Today I wanted to make a hair mask that would be for intense hydrating and hair repair. I am looking forward to making this recipe. I have used a few hair masks before and I love how soft and shiny my hair is after using one. My hair feels stronger and is dreamy to brush and style. I love how my hair glides through brush rather than threatening to tangle and snarl at every stroke. I want to duplicate a few of my favorite hair masks and have a recipe that I can make at home without a tedious procedure!
Well, that isn’t what I wanted!
My favorite hair masks are rich, creamy and somewhat paste-like in texture. My favorite one gives soft and somewhat liquidy when warmed up to body temperature. I apply the hair mask to wet hair and let it sit for 5 to 15 minutes. After 5 to 15 minutes, I rinse my hair and let it dry. I typically let my hair air dry naturally but even with a hair dryer, my hair stays silky soft, shiny and sleek. How is that not a win?!
This formulation uses Argan Oil which I love for hair care products. If you have never played with Argan Oil before, I recommend picking some up! This exotic luxury oil is a soft yellow color, delightful on the skin and so much fun to work with. While a lot of hair care products have Argan Oil in them, it always amazes me how little of this fabulous oil is actually used in formulations. Most hair products that are on the market often use less than 5% of Argan Oil. That isn’t a lot but tha tiny amount can make an amazing difference. I wanted to be on the higher end of that typical range to enjoy the benefits in the hair.
| Ingredients Meadowfoam Oil Conditioning Emulsifier Virgin Coconut Oil Argan Oil Dimethicone Cyclomethicone Coconut Milk Fragrance Oil |
Equipment Scale Microwave Safe Container Spoons Pipettes |
Recipe:
| Recipe in Grams 4 grams Meadowfoam Oil 4 grams Conditioning Emulsifier 8 grams Virgin Coconut Oil 8 grams Argan Oil 56 grams Dimethicone 120 grams Cyclomethicone 0.5 grams Coconut Milk Fragrance Oil |
Recipe in Ounces 0.14 oz Meadowfoam Oil 0.14 oz Conditioning Emulsifier 0.28 oz Virgin Coconut Oil 0.28 oz Argan Oil 1.98 oz Dimethicone 4.23 oz Cyclomethicone 0.02 oz Coconut Milk Fragrance Oil |
Recipe in Percentages 2% Meadowfoam Oil 2% Conditioning Emulsifier 4% Virgin Coconut Oil 4% Argan Oil 28% Dimethicone 60% Cyclomethicone 0.25% Coconut Milk Fragrance Oil |
 Weighing Ingredients |
 Weighing Ingredients |
Notes: In my mind, I had envisioned something rich, creamy and smooth in texture. I guess my head wasn’t fully in gear when I formulated this recipe! I liked this recipe a lot but it has some quirks to it that I really want to change and improve upon. First of all, the finished hair mask was a lot more fluid than what I originally wanted. Second of all, because my silicone oils has such high percentages, my Conditioning Emulsifier took some time to melt and when the mixture cooled, was staying flaky, rather than making a cohesive mixture. I am going back to the drawing board with a cup of coffee so tomorrow I can make exactly what I had envisioned!
Can’t wait to try this once you re evaluate your recipe. Last time I was at my hairdressers, she said my hair was really dry. Would love to use this a few times before my next visit, and have ask what have you used on your hair 🙂
I don’t have the conditioning emulsifier, only the wax and clear spray, can those substitute? Also, thought I had the meadowfoam oil, but can’t find it at the moment. What would be your second or third choice oil?
Thanks,
Terry
I would use the regular emulsifying wax if you don’t have the conditioning emulsifier. I would choose any luxury oil. You can do things like Sweet Almond, Argan, Cherry Oil, Evening Primrose, etc. Anything you have on hand that is liquid at room temperature should work just fine!
I did use the emulsifying wax and substituted the meadowfoam oil with honeyquat oil. I thought about horsetail grass, which I have, but I will keep in mind the ones you mentioned too. The mask came out great! The first time, I washed my hair, applied the mask and rinsed. The next time, I applied the mask to my dry hair, then lightly washed and rinsed. While styling and drying my hair, a little of the product coated my hands, and they felt fabulous! I also used it on my Sheepdog’s mats, since they have hair too, and they came out easily. So I have found a product that has multiple uses 🙂
Thank you,
Terry
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