One of my New Year’s resolutions was to try and finally get rid of my acne and grow out my short hair. I had tried so many cleansers, acne creams, and hair growth oils you name it, but my skin and hair were not cooperating. I dedicated a whole year to figuring out what it is that my skin and hair liked. In ancient days, people relied on natural DIY products for medicinal and beauty purposes. Think Cleopatra, silky smooth long flowing hair and clear baby soft skin thanks to her milk baths and other beauty secrets. Did they know something that we modern-day millennials neglect?

I could not help but feel drawn toward natural products as I hoped to achieve at least half as good skin and hair as the ancients had. My journey began with me clearing out my cabinet and vowing to do thorough research on organic skincare and haircare products until I found what suited me. Honestly, this was the best decision I had made in a long time and I can confidently share with you how I fixed my skincare and haircare routine with natural DIY products.

Let’s Talk Skincare and Haircare Natural DIY Products

Cleansing

Two words, Castile Soap. Castile soap is an all-natural cleanser made completely from plant oils. It is inexpensive, smells amazing, seems to exfoliate as it cleans, and is extremely versatile. It is also used to make gentle baby wash and if babies with sensitive skin can trust it, so can I. I decided to make my own hydrating Castile face and body wash. You will need:

1 part distilled water
1 part castile soap
1 tablespoon grapeseed
ed oil for every 25ml of face wash
3 drops of tea tree oil

Shake thoroughly to blend.

Tip: Add oil cleansing to your skincare routine if you regularly wear makeup. Oil cleansing is where you gently remove unwanted oils from your face while replacing them with good oils. This works because oil is the best way to dissolve oil and works best with all skin types (yes even oily). Use oils such as coconut oil or jojoba oil to remove your make up then proceed to cleanse with the DIY facewash.

As for my hair, African Black Soap replaced my shampoo. The soap is a natural cleanser made from the ash of roasted plant materials such as cocoa pods, leaves, and bark of the palm tree and plantain skins. It easily lathers and a little goes a long way. For this homemade shampoo you will need;

Raw black soap
2 cups of filtered water
2 tablespoons of coconut oil or olive oil
2 teaspoons of raw apple cider vinegar
Essential oil of your choice

Grate the bar into pieces and place in a mixing bowl. Boil your water and pour it over your soap and stir. Allow it to completely melt and cool down to room temperature. Add the oils, ACV, and essential oils.

Natural DIY Products for Toning

Soaps are usually more alkaline than our skin. Using a good toner should help restore the pH of your skin. My sensitive skin is in love with the DIY apple cider vinegar toner. ACV acts as a natural toner that helps clear skin of free radicals and infection-causing bacteria, hydrates skin, and even skin tone prevents and decreases breakouts, reduces redness, exfoliates, and eases skin conditions such as eczema. To make the toner you will need;

1 part raw unfiltered ACV
2 parts of water
About 7 drops of essential oil of your choice(optional)

Combine all the ingredients and shake well. I like to keep mine in a spray bottle and mist my face after washing. If this feels too messy, use cotton pads.

Moisturizing

If there’s one thing I don’t joke around with, it’s moisturizing with natural DIY products. After trying out numerous oils on my skin I found that jojoba oil works best for me. Jojoba oil mimics the natural oil our skin makes making it less likely to irritate sensitive skin. It also sinks deep into your skin leaving it feeling smooth and soft while still protecting it from rough weather.

I know you are probably thinking, “Does that mean I put jojoba oil all over my body?” No silly, I have an alternative for you. Whipped raw shea or cocoa butter, whichever floats your boat. Both these kinds of butter are great moisturizers, even out your skin tone and heal scars. Did I mention they leave you with a beautiful sun-kissed glow? To make the whipped butter you will require;

¼ cup raw shea butter
2 tablespoons jojoba oil
2 tablespoons olive oil
15 drops of rose essential oil (this is optional but will have you smelling amazing all day long)

Feel free to play around with your body butter. You can never go wrong.

This homemade deep conditioner will ensure your strands are coated with love and moisture from your roots to your tips. Shea butter is an abundant source of oils and fatty acids. It contains antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties and is rich in vitamin c that helps keep scalp infections and dandruff in check. It also tames frizz, hydrates your hair, reduces split ends, and protects damaged hair. You will need;

1 tablespoon shea butter
1 tablespoon argan oil
2 tablespoons aloe vera gel
2 tablespoons coconut oil
Essential oil of your choice. ( for my conditioner I prefer using tea tree oil)

Melt the shea butter and coconut oil using the double boiling method. Add the remaining ingredients. Apply from roots to tips and cover with a shower cap. Let it sit for 30 minutes and rinse out with lukewarm water. If your hair gets greasy quickly, use a mild shampoo to wash it out. Use these natural DIY products at least twice a week to keep your hair moisturized.

DIY Skin and Hair Mask

Warning: Making this mask is too easy.

The weekend is almost over and I like to end mine by giving my skin and hair the much-needed TLC. This mask completely changed my game as it works perfectly on both my hair and skin. The main ingredient is bentonite clay. Bentonite clay possesses a powerful negative charge. This makes it ideal for cleansing as it easily removes positively charged products that build up on your skin, hair, and scalp. It also wards off infections which helps ease scalp and skin conditions such as dandruff and psoriasis. For the mask you will need:

½ cup of bentonite clay
1 tablespoon of sweet almond oil
1 tablespoon of coconut oil
6 tablespoons of unfiltered apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons of water

Using a mixing bowl, pour the clay first then the oils. Add the ACV and allow it to foam for about 15 seconds then add water. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until you get a smooth mixture. Apply on clean damp hair and skin. Cover your hair with a plastic cap and allow the one on your face to slightly dry. Hop in the shower after. Follow up with a conditioner and moisturizer for your face. To me, there’s no feeling that beats beginning your week with clean ultra-moisturized, and hydrated hair and skin.

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The natural DIY products mentioned above are what worked for my skin and hair. I have normal skin and curly low porosity low-density hair. Kindly ensure you do your research on what best suits your hair type and skin. Remember, there’s always a DIY out there for each one of us. But before you do anything, have a patch test so as to determine if you’re allergic or not.

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Do you have any organic skincare and haircare routine with natural DIY products secrets you would love to share? Feel free to go wild in the comment section below.

About the Author

Abigail Mbithe

Abigail is a 20-something wild child who still believes in unicorns, fairy tales, and everything beautiful. When she’s not trying to invent a new hairstyle or fighting acne, and keeping her skin ageless, she’s either sipping on something or hanging out with her tribe.