I’ve slowly been easing my way back into mixing up some products for my hair and body. Here’s what I made today:

Triple Whip:
1T Cocoa Butter
1/2T Shea Butter
1/2T Mango Butter
1T Olive Oil
1T Extra Virgin Coconut Oil
1T Castor Oil
1T Vegetable Glycerine

Yields: a little more than 8oz

- Combine butters and oils, then melt on low via double boiler.

- Remove from heat and add glycerine.

- Whip with electric mixer for 2 minutes.

- Place blend in ice bath then set in freezer for 13 minutes.

- Remove chilled blend from freezer and whip for 5 minutes while in ice bath. Product should be white and fluffy. If you’d like to add any essential oils, add them now, then whip for another 2 minutes (optional).

-Pour product into container of choice.

*You may stop here if you like the consistency or continue as I did.

- Let product rest for 1 minute on ice bath then whip for another 6 minutes.

- Place product in container of choice then whip for another 3-5 minutes.

**Recipe modified from http://tinyurl.com/6mvdhlm

Thoughts: I absolutely LOVE the consistency. It’s so fluffy and light. It also melts to the touch. I’ll keep an eye out on this product because I have 2 concerns. 1) Will it keep its consistency over time?  I’ve seen my own and other YouTubers’ whipped butters re-harden after a few days. 2) Will it keep my skin moisturized? My ash has been something serious since moving back to NYC. Using shea butter and coconut oil on damp skin immediately after the shower yields brilliant results initially. A few hours later, however, I’m back to being ashy. As I’m writing this post it has been 6 hours since I showered and applied the Triple Whip. So far, the ash is still gone. I’d be happy with another 4 hours of coverage, but I think that might be pushing it. We’ll see…

 

Flaxseed & Marshmallow Root Gel:
2 Cups Water
1t Marshmallow Root
1/4 Cup Whole Flax Seeds (raw NOT roasted/toasted)

Yields about 10 – 12 oz

Bring water to a boil. Pour over marshmallow root as you would for tea. Cover container and let steep for 6 hours or overnight.

Pour water into a pot then add flax seeds. Bring to a gentle boil on stovetop (about 5-7 minutes).

Strain liquid into container of choice. Product will thicken while resting.

*Recipe modified from @Naptural85.

Thoughts: I’ve made this gel once before. The process I previously used involved straining the ridiculously thick gel through an old stocking. What a mess! This time I didn’t let the mixture get too thick while boiling and only strained the liquid through a mesh strainer. This meant that I didn’t get every last drop of gel out, but my cleanup was a cinch. I think that’s an even trade-off.  Also, I added Vitamin E and (2 drops of) lemongrass essential oils to the gel last time – the scent was too strong. This time I chose to leave the gel unscented. Actually, the marshmallow root gave it a pleasant, mildly herbal scent. I wear perfume oils daily and I think leaving my hair and body products unscented is a better choice. Finally, I used the last batch of gel on loose hair and wasn’t really impressed. Sure, it slicked back my hair for a smooth ponytail, but couldn’t water do that just as easily? It didn’t flake in my hair, but it did flake when it touched my skin (nape of neck, ears – basically anywhere that it spilled & I missed cleaning it up). I’ll use this batch of gel on some small to medium two-strand twists tomorrow to see what it can do. I don’t expect it to give me any serious hold, but I do expect it to keep my twists a bit more frizz free than usual.

 

Lavender Rose Tea:
1 Cup Water
1t Lavender
1/2 t pink rose buds

Boil water and add to herbs as making tea. Let steep for 30 minutes. Strain into container of choice for a refreshing spritz or hair rinse. Refrigerate when not in use.

Thoughts: I debated adding glycerine to this mix, but I’m still not sure if I will. I’ll use this tea as a body and hair spritz while I’m on vacation. It’s just scented water for all I care, so I’m not expecting it to do anything besides add moisture like water does.

Do you make your own hair or body products? Have any good recipes or suggestions to share? I’d love to hear about it.