This Homemade Afro Hair Product is 10x Better than Just Shea

Everything you may think you know about kinky and curly hair might actually be way off — and in this video, my South African sister Ellie and I share some forgotten gems from traditional hair care for African hair, including a powerful, ancient hair masque you can easily make at home.

So, let me introduce you to Ellie. Ellie joined our family, all the way from South Africa to Canada, when she was 7 months old, and I was 14, and in the midst of my teenaged hair insecurities. Honestly, some of our funniest (and most relatable) chats revolve around hair — the struggles, the awkward little secrets, all of it. Like how detangling can take literal DAYS  and feel like an arm workout, or how we can go weeks without washing our hair while everyone around us is battling greasy roots after just one day. If you know, you know.

In today’s video we are bringing you along into one of those conversations — but this time, while we pamper Ellie’s hair with a traditional South African-inspired hair masque. Make sure you watch the video to the end to see the final results on Ellie’s hair — it’s pretty incredible!

Now, if you didn’t already know, across the African continent, hair has always been more than just hair. It carries deep cultural, spiritual, and historical meaning. Traditional hair care for African hair care wasn’t just about looking good (though, of course, people did!); it was about protecting and nurturing hair, especially for those of us with kinky, coily, or curly textures. These practices came from generations of wisdom, using ingredients straight from the land.

South African women have long embraced braids, twists, and head wraps (called doeks) not only to protect their hair but as a way of expressing cultural pride. Hair care has always been as much about community and beauty as it was about practicality. They protected the hair from the elements and helped reduce breakage.

Natural oils, butters, and herbs were the go-to for keeping the scalp and hair healthy. Think shea butter, palm oil, castor oil — all those rich, nourishing staples. And let’s not forget clays like rhassoul clay, which were (and still are) loved for giving hair strength and moisture.

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So today, Ellie and I are going to mix up a simple but nourishing hair masque using ingredients traditional to either South Africa, or hair care for African hair in general. What I love about this afro hair product is how deeply rooted these practices are in the land itself. Communities used what was around them to care for their hair in really intentional ways.

And one more thing — we also applied my personal herbal hair growth formula to Ellie’s scalp. If you’ve ever dreamed of having thick, glowing hair that has people constantly asking, “What are you using?” you might want to check it out. The link is in the description.

This formula works on three levels:

First, it heals and soothes the scalp while boosting circulation. Second, it encourages fresh, healthy new growth where you thought there was none. And third, it hydrates and strengthens your hair to stop breakage — so you can finally break past that frustrating “stuck” length stage.

If you’re curious to learn more about the ingredients and see what other women are saying, learn more here.

So now for the hair masque ingredients! The full recipe can be found below. 

Our base ingredients for this homemade afro hair product are shea butter, aloe vera gel, and marula oil. The other ones are bonus ingredients, or there to help the formula hold together and be nice and creamy.

Shea butter has been used for centuries across Africa to nourish and protect hair. It's packed with vitamins A and E, essential fatty acids, and has incredible moisturizing and sealing properties. Unlike some lighter oils, shea butter creates a protective barrier, shielding the hair from dryness and breakage.

And, if you want to, you can even add a pinch of rooibos. Yes, the tea! It’s full of antioxidants and adds an extra boost to the masque. I infused it with the warm shea butter and then strained it out. 

Marula oil — often called "The Tree of Life" oil — is rich, silky, and packed with antioxidants and fatty acids to protect against dryness and breakage while making the hair softer and shinier. And aloe vera gel has long been a staple in hair care for African hair. It soothes the scalp, helps with dandruff, and gives hair a massive dose of hydration and shine. Fresh aloe vera gel straight from a leaf is best, but we don’t have access to aloe vera leafs way out here in the Canadian boonies, so we will be using this pre packaged aloe vera gel. Make sure if you get this that it doesn’t have any extra stuff, other than maybe some glycerin or citric acid. 

I also used a little beeswax in this homemade afro hair product, which is great for moisture and curl definition, egg yolk, which is deeply nourishing and acts as an emulsifier to hold the recipe together. The honey is a humectant, which means that it draws moisture from the air to your hair.

If you’d like the see the process of treating Ellie’s hair with this masque and the herbal hair growth oil, it’s all in the video! We also have some fun curly hair chat you won’t want to miss - not to mention her incredible results!

Conclusion

And just like that — look at Ellie’s hair! It feels soft, looks shiny, and you can actually see how much more hydrated and healthy it is after just one treatment. Honestly, I’m not surprised — these traditional African ingredients have stood the test of time for a reason. Ellie’s curls are defined, her hair feels buttery soft, and even she was shocked at how easy it was to detangle afterward. We’re both kind of obsessed.

If you loved this and you’re serious about growing your hair long, strong, and healthy, make sure to grab my free Hair Growth Cheat Sheet at the bottom of this page. I packed it with all my best tips, including my favourite natural hair wash recipes — the exact ones that helped me go from chin-length hair (that refused to grow for years) all the way to thigh-length. Yes, thigh-length. And the best part? It’s simple, affordable, and it works.

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Just head over to the bottom of this page and sign up — you’ll get the cheat sheet sent straight to your inbox.

Thanks for hanging out with us today to learn about homemade afro hair products and traditional hair care for African hair! Let me know in the comments if you try this or any other DIY masque, I and don’t forget to share your results — I’d love to hear your stories.

African Inspired Hair Masque RECIPE 

• 1 TBS shea butter

• 1 heaping TBS aloe vera

• ¾ tsp herbal hair growth oil (or other oil of choice)

• 1 TBS marula oil (or other oil of choice)

• 1 egg yolk

• ¾ tsp beeswax

• ¾ tsp honey

optional ingredients

• 3/4 tsp aloe vera powder

• essential oils of your choice

If you’re into natural hair care, vintage beauty, or historical hair secrets, make sure to subscribe to my email list!

When you sign up you will get my Free Hair Growth Cheat Sheet where you'll learn:

1. 4 Easy-to-make recipes that work 10x better than commercial products

2. Historical hair secrets that helped my grow past my hips

3. Exactly why the products you've tried before have let you down

4. How to escape the "hair care hamster wheel" for good

5. The 3-phase hair growth cycle (know this or stay stuck at your current length)

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