“But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base (insignificant/lowly) things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are that no flesh should glory in His presence.”
“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,”
I used to watch a YouTuber named Naptural85 years ago when I first went natural. It has been 15+ years since I stopped putting any chemicals in my hair to straighten it. I did that for overall health reasons. One of Naptural85’s videos that was helpful to me was when she shared her version of making flaxseed gel. I liked that it uses few ingredients that are not harmful in any way and you save so much money making your own gel. Here is how it’s done:
Homemade flaxseed gel
You use 2 cups of water and 1/4 cup of Whole Flaxseeds. Put that in a 2 qt. sauce pan, stir, and bring ingredients to a rolling boil. Let this boil until a gel forms. It can take anywhere from 10-15 minutes for the gel to form. You have to stand there and stir this during that time because you don’t want the seeds sticking to the bottom of your pot. Immediately strain (Can use a cheap knee high stocking fitted over a container to strain this). I used plastic tongs to squeeze out as much gel as possible.
This is how it looks when finished (sorry my camera isn’t showing the frothy/gel look I see on my end). I add a tsp. of vegetable glycerin, and a few drops of essential oil for a nice scent and to preserve it. I keep in the refrigerator until ready to use. It lasts a couple of weeks when kept cold.
I was also glad to find a leave-in conditioner hack online that would help me stretch my pricey bottle of conditioner further. It came from another natural hair YouTuber (named Kimmaytube) whom I used to watch years ago. She no longer makes videos as far as I can tell so I don’t know what she’s doing these days. Here is what I use to make up the concoction with oil substitution:
I have here Kinky Curly Knot Today, Aloe Vera Juice, and Africa’s Best Herbal Oil (used in place of the other oils called for in original recipe). On the back of my KCKT bottle I mark each time I use the conditioner to see how many uses I’ll get out of it once I’ve used it up. As you can see I used this one 2 times already. If I bought 2 of these bottles, I find it lasts me a vey long time. Each week I make up the recipe on my hair wash (spa) day if I don’t already have enough leftovers to use. My results are a creamy conditioner that’s not too watery or too thick. The pH balance in this is great for my hair leaving me with curly coily ends. I love the smell too! If you’re interested in the original recipe here it is:
Kimmaytube’s Leave in Conditioner
1 oz. Kinky Curly Knot Today Leave-In (or 2 tablespoons of YOUR preferred silicone free leave-in) 2 tablespoons of Aloe Vera Juice (Whole leaf version) with a pH 4.0 or 4.5 2 teaspoons of Castor Oil (optional…can do without it) 2 teaspoons of Jojoba Oil
Mix ingredients in a small bowl. This mixture should be applied to wet, freshly washed hair. You can substitute the oils if you’d like. It should be enough to use on your entire head of hair. If there are leftovers just put it in the fridge for later use. Use the leftovers within 3 days.
Happy Lord’s Day! Here is another one of several church Hymns I love. It sounded so beautiful to hear everyone singing this together at church.
Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father; There is no shadow of turning with Thee; Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not; As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be.
Refrain: Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness! Morning by morning new mercies I see: All I have needed Thy hand hath provided— Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!
My family is a house of mayo lovers. We use it for making many different things. I prefer mayo over miracle whip (even though it’s what I grew up on). I keep some bought from the store in the pantry for backup as well as make my own after learning how easy it is to make. Of all the Mayo’s out there I prefer the fresh taste of homemade any day because of the clean ingredients. Here’s a recipe I like to use:
Homemade Mayo
Ingredients:
1 Large whole Pasture-Raised egg ( or 2 Egg Yolks) 1 Tbsp. Dijon Mustard 1 Tbsp. White Wine Vinegar (or Apple Cider Vinegar) 2 tsp. Lemon Juice 1/2 tsp. Sea Salt 1 cup Avocado Oil (can use light Olive Oil or any neutral tasting oil)
Directions: I use a quart-size wide mouth Mason jar to add everything in order of ingredients minus the oil. Then I take my handheld (Emersion) stick blender to blend everything in the jar. Last I slowly add the oil and pulse up and down to get it to a thicker consistency that resembles mayo. It lasts us a few weeks in the fridge if I even have it that long. LOL
In July I will be at the end of my 40’s. As I get older, I continue to notice how caring for my skin needs changing. In my mid 30’s I noticed how it became harder and harder to keep my skin moisturized. It was much easier to accomplish with my youthful skin so I wasn’t prepared for this sudden change. Add hard water to the problem and it was all downhill from there. No matter the brand of lotion I tried nothing would cure the problem. After a lot of research I turned to using homemade creams as well as hair and body oils to get that locked in moisture I was craving. Here is my go to recipes I have been using for a couple of decades now:
Hair and Body Oil
2-3 oz. Olive Oil (Extra Virgin is great) 2 oz. Jojoba Oil 2 oz. Argan Oil 1oz. Avocado Oil 1oz. Castor Oil (I use regular or JBCO) 1oz. Sweet Almond Oil 5 drops Vitamin E oil 10 drops Essential Oil (like Lavender, lemon, or any scent you prefer)
Directions:
In an 8 oz. applicator bottle (mine has measurements on the back) pour in the oils one at a time using a funnel. Screw on the top, cover tip with your finger, and shake to mix the oils together.
To use:
Immediately after showering I just towel dry and rub some of this oil onto my skin while my pores are still open. As your skin finish drying the oils will get absorbed (locked) in and helps to keep it soft and moisturized for a good while. There’s no need to worry about being oily because our skin absorbs these oils very well. For even more locked in moisture I like to use this oil in conjunction with my Shealoe mix (see below).
*Note: A little of this goes a LONG way. You won’t have to use much to get the job done. I sometimes change up the essential oil to create a different smell. This hair and body oil is also great for doing hot oil treatments on your hair.
Shealoe (aka Body Butter)
8 oz. raw unrefined Shea Butter (yellow or white) 1/4 cup Coconut Oil (Extra Virgin is great) 1/4-1/3 cup Aloe Vera Gel a few drops of essential oil(s) of your choice (A combo I like is sweet orange and grapefruit or lemon and lavender)
Directions:
The Shea Butter and coconut oil works best if it’s softened (not completely melted). You can soften some in your microwave or in a bowl over boiling water (think double boiler setup). Mix all the ingredients in a bowl with a mixer or a mini food processor until it’s fluffy or looks the consistency of whipped cake frosting. I store mine in smaller containers. I put them in the fridge for a bit to solidify then I just store at room temp to use daily. A batch this size lasts me months before I need to make more.
**Note: The great thing about both of these recipes is that you can add to or subtract to fit your own personal preference. My whole family uses them along with me. I love that I can use both products on my hair (Shealoe can be used for setting my curls) and body since I know what I’ve put in them.
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