The best natural beauty products are made from unprocessed organic ingredients. Because such products contain zero harmful chemicals, they are the safest for your skin. Africa is a hub for the growth of natural herbs and plants for hair and skin care. You will find all sorts of naturally nourishing herbage grow on the continent. A good example is the famous moringa seeds used in many of True Moringa’s skin and hair products. Other similar black beauty brands are using these nurturing natural ingredients in their products.
Although some stellar black beauty brands are providing excellent products out there, we know some nature lovers don’t mind the DIY way. That is why we want to show you how to make these African clean beauty ingredients at home. Whether you want to feel more connected to African tradition or you don’t have enough cash to spend on store-bought beauty products, this post is just for you. Here is our list of top 5 clean African beauty products you can make from home.
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Shea Butter
You can hardly speak of clean beauty without mentioning Shea butter. The product contains a lot of vitamins and fatty acids perfect for softening the skin. Shea butter has anti-aging properties, is excellent for sealing moisture, and has strong anti-inflammatory properties. It can be used in homemade face masks, hair moisturizers, or used directly on the skin as a lotion.
This rich butter is extracted from nuts of the West African Shea tree. The tree does not produce nuts until it is 20 years but can keep producing until it reaches the 200-year mark. Shea butter is creamy and is often ivory or off white. When you gather Shea nuts, crack open and wash the nuts. Allow to air-dry and loose moisture. Pound the nuts into small pieces and roast the crushed Shea nuts. It will form a chocolate-colored paste. Whip the paste and then wash to purify. Heat the clean paste on low heat so the oil content goes down while the fat rises. Skim off the fat and let the oil harden. You can add some essential oil and whip the hardened Shea butter oil to make it soft.
Sesame Oil
Sesame oil is one of the best natural beauty products with diverse applications. The sesame seed is an ancient food crop that originally grew in the wild but has been cultivated for over 3,000 years. Many refer to it as a super seed because it contains a rich collection of vitamins and minerals. Some include zinc, calcium, magnesium, selenium, vitamin B12, and vitamin E. Because it has a lot of antioxidants, sesame oil can tackle illnesses like low blood pressure and heart disease. It is a great non-sticky oil for massages, soothing flaky skin, and repairing sun-damaged skin. Ayurvedic medicine practitioners also recommend sesame oil for oral health.
To make sesame oil, lightly toast some sesame seeds in your oven or stovetop. You can get 1 cup of sesame oil from 3 cups of sesame seeds. Remove the seeds from heat when they become golden brown. Take care not to over toast your sesame seeds or they won’t produce good oil. Mix the toasted seeds with a carrier oil like coconut oil and heat for some minutes to extract more oil from the sesame seeds. Allow to cool down and blend until the seeds are well-grounded. Sieve out the oil with a sieve cloth and store your sesame oil in an airtight jar.
Baobab Oil
Baobab is a fascinating ingredient used in the best clean beauty products all around the world. If you want silky glossy hair, you have to introduce baobab oil into your hair care routine. You can combine it with some other fantastic African hair oils for growing long and healthy hair. The oil form baobab is also highly nutritive for the skin. It helps replace the skin’s collagen supply and can be used directly on the skin as a serum. If you want to skip bizarre chemicals when tackling anti-aging, learn to make baobab oil at home.
Baobab oil is extracted from the fruits of the baobab tree. This tree is indigenous to Africa and can live for over 5,000 years once planted. Baobab seeds are extracted from the fruit and dried in the sun. After properly air-drying the seeds, store them for a few months so they can dry up some more. When you’re ready, simply cold press the seeds and extract your rich baobab oil.
Neem Oil
A lesser-known, but equally powerful African clean beauty product is neem oil. This oil is one of our best clean beauty products to make at home. Neem oil stimulates hair growth and gets rid of dandruff. It is an excellent oil for fighting scars, acne, and wrinkles. Neem oil can also be diluted to make a mosquito repellant.
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Neem oil is made from crushed seeds of the neem tree, an evergreen tropical tree that is highly tolerant of drought. This tree is popularly called dogonyaro by the northern people of Nigeria. Collect mature need seeds from the tree and clean them by removing the skin. Wash the cleaned seeds and air dry under the sun. Pound and winnow the dry seeds to extract the kernels. Further pound the kernels to get a fine brownish-green powder. Stream the powder on low heat for about 15 minutes to form a cake. The dough is bagged and neem oil is extracted from it.
Orange Oil
This list of top natural beauty products will not be complete without one essential oil. Orange oil is used in aromatherapy. It can lower anxiety, improve your mood, and help fight depression. It is also used as an active ingredient in many skin treatment products. The oil can be used by diffusion, spraying, or direct application to the skin when mixed with other ingredients.
Although the orange tree is native to Asia, the cultivation of the fruit spread from Africa to the Mediterranean. You can extract orange essential from the peels of sweet orange. Finely chop the orange peels or crush in a mortar until an oily mass starts to form. Collect the oil and peels in a jar. Add pure olive oil and tightly seal the jar and place it in a cool dark area for three days. After three days, heat the contents of the jar with the double boiler method. Sieve out all the oil content and store in dark-colored glass jars. Orange oil is sensitive to light and must be kept in a dark place at all times.
Takeaway
One strong advantage of these natural remedies is that they are very simple to produce. After you source your raw materials, you don’t need a long scientific process. These five African ingredients are by far the best natural beauty products you can easily make from home. We hope that by their simplicity and nourishing qualities, you are encouraged to blend them in your hair and skincare routine. Beware that some people with sensitive skin can have allergic reactions to some of these products. We recommend you do a spot test before use and always use all products listed with care. Share this marveling information with your friend to help improve their skincare routine and they will thank you for life.
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