Dry fine hair recipe inputs?

[levelek]

My cousin has dry to very dry, fine, blonde, flyaway, something like 2b hair that doesn't seem to want to grow much past APL. She also has an aversion to spending time and effort on cosmetic and beauty stuff, but I have persuaded her to try a few recipes that I thought might work for her hair. I need your input though here because my hair is quite different to hers - also dry but a lot stronger, 1/b m/c, and at waist and happily growing. (also it's brown.)

The first recipes I suggested to her were:

* 1 part honey and 2 part conditioner, as an SMT treatment without the aloe (she can't get AV where she lives and I forgot to bring her some)

* a modified version of the HALO rinse with herbs: 1 litre of chamomile tea with half a teaspoon of honey, a few drops of jojoba oil and a few drops of lemon juice as a final rinse. She was worried the chamomile would dry her hair out further, but I said I thought the honey and the jojoba would countact that (?) She also asked if it's ok to leave out the lemon juice if she doesn't have any at home - do you think that would make much of a difference?

* light oiling with jojoba.

She likes her current shampoo and conditioner.
Any thoughts? Any other recipes that don't require fancy ingredients that would work for dry, fine hair?

Thanks very much! :flowers:

[Raederle]

You've got the one that does the best for me -- honey and conditioner. If you can convince her to wear her hair up, that will probably make a huge difference, too.

[MeMyselfandI]

I would stay away from the acid stuff like the lemon juice and vinegar.

What shampoo and conditioners does she use? Are they a part of the problem.

I woudl be careful with the honey. To often and the peroxide effect may dry her hair more.

I like the SMT.

Try using a no cone conditioner.

I like chamomile or sleepytime tea as a conditioner. It may lighten hair.

Use honey in wet hair to draw in moisture.

Add a few drops of glycerin to SMT to hold in moisture.

Use coconut milk saok. Or a coconut oil application.

How often does she shampoo? How is her scalp? I had issues with an oily scalp, using for oily shampoo, dryed my hair. Live and learn.

If she is using chemicals or heat appliance stop or go very easy on those.

How dry is the air in her home now?

What kind of water does she have? Soft, usually nicer for hair and skin. Hard and full of minerals, not as good. May need to get rid of minerals etc or change shampoo.

That is all I can think of this instant.

[Aisha25]

When I first started to take care of my hair I started with a warm oil treatments then after about a month or so then did treatments and my hair was really bad frizzy before and all that damage so maybe start her off slowly.Just my 2 cents:).
Hope her hair gets better.

[levelek]

Thank you very much Raederle, MeMyselfandI (that's a really neat list :) ) and Aisha25!

She used to wear her hair up in a French twist, but apparently her hair thinned out hugely where she would instert the barette to secure it, and I am pretty sure she wouldn't like the cinnabun which is my staple 1-sec updo. I'll have to think of a few styles that are quick enough for her and she won't think them too matronly.

I think the natural lightening effect would be great for her. She has virgin hair, I should have added that, and doesn't use any heat appliances.
Her conditioner is no cone, I didn't see her shampoo though and I don't know the brand.
Her scalp is sensitive, quite dry too I think, and prone to psoriasis like many in my family.
I'll add the coconut oil and the glycerin to the list! I think the warm oil would be a "next step" because warming it up might already be more effort than she'd be ready to put in (she doesn't have a microwave) - she isn't fully convinced yet that these experiments will work :)

Thanks again! :flowers:

[MeMyselfandI]

levelek,

Your welcome.

With psoriasis, I would be more concerned of what can go on her head. Even if she uses products on the rest of her hair, will rinsing cause issues.

Is she using a tar soap for the psoriasis? If yes, can that be part of the issue?