Remember how I told you I was making my own hair gel? Well, it was going pretty good for several weeks, and then my hair suddenly got really dry. I’m not sure why, and I kept meaning to condition it, but every time I got in the shower I forgot to get the conditioner from the hall closet. (Since it’s not something I normally do, I only have a few sample bottles that I keep in the hall closet. I can’t stand shower clutter!)
So, I was really not liking the dry hair with the homemade hair gel, but I’d also made a batch of hair gel re-using the flaxseeds for the third time and that didn’t turn out quite so jelly as I’d like, so I thought maybe it would be better if I just made it the original way.
This morning I made a batch and let it boil way too long, so it was super thick. Think pomade. Then, I had a brilliant idea to do it again right away, keeping the flaxseeds in the cheesecloth. (I’m not even going to try to explain what I was thinking and how I did it!)
So that seemed to be going OK and then for the first time ever, I poured the (hot) hair gel straight into the bottle instead of into a bowl first. I then turned my attention to the oatmeal that was cooking, and heard a clunk from the direction of the hair gel bottle. And when I turned, this is what I saw:
Guess what? If you pour hot liquid into a plastic bottle, it melts! The gel was all over the counter and cabinets and in that moment I declared hair gel bankruptcy.
I’m not saying I’ll never try it again, but I’m going back to clipping coupons for Garnier and Aussie products and I’m not going to feel guilty. I was so excited to be making my own for so cheap, but after all the things that have gone wrong with it lately, I’m ready to get back to the real stuff. And I figured I should let you all know, lest you think that you should personally be aspiring to keep up with my homemade hair gel attainments.
Have you had any flops lately? Anyone else have issues with doing something successfully several times and then it flopping? (For me, it was yogurt and now, hair gel.)
$1.99 for Pantry Essentials (gallon) at Safeway
I actually kind of rolled my eyes a bit at the homemade hair gel bit…please don’t hate me. Anything that can be had at the drugstore can be had for free or less than a dollar, pretty much, so it’s not worth me washing a pot over.
True story. I hate. washing. dishes.
Of course, you have this epiphany AFTER the epic sale of aussie products last month! You have my sympathies. I think that the L’oreal gel is $2 a bottle this week at wags if that helps….
PS shampoo itself is very drying. You can actually “wash” your hair with conditioner a lot.
You and my mother! Yes, that’s true if I wanted to take five kids into Walgreens every week. :) I don’t!
I don’t wash my hair with shampoo but once or twice per year.
If you don’t wash your hair but once or twice a year, how do you clean it? I have read that you can use conditioner as you would shampoo and never have to actually use shampoo. I’ve never tried it, but now I am curious because shampoo seems to really dry my hair out.
It depends on your hair and what you put in it, I guess – but I just rinse it in the shower every night. If my head starts to get itchy, I use shampoo. I used to use shampoo about once every 3-6 months, but now it’s only once or twice a year.
When I *do* use shampoo, my hair is a lot drier the next day. I hate using it! For me, it seems that rinsing it every night (I use gel/mousse/hairspray) is just fine and I’ve never had any issues with it feeling “dirty”. I like the natural oils that are in my hair and it seems that shampooing it seems to strip them out.
I haven’t used conditioner in years, either, but I’m considering trying it since my hair is so dry right now. (Could be hormonal changes since I am nursing.)
Oh, my hair was crazy when I was nursing! I don’t take my kids into wags with me, they stay home with the hubs, or my oldest. It’s kind of “me-zen” time. The oldest likes to go with me, she’s 13, and she does my transactions while I shop for the next one. I have a thing about not doing multiple transactions at the same time at a register.
I use shampoo on my hair once a week. I have a naturally oily scalp and skin, so I have to clean-clean it once a week. I’m having major skin problems up here, though, maybe someone around here can help me out? My skin is really, really oily, which I’ve learned to deal with and even love, because it’s keeping some of the signs of aging at bay, but out here, I get a dry layer on top of the oily layer which leads to a lot of clogged pores and a lot of flakes, despite my scrubbing them off twice a day. I feel like my skin is completely schizo up here. Any suggestions?
Try the recipe from “One Good Thing by Jillee” (http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/2012/09/beauty-uses-of-gelatin-powder.html) it is *this* easy:
Hair Gel
Dissolve half a teaspoon of gelatin in 1 cup warm water. Add more gelatin as needed to reach the desired consistency. Fragrance with a few drops of your favorite essential oil (optional), and your hair gel is ready for use. Store hair gel in the refrigerator between uses.
Oh, Joanne, you tempt me so! Maybe in a few weeks. ;) The other thing I forgot to mention is that the stuff made grew mold after about a week and a half. Not a big deal to make a smaller batch – or a larger one and keep part in the frig – but since my refrigerator is on a different floor than my bathroom I’d like to figure out a way to make wont that isn’t supposed to be kept cold. Wishful thinking, I know!
Moldy hair gel would be perfect for Halloween! You just gotta look for the silver lining here, Carrie! hahaha!! :)
Haha!
If you have problems with dryness switch to sulfate ,paraban and silicone free shampoo and don’t use gel use a curl cream. Loreal makes all these products and they’re pretty good. I think a lot of the problem with dryness is also the climate here in CO, when I go home to the South my hair is so nice and soft because of the humidity.
Ah, see, but I don’t use shampoo at all! So that’s not it. :/
Carrie– Nursing change my hair also. You might try mosturising with coconut oil for 30 mins then shampoo. It is suppose to work wonders.
Heather– Clinique has a product called clarifing lotion. It will take the scum right off of your face. Dampen a cotton pad with water and squeeze out, dot pad with lotion, wipe your face and watch the gunk come off. You may have a couple of bumps as your face cleans up. Also, drink LOTS of water.
Ah, coconut oil is a good idea. Thanks! I conditioned it a couple of nights ago and that did seem to help. We’ll see!
Thanks, I’ll give it a shot! Next question- do you know when they have a gift with purchase around here? I do love the black honey lipstick, so if I’m going to spend some money at clinique, I’m going to get the most for my money!
I am trying the homemade hair gel with gelatin for the first time today, and hope it works. I have very very VERY straight hair, lots of it, but because it’s so fine and straight it looks flat all the time. I had to stop using commercial hair products several years ago, as I developed a pretty bad allergy to the plastics and chemicals in them. Have spent the past 4 years watching not only my thinning hair grown back, but also my eyelashes and brows. Yes, the allergy was that bad and took me over 20 years to figure out it was styling products. So, giving this a try, hope it allows me to add some body and maybe hold a curl, Thanks!