Tuesday, August 30, 2011

DIY Conditioner

I think I might have figured out my DIY conditioner issue!  Looking at the ingredients of natural/organic skin and hair care products lines will teach you alot!!  They usually are expensive too, hence the reason behind this blog!!

Anyhoo, the ingredients from my recent hair gel post here are also great for making a hair conditioner!  As I have mentioned before, conditioner (deep and regular) are simply emulsifications ( water + emulsifier + oils/butters).  It is the combination of water and oils that make them so awesome and beneficial.  I have seen guar gum and xantum gum before, but just overlooked them, but I shouldn't have.  My main issue was figuring out a simple emulsifier and/or thickner that was natural and not a wax or synthetic, so here we go.....(click on each ingredient to get more info)

Simply put guar gum and xantum gum are natural conditioners and thickners for both skin and hair products and can be found at your local grocer and health food store (used in gluten free recipes).

This recipe is very similiar to the hair gel, but more guar gum and xanthan gum.

Ingredients:
  • 2/3 cup Distilled Water (room temp)
  • 1/8 tsp Xanthan gum
  • 1/8 tsp Guar Gum (use alone for vegan recipe)
  • 1 tsp  Carrier Oil ( you can adjust amount depending on hair type, i.e use more oil for dry hair)
Instructions:
  • Pour water into blender
  • Add Oil
  • Start blender
  • Add Guar gum and/or XG slowly
  • Allow time for hydration (15-30minutes). 
    • You can also use a stick blender!
Ways to personalize recipe:
  • Use different carrier oils/butters
  • Replace water with aloe vera juice, hydrosols, infusions or decoction
  • Add extracts
  • Add EO's
  • Add Protein ( egg, avocado, mayo, yogurt)  1x applications only 
As with any recipe that contains water, if you want to leave this product out or last longer than a few days, you will need to add a preservative.  If you do not want to use any preservative, you can refrigerate, which will extend it's shelf life a little. Check out my posts here about options for preserving your products.

Just make enough for a few days or one application depending on need and if you want to make larger amounts, make this recipe into a formula using percentages! See method here.  You will need to shake before each application!

I am very excited by the possiblities, ayurvedic conditioners, etc!!


The puprose of sharing this video is to provide a visual of the process, not suggest the product used!
Enjoy!!

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