What you need:
spray bottle
water
(rosewater/lavender) glycerine
leave-in conditioner
oils [olive, almond, jojoba, avocado, tea tree, black seed]
1. Wash out your spray bottle if it’s dirty, I have this large sized one I got from a hair shop.
2. Add some dollops of a semi-solid creamy leave-in conditioner. The one I choose to use is the Cantu Shea Butter for Natural Hair Leave-In Conditioning Cream. My sister had it, so I decided to buy it too, I’m not sure if it’s the best out there but it does retain some moisture in the hair. Conditioner is important since the main aim here is moisture.
3. What I added next is lavender glycerine. Glycerine is a moisturiser said to help repair hair thus preventing split ends and minimises frizz. Make sure to get a non-synthetic type so either vegetable or animal sourced. Also make sure to mix with other ingredients as I am doing since lone use can absorb all the moisture from your hair. If you live in a hot and humid or dry climate, use any heat when styling your hair, or have recently dyed hair, you can skip the glycerine part of this solution. I chose to try this lavender glycerine since lavender is calming to a sensitive scalp as well as anti-microbial to prevent dandruff and it smells good! I add a small amount to thoroughly mix in the conditioner so there are no lumps. This is very useful since glycerine is an emulsifier for oils. Previously I tried rosewater glycerine, but this time I decided to add a supplement of rose water.
4. And of course, another important component for moisture is… water! I haven’t added any measurements because everyone’s hair is different and when I make this solution it can alter sometimes. But one very important point I would make is to ensure that at least two thirds or more of your bottle is water based, since the aim here is to ensure the preservation of water in the hair. I used rose water as it is enriched with vitamins (A, B3, C, D), anti-inflammatory and antiseptic like lavender. It is also said to stimulate your scalp for hair growth, strengthen hair and reduce build-up. You can make some rose water yourself, preferably organic, or buy some like I did.
5. When added, give the bottle another shake!
6. Now is when I add the oils. First, is olive oil. The one from your kitchen is perfectly fine. Olive oil is a moisturising oil since many of its components are emollients. This is good for dry, thick, processed and/or damaged hair.
7. Next is almond oil, which is also an emollient including lots of protein, omega-9 fatty acids and vitamin E a natural antioxidant. Do not use if you have a nut allergy. Also do not use before heat styling without diluting. Almond oil strengthens, repairs and as a result could lead to hair growth and additionally treats scalp.
8. Jojoba oil is said to be very similar to the oil our scalp naturally secretes. It has many vitamins and minerals such as vitamin C, B vitamins, vitamin E, copper, and zinc. The main use is for moisturisation.
9. Avocado oil has vitamins A, D, and E, in addition to potassium and lecithin. Avocado oil is suitable for all levels of porosity of hair, it also strengthens since it can penetrate the hair shaft and encourages hair growth.
10. I also add a little bit of tea tree oil for its antiseptic properties.
11. Lastly, is black seed oil can help to reduce hair loss. I use the tiniest amount since I think you’re meant to wash it out.
As you can hopefully kind of see, only about a fifth of the bottle is the oil blend. You can opt out of attempting to mix all of these yourself and instead buy a premade mix if you choose to. I have been making this solution for about nine months now and I’m just used to adding the multitude of oils. Check out this travel size version that I take with me on overnight stays, short trips and holidays. Very handy when you don’t have your full arsenal of hair products available to you!
12. Finally, shake the bottle so all the oils, rose water, lavender glycerine and conditioner combine. Fill the rest of the bottle with water, shake again and now you have a daily refresh spray to manage your curls!
Now to demonstrate how I use the spray:
Initially I wet my hair until damp. Then I spread the water throughout my hair. After that comes the refresh spray which is distribute then massage through my scalp and hair to somewhat seal in the moisture from the water. This helps me to keep my hair more manageable before the next wash day comes around. When I am staying indoors or before bed I style my hair in two braids so that when my hair dries the moisture remains as well as stretched for when I take the canerows out.
For this water wave wig I also start with the same process of wetting the hair meticulously. You may seek aid from a towel to keep from getting yourself wet. I comb out the hair then add some more water near the ends of the hair. Now comes the refresh spray which I apply to the ends. As you can see the curls look rejuvenated and uniform. If you have less kinky hair or wavy hair you can change the solution to be more water based and add less oil to prevent build up.
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