Thursday 8 November 2012

Homemade 'Hair Serum' for shiny and silky hair



Those two magical words - Serum and potions sounds bewitching like how we hear in the stories from fairy tales. We imagine ourselves applying these magical liquids on our skin and hair. Poof! We  transform into a beautiful Snow white with lovely skin and a Rapunzel with tower length hair or into a handsome prince! Ha Ha Ha.

This link is for those who wants to read Rapunzel story - http://www.eastoftheweb.com/short-stories/UBooks/Rapu.shtml)

What is a serum? 

In the world of skincare and hair care  a serum is a liquid formulation. A serum is a targeted treatment that is applied topically to the area to be treated. The recipe I am sharing with you is a simple homemade hair serum.

What is Hair serum and what does it do?

Hair serum is a hair care solution which makes the hair shiner and does not allow them to entangle. It should be applied after a hair wash .The effect of the serum application remains till the next wash.  Hair serum forms a thin protective layer on the hair strands. Hair serum can be gel based or oil based and is usually stored in a spray bottle.

Other benefits of using a hair serum:

- It protects the hair from the damages done by over exposure to sun and hair styling products.  .
- It is primarily used for dry and frizzy hair, which breaks easily, or hairs that have under gone excessive chemical treatments like perming, coloring.
- The hair serum provides nourishment to the hair, which makes them strong, and they don't break away easily. It also conditions the hair, which makes them healthy, silky and shiny.

Please read on how to apply hair serum and how it works in the following link : 

http://www.womanjunction.com/topic/hair/hair-products/hair-serum/

Hair serum sold commercially may not be 100% natural as it contains alcohol and Silicone oil which is inorganic and it also damages the hair by making it more brittle and dry. On top of that, it is expensive.

My homemade hair serum is a oil based serum which contains the goodness of Aloe vera juice, Henna leaves infusion in pure coconut oil and Jojoba oil with added vitamin E. It has lavender essential oil for natural fragrance and to have a calming effect. This homemade serum is less sticky because of the lightness of coconut oil and Jojoba oil mixed with Aloe vera juice.

Recipe for Homemade Hair serum


Things you need:


* Aloe vera juice - 3 to 4 tablespoons
I extracted aloe vera juice from the aloe vera grown in my garden. Take a medium to large sized aloe vera. Wash it and pat it dry with a paper towel to remove the excess moisture outside. Squeeze the aloe vera gently to allow the juice flow outside into a cup. Make sure that you squeeze out the juice of the aloe vera and not the gel. If the gel comes out too, keep it aside for different use. Alternatively, You can buy aloe vera juice from the shop selling Natural and organic products.

* 100% pure coconut oil - One and a half tablespoons to two tablespoons
I used Parachute 100% pure coconut oil which is light and less sticky.



* Jojoba oil - 3 tablespoons

* Handful of fresh Henna leaves (optional)
I used henna leaves in this recipe as it is cooling to the scalp and gives a brown tint to the hair when applied regularly (If you prefer brown tints to your hair strands). It is optional to add henna leaves. To know benefits of Henna leaves, please see http://www.buzzle.com/articles/henna-for-hair-growth.html

* Vitamin E (Available in capsule form) or as a liquid - 4 to 5 drops
Vitamin E acts as a natural preservative and keeps your hair healthy.

* Lavender essential oil   - 3 to 4 drops (optional)

How to make it:


1. Extract the aloe vera juice from Aloe vera plant and keep it aside.



2. In a pan, heat the coconut oil on a very low flame and add henna leaves to it. Monitor it carefully. Very soon you will notice that leaves change colour to dark brown. This is because the essence of the leaves is absorbed in the oil. After 20 to 30 minutes you will note that the amber colored coconut oil turns into dark brown.




Henna leaves getting dark brown in the hot coconut oil


3. Strain the oil from the henna leaves in a separate cup using a metal strainer. Now you have Henna infused coconut oil. Keep it aside to cool down.


Henna infused coconut oil

4. In a glass cup, mix henna infused coconut oil with Jojoba oil and add aloe vera juice, Vitamin E and lavender essential oil. Stir it well with a clean and dry spoon.

Mixing everything in a glass cup


5. Store it in a spray bottle.

Things to note:

1. Shake the bottle well before you use the serum as aloe vera juice stays separated from the oil.
2. Use only dime size amount of the serum.
3. Adding liquid vitamin E and natural preservative like grape seed extract will extend the shelf life of this homemade serum and prevents spoilage.
4. If you don't have Jojoba oil use light oils such as grape seed oil or Almond oil.

This homemade hair serum is very effective and not expensive. I love using it after my hair wash. I am not a fan of applying oil on my hair but I like applying this hair serum as it is very light and refreshing because of the aloe vera juice and the Jojoba oil.



Bye for now. With love from pD - Nature's nurture.

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