Simple Hair Pomade Recipe

I am always playing the role of a mad scientist, Mixing oils , herbs and other ingredients together gets me excited. I came up with a very nice light pomade for my 7 month old. I also used it on her little bum bum and it works great for preventing diaper rash too. It's real simple and all you'll need;

1 quart size pot
3tsp calendula wax*
2 drops lavender essential oil
1 drop tea tree oil
1 1/2 oz castor oil
1 tsp shea butter

Put the wax, shea butter,and castor oil in the pot on low heat until the wax has melted. When the mixture has completely melted, allow it to cool down a bit-leave it for about 30 minutes. Then add in your essential oils and mix with a hand mixer until it gets thick. You can transfer the mixture into 2oz containers. This should make you 2# 2oz jars to use.
* Calendula is a plant base wax that is used as a emulsifier in product recipes. It is great for the skin!
It's a great hair softener for babies and don't forget to rub some on your baby's bum to prevent rashes.

Black Soap

I washed my Sisterlocks with some Black Soap this week and was pleasantly surprised by the results. I originally purchased it as a body soap because I wanted to try something new for my face. I have noticed lately that everything is drying up on my body (not pretty folks) ,so I am having to customize my beauty routine to include moisturizing products. Anyway, I found that the black soap is excellent for getting build-up out of hair and scalp without any irritation or dryness. My hair felt squeaky clean and soft too.

If you have oily skin like me, the black soap will work great for you too. My face looked bright felt sooo clean and smoothe. The real test was on my 7 month old. Her skin stayed soft and she had that "baby smell" after I used it on her. It's ironic that I've heard about black soap for years and was never motivated to buy it. I guess I based my opinion on the fact that I only saw street vendors selling it!

Made from Burnt Leaves
But scrutiny is warranted because not all black soaps are the same Black Soap recipes differ by regions where its produced. The soap is called by different names and "Ose Dudu" is the most popular of all- the name means Ose(soap) and Dudu(black). According to my research,the soap is good for: dark spots,rashes, oily skin, acne, dandruff and even wrinkles! So far I can honestly say that it works
The basic recipe is made from burnt plantain leaves that are filtered in water and a fat is added( shea butter, coconut oil or palm oil),and the mixture is stirred for a day by local women and left cure for 2 weeks. West African black soap is the best, so don't buy the "bootlegg" versions that are made here in the U.S.because you won't get the healing benefits that the authentic version gives.

Only Buy from workers under the FTF!
By the way, please make sure you buy from distributors that support the Fair Trade Federation. They ensure that the women who make the soaps, shea butter etc.. are given a fair wage and employment benefits for their labor.