Natural/homemade Neutralizers

I recently got a question about natural/homemade neutralizers for after relaxing, which is a very good topic. Here's the question:

"how do i make a homemade neutalizer for relaxed hair? I had a formula but lost it."

First of all, thank you for your question. Neutralizing your relaxer is probably the most important step when relaxing. A relaxer is actually a chemical reaction taking place in the strand of your hair. The normal pH of our hair is around 4 or 5. When we relax our hair, the pH is heightened to around 12 or 13, causing the bonds in our hair to break and become straight. Once the hair is straight, we stabilize the hair by bringing it back down to it's regular pH of 4 or 5. This is where the neutralizer comes in. Leaving the hair to stabilize itself can lead to damage and breakage. This vital step cannot be skipped or "under done". Now, you ask about a recipe for an all natural neutralizer.

Relaxing 101

Most African-American women I know relax their hair. I have no problem with relaxing, but most women fail to realize that relaxing is strictly cosmetic and does not benefit the hair in any way. Relaxers weaken the state of our hair and leave it vulnerable to damage. Because the hair is left weakened, women who relax their hair must take extra precautions in order to keep the hair in a “normal” state after the hair is relaxed. Here are some tips to make sure you are being as safe as possible when relaxing:
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1) Pretreat the hair!
Chemicals in a relaxer imbalance the hair’s pH. This means before you relax, you should pre-treat the hair. Many stylists tell their clients “not to scratch” their scalps 24-48 hours before a relaxer. However, that is not all that should be done. A protein treatment followed by a deep conditioning treatment should be done 24-48 hours before relaxing. Protein will help strengthen the hair before a relaxer. Protein can be drying to the hair, so be sure to do a deep conditioner to restore moisture. A healthy balance between moisture and protein is the key to hair growth, so be careful not to over-do either, especially protein. Too much protein will cause the hair to become hard and snap, while too much moisture causes the hair to become mushy and weak. Aphogee has a great line of products for protein treatment.