I love Nutiva Organic Coconut Oil-its smells yummy, is a great product for hair, skincare and even food recipes.  I prefer this as a protein treatment or blended with other oils and butters, since it dries my type 4 hair out if I use too much.  

Coconut Oil comes in several varieties such as Virgin & Fractionated . Lightweight, non-greasy, it’s excellent on sensitive, normal & dry skin types.  It will not clog pores and it’s great as a massage oil. Fragrant coconut has aromatherapy benefits as well. 

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Virgin coconut oil is excellent on hair & skin & will remain solid at normal room temperatures.  It melts in warmer temperatures. It also a light coconut fragrance. “Coconut has been used in health and beauty treatments for hundreds of years thanks to its natural ability to moisturize and regulate oil in the skin,” according to a recent article.

Here are some simple recipes using coconut oil:

Coconut Body Scrub

½ cup Virgin Coconut Oil

1 cup sugar

Blend together and add your favorite fragrance or essential oil.  You can add more or less oil unit you get the consistency you like.

Coconut Bath

Add 1-3tbsp virgin or fractioned coconut oil to warm bath water for silky smooth skin

Body Oil

2 ounces Fractionated Coconut Oil

Start with 1tsp fragrance & add more if needed.

Coconut Hair Serum (can double as a face serum)

1 ounce coconut oil

Massage lightly into scalp as a pre shampoo treatment or smooth on face to keep skin supple.

Body Cream

Whip solid virgin coconut cream with your favorite fragrance to hydrate and replenish skin.

You can purchase coconut oil at any natural health food store or http://nutiva.com/products/coconut-oil-organic-benefits-nutiva.

Try adding coconut oil to your skincare regimen.

Jamaican Black Castor Oil

Jamaican Black Castor Oil

With the hotter weather, my hair has literally turned into tumbleweeds. I'd take down my twists in the morning & find tumble weeds falling down my sink & that ain't hot.  I couldn't figure out what the problem was, until I realized I ran out of Jamaican Black Castor Oil.  This is my miracle oil, it works wonders on dry, parched hair.  Jamaican black castor oil is rich in Omega-9 fatty acids that moisturize the scalp & prevent your hair from drying out. Applying castor oil regularly can help moisturize your roots and scalp to prevent dry hair, as well as promote hair growth.

JBCO is excellent for those of us with type 4 Hair.  In the picture above, I lightly mist my hair with water and part in in 4-8 sections. I apply JBCO to each section and braid or 2 strand twists. Next I cover my head in a satin scarf.  In morning, I untwist- & finger comb & shake out my twists.  This oil is great to shine & define your hair or twists as well.  You can purchase JBCO in health food stores, beauty supply stores or online. I prefer the Tropic Isle Living Dark brand or Sunny Isle Extra Dark Castor Oil.

Other benefits include:

Stimulates Hair Growth: When it comes to hair growth castor oil works in two ways. When you massage with castor oil it stimulate the hair follicles and encourage new and faster hair growth. Also as castor oil gets easily soaked in to the root of the hair, it interacts with the hair follicles and encourages them to grow additional hair.

Conditions Scalp: Regular use of castor oil is must as it conditions the scalp and existing hair. This helps in making your hair healthier and even the texture of your hair gets better. Healthy hair strands appear thicker than unhealthy hair strands and thus with use of castor oil you will become proud of your thicker hair.

Strengthens Hair:Each and every hair strand becomes stronger with the regular application of castor oil. When your hair is stronger it stays in the follicle for a longer period of time. Thus, there will be less hair breakage and hair loss. Broken hair strands can make hair appear thinner but with castor oil you will not be facing any such problem.

Prevents Hair Loss: Due to the anti-bacterial and anti-fungicidal properties of ricinoleic acid available in castor oil it also helps in preventing hair loss. When you apply castor oil on to your scalp it protects the scalp and hair from infections that can cause hair loss.

Acts as Lubricant:Castor oil also works quite effectively as a lubricant for the hair. Natural lubricants that our body produces have a difficult time reaching the hair. Castor oil helps to maintain a healthy amount of lubrication and assists in keeping hair from getting tangled. 

Brings Shine to Hair:Castor oil is a humectant.  Humectants draw moisture into the hair and skin. Applying castor oil on hair will make it soft, shiny and strong. It also helps in hiding the appearance of frizzy, damaged, and split end hair.  With regular use of castor oil your hair will not develop split ends.



Stops Graying Hair:When your hair is treated with castor oil regularly, your gray hair will vanish soon. It has been found that dark hair growth appeared in place of grey hair, after massaging the scalp regularly with the oil.



Prevents Hair Loss:Due to the anti-bacterial and anti-fungicidal properties of ricinoleic acid available in castor oil it also helps in preventing hair loss. When you apply castor oil on to your scalp it protects the scalp and hair from infections that can cause hair loss.

Solves Dryness:The omega-9 fatty acids available in castor oil moisturize and nourish the hair and prevent the scalp from drying. Regular application of castor oil to your scalp and roots can make dry hair turn into soft and shiny tresses within months. Dry scalp is one of the many reasons behind hair loss and other hair related problems.

Solves Dandruff:When you apply castor oil onto your scalp it cleanses the scalp thoroughly without leaving it dry and flaky. It removes the dirt and bacteria that clogs the scalp, which is the primary cause of dandruff and hair fall. Dandruff is caused by too much sebum production in your scalp and it can be controlled by the anti-bacterial property of castor oil is also vital in curing dandruff, which is caused by too much sebum production in your scalp.

Cure Scalp Infections Castor oil has healing properties, it can even be used to cure scalp infections and other side effects brought about by chemical treatment. This will prevent your hair from becoming brittle and will promote hair growth.

Castor oil is versatile and is an all-around solution for different hair problems. Castor oil is not just for simple hair problems like frizzy locks, dandruff, or split ends, but also for serious hair problems like hair loss and damaged locks.

Jamaican Castor Oil Recipes:

Hair Serum
Apply JBCO to hair  & scalp to alleviate dry and/seal ends, add shine & define twists.

Moisturizing Hot Oil Treatment
Apply warm JBCO as a pre-poo treatment, cover with a plastic cap for 30 minutes, shampoo out.

Welcome to my new blog.

Hi Everyone,

I am the owner of Raw Ingredients, a line of custom blended natural beauty & skincare products.

Here you'll find info on things to keep you naturally beautiful inside and out. I've been wearing my hair natural for 5 years now. I'm always on the look out for the newest trends in hair/skincare industry. I also want to share some of my hobbies, interests and share a little more about me. I will also have some fun give aways & contests here too!

In this photo below I'm rocking Smashbox Lip Gloss in Pulse--they make great makeup for women of color--their gloss adds the perfect amount of moisture without being sticky. If you're wondering about the dress its from Filenes Basement-love them too! That's it for now.

Hope to touch base with you all soon!