh shampoo and on dirty, dry hair. Both ways give me good results (and yummy smelling hair). :)

[serious]

Please please convince me there’s no harm in heating up a chemical conditioner!
I hear here people getting great results, but I can’t seem to understand how they are not worried taking that conditioner, that they have no idea what’s in it, what chemicals, how do they react to high temperature, maybe they deform, produce toxics in a chemical heat induced processes, and then they go on and rub it onto their precious hair.
If I feel I get great results with 100% natural and safe EVOO in a hot oil treatment, should I bother/consider SMT?

I don t heat the conditioner. I heat the honey to make it runnier,than add AVG and the conditioner. I never had any problem with mixing,applying or washing out this way. And, it works great !

[Bianca]

Ok, I have a question. I tried the SMT, and all my "new" hair is super soft, (by new I mean my hair that has not been bleached and fried) My ends are on the other hand even drier than usually.

Now I'v heard you talk about protein treatments and moisture treatments, how do you know what you'r hair needs ? I hope it's not a stupid questions, I just wonder why my ends are so dry and frizzy after SMT :)

[Eloa]

I want to try out the SMT soon, too... but I'm not sure why to heat the mixture. To make it mix better? Or are there any reasons I'm missing here? I'm worried about the honey, since I heard that it's positive effects get destroyed if heated in a microwave... excuse my unscientific expressions, I don't know any better *blush*

[Vitalai]

I may not be right, but I believe that you heat the honey to rid of the peroxide.

ETA:

Ktani said it better:


The original recipe recommended mircowaving the mix 10-15 seconds.

I would recommend over 10 seconds under one minute to ensure destroying the enzyme in the honey that produces peroxide.

There was a report in the Honey thread recently from somone who slept with an SMT on their hair, which had not been microwaved and they got unintentional lightening.

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showpost.php?p=59225&postcount=241

[Tapioca]

Also, if the mix is warm, it soaks in for a deeper treatment. Try to keep it all warm on your head, too. Either wrap a warm towel around it or use one of those heated bonnets.

[ktani]

After reading more reports on results, I have now ammended the recommendation to be "micrwave honey for 30 seconds to under 1 minute", with regard to destroying the enzyme that generaes hydrogen peroxide in honey.

Over 10 seconds does not work with some honeys apparently.

It may have to do with the microwave itself.

Some microwave machines can be "spotty" (uneven) in the heat they generate.

[lora410]

I am finally trying this on me and dd tonight.

1/4 cup condish
2tbsp honey and aloe vera

I will report back later on results

[~GypsyCurls~]

I use this treat from time to time and it always works well! The one time it didn't is when I used the liquid aloe...the kind that's edible, and 100&#37; aloe...not sure why but it made my hair kinda dry. Whenever I do the treat now, I use it with my regular conditioner which is VO5.

[plainjanegirl]

Ok, I have a question. I tried the SMT, and all my "new" hair is super soft, (by new I mean my hair that has not been bleached and fried) My ends are on the other hand even drier than usually.

Now I'v heard you talk about protein treatments and moisture treatments, how do you know what you'r hair needs ? I hope it's not a stupid questions, I just wonder why my ends are so dry and frizzy after SMT :)



Some people's hair does not like the aloe or the honey. So when you decide to try again leave one of those out and see if it does better with your hair. Also check out the article section and you will find the article about whether your hair needs protein or moisture, but don't worry cause I still can't tell....I just experiment until my hair feels better. Hope that helps!!

[Nizhoni]

After reading more reports on results, I have now ammended the recommendation to be "micrwave honey for 30 seconds to under 1 minute", with regard to destroying the enzyme that generaes hydrogen peroxide in honey.

If I use a double boiler, how do I know when the enzyme is destroyed? Can I over heat the honey? :confused:

[Sammybunny711]

Is it okay to do the SMT after clarifying (with shampoo)? Since my hair has some MASSIVE buildup in it right now, I am going to clarify tomorrow for the first time but since my hair has been ultra dry for about three days, I was wondering if SMT after clarifying might put some serious moisture back in.

[ancilla]

that is what I do whenever I clarify. If I didn't my hair would be so dry!

[Sammybunny711]

That makes me VERY happy to know. Unfortunately, I got a little over excited and tried several hair things at once which resulted in some HORRIBLE buildup. Thankfully it is a little better but I am definitely going to clarify tomorrow after I get done with class and errands. Because I have my college's semi-formal to go to with dear fiance this Saturday night...I don't want super dry clarified hair so I wanted to make sure that SMT was cool to do afterwards. :o)

[ancilla]

Just leave it on for a long while and it should be fine!
Oh and have a good time at the formal! :)

[Sammybunny711]

Thanks! I'm looking forward to it very much! Hopefully it won't be too cold, LOL.

[Katze]

SMT after a deep shampooing/clarifying wash is a good idea!

In my experience, you don't need to leave an SMT on for any longer than 2 hours, MAX. I have tried both overnight and all day and had no noticeable difference. I try to SMT my BF a couple of times a year (when he starts complaining about dry hair) and have noticed that even 30-60 minutes helps on his fine, thick, curly, APL hair.

[Sammybunny711]

WOW...SMT's are AWESOME! I wrote about my experience in my blog, but suffice it to say...many more of these are in my future. IT MADE MY HAIR FEEL LIKE HAIR AGAIN!!! W00t!!! So, how often do people general do these? Once a week? Month? My hair tends to be oily scalped and dry ended so these are amazing...just wanting to know how much is too much vs. how little is too little as far as frequency goes. :-)

[RedFrizz]

I'm trying this right now, with Tigi Oatmeal & Honey -conditioner and with EVOO, 'cause I don't have aloe. I didn't read the whole thread (lazy me..), so I don't know whether anyone's used O&H before. I've used O&H previously as a normal conditioner and it has worked well, but since I've started using shampoo bars I've had no use for it anymore. I'd love if O&H worked in this mix 'cause then it wouldn't just stand in my bathroom useless and alone. Fingers crossed! :pray:

[RedFrizz]

Cannot edit my post yet.. But the results are in: My hair loooooved this mix!! After I had spread the stuff in my hair I left it on about 3 hours (the Internet can really screw up your time perspectives; I meant to rinse the stuff off after 1,5 hours...). I rinsed my hair carefully and thoroughly and let it dry on its own. And OMG; my hair is super soft, super curly, super shiny and smells fantastic!! I'm hooked :p

[galleth]

I had the BEST results this week with SMT after I clarified (with BS). I left it on overnight, and my hair has never looked and felt this amazing!!! I will try and do that at least once a week - the SMT, not the clarifying....

[Vitalai]

Phooey.

I left in a SMT for an hour, and my hair was really crispy-feeling. I even had these little dots/flakey things scattered in my hair in front of my hairline. After tennis, I washed it again and it's up in a damp bun right now.

Next time I do this I will leave out the honey.

[RedFrizz]

Since I made too big batch of this stuff yesterday, I'm doing this again right now. I really nuked the mix this time (about 30 seconds), I want to see if that makes any difference one way or other. I think I'll try to treat my hair with SMT (or with my variation of it) at least 3 times per month to maintain the softness (because my hair's naturally curly it tends to dry out too fast to my liking..). We'll see how often I need to do SMT to keep it soft.


..the 30 seconds in the microwave did not do any difference on my hair but it made the mix liquid for a minute :rolleyes:

[Alana2000]

When do we start doing these? Should I clarify my hair first.. I have never clarified, and I would rather skip that step.. Also I was wondering if just staight conditioner left on for a few hours would get the same results? Just wondering.

[jenn_ms]

I am a newbie, and I just felt compelled to share my experiences with SMT.

I have tried numerous commercial products on my hair because I have dry, curly hair and I’ve been trying to correct it for years. I am so tired of the musical hair products game, so I decided to go online and do some research about hair products and the ingredients in them to try to get to the bottom of this. That is what landed me here. I have known for a while that sulfates were an evil of shampoos, so I tried shampoo without sulfate and did not notice a difference. I’ve tried professional products, and I’ve tried the cheapest stuff you can find at Wal-Mart. My mom told me that she was going to buy me some of the Chaz Dean Wen products for Christmas—we’ll see how that goes.

Since I’ve heard so many positive experiences with some of the homemade recipes on here, I went on a little shopping trip yesterday. Here is what I did:

For the SMT:

4 parts conditioner – Bioinfusion hydrating conditioning balm (It’s just what I had at the house)

1 part molasses – Grandma’s all natural molasses unsulphured (It was cheaper than honey.)

1 part aloe gel – the CVS clear aloe gel (I chose this because it seems a few people had noted some success with this brand, plus the CVS is right down the road from my house—much closer than Wal-Mart.)

I did heat the entire mixture for 15 seconds, even though you guys said the heating was only necessary for honey. I just liked the idea of it being like a hot oil treatment. But I think the 15 seconds was too much (I guess I have a powerful microwave), so I let it cool for a little while before I applied it to my hair. I left it on for a few hours with a shower cap, and a damp towel, which I kept reheating in the microwave. I showered, and rinsed it out. No shampoo, no additional conditioner. It felt silky when I was rinsing it out, but the more I rinsed, the more the silkiness went away. Because I know some people have experienced some issues with “lazy rinsing” I tried to rinse it what I thought was well once, comb it out, then rinsed again—just to be sure. I didn’t put any type of products on my hair after. As my hair dried, it felt squeaky clean. Remember, I didn’t use any shampoo. I know some people were concerned about not washing with shampoo after this treatment. It felt more clean using this mixture alone than it has using any shampoo. The hair itself felt somewhat stronger, but it was frizzy. The ends did look better, though, and they normally look pretty damaged. I am not quite sure why I had the frizzy results. Here are a few guesses:

1) I know people have said look out for proteins and “cones” (I’m assuming any ingredient that ends in “cone”?) in conditioners. As far as I can tell, this conditioner had none. But I don’t know much about hair product ingredients other than sulfates are supposedly bad and dry your hair out. Here are the ingredients: Water, myristal alcohol, cetrimonium chloride, cetearyl alcohol, iso decyl oleate, propylene glycol, fragrance, methylparaben, propylparaben, phenoxyethanol, hexyl cinnamal, coumarin, linalool, butylphenyl methylpropional, hydroxycitronellal, amyl cinnamal, polysorbate-20, geraniol, algae/algae extract, rosemary extract, golden seal extract.

2) The Aloe—I realize the aloe was not supposed to have any alcohol in it. I just assumed that the CVS clear aloe didn’t since others were using it. Later, after I got home, I realized it did contain alcohol. I used it anyway because I had just spent $5 on it and was anxious to try this stuff.

3) I NEVER, EVER let my hair dry naturally without any hair product in it whatsoever. I religiously put a leave-in conditioner on and usually apply some polishing serum, at least to the ends. Sometimes I use mousse as well. Therefore, I have absolutely no idea what my dry hair looks like free of product. So, therefore, the SMT could have really made a big difference, and I just couldn’t tell because I don’t know what my hair looks like without leave-in conditioner and polishing serum.

4) Maybe I shouldn’t have heated the mixture, or maybe I heated it too long.

Because I was somewhat disappointed in my results, although convinced that my hair was healthier, I applied some of the extra virgin coconut oil that I had purchase during the same shopping trip (I had intentions of making some the fox’s shea butter from this site but could not find pure shea butter.), put my hair up in a scrunchie, and slept. Today, when I woke up, my hair of course looked oily, but I could tell a definite improvement in my ends. I did a CO only wash with John Frieda brilliant brunette moisturizing conditioner. Again, I applied no additional product to my hair, and let it dry naturally. Now, my hair is much more silky, but not smooth—you can still tell it’s damaged. I know I need further treatments. I know I probably need a trim as well, but the problem is not just my ends. I have breakage all the way on the top of my head. Does anyone have any idea why my hairs are snapping at the top?? Some of the length itself looks damaged. But it is much improved today.

Overall, I believed the SMT helped. I have another batch made up already, and I’m going to wait a day or two before I use it. I won’t heat it this time. I’m debating whether or not I should sleep with the coconut oil on my hair tonight. I only shampoo twice a week, so I’m afraid of putting too much oil in my hair before I shampoo again in case it builds up. I am new to not shampooing every day. It was sometime during the summer when I read on a web site that you shouldn’t wash curly hair more than twice a week. I was horrified, because I washed mine religiously every single day. Now that I’ve gone down to only shampooing twice a week, I’m almost convinced that shampoo isn’t even necessary. Does anyone else have any thoughts on that? If I start using SMT on a regular basis, I may not ever shampoo, because it left my hair feeling so clean. But, we’ll see.

Also, I know some people have been concerned about the issue of molasses making your hair darker. I bought the dark molasses, because I didn’t really mind if it darkened my hair. I’ve got some gray I’d like to cover up anyway!! I can’t tell if it really darkened my hair. My hair *may* look slightly darker, but it has absorbed some moisture that it’s not used to, so that could be why it appears darker. Then again, I have what I guess you would call medium brown hair, so I don’t know if the molasses would have made a difference in the color. I did however, have natural highlights (die-hard sun worshipper) and that was where I expected some color change to take place. Those areas seem to be a little darker, but I don’t think it’s so obvious that someone else would notice. I mean, I have to stare hard and think about it because I’m looking for change, and I’m still not sure. I’ll keep everyone updated on the state of my hair as I continue to use the SMT.

I know this is a lot to read, and I apologize, but it’s such a relief to have someone to share my hair problems with. I was born to a mother with straight, fine hair who didn’t have a clue about curly hair, and I’ve always struggled to learn how to care for my own curly, rebellious hair. Now, that I’m 27, you would think I would have learned, but I’m still searching for the “right” products and the “right” way to care for it. Plus, hopefully me providing all this detail and what I did and how I did it will help someone else. Maybe :)

I welcome anyone’s thoughts and comments on any of this. After all, I am here for some insight on all my hair woes and everything you guys offer (and have offered!) is greatly appreciated!!

[eaglefeather71]

For the Fox's Shea, you can substitute CocoaButter which is easier to find. Fox's is amazing used in the same way as Coconut oil, very light application after a shower. Also, with the oiling, just use a little rubbed between your hands on the ends. I flip my head upside down and very gently scrunch and run my fingers through the ends as they hang. Then when i flip it back over, they fall nice with a little primping. My hair is not VERY curly mind you, but when I do use Coconut Oil or Fox's it gets curlier and the curles are prettier. You can see the pics in my siggy and avatar are pretty straight with a little wave, here is a pic with Coconut Oiling:

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/album.php?albumid=1844&pictureid=23483

[Katze]

Jenn MS, try it with honey, pure aloe, and conditioner and see what happens. The added bonus of the honey is that it's antibacterial, thus helping with dandruff, itching, etc. I have never tried molasses - we don't have it here - but love what honey does for my hair.

Yesterday I did my first SMT in months, after swimming. The only hard part was biking home (5 min) with a buff AND wool cap on my head, and how COLD it was. I had to climb under my feather comforter and stay there. But I had beautiful soft hair all the way down to the ends, and better waves than I've had in weeks. This reminded me, again, why I love SMT...

[Sammybunny711]

Do any of you use SMT for a normal CO conditioner? Perhaps as the "deep treatment" conditioner as opposed to the first rinse?

[MandaMom2Three]

I've used SMT as my regular CO (I don't use 2 separate conditionings, I apply lots of creamy condish to the whole head, scrub like it was shampoo, leave in for 3-5 minutes then add a bit of water, scrub again and rinse. Though when doing the SMT I leave it in for 2 hours, not two minutes LOL). In fact, I've declared war on my dry ends and am going to SMT daily for a while.

[Kitara]

I did a modified SMT the other day. Here is what I used:
4 parts yogurt
1 part honey
1 part AVG
about 10 drops of jessie's scalp oil

So after sitting for about 2 hours, I'm afraid my hair was stiff and rather tangly. Not sure if it was the yogurt or the oil, but my hair definitely didn't like that combo. Come to think of it, the oil was a jojoba-based mix, and my hair has never really loved jojoba oil.
Bummer...my hair typically loves SMTs. Oh well...there's always next time.:rolleyes:

[Katze]

When do we start doing these? Should I clarify my hair first.. I have never clarified, and I would rather skip that step.. Also I was wondering if just staight conditioner left on for a few hours would get the same results? Just wondering.

If your pic is true to life, your hair is pretty short (relatively speaking, not meant as an insult! :) ) and probably doesn't have a lot of buildup or damage, am I right?

Many conditioners are meant to be left on longer; you won't hurt your hair if you do so! The honey is just an added humectant and antibacterial, not sure what the aloe does. SMT is really meant as a deep treatment for damaged hair, or to add moisture to porous hair, but of course it doesn't hurt "normal" hair either.

I started doing them because my hair was seriously dry and damaged from years and years of bleaching, blowdrying, curling irons, etc. They really helped my ends get softer, but the fix was temporary, and most of that length has been cut off now.

hth!

[Alana2000]

Thanks Katze, I think I will try this recipie after swmming in a pool, or as it gets longer as sort of a prevention, I feel fortunate to have started my hair growing with a head of healthy virgin hair.

[Crazy Lady]

I plan on soon trying an SMT for the first time, but I'm not sure whether or not I should use the aloe gel I have. It is lily of the desert brand and is supposed to be used as a dietary supplement. In addition to aloe vera juice it contains carrageenan, citric acid and potassium sorbate. Has anyone had any trouble with this kind of aloe vera gel or any of these ingredients?

[ljkforu]

I plan on soon trying an SMT for the first time, but I'm not sure whether or not I should use the aloe gel I have. It is lily of the desert brand and is supposed to be used as a dietary supplement. In addition to aloe vera juice it contains carrageenan, citric acid and potassium sorbate. Has anyone had any trouble with this kind of aloe vera gel or any of these ingredients?
I'm in Portland too and those other ingredients are just to keep it from spoiling.

[RocketDog]

I tried a variation of this recipe last night with AWESOME results.
3tbsp of 365 Everyday Value Herbal Mint conditioner
1tbsp honey
2 tbsp jojoba oil

I massaged it into dry, unwashed hair and soaked in it overnight (mmmm, minty-tingly scalp!)

I have very, very fine hair and it did not seem to want to rinse out with just water, so I used about a tbsp of my shampoo to loosen up the stuff on my scalp while leaving the mixture on the length. I used my conditioner as usual afterwards, then let my hair air-dry before pulling it up for the day.

My hair feels very soft and full, and NO FRIZZIES! I think I might like this even better than straight coconut or jojoba soaks :D

[eternalvoyageur]

Hello, I have two questions:

1. I live in Europe, and most of the conditioners on the list I cannot buy here, and some I won't, because the companies test their products on animals. So, how can I choose a conditioner ? what kind of ingredients I should look for / avoid ?

2. I don't have a microwave. How can I warm up the mixture on the stove ?

[Isa-belle]

Eternalvoyageur, which country are you from? I can help you with products if you are in France. :)
You can warm up the mixture with a bain-marie - place the bowl with your mixture over a pot of boiling water.

[autumnsakura]

I did this the other night for the first time in several years. I left it on for about an hour and a half or two hours. After my hair dried, it did feel really nice on the ends, but my scalp looked a little greasy, so I had to wash my hair in the morning. I've never really been able to master CO washes, so maybe next time I do an SMT, I'll just plan on washing my roots.

[RocketDog]

I did another treatment last night - my hair feels even better today than it did after the first one! I do have to shampoo my scalp to get all the oil out, since I use jojoba/coconut instead of aloe, but my hair has such amazing shine, and it's so soft and manageable!

[Sissy]

I was going to wait until I get my heating cap... but I've read so many replies to this post that I think I'm going to have to try it this weekend! I'm very excited about it!

[Angelina15]

I did this yesterday for the first time. It worked sooo well, my hair was nice and soft and I had no frizz at all! I was going to leave it on for about two hours, but my hubby came home early and gave me a funny look so I only left it on for an hour. Hehe he thinks it funny when I do treatments and wear a towel on my head in the middle of the afternoon. :) Anyway I loved it and plan to use it again!!

[eternalvoyageur]

Isa-belle I am in Germany. It's not very far from France ;-)

The bain-marie sounds like a good idea. Thanks !

I suppose the only thing on the list I could get would be the Body shop conditioner... (it's the only thing available here apart from the animal-testing L'Oreal and Pantene) but recently the Body shop has been bought by L'Oreal so I'd rather not support it...

[Isa-belle]

The conditioner I use is actually from a German brand - Lavera, it is the Basis Sensitiv. ;) It is wonderful, and reasonably priced, too (and it is cheaper in Germany!). I've heard a lot of good about Alverde, although I haven't been able to test it as it isn't available in France - might be worth testing it in a SMT.
Lavera isn't tested on animals. I would guess Alverde isn't, either, but haven't got the time to check tonight and I don't want to be inaccurate ;)
Welcome on the boards by the way :blossom:

[Sissy]

I did my first SMT today and LOVED it. First, I shampooed my hair really well with a Chargin Valley Cocoa Moreno bar (not sure how I feel about these yet) and rinsed it clean. I put my hair up in a turbine while I got dressed and mixed the SMT treatment. Then I took my hair out of the turbine and combed it wet. I glooped on the SMT liberally until it was all on there and my hair was very saturated with it. I left it on for a good 3 hours. Rinsed in the shower as usual. Let it air dry most of the way and finished off with a blow dryer as usual. It feels super clean and moisturized. It feels soft and sleek! I love it and think I will be able to go to work tomorrow morning without rewashing, which is great! Oh, and it smells FANTASTIC! These treatements are definitely on my TO DO list now.

I made the SMT using:
1/4 cup GNC 99% aloe vera gel
1/4 cup honey (I nuked it for 45 seconds to disable any lightening ability it would have)
1 cup of generic Biolage Conditioning Balm

I love my hair today :joy:

[Carolyn]

I don't heat my SMT mix, I just let my heat cap do the work. Another thing I do is combine doing a SMT treatment with a CO wash. I goober my CO conditioner all over my scalp and then slather the SMT on the length, cover with a conditioning cap, or shower cap and Turbie Twist and get cozy with my heat cap for an hour or two. The result is shiny soft hair.

[Sissy]

I don't heat my SMT mix, I just let my heat cap do the work. Another thing I do is combine doing a SMT treatment with a CO wash. I goober my CO conditioner all over my scalp and then slather the SMT on the length, cover with a conditioning cap, or shower cap and Turbie Twist and get cozy with my heat cap for an hour or two. The result is shiny soft hair.

Yeah, I cannot wait until I get my heat cap for Christmas :o

[Elphie]

I've found I can use a SMT as a substitute for washing my hair. It feels completely clean after doing one and I can usually extend my wash days that way.

[Carolyn]

Yeah, I cannot wait until I get my heat cap for Christmas :o
I hope you like yours as much as I like mine. It was one of those things that before I had one, I wondered what the big deal was. Now it's a hair care essential for me.

[Heidi_234]

I've tried SMT but the results weren't glorious. I used fresh aloe vera from my garden (quite a work to get it all out, I'd say), Nature Gate's conditioner and honey. Can't say it did my hair much good, and I think I have ended up with build-up on the ends too. :/

[MsBeHaven]

I am sitting here, brand new to this site, with SMT on my head! I am anxiously awaiting the results!!
:)

[Johanna64]

I've done it several times and my hair loves it :cheese:
It feels so soft!

[Katze]

Isa-belle I am in Germany. It's not very far from France ;-)

The bain-marie sounds like a good idea. Thanks !

I suppose the only thing on the list I could get would be the Body shop conditioner... (it's the only thing available here apart from the animal-testing L'Oreal and Pantene) but recently the Body shop has been bought by L'Oreal so I'd rather not support it...

Eternalvoyaguer, check out the social group 'Germans'. We do a lot of product recommendation there. :)

I like Lavera, Logona, and Alverde, though I have to go down to Ost-Westfalen for Alverde, as DM shops don't exist north of Osnabruck. Urtekram is another good brand.

All these products should be available in your local Reformhaus or Bioladen or some Apotheken...

[bgarrison]

Are people putting the SMT go on the scalp, too or just the length? I'm dealing with very dry and itchy scalp and looking for ideas. :)

Thanks!

[serious]

Isa-belle I am in Germany. It's not very far from France ;-)

The bain-marie sounds like a good idea. Thanks !

I suppose the only thing on the list I could get would be the Body shop conditioner... (it's the only thing available here apart from the animal-testing L'Oreal and Pantene) but recently the Body shop has been bought by L'Oreal so I'd rather not support it...

I suppose Alverde is available in Germany.
I use Aloe Hibiscus Conditioner in my SMT ,with very good results.

[Isa-belle]

Are people putting the SMT go on the scalp, too or just the length? I'm dealing with very dry and itchy scalp and looking for ideas. :)

Thanks!
I applied it to the scalp, last time I did one, because it was itchy and dry and I read that honey was good for that; and the conditioner helps nourish the scalp. It really, really helped. :)

[Celticfreefall]

I just tried this and used VO5 Passion Fruit Smoothie. Much to my dismay, there were lots of chunky lumps and it looked exactly like I'd vomited in my bathtub. ;_;

[ljkforu]

I just tried this and used VO5 Passion Fruit Smoothie. Much to my dismay, there were lots of chunky lumps and it looked exactly like I'd vomited in my bathtub. ;_;
Please post the exact ingredients for this VO5 so we can all compare which ones we should use if you would?

[Katze]

Are people putting the SMT go on the scalp, too or just the length? I'm dealing with very dry and itchy scalp and looking for ideas. :)

Thanks!

Yes, always. Honey is a humectant (it draws moisture in) and antibacterial (good for treating itchies) and seems to be excellent for dandruff, eczema, and sebhorreic dermatitis. Since doing regular SMTs, my scalp is in MUCH better shape.

[Melisande]

After much experimenting, I have found my own a bit heavier and oilier formula for a SMT-based treatment, to be used before washings. I mix my favorite conditioners (Sante Brilliant Care and Alverde Hibiskus-Aloe Vera) with quite a lot of honey and aloe vera gel, a tiny amount of citric acid, and with olive oil and jojoba oil.

This makes my hair really really shiney and soft. I use it once a week, so do my daughters. I mix a big amount for the whole week and keep it in a container in the fridge. I wash it out with highly diluted shampoo. Great results.

[Nizhoni]

Are people putting the SMT go on the scalp, too or just the length? I'm dealing with very dry and itchy scalp and looking for ideas. :)

Thanks!

Since I've got a really dry scalp I put all treatments both on scalp and hair, but I do avoid using products that I know my scalp can't handle. :)

[ljkforu]

Yeah! I'm trying my first SMT. I used 1/2 Aussie 3MM Deep 1/2 Pantene Sleek (they were what I had and trying to lock in henna/katam/indigo from yesterday), honey and aloe vera from Kaiser Pharmacy. Mixed a little rough in a baggy but no curds. I applied with a zip lock bag with the corner cut.

Can't wait for results.

[Melisande]

Forgot to add:

I soak my ends and lengths in the mixture and pull a sandwich bag over the whole thing, then a scrunchie. Then I smoothe the stuff over the canopy and especially the temple area. It doesn't disturb me if it touches the scalp. Usually, I oil my scalp before anyway.

[bgarrison]

Thanks Isa-belle, Katze and Nizhoni. :) I'm definitely going to give this a go, as my scalp is still not happy. Fingers crossed, I hope this helps!:cheese:

[Nizhoni]

Thanks Isa-belle, Katze and Nizhoni. :) I'm definitely going to give this a go, as my scalp is still not happy. Fingers crossed, I hope this helps!:cheese:

If you have a very dry scalp you might want to try the Caramel Treatment (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=454), it did wonders for my scalp! :)

[ljkforu]

Yeah! I'm trying my first SMT. I used 1/2 Aussie 3MM Deep 1/2 Pantene Sleek (they were what I had and trying to lock in henna/katam/indigo from yesterday), honey and aloe vera from Kaiser Pharmacy. Mixed a little rough in a baggy but no curds. I applied with a zip lock bag with the corner cut.

Can't wait for results.
It was great! My hair is so great today, like silk and it feels heavier.

A definate success will do again with same ingredients and plan to do the same on my mom's damaged hair.

[Celticfreefall]

Please post the exact ingredients for this VO5 so we can all compare which ones we should use if you would?

Sure:

VO5 Moisture Milks, Moisturizing Conditioner, Passion Fruit Smoothie

Water, Cetyl alcohol, Stearalkonium chloride, Cetrimonium chloride, Fragrance, Glycery stearate, DMDM hydantoin, Disodium edta, Butylphenyl methylpropional, Limonene, Hexyl Cinnamal, Linalool, Orange 4, Red 4, Polysorbate 20, Red 40, Propylene glycol, Stearyl alcohol, Steareth-21, Tocopheryl acetate, Passiflora incarnata flowe extract, Panthenol, Ascorbic acid, Prunus persica fruit extract, Glycine soja seed extract, Niacdinamide, Biotin

It didn't work very well. My hair felt smoother, but not silky. I've done another SMT with my usual conditioner, which is Mane 'n Tail, and it worker lovely in comparison. My hair is silky smooth a day later and my ends look visibly less scraggly. I did have a few clumps, but hardly any at all. It smelled a lot nicer too.

Straight Arrow Mane 'n Tail, Moisturizer -Texturizer

Water, Stearamidopropyl dimethylamine lactate, Distearyldimonium chloride, Stearyl alcohol, Emulsifying wax NF, Cetyl alcohol, Coconut oil, Glycerin, Sodium chloride, Vegetable oil, Hydrolyzed protein, Lanolin, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, FD&C Yellow 5

[ljkforu]

I have a lot of V05s and love them, I'm embarrassed to admit that I collect them whenever I find a different scent than I already own. Right now the family favorites are Vanilla Mint and Kiwi Lime. I'm going to experiment and see what happens.

The thing I noticed in your particular product was Hexyl Cinnamal a cinamon product, linalool and limonene which are from citrus oils and might cause clotting.

Anybody else have an opinion or correction?

I know I'm bad -- but the results I got with Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Deep with Pantene Sleek (I ran out of each mid-way) The blend was an accident. The results were pure silk. Yes, it was a little clumpy in the bag but some good old fashioned thumping and squishing fixed that. These two are also what I'm using to lock in my henna/katam/indigo. It really extents the color retention. Then I did this SMT 2 days after coloring with the above. Wow!

[Katze]

I've been doing SMTs with every wash (cheap honey, pure aloe, Lavera deep conditioner (the last of it...sob...) and getting a lot of compliments on my hair (here anyway). :)

I just wash once a week or so now, after I swim, and wrap my hair in a headscarf or towel for the bike ride home, then let it sit for an hour or two before rinsing. My ahir is very shiny, and my scalp very happy!

[~GypsyCurls~]

ljkforu wrote:I have a lot of V05s and love them, I'm embarrassed to admit that I collect them whenever I find a different scent than I already own. Right now the family favorites are Vanilla Mint and Kiwi Lime. I'm going to experiment and see what happens.


Hey, I do that too! I'm glad I'm not the only one lol!

[ljkforu]

Hey, I do that too! I'm glad I'm not the only one lol!
That is great because between us we should have the ingredient list for most of them.

at .99 how can you go wrong. I still use cones but for daily/weekly washings I always use V05

[Aditi]

We can do this SMT treatment as and when we like to? or is there a particular time-gap between each treatment?

[ljkforu]

I plan to do it when ever my hair starts to feel even a little dry.

I didn't know that there was a discussion about getting it on your scalp or not so I heaped it on and covered with dollar store plastic shower caps and a towel for heat. The long you go the better it is.

[Isa-belle]

I did another SMT yesterday, it does work wonders on my dry and flaky scalp (my skin doesn't like winter), as well as making my ends super soft.

[~GypsyCurls~]

ljkforu wrote: That is great because between us we should have the ingredient list for most of them.

at .99 how can you go wrong. I still use cones but for daily/weekly washings I always use V05

Yes they're so chaep! I've gotten them for as little as 89 cents. Actually v05 used to my daily conditioner and cleanser, but lately my hair is dry so I now cleanse with v05 and condition with Suave since it's a little thicker and gives more slip.

[Sissy]

I did my second SMT today. One thing I noticed right away is the mixture did not come out as smooth and conditioner/gel like as the first time I tried SMT . The first time it was very easy to apply. Today, it was more liquidy and harder to apply. It had the little white curds that others have mentioned frequently.
I used the same measurements that I used last time:
1 cup generic Biolage Conditioning Balm
¼ cup honey (nuked 45 seconds to disable any lightening ability it would have)
¼ cup Fruit of the Earth 100% Aloe Vera Gel

I can only think of two reasons why it may have happened.
1. I used the 100% aloe vera gel and last time I used a different brand. I used GNC 99% Aloe Vera Gel last time.
2. After mixing everything together I nuked the entire mixture in the microwave about 30 seconds (this was in addition to the 45 second nuke for the honey). Personally, I don’t think this was the reason for the liquidy/curd-like texture as I noticed white bits/curds before this second nuking. I think the reason is due to switching to a different brand Aloe Vera Gel. That being said, perhaps this new mixture will be better for my hair as I’m not using 100% aloe vera gel, versus 99%.
My hair is dry now and it feels pretty good for air dried hair. So, I guess the little white chunks didn’t hurt me, although they wouldn’t wash out!

[eaglefeather71]

Yes they're so chaep! I've gotten them for as little as 89 cents. Actually v05 used to my daily conditioner and cleanser, but lately my hair is dry so I now cleanse with v05 and condition with Suave since it's a little thicker and gives more slip.The VO5 is on sale at CVS right now for $0.68 i think.

[ljkforu]

Their on sale at CVS right now for $0.68 i think.
Not that I personally really care but I bought Suave Coconut in the Portland and it had a lot of cones.

[ljkforu]

If you want to smell yummy use Herbal Essence Rose Conditioner in you SMT (yes it has cones). It just smells so good with a Jasmine/Patchouli or Sandalwood poo bar. It makes you smell like an Indian temple.

[curls2grow]

Not that I personally really care but I bought Suave Coconut in the Portland and it had a lot of cones. From drugstore.com website (compared to my bottle at home, which shows the same ingredients), here are the ingredients for Suave Naturals Coconut Conditioner -- wondering where are the cones you mention? Methylchloroisothiazolinone and methylisothiazolinone are preservatives, so I am curious re: what the ingredients on your bottle are or where the hidden cones are, since I avoid them.

Water (Aqua), Cetyl Alcohol, Cetrimonium Chloride, Potassium Chloride, Fragrance (Parfum), Distearyldimonium Chloride, Disodium EDTA, Glycerin, 2 Bromo 2 Nitropropane 1, 3 Diol, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone, Propylene Glycol, Silk Amino Acids, Honey (Mel), Nettle (Urtica Dioica) Extract, Rosemary (Rosmarinus Officinalis) Extract, Coconut (Cocoa Nucifera) Extract

[ljkforu]

From drugstore.com website (compared to my bottle at home, which shows the same ingredients), here are the ingredients for Suave Naturals Coconut Conditioner -- wondering where are the cones you mention? Methylchloroisothiazolinone and methylisothiazolinone are preservatives, so I am curious re: what the ingredients on your bottle are or where the hidden cones are, since I avoid them.

Water (Aqua), Cetyl Alcohol, Cetrimonium Chloride, Potassium Chloride, Fragrance (Parfum), Distearyldimonium Chloride, Disodium EDTA, Glycerin, 2 Bromo 2 Nitropropane 1, 3 Diol, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone, Propylene Glycol, Silk Amino Acids, Honey (Mel), Nettle (Urtica Dioica) Extract, Rosemary (Rosmarinus Officinalis) Extract, Coconut (Cocoa Nucifera) Extract
Definately my bad and thanks for the info. I saw ---one and made and assumption. Thanks for letting me know. :)

Since I'm a dork I found the list -- Thread: Cones: List of water soluble/not

[Auryn]

Well...I'm doing my very first SMT right now. I used Suave Naturals Waterfall conditioner, Fruit of the Earth Aloe, and clover honey. I plan on letting it sit for about 1.5 hours, enough time for me to watch Mythbusters (*swoons over Tory*) and an episode of House sans all the commercials (yay for Tivo). I've got my hair up in a shower cap and I'm gonna grab a space heater, put it on low and sit just close enough to feel the warmth.

I wasn't sure what type of honey to use, so I just grabbed what was in the cabinet. Do you guys have any recommendations?

Wish me luck!

[ljkforu]

Due to snow storm had to make SMT for mom at midnight as a present. She has heavily bleached hair. At first she didn't notice a huge difference but then she realized that the volume that was add made her pony tail ring much tighter. She is going to stay with it. The added volume alone was worth it.

Thanks Snowy

[Auryn]

So..I have mixed reviews and I'm thinking I might have to use a 'cone conditioner to make this work.

My ends feel better than before, but the hair near my scalp feels like I went swimming in a chlorinated pool and let it dry without rinsing or washing first. Although that might be from the ACV rinse I did after I rinsed out the SMT.

I also noticed little white specks on my hair as I was rinsing. Has anyone else noticed this? I didn't see them when my hair dried, but I think they may have been combed out.

I'm gonna do another one next week, but not do the ACV rinse and see what happens. I'll let you guys know.

[ljkforu]

So..I have mixed reviews and I'm thinking I might have to use a 'cone conditioner to make this work.

My ends feel better than before, but the hair near my scalp feels like I went swimming in a chlorinated pool and let it dry without rinsing or washing first. Although that might be from the ACV rinse I did after I rinsed out the SMT.

I also noticed little white specks on my hair as I was rinsing. Has anyone else noticed this? I didn't see them when my hair dried, but I think they may have been combed out.

I'm gonna do another one next week, but not do the ACV rinse and see what happens. I'll let you guys know.
I did everything wrong and didn't get the white bits, my guess is that it is coagulated cooked protein.

I used with great success:

1/2 Aussie 3 minute Miracle Deep mixed with Pantene Sleek (don't know why but yes it makes a difference
Cruddy aloe vera from the HMO that had alcohol in it
The world cheapest real honey I could find

DON'T OVERHEAT -- 10-15 SECOND IS PLENTY

I use it forever as far as I'm concerned, it took a bit to get everything to mix but definitely none of those white specks people are reporting. Because of the cones the moisture that is locked in adds significant weight to your hair (the rest of the time I'm cone free)

[Rain76]

I tried this for the 1st time last night with 4 TB Suave Naturals Ocean something cond/1 TB Fruit of the Earth Aloe gel/1TB honey. I put on a plastic shower cap & left it in for about 1 hr. Rinsed with warm water. I did notice a few white flakes in my hair from the mixture. I didn't notice a big difference in my hair, or any difference for that matter. I really try to use natural products only in my hair, so it probably isn't used to the Suave-type conditioners. I think I will try some coconut oil next time.

[caribou55313]

Hi, I'm new to the forum; heard about you all on the henna4hair forum.

I've been looking for a deep moisturizing treatment for my henna and cassia'd hair, to use when I run out of cassia ... like now :-) ... Thanks for the idea Snowymoon, and to all of you for reporting on it!

[dolcevita]

Alright, so I decided to try it after kdaniels8811 recommended it in a thread about getting glossier hair.

It's been about 1/2 and hour and it's still on my hair.

BUT

I didn't wet my hair first!! I am reading through all the pages of this thread in the meantime and realizing that I think I was supposed to apply it to wet hair?!?!?! Uh oh. Is this a bad thing? Should I rinse it out now instead of waiting an hour or two?? :(

[dolcevita]

Alright, so I decided to try it after kdaniels8811 recommended it in a thread about getting glossier hair.

It's been about 1/2 and hour and it's still on my hair.

BUT

I didn't wet my hair first!! I am reading through all the pages of this thread in the meantime and realizing that I think I was supposed to apply it to wet hair?!?!?! Uh oh. Is this a bad thing? Should I rinse it out now instead of waiting an hour or two?? :(

Ok I left it on for an hour and rinsed with cold water, diluted ACV, and then more cold water. Rubbed my palms together with a few drops of jojoba oil and some aloe vera and now it's drying in a loose braid.

It definitely felt a lot softer when the water was running through it and it made detangling a breeze.

I did 1 T of aloe gel, 1 T of honey, and 4 Ts of Dessert Essence Green Apple and Ginger Thickening and Volumizing Condish (cone/sulfate/paraben free). Love the smell and feeling with that condish, by the way. Can't wait to see what it feels like when it's dry and how it will behave now!!:D:cheese:

[dolcevita]

Ok I left it on for an hour and rinsed with cold water, diluted ACV, and then more cold water. Rubbed my palms together with a few drops of jojoba oil and some aloe vera and now it's drying in a loose braid.

It definitely felt a lot softer when the water was running through it and it made detangling a breeze.

I did 1 T of aloe gel, 1 T of honey, and 4 Ts of Dessert Essence Green Apple and Ginger Thickening and Volumizing Condish (cone/sulfate/paraben free). Love the smell and feeling with that condish, by the way. Can't wait to see what it feels like when it's dry and how it will behave now!!:D:cheese:

Oh my this seems to have cured my split ends?!?!?! I am looking at my ends now in different lights too so I know it's not that, but I don't see those little white balls close to the ends. Or the frayed ends. I hope this is not temporary!!! *fingers crossed*!! Oh by the way, my hair is so silky!! This treatment has become a fave, I can't believe it took me so long to try it!! :cheese::cheese::cheese: (I figured my excitement validated the use of multiple dancing cheeses!! ;))

[ElanorStarchild]

My favorite treatment! I love it. My hair is a dream after it.

Long time may hair was crunchy and felt dry, so i only use conditioner and Aloe and it worked very well for me. My hair hated honey, no idea why. Since a few weeks i use the original recipe with honey and everything is fine. And the effect is much intensive.

Thanks so much for this recipe!

[Whimsical wind]

I used this recipe for the first time last week. The results were great. My hair was (and still is) smoother, softer and shinier. It even looked and felt a bit thicker. :joy:

[AnnaMarie]

I did my first SMT yesterday with much excitement after reading this thread. It turned out well, not so good.
I used 1/8 cup fresh Aloe Vera from the Plant
1/8 cup clover honey
1/2 cup VO5 Free Me Freesia
I microwaved it all for about 10 seconds which made it slightly warm to the touch it was nice and smooth and smelt amazing! Then applied it to dry unclarified hair.
I then wrapped my hair in gladwrap (clingfilm) and put a warm towel around it and left it for an hour.
While rinsing it my hair felt amazing, I rinsed it really well. After wards i put some more Aloe Vera through it, quite a bit like 2 Tbsp to the canopy mainly. I think that partially where I went wrong. I dipped the ends in coconut oil as I usually do then left to dry.
My hair felt really strange as it dried, quite coated and not in a good way, even my husband commented it felt and looked funny (thanks love! lol) As it dried more the ends became super dry and crunchy which freaked me out so I put more coconut oil on them as they dried. It just felt really dry but the roots felt really oily :confused:. It was pretty much dry by the time I went to bed and when I woke up the roots felt alot better not oily at all but the ends are super dry and yuck! I'm about to go and clarify and condition to try and sort this out. I haven't given up on SMT I will do it again.. But I'll try it on wet hair this time, and may put a little oil in the mix.
Does anyone have any ideas where I went wrong or what I could try next time to make it better?
Thanks :)
Oh ps. HOWEVER my scalp feels amazing! Silver lining to every cloud aye!

[ljkforu]

I did my first SMT yesterday with much excitement after reading this thread. It turned out well, not so good.
I used 1/8 cup fresh Aloe Vera from the Plant
1/8 cup clover honey
1/2 cup VO5 Free Me Freesia
I microwaved it all for about 10 seconds which made it slightly warm to the touch it was nice and smooth and smelt amazing! Then applied it to dry unclarified hair.
I then wrapped my hair in gladwrap (clingfilm) and put a warm towel around it and left it for an hour.
While rinsing it my hair felt amazing, I rinsed it really well. After wards i put some more Aloe Vera through it, quite a bit like 2 Tbsp to the canopy mainly. I think that partially where I went wrong. I dipped the ends in coconut oil as I usually do then left to dry.
My hair felt really strange as it dried, quite coated and not in a good way, even my husband commented it felt and looked funny (thanks love! lol) As it dried more the ends became super dry and crunchy which freaked me out so I put more coconut oil on them as they dried. It just felt really dry but the roots felt really oily :confused:. It was pretty much dry by the time I went to bed and when I woke up the roots felt alot better not oily at all but the ends are super dry and yuck! I'm about to go and clarify and condition to try and sort this out. I haven't given up on SMT I will do it again.. But I'll try it on wet hair this time, and may put a little oil in the mix.
Does anyone have any ideas where I went wrong or what I could try next time to make it better?
Thanks :)
Oh ps. HOWEVER my scalp feels amazing! Silver lining to every cloud aye!
Oh yeah, aloe vera straight on your hair without rinsing out is hair gel that gets crunchy. No harm done, just next time maybe SMT, rinse and use a very light coat of coconut oil or something (he he not aloe).

[AnnaMarie]

Oh thank you ljkforu, that definately sounds like that was what the problem was lol. I clarified and conditioned my hair (washing out all that aloe) and now its dry its unbelievably soft and shiny, so now I see what everyone was talking about! This definately calls for a dancing cheese! :cheese:

[ljkforu]

one question-I know from previous experiments that my hair does not take to honey well.Makes it terribly frizzy and hard to manage.I know its a small part of the SMT but is there a substitute or some kind of tweaking so I don't get that reaction from the honey?

TIA
Hey what about maybe Agave Nectar???

[ljkforu]

Made an SMT tonight -- I used fresh aloe vera, Frutis leave-in and orange blossom honey. The Aloe was lumpy because with fresh so I blendered it. Then I added the conditioner and it clotted instantly. Threw it back in the blender and got a beautiful whip that looked like cream. Just to be weird I added some Manic Panic Vampire Red Gel to get some color and the whole thing worked great. Hair is red and feels like silk.

If it clots think food processor or blenders to smooth it out again. It was no big deal -- boy were the curds huge though. I think my honey was too hot and tried to coagulate the proteins.

[hipmama1970]

I've been using Suave Coconut in my SMT for ages now. I don't heat it at all (too lazy!) and I put it on dry hair. I used store brand honey and FOTE AVG, just like always. I rinsed for the usual amount of time.

Today, for the first time, I have chunky white bits in my hair. They look curdy. I read through this whole thread, but I couldn't find an explanation for what happened that seems to fit my circumstances.

Is it possible the Suave Coconut has changed? If not that, what could have caused this? It's pretty gross :p

[Longhairpixie]

Thank you! I love this tread!

[ljkforu]

Just a tip -- if your SMT is chunky say from your conditioner separating or from using fresh aloe. Just put it in the blender or food processor and the problem is solved. It will bring it back together like a mayonnaise. I recommend doing it every time you use fresh aloe just to liquefy the fibrous parts of the pulp.

[lynnala]

I've never done a SMT treatment before, but am about to. My question is, does my hair have to be clean? I usually wash once a week, and I was thinking of doing an SMT tomorrow instead of using Indian herbs to wash. I'm assuming it might clean my hair like a CO wash?

[shadowclaw]

I did my first SMT on Thursday, and my hair still feels great! One of my best friends got married on Friday, and I was a bridesmaid, so I wanted my hair to be soft and shiny. It certainly worked!

I used:
3 tablespoons Aussie deeeeep 3 Minute Miracle
1 tablespoon Ion effective care treatment
1 tablespoon Ocean Potion aloe gel
1 tablespoon Golden Nectar honey

I didn't bother heating it in the microwave, and applied it to all of my hair after shampooing. I wrapped my head in plastic wrap and went to sleep. About 8 hours later, I got up and rinsed, and my hair was so soft!

[wahmof9]

ok I don't have aloe can I do without?

[~GypsyCurls~]

ok I don't have aloe can I do without?

The aloe doesn't seem to do anything for me, so I skip it, I can't tell a difference so I'd say yes. Others also use oils such as olive or coconut instead.

[LittleOrca]

My hair still smells like honey and it's not as soft as I thought it was going to be. *sniffs hair* Maybe it didn't rinse all the way out.

[Madame J]

Tried a SMT last night because I'm flying this weekend and dry plane air can wreak havoc on my hair. I didn't have aloe gel, so I used 1 part coconut oil instead, and my hair came out heavy and oily feeling after I rinsed. It's okay, as I'm washing tomorrow before I leave, so it's just kinda like an extended oiling, but once my mom finishes her move, I'll snag part of her aloe plant.

For the details: I used 4 parts Nature's Gate Herbal Daily Conditioner, 1 part buckwheat honey, and 1 (scant) part virgin coconut oil. I stirred it together as best I could and then set it in a pan of hot water on the stove for 3 minutes. Definitely made it too hot, but didn't get lumps, just had to use a pot holder to carry the bowl to the bathroom. I rinsed out my hair because I'd washed it recently, and applied from scalp to ends, really working it into the length. Then I bunned on top of my head and covered it with a shower cap and wrapped a piece of old cloth like a turban around my head and sat for an hour. I rinsed it out really well (especially since I could tell my hair felt a little funky), first with very warm water, and then gradually decreasing the temperature until I was rinsing with pure cold water. I towel-dried and laid it over a towel for an hour or so and then braided for bed. Now it's in a greasy bun. I may WO today, or I may just wash it tomorrow.

[ljkforu]

Folks with residue just wash well with a shampoo or stronger bar and then vinegar (acid) rinse and the honey residue will disappear for you.

[shadowclaw]

I tried doing a SMT last week with about five drops of jojoba oil added in, thinking it might be a good addition to the recipe, but it ended up making my hair greasy afterwards. Perhaps oil is not a good thing to add to the treatment? I noticed some other people who substituted oil into the treatment didn't like the results either.

I did, however, modify the treatment a bit earlier this week and had excellent results. I added an extra squirt of honey and aloe to the mix and my hair seemed to be softer in less time. Previously, I followed the exact measurements and found I needed to leave it on for at least two hours. This time I only left it on for 45 minutes, and I got better results. I also washed with baking soda beforehand, though, so perhaps my hair just got really cleansed and was able to soak up the SMT better.

[wahmof9]

First SMT on my head right now...will report the results later.

[redneckprincess]

Thanks for posting Ive always wondered what it was or where to get it I even asked at sallys if they ever heard of something called SMT moisture treatment that it was highly recommended to me, lol now i feel like a dummy, LAMS (laughing at my self) She obviously had never heard of the stuff if she is there when i go back i will have to tell her its a LHC thing.

Anyways I wonder.....will the honey lighten your hair?

[swirlytresses]

I tried mine with suave coconut conditioner and it works pretty well. I think next time I will try to mix it with a thicker conditioner. I applied the SMT mixture and then globbed on some Giovanni smooth as silk and it made a big difference. My hair feels great! I slightly dilute my Giovanni after I use a little out of the bottle because it's so thick to begin with...it makes the conditioner last longer and works the same. :)

[wahmof9]

Report: It worked beautifully. I was afraid it would weight my hair down after since I have fine hair. It did not and it revived my curls!

I added some EOs to the mix, smelled great and worked great.

So it is my list in things to do regularly. Has anyone ever had a thread on "how much time a week do you spend on your hair?" It has become a tad of a joke with the kids here....but hubby loves it!:cheese:


BTW, I did not heat the honey, 1 hour on my head and no lightening effect.

[ljkforu]

Thanks for posting Ive always wondered what it was or where to get it I even asked at sallys if they ever heard of something called SMT moisture treatment that it was highly recommended to me, lol now i feel like a dummy, LAMS (laughing at my self) She obviously had never heard of the stuff if she is there when i go back i will have to tell her its a LHC thing.

Anyways I wonder.....will the honey lighten your hair?
No, because you heat it briefly and it deactivates the bleaching power of the honey.

[watermelon]

I can't wait to go shopping for aloe vera and all my other favorite hair care products soon. I read about this treatment (or a variation of it) somewhere and never thought about using aloe in my hair. I hope that it works out well.

[Natalia]

Doing my very first SMT right now using Aubrey Organics Aloe Gel/Jason Biotin Conditioner/Tradr Joes Honey. The Jasons has cones it it about half way down but im trying to use that up before buying some Aubreys ones. Besides its the only one i have anymore they doesnt irritate my scalp. I warmed the honey but not the rest of the mix and i honestly didnt measure lol just eyeballed it along. Its on under a showercap so i hope it doesnt dry out while im waiting i really dont feel like splashing around right now.

I hope it still comes out ok with the cones in it we shall see. Whatever it does it has to be better than the grease-head i was. Im hopeing getting the grease eout will help slow my shedding. Im going to chill for about an hour and a half or so if i can stand it. Lol can you tell im bored to be posting this right now :p? Happy SMT-ing all!

[RoseRedDead]

Am I the only one who finds that the SMT is cleansing, instead of being really moisturizing? Perhaps I'm leaving it on too long... Of course, I really haven't done this without a conditioner containg protein, and I've recently discovered that my hair dislikes it...

I think I'm going to try this again soon...

[Brisen]

I'm hoping to try this for the first time soon. I've read here and there that some people substitute an oil, like coconut oil, for the aloe. Just wondering if anyone here has done that, and what kind of hair you have? My hair likes the coconut oil so far and I haven't tracked down the aloe gel.

[Madame J]

I'm hoping to try this for the first time soon. I've read here and there that some people substitute an oil, like coconut oil, for the aloe. Just wondering if anyone here has done that, and what kind of hair you have? My hair likes the coconut oil so far and I haven't tracked down the aloe gel.

I substituted 1:1 coconut oil for aloe when I didn't have any aloe. The oil definitely left my hair feeling coated and greasy and I was glad I was washing the next day, so I would suggest mixing the honey and condish and then adding a little bit of oil. I'm going to try again with J/A/S/O/N aloe gel to see the difference, next time I moisturize.

[Brisen]

Thanks, Madame J!

[RoseRedDead]

My hair feels crunchy and weird after doing an SMT as my wash today, leaving it on under a shower-cap for 30 minutes...

Not sure if it's the aloe or what. I'll have to try it without.

[Natalia]

My hair feels crunchy and weird after doing an SMT as my wash today, leaving it on under a shower-cap for 30 minutes...

Not sure if it's the aloe or what. I'll have to try it without.

Did it get dry under the shower cap? I read that can leave a funky feeling behind. I ended up wetting mine twice in about an hour and a half and my hair felt nice. Maybe slightly over cleansed since i put it on dry hair but i had alot of grease to get rid of.

[Gothic Lolita]

A quick question, sorry if it's been asked before:

Will the standard recipe add any protein to my hair or should I, because my hair really needs some and I don't have fitting condish, add an egg? Egg is the only thing i have on hand right now besides the yoghurt that could give protein and I don't want to spend the whole day on my hair.