Hey guys,

I just wanted to share with you my new version of the ‘Cherry Lola Treatment’ (CLT). After I tried it last time (see my previous post) I thought it was ok but could do with some adjustments for my particular hair. The main problem is the consistency of the treatment and the sheer amount of mess it makes when applying! I wanted something that would deposit the goodness onto my hair and not run off into the sink (or down my neck, back and face for that matter).

Since doing clay only washes for the past few days, I realised how much my hair actually loves it. It leaves my hair feeling soft and smooth. So I thought – why not combine the two? So I did. And let me tell you it worked a treat! I absolutely love this treatment! Here’s the recipe I made:

CL’Clay’T

Ingredients

• Bentonite Clay – 1/4 cup/4 Tablespoons
• Filtered Water – 1 Cup
• Natural Yoghurt – 1/2 cup
• 1 Ripe Banana or Avocado or 1/2 of both (OPTIONAL)
• Bicarbonate of Soda – 2 Tablespoons
• Phytokeratin, or any other hydrolysed plant protein (OPTIONAL) – 1 teaspoon
• Oil of choice – 2 teaspoons
• Glycerine or Honey – 1 teaspoon

How to make

1. Pour the filtered water into a container with a lid
2. Sprinkle over the Bentonite Clay, cover, and shake to mix. It will be lumpy, but that’s ok!
3. Put in the fridge and allow to soak for a few hours to overnight (the longer it sits the better) shaking occasionally if you can manage it
4. When ready for the treatment, take the clay out of the fridge and mix well until smooth
5. If using fruit, put yoghurt and fruit in blender and blend until smooth
6. Strain the yoghurt/fruit mix through a sieve into a separate container (or just add the yoghurt into the container if not using fruit), add in the Bicarb of Soda and mix well. It will bubble up quite a lot so make sure the container is big enough for that
7. Combine the soaked clay and the fizzy yoghurt/fruit mixture together and mix well
8. Add in the protein (if using), glycerine/honey and Oil and mix well
9. Check the consistency and add more yoghurt or water if you want it looser

If you want to add the ‘Caramel’ part of the MHM’s version (molasses, egg, etc) to make a ‘Cherry Lola CLAY & Caramel Treatment’ then be my guest. Add those ingredients into the yoghurt part of the recipe before adding the soaked clay.

If you’re like me and doing the MHM or a variation of it, this will triple up as your Clarifier, CLT and Clay mask. I would suggest co-washing and detangling BEFORE doing this (If using conditioner) and then moving straight on to styling so that you don’t disturb your curl pattern defined by the treatment. If you’re not following the MHM then you are free to follow up with a Deep Conditioner of some sort if you like.

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The first time I tried this was on my 8 year old daughters hair (and she has A LOT of hair!). It had been in a cornrowed updo (with the ends left out for a bushy ponytail) for 2 weeks and it was time for a wash.

I made up the treatment (without the fruit and with the protein, as her hair really needed it) and applied it to her dry hair and scalp in 4 sections, no drips, no mess! I lightly finger detangled each section to make sure all her hair was coated well and really rubbed it into her scalp to help dislodge any dirt (as this was intended to be her cleanser, no shampoo). I twisted up the sections loosely, covered her hair with a plastic bag and left it on for about an hour.

When I rinsed it out thoroughly (making sure to really rub the scalp), her hair felt clean, soft and detangled?! I applied Herbal Essence’s Hello Hydration mask (the jar not the bottle) to each section and my fingers just slid through her hair like a hot knife in butter baby!!! I was amazed! I still proceeded to detangle each section with the tangle teezer to ensure there were no knots or tangles left and it glided through her hair with minimum effort! Bear in mind her hair had not been properly detangled up until that point after a two week updo! I twisted up the sections and left that on whilst she bathed and then rinsed it out. OMG!!! Butter soft hair! I’ve NEVER felt her hair like that, EVER! (It’s possible the HE Hello Hydration Mask contributed significantly to the hair feel).This will be her monthly (or whenever, lol) protein/deep treatment from now on!

Check out my next post ‘Maximum Moisture Therapy Experiment – Week 4’ to see the results on my hair.