Homemade Aloe Conditioner Pictorial!

My big BEAUTIFUL aloe plant!

Yesterday, while I was making my flax seed gel, I got the 'brilliant' idea to try and make my own conditioner! I've really been thinking about giving store-brought hair products a rest, because I always have the problem of it either not doing much for my hair or breaking out my skin. Since the bentonite clay masks I've been doin on my face is working SOOO good, I do not wanna jeopardize my progress.

 I was kinda tired of doing the age-old mayonnaise treatment...and even MORE tired of just mixing eggs in my regular conditioner, so I looked around in the fridge & cabinets and looked at my aloe plant and said, "hmm, I wonder..." *rubs hands together mischievously * =)

Let me tell you, IMMEDIATELY my hair LOVED it! It left it so moisturized and soft- my scalp is clean and my hair is shiny! Aloe is great for many things- it heals the scalp (dandruff, burns, chemical scars) and moisturizes the hair itself. Mind you, the recipe is pretty runny, so i advise applying it to your hair over the sink or in the shower. 

 So, HERE IT GOES!! My recipe is kind of hefty because I have alot of hair, but you can easily reduce the amount to fit your hair length.

Ingredients you'll need:

2 fresh aloe leaves (size/ amount of leaf depends on length of hair)
1/2 lemon
4 tbsp honey
2 tbsp olive oil (or any oil of your choosing)

Tools you'll need:
Knife
Cutting board
Food processor or blender
Spoon
Measuring spoons (optional)
Small strainer
Container to put it in

The FIRST thing I did was go to my aloe plant and cut two nice sized leaves off. (Only one is pictured throughout pictorial)

I chose one that was beat up...

Cut the leaf into 3 (or 4) smaller sections so that it's easier to handle...

..don't forget to de-seed your lemon!

Then, using your knife, cut the sharp sides of, going vertically, from the top of the leaf to the bottom...

...this is what you're looking for.

Take your knife, again,  and cut the leaf in half...

Leaf cut in half

Next, over your food processor, take your spoon and scoop/scrape both halves of the leaf, getting all (and I do mean ALL) of the gel out. Be careful because it DOES get slippery!

THIS is that GOOD stuff!!

This is how much I got out of one section of the leaf...

Repeat that process for all sections.

This is how much I got out of the whole leaf..

After a WHOLE BUNCH of scooping and scraping!

Next, squeeze your lemon into the processor...

...add your honey and oil.

Cover the processor, and blend. I had to let it blend for a while cause, as you see, I have a teeny lil processor and there was still a bit of chunks left in the mixture.

Aloe chunks

Once it is finished, there should be a minimal amount of lumps left in the mixture..and the consistency will resemble beaten eggs.

Straining is optional, but I did cause i wanted to try and process the chunks some more.

And that's it!

I applied it to my hair in sections and finger de-tangled while I was in the shower, left it in my hair while I washed up and shaved- about 10-15 mins and rinsed it with a bearable temperature of cold water. I found that while I was detangling, it gave me GREAT slip! *sighs* This conditioner is just so wonderful in so many ways...lol!

The lemon acts as an additional cleanser, along with keeping the aloe preserved. This mixture should last you up to a month, but I would only make enough that I need for the day I'm conditioning my hair.

There are so many things I still want to do with this recipe, and once I try them, I will definitely get back to you guys! But I hope you love this conditioner as much as my hair did!

=)