I have really difficult hair. It's too curly, too frizzy, thin, fragile and doesn't grow. What-so-ever.

While I was pregnant (both times!) my hair grew thicker, stronger, shinier and became totally manageable. It was a dream. After each pregnancy, as many of us women experience, it fell out. It fell out and out and out!

My youngest is now 4 and I am still recovering - hair wise. I was extra tired, extra stressed and very under nourished during that pregnancy and that + genetics has taken a huge toll on my poor follicles.  

After much trial and error, it seemed as though a total ban on commercial shampoos & conditioners was the answer. And it has worked wonders. Unfortunately, I do still rely on regular old hair gels and sprays to de-frizz, straighten and thicken, but this particular cleanse cuts the need for those bad guys in half.  

This cleanse is made from 3 ingredients - Bentonite Clay, Apple Cider Vinegar and Aloe Vera Juice. My biggest battle is frizzy, thin and dry hair and having to re-style EVERY DAY.

Two things:

1. I don't ever measure my ingredients for this cleanse.

2. There are lots of clay options out there and you can definitely do some research to find the one that best suits your needs. Bentonite clay is very commonly found in health food stores and is a good, all purpose clay. I use it for skin care, tooth paste/mouth wash and I take it internally as a daily silica supplement (so bentonite taken internally is also really good for your hair!)

The Christmas holiday has just ended and my kids are back to school. Our last remaining Ikea plastic forks have gone back with them. Make sure to use only plastic, glass, or other non-metal materials when working with bentonite clay. I will use the plastic knife to mix it all up and it will work just fine. The glass jar is where I will store my finished product. Notice it has a plastic lid. 

I've kind of haphazardly poured my clay into the bowl (an Ikea shopping trip is in the works!). This bowl is the size of a little snack dish - not too big, not too small, and this is probably about 1/2 to 3/4 cups of clay. Bentonite clay is known for it's ability to absorb toxins, stains, chemicals, heavy metals, you name it. It is truly CLEANSING for the scalp and hair. It contains a slew of minerals that nourish the scalp and each strand of hair. It is very gentle, and with my hair being so very sensitive (it falls out every time I sneeze!) gentle is key.

You want the ACV and Aloe juice to be added one at a time. I like to start with ACV, as it seems to react with the clay...and I like that. I generally eyeball, pouring in less than I think is needed and give it a stir. Apple Cider Vinegar is the major frizz tamer in this mix. It seals the hair, increases shine and improves the overall look.

Now I'm adding the Aloe Vera Juice. About the same amount as the ACV. Aloe is amazing for your hair. This is what adds a softening and conditioning effect to this cleanse. While some recipes call for the addition of oil, I generally shy away from adding oil to my hair as I have absolutely never found one that doesn't impart OILINESS. I know there are a lot of great oils that work wonders for some folks, but because my hair is just so thin, it can't take it. I'll be oily for days.

So here we are. I've given it a good stir with my Ikea knife and found it to be a bit thick. I've probably added about 1/8 - 1/4 cup of each liquid. You want the consistency to be a bit thinner than this. More like cake batter, not muffin batter. If it's too thick, it can dry up your hair. I'll add about 1/8 cup more of each to smooth it out.

Perfect!  I'll give it a good stir and let it sit for a few minutes before I transfer it to my jar. This paste will expand a bit before it settles.

When you're ready, go ahead and fill your jar. Leave a bit of space at the top because.....

It will continue to expand!

I use this cleanse every time I wet my hair in the shower - several times a week. I don't love to leave clay on my hair for long periods of time, as it can be drying, so I use it as I would conditioner (but with no preceding shampoo!). Massage a palm-full into wet hair and let it rest for about 5 minutes before rinsing out. If you're like me and constantly battling the frizz, keep your cleanse in the fridge, as the added cool temperature will help to seal those frizzy follicles (does that make sense?). If that's not convenient, you can leave it in the shower for about 1 week.

This is super quick to make, I'm usually whipping it up in my towel with the shower running. I use it on my kids and they don't seem to have an opinion about it (which means it gets 5 stars). While it doesn't smell that amazing, I promise it will not leave your hair smelling like vinegar. I PROMISE. You can pop some essential oils in, if you wish. Peppermint, lavender and rosemary are great for hair growth - however, they must be applied very regularly to take effect. Tea Tree oil is known for it's antibacterial properties and the prevention of head lice. I have found anise oil to be very moisturizing. Overall, however, nothing will actually mask the vinegar smell, so I don't bother too often.