For years I bought my hubby hair gel that was full of lab-created chemicals. It probably had several ingredients I now ban from my household. I tried a few recipes to make our own and they always left his hair too greasy or didn’t really do much of anything. So I tweaked the recipes I had found and created this one. This is now a favorite for not only my hubby but my preteen boys who worry about their ‘style.’ And this recipe is so simple and lasts us about 6 months!
You will need a short mason jar or a container to store the cream when you’ve finished making it. Immediately after finishing it has a texture a lot like shaving cream so it is easy to pour. It does solidify somewhat more as it cools, turning into more of a firm lotion texture similar to a body butter.
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups of Mango Butter or Shea Butter
- 1/4 cup of Honey
- 1/8 cup of Aloe Vera Gel
- 1/8 cup of Coconut Oil (unfractionated, solid)
- 1 Tablespoon of Vegetable Glycerine
- 1 Tablespoon of Jojoba Oil
- 10-15 drops of Essential Oil
I personally love mango butter over shea butter. Shea butter can have an off-putting smell. So everyone in our household prefers mango butter which has a lighter, sweeter smell.
As far as what essential oils to use, there are several essential oils that are believed to strengthen and may support thicker hair: Lavender, Rosemary, Cedarwood, Peppermint and Frankincense. You can also use a blend you simply enjoy the smell of. I like to combine a conifer essential oil like Blue Spruce or Black Spruce with Ylang Ylang, Lavender and Cedarwood.
Instructions:
First, melt the mango or Shea butter down enough for it to be pliable and stirred (does not have to be completely liquefied). Add it to a mixing bowl along with the honey, aloe vera gel, coconut oil, jojoba oil and vegetable glycerine. Use a hand mixer or stand mixer to whip the ingredients for several minutes. Continue mixing until it expands, and gets puffy. You will see the ingredients incorporate, liquefy, and then puff-up into a creamy, light texture. Last, add your drops of essential oil, while continuing to mix with your hand or stand mixer to keep the texture light. That’s it – your end product is finished. All that’s left is to pour it into your container for storage.
To use, just take a dime-sized amount out of the jar and massage into hair. If you have thicker hair or desire a stronger hold, you can use more.
This cream should give you some moisturizing properties to protect hair and give it a nice shine. It will give you a little mold-ability and pliability to position hair, but will not offer a strong hold like a hairspray. I would say that it gives hair a natural look with a little bit of style.
For our family it’s perfect! I hope you enjoy it as well.
