Update: 5.30.13: The above picture of my natural hair growth from when I started the challenge until Jan 13, 2013. Read more about my growth update here.
Although I think I finally have found my staple products for my hair that are actually working, I decided to also do a natural hair challenge. But I plan to modify it a little bit by using the conditioner that I already own. I love the conditioner that I have and I don’t want to spend any more money than necessary.
The ingredients you will need for the challenge are as follows:
- Castor Oil
- Jojoba Oil
- Olive Oil
- Coconut Oil
- Vegetable Glycerin
- Honey
- Peppermint Essential Oil
- Basil Essential Oil
- Rosemary Essential Oil
- Aloe Vera Juice
- Aubrey GPB Balancing Conditioner
- Olive Oil Eco Gel
- Kinky Curly Knot Today
- Denman Brush and Wide Tooth Comb
- Liquid Vitamin A
- Liquid Vitamin D
- Liquid Vitamin E
- Plastic Shower Caps
I purchased all of these items from Vitacost.
Now you don’t have to buy everything at once. Fortunately for me, I had the majority of the ingredients already. To start, you will need the Castor Oil, Jojoba Oil, Olive Oil, Vegetable Glycerin, Honey, Essential Oils, Liquid Vitamins and Aubrey GPB Balancing Conditioner. These are the ingredients for the protein conditioner recipe which will start you off in the challenge.
The hair challenge begins with you clarifying your hair. But the night before you clarify, spray your hair down (avoid spraying scalp) with 1/2 water 1/2 vegetable glycerin using a spray bottle. Use olive oil on the ends of your hair. Cover with a plastic cap (aka baggy method). Secure plastic cap with bonnet or scarf and leave on overnight.
The next day shampoo hair with a clarifying shampoo or a regular store bought shampoo. I know you are probably thinking shampoos are bad. But I justified using a clarifying shampoo because I haven’t clarified in a year. I figured it wouldn’t hurt. I used Nexxus Aloe Rid to clarify my hair. (I think it may have been discontinued).
After you clarify, you will need to use the deep conditioning recipe (see below). If you have a steamer, use it with the deep conditioner. (I have a steamer, but I covered my hair with a plastic cap and left it on over night instead.) Then style as usual.
Protein Conditioner Recipe
- 1 Cup Aubrey GPB Conditioner
- 4 Tbsp Honey
- 4 Tbsp Castor Oil
- 4 Tblsp Vegetable Glycerin
- 4 Tbsp Jojoba Oil (Or Olive Oil)
- 8 drops Basil Essential Oil
- 8 Drops Rosemary Essential Oil
- 8 Drops Peppermint Essential Oil
- 4 Drops Liquid Vitamin A (using dropper)
- 4 Drops Liquid Vitamin D (using dropper)
- 4 Drops Liquid Vitamin E (using dropper)
- Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and mix it well.
I ended up cutting the recipe in half and still had enough for 2 applications. So I put the rest in a container to use later.
I purchased the conditioner, essential oils, oils and liquid vitamins from Vitacost, but you can get them from Amazon as well. The shipping was free and fast. Both sites are economical. If you sign up for Vitacost, you will be emailed a coupon for $10 off! Great deal.
Co-wash at least twice that week. Do the baggy method the night before you co-wash. Massage your scalp at least 3 times that week, just rub a little jojoba oil in your hands while massaging scalp.
Will you be joining me in the challenge?
Update 4.23.12: I rinsed the homemade conditioner out this morning. I wasn’t sure what to do next. So I co-washed and detangled with conditioner. I will say that I didn’t have a lot of shed hair or breakage on my comb. I usually have palm full of hair when I’m done. Courtney recommends using a wide tooth comb first to detangle and then go back over with the Denman brush to remove shed hairs. I haven’t used my Denman in forever because folks said that it breaks your hair off and I believed the hype. I was happy to see that I didn’t have a lot of breakage using the brush. I haven’t done a protein treatment in ages and I think my hair really needed this.
25 comments
I’ve been meaning to do more oils and protein treatments on my hair, and this recipe looks great! I’ll try the challenge with you!
Yay!! We are in this together!
With having locs for over 10 years and now I don’t, I am trying to get a hair routine that works for me. Thank you for posting this Toya! This is extremely helpful.
You are very welcome! I hope you “like” Courtney’s page. She’s the one that will be able to answer your questions.
I’m always looking for natural hair product recipes especially to use for my daughter because I don’t like using chemicals in her hair. Look forward to joining this journey with you!
Beautiful hair:)
Thank you!!
I would like to know if you are still using Courtney’s methods for your hair and how it is going. I have been using her DC now for about 3 weeks and I love it! But I haven’t incorporated any of her other techniques though.
@Shenette Yes, I do still use her techniques. I love the scalp oil treament. I incorporate her deep conditioner recipe in all of my conditioners. Sometimes I don’t need to use the proteing conditioner and like to substitute it with whatever conditioner I am using at the moment. I have seen tremendous growth in my hair. It’s just important for me to get trims every 3-4 months. Otherwise my hair will tangle and break. I don’t have the luxury like Courtney of going a year without a hair cut.
Hi Toya How are you! Hope all is well : ))), I came across your blog while surfing the net . Love your blog by the way. I decided to go ahead and try courtney’s natural hair growth challenge base on your reviews and update. Im just waiting for my shipment to come through. I have 2 questions for you? How often do you deep condition using her techniques? You mention that you still use her scalp oil treatment , can you tell me what oils and the technique with that? Thank you
Hello! Where did you purchase the liquid A vitmain? I can´t find it even on amazon nore vitacost =(
@krys pindi I purchased the liquid Vitamin A from Vitacost. I just looked and don’t see it there either. I found one here at Vitamin Shoppe. Try there.
@thelimericklane
Thank you! I have already chechek in a couple of vitamin shoppe stores and they don´t have it either. even on their website. S I guess that I will have to buy softgels and open them. =)
@thelimericklane
Thank you! I have already checked in a couple of vitamin shoppe stores and they don´t have it neither and even on their website. S I guess that I will have to buy softgels and open them. =)
Hi Toya,Thanks for reposting, quick ques.. So when or how often do u use the herbal essences totally twisted and how often did u use your Giovanni or whichever you substituted?Thanks againSable
I don’t use Herbal Essences or Giovanni. My staple conditioners currently (they are always changing) are Ouidad Curl Wash (defines curls), Trader Joe’s Nourish Conditioner (excellent for detangling) and Hair Rules Conditioner.
Hi, I’d like to try this hair growth regimen, however my hair is protein sensitive. Would I still see growth if I only used to protein conditioner once a month and then for the rest of the month use a moisturizing conditioner?
Hi Mimi –
Growth is definitely possible with using a protein conditioner once a month. That is my regimen and I have seen significant growth. I doctor up all of my deep conditioners with this recipe just subbing out the protein conditioner with my conditioner of choice. Let me know if you have any other questions.
How much did all of these ingredients cost when purchasing from Vitacost? & Thank you so much, I’ve finally found a hair regimen/routine without feeling confused and lost. SUPER HAPPY :). So would I follow this routine every week? And what about the BSM Treatment, how often should that be done?
I’m a little confused.
So I would start the week with a BSM Treatment, then a Protein Treatment (which is the Protein Conditioner Recipe), then a Scalp Treament, then the Baggy Method (Glycerin Mix, including olive oil on ends of hair) then clarify with shampoo, then use Deep Conditioner Recipe? Is the Deep Conditioner Treatment the same as the Protein Treatment or it’s the Aubrey GPB?
Ok. 1st: The Aubrey is a protein conditioner. Depending on your hair, some people don’t need a lot of protein like myself. My hair thrives on moisture. But once a month, I like to do a protein deep condition to get my PH back to normal. In this case, I didn’t need a protein deep condition. So I swapped out the Aubrey conditioner with another conditioner in the recipe. I used a moisture rich conditioner without protein. The night before you plan to deep condition, do the glycerin/mix on hair and baggy over night. Then the next morning you are going to clarify your hair using a clarifying shampoo. But a regular sulfate shampoo will clarify the hair too. Once you have clarified the hair, you will apply the deep conditioner preferably under a steamer or under a hood dryer in shower cap will work too. Then I co-wash/detangle as normal and style. The deep conditioner softens my hair and makes detangling easier. I hope this clears up your questions.
Good afternoon,
I am just coming across this post. I am looking at the list of ingredients for the natural hair challenge, but I cannot figure out what you did with the molasses?
Thank you for sharing this.. This recipe sounds wonderful I am on a journey to use less store bought products and make more of my own.
Hi Victoria! Thank you for stopping by the blog. Here is the link for the recipe that included the molasses: http://www.thelimericklane.com/2012/04/how-to-stop-natural-hair-breakage/
I hope this helps.
Hi! Do you happen to have Courtney’s hair challenge for every week? I can’t remember how many weeks to be exact…4,5, or 6.
No, I don’t. I think she stopped doing it so I never followed through on it.