My First "Homemade" Product

In the course of my research, I learned that WATER is the absolute best moisturizer for your hair. Thankfully, I no longer care if my hair gets wet because I'm growing out the chemicals. So the spray I made isn't exactly scientific. I took a 16oz spray bottle and filled it with water (it wasn't distilled, just regular Ohio tap water) then I added probably a little more than a tablespoon of Castor Oil and shook vigorously. I sprayed it on my hair last night and put my hair back in the bun, it was a little damp. Tied on a silk scarf to hold it down, and covered that with a satin bonnet.

When i woke up my hair was nice and shiny, and super soft. Even my edges which tend to dry out fast.

This morning I added some of the Lisa's Hair Elixr from Carol's daughter, probably about a tablespoon, and shook it again. Then I sprayed that on my hair this morning. The ingredients listed in the Hair Elixr are:

• Soybean Oil
• Sweet Almond Oil
• Olive fruit oil
• Peppermint Oil
• Sage Oil
• Rosemary Leaf Oil
• Fragrance

I decided to add this after reading this on Nappturality's forum. Here's what the different oils do according to the information in that thread:

Castor Oil : Ricinus communis
A very glossy oil on the skin. Used in lipsticks, lip balms and lip salves. Also used in transparent soaps and hair grooming products.

Soybean Oil : Glycine soja
This plant has been known and used by the Chinese for more than 4,000 years, though today most of the oil comes from the USA. This oil is a cost-effective base on which to prepare hair and body products where good honest moisturisation is required at a budget
price.

Sweet Almond Oil : Prunus amygdalus dulcis
Much loved for generations, listed in the British Pharmacopoeia and an excellent choice for even the most simple of moisturisers or massage oils. Almond oil should be in every formulator's palette.

Peppermint: Dry hair: Promotes hair growth

Olive (Olea Europaea )
Olive oil is an astringent and antiseptic. It is a nourishing demulcent and laxative. Externally, it relieves pruritis, the effects of stings or burns, and is a good vehicle for liniments. With alcohol it is a good hair-tonic. As a lubricant it is valuable in skin, muscular, joint, kidney and chest complaints, or abdominal chill, typhoid and scarlet fevers, plague and dropsies. Delicate babies absorb its nourishing properties well through the skin.

Rosemary (Rosmarinus Officinalis)
Rosemary oil is used for cleansing skin, treating hair fall, dandruff, mental fatigue, headaches and migraine. It is also known for strengthening memory and relieve lymphatic congestion. Rosemary oil is a tonic, astringent, diaphoretic, stimulant. It has the carminative properties of other volatile oils and is an excellent stomachic and nervine, curing many cases of headache. It is employed principally, externally, as spiritus Rosmarini , in hair-lotions, for its odour and effect in stimulating the hair-bulbs to renewed activity and preventing premature
baldness. An infusion of the dried plant (both leaves and flowers) combined with borax and used when cold, makes one of the best hairwashes known. It forms an effectual remedy for the prevention of scurf and dandruff. Rosemary is also one of the ingredients used in the preparation of Eau-de-Cologne.

I know I have dry scalp, and I do get dandruff easily at times, so I think this spray and the additional washing I'll be doing will do a great job at keeping that flaking to a minimum.

So far this spray is working great for my hair, for my scalp I usually just use Vitapointe, but I may try to find something else to use. I hear Jojoba Oil is great.