Caramel Deep Treatment

I got this from velvethalo's fotki. And she got it from Aine @ Long Hair Care Forum... and so the knowledge is paid forward! Many people swear by this, so I thought I would post without even trying it first. I do believe in the power of the multiple testimony, ya know. Will post a product review update later...

You can find the thread @:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=65854&;highlight=caramel+treatment

Ingredients:

coconut oil
olive oil
wheatgerm oil
shea butter
honey
molasses
Apple cider vinegar
Two overripe bananas
water

From Velvethalo:

I just throw this all in a blender. It freezes rather well, so you won't have to keep making mini-batches every time you wanna use it, just thaw out. It should be a caramel cream look and consistency. Once you coat it on your hair, leave on for a couple hours. If your hair is longer than BSL, it may be easier to put your hair in a ponytail and just do that ponytail portion and loose baggy it to keep it from getting messy. Do not try to manipulate your hair during this time, it is very sticky. Rinse out in the shower. If you have fine hair, this may be all you need, but if you have coarse hair, you may want to follow up with a reconstructor and/or deep conditioner. It doesn't matter how kinky/curly/frizzy your hair is... it will shine like you've never ever seen it do before. I am now a big believer in this and will tell anyone who will listen. It really works!


From Dluvlylox: Thanks ladies, and we'll be sure to try it!

Apple Cider Vinegar Rinse -- 4 out of 5

So... I tried an apple cider vinegar rinse.
Mix 1 tbsp for every 1 cup water. Warning: THIS DOES NOT LATHER.

Let's get the cons out of the way first:

It stinks.
It stings your eyes.
It's hard to deal with because it's watery.
No lather.

Now for the pros:

It cleans your hair really well and gets rid of build up with the advantage of restoring pH balance. It also makes my hair noticeably shinier. It's cheap and easy to obtain. A little goes a long way, and it has many uses, from cleaning windows and tile to being a great product to settle the stomach and aid digestion. There are even some weight loss claims! (I drank what I didn't use in my hair...it's not that bad diluted). As for the smell, it fades in mere minutes.

I'm liking it so far for clarifying purposes. Once or twice a month is not too much to ask me to deal with this, although I am also intrigued by a method I read about on http://www.curlynikki.com that clarifies by adding baking soda to conditioner. More on that later.

*Note: I did not use this Katz brand of ACV for my rinse. I used the regular old generic out of the grocery store -- I actually had some in the house that I use for other reasons... but the pic is so pretty and appetizing looking, that I couldn't resist!