natural hair butter

Hey Maicurlies,

Today I have yet another DIY to share! 😀

DIY Hair Setting Lotion

This baby is my DIY Hair Setting Lotion and before I begin I want to point out that while I consider this a “lotion” the name comes from the fact that it has a lotion-ish consistency. It does not contain the main ingredients included in most normal hair lotions/creams you can buy from the store. What this recipe does contain is Flax Seed Gel (FSG) and Whipped Butter, along with a little natural honey. It is an all natural (no parabens, no chemicals, no alcohol) product that helps enhance your curls, provides you with light hold while at the same time provides moisture and seals in that moisture.

As I have always mentioned in all of my DIY recipes, you do not have to follow my recipe step by step (it is good to experiment for yourself) but just so you have an idea of what I do, I include my: DIY Protein Hibiscus Flax Seed Gel and my DIY Double Coffee Whipped butter. (I will provide you with ingredient alternatives below).

I have used this product in a number of different ways and loved the results of each for example to set a rake & shake (similar to a wash and go), perm rod curls, twist-outs. I like to apply this as a final product after I have moisturized my hair with a leave-in conditioner. I do not follow up with a butter/oil/gel since this basically has it all!

Ingredients/Tools Used:

Ingredients used

1.3 oz Double Coffee Whipped Butter (use any whipped butter you like)
3 oz Protein Hibiscus Flax Seed Gel (you can use regular FSG)
0.2 oz Raw/Natural Honey (optional – for additional moisture)
Emulsifier/Blender
Spatula
Bowl/Container
Clean & disinfected Squeeze bottle

Mixing Method:

Hair Setting Lotion

1. I put my (super fluffy and delicious smelling) double coffee whipped butter in a tall container and pour in the FSG. 2. Using an emulsifier (you can use a blender) I pulse the butter and gel together until it starts to combine, add the honey and continue to pulse till it starts to turn into a lotion-ish consistency (usually no more than 3 – 4 minutes). That is it! Simple 😀

Storage:

You MUST I repeat you MUST store this in the fridge. FSG has a short shelf life on its own and while the honey does help to extend the shelf life, you are combining butter together with a liquid; therefore in order to avoid bacteria from growing too quickly it has to be stored in the fridge. You also only want to make small amounts so that you can use it up quickly and then just remake some more. Again, this will reduce the chances of your product growing mold before it is used up (avoid wasting it).

Ingredient alternatives:

Instead of the Protein FSG I use you can of course use regular FSG. The whipped butter used is completely up to you, whipped Shea butter, mango butter, a combination of butters will work just as well. Honey is an optional ingredient that can either be skipped all together or replaced with glycerin or agave nectar. The addition of this helps to provide the mix with a little extra moisture and again helps to extend the shelf life of the product (just a little nothing major). You could also opt to try and use a store bought gel (however the consistency of the end product will probably be much thicker and more like a DIY hair custard which is great too)!

Benefits:

Provides light hold (none crunchy hold)
Helps enhance curl defintion
Proivdes moisture
Provides shine
Helps seal in moisture

This product has the ability to provide your hair with hold and curl definition while at the same time it provides moisture due to the Flax Seed Benefits such as the Omega fatty acids present in the seeds. Depending on your FSG recipe you might have extra moisturizing elements e.g. I use rose water, and plain water which is great for the hair and scalp. The addition of carrier oils in the gel also helps with providing the hair with sheen and the ability to seal in moisture. The same applies for the whipped butter which helps to soften the hair, smooth the hairs cuticles, provides shine and seals in moisture. If you added Essential oil in the process of your gel/butter making this again helps with the overall health of your hair and scalp. Overall this is one goody in a squeeze bottle!

Here is my “how to” video:

I would love to hear what you think if you try this recipe and if you attempt this with a store bought gel I really would love to hear how it turned out!

Thanks

Maicurls

Hello Maicurlies,

The DIY freak is back and this shall be my last whipped butter as part of this “series” for now.

Whipped Double Coffee Butter

Fret not (I can hear you screaming whaaaat), I shall have 2 more tutorials that will be released within the next 2 months that will be strength based thanks to an inspiration from a YouTube viewer (thank you)! I am just taking a break to actually have time to use up the whips I already have.

Anyways back to this whipped butter, I can honestly say that this Double Coffee Butter is my favorite (I have probably said this a few times but I truly love this) 😀

From all the mixes/recipes/concoctions I have made, this one has the highest concentration of coffee… coffee ~~is my friend~~ is my love. My curls seem to thrive on products that include coffee/caffeine so why would I not use use different types of coffee butter along with some coffee infused oil right?

I can go on and on about the benefits of coffee for the hair and skin and I of course already have, you can read all about it here where I introduce my DIY Coffee Bean Infused Butter and here my DIY Coffee Bean Infused Almond Oil

Ingredients/Tools: (makes 10.3 oz whipped butter)

5.5 oz Coffee Bean Infused Butter (Cocoa/Shea Combination)
3 oz Coffee Butter (I bought mine from SheaButter Cottage)
1.1 oz Coffee Bean Infused Almond Oil
0.5 oz Vanilla Bean Infused Almond Oil
0.15 oz Glycerin (optional)
3 capsules Vitamin E Oil (roughly 0.15 oz)
Heatproof Bowl
Whisk
Gloves
Airtight Container
Spatula
Piping Bag (optional) – a sandwich bag can do the trick or a spoon/spatula to transfer the whip to your container)

Note: I want to remind you that I live in the desert so normally during the summer I prefer my mix to be a little more firm therefore I use more butter than oil. If you live in colder climates and especially during autumn & winter I suggest that you add more oil that I do (see below).

Ratio Alternatives/Ingredient Alternatives:

In my opinion the infused coffee bean and the coffee butter are what makes this a double coffee butter however, should you not have any infused coffee bean butter (recipe) you can replace it with either Shea Butter or a Shea & Cocoa Butter combination (40% Cocoa 60% Shea butter). For a less firm whip particularly in autumn/winter I would suggest using 2 oz – 3 oz carrier oils. Technically you can use any carrier oil you prefer, they do not have to be coffee bean or vanilla bean infused oils however again, to make this a coffee focused butter I would suggest using more coffee bean infused oil (recipe) such as 70% coffee oil 30% vanilla bean oil. Other oil alternatives could be: Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, Pure Almond Oil, Grapeseed Oil, Avocado Oil, Extra Virgin Olive Oil etc. Glycerin is an optional ingredient that does not need to be added especially if your hair does not like it. It can either be omitted or even replaced with raw honey.

Method:

Butters and Oils mixed together after 10 minutes in the freezer

Whipped till fluffy!

Once the coffee bean infused butter has been double broiled I add the coffee butter. The warmth from the melted butter will help melt down the coffee butter without the need of additional broiling. I then add 0.8 oz of the Coffee Bean Infused Almond Oil and 0.5 oz Vanilla Bean Infused Almond Oil and stir.

I then place it in my freezer for 10 – 15 minutes till it begins to thicken. Once this happens, I scrape the mix together and then begin to whisk. I whisk for a good 3 – 5 minutes and then add the remaining 0.3 oz of Coffee Bean Infused Almond Oil, 0.15 oz Glycerin (optional) and 3 capsules Vitamin E Oil. I continue to whisk for at least 3 – 5 minutes.

Depending on the consistency you prefer you can stop here and transfer it to an airtight container but I prefer mine to have a fluffy texture so I place it in my fridge, this time for 10 minutes till it becomes a little hard on the top. I then take it out and whisk for the last 5 – 7 minutes and I am happy with the texture. Using a spatula I scoop the whip into a piping bag (because I like being “extra”) and transfer to my container. (The piping bag really isn’t necessary but it makes the butter look extra pretty and is a nice touch if you are giving it away as a gift).

Uses:

It is not just the inclusion of coffee and coffee butter that makes this an excellent choice for your hair and skin care but also the inclusion of cocoa butter, Shea butter, almond oil, vitamin E oil and glycerin (read about the benefits of these ingredients for the Hair and Skin). I like to use this butter on damp/slightly damp hair after I have moisturized to help seal in moisture for styles likes twists, twist outs, braid outs, Bantu knots, Straw Sets, Perm rod sets, Pin curls, Flexi rod sets… basically everything! Whenever I use Flax Seed Gel(FSG) which is full of nourishing benefits and is all natural, I actually like to seal in the FSG too by applying the butter as my last product. If however you are using a store bought commercial gel, you might find it more beneficial to apply the whip before you apply your gel. When it comes to the skin, I like to apply this after a shower to slightly damp skin to help seal in the moisture. It makes my skin super soft, smooth and lush looking and also helps with faint marks!

I of course had to record my tutorial as well: