Image   I think almost all naturals have a spray bottle, some even carry a mini one for their bags, and fill it with all sorts a nurturing goodies to be sprayed on their lovey locks at will. I am no exception, I have many of them, I’ve learned to love and appreciate this useful tool in my natural hair arsenal! I often get asked what I use in my spray bottle, so here it goes…

My Spray Bottle

Distilled Water –  Distilled water is pure with no additives or trace minerals, distilled water should be used as opposed to regular old tap water due to the high mineral content of hard water. This results in deposits on your hair. Buildup of calcium and magnesium on the hair shaft can cause hair to feel rough, dry and damaged; the opposite of what we want for our hair.

 

Aloe Juice–  Aloe vera juice, with its excellent moisturizing properties can serve as a natural conditioner to deeply moisturize the hair strands. So, if you are struggling with dry, damaged and unmanageably frizzy hair, then aloe vera juice is your friend!   The enzymes found in aloe vera gel and juice act as a hair growth stimulator. So, you can use aloe vera to promote hair growth. It can also help to control dandruff.

 

Agave Nectar for vegans or Honey for those who are not – I add a bit of agave nectar if I feel my hair is dryer than normal or especially frizzy, not only helps with dryness and frizz, but add shine.  I add this only if I feel I need it.

 

Lavender Essential Oil –  It is a good treatment for dandruff and itching, helpful in controlling hair breakage and improving hair growth.  Daily massage with lavender oil has proven to help significant re-growth (click link for recipe for lavender oil hair growth solution) https://hippiechicchick.wordpress.com/2012/07/24/lavender-oil-and-hair-growth/.  Oh and it smells fantastic!

 

Rosemary Essential Oil –  Rosemary oil stimulates the hair follicles, and healthy scalp means hair can grow longer and stronger.

 

Sweet Orange Oil – This essential oil has a wonderful light fragrance, and like lavender has calming and anti-stress qualities. It stimulates the scalp increasing micro-circulation, great for dehydrated scalp. Also acts as an antiseptic.

 

Jojoba Oil – According to the Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine, jojoba oil is an ideal cosmetic ingredient for products designed to moisturize and protect, due to its chemical composition and stable nature.  Jojoba is structurally similar to the sebum our skin produces naturally. The Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine explains that if your scalp is dry, jojoba oil acts as a substitute, moisturizing the hair follicle and preventing tangles and coarseness. If there is excess sebum, jojoba oil breaks down the buildup, cleaning hair, scalp and hair shaft. Jojoba oil dissolves residue buildup from hair products, as well as environmental pollutants.

 

How To Use

Give your bottle a good shake before each use ( as the oil and water will separate) and spritz hair daily or as needed to add moisture.  I use this same spray bottle mixture for twist outs along with my tried and true flax seed gel (click link for the recipe) https://hippiechicchick.wordpress.com/2012/07/23/flax-seed-oil-and-gel/ . Its is also great for those who use the LOC method.  This mixture is also great for caring for hair while in a protective style.  Contrary to popular belief (or wishful thinking) our hair still needs care while in a protective style.  My hair is currently in a braided style and I lightly spray hair twice daily with this mixture (a.m and p.m.)  When spraying in the evening before bed I apply very little of my oil mixture ( jojoba, lavender, orange, rosemary, tea tree) to scalp and braids.  I use a bottle with a long pointed tip so that oil can easily be applied to scalp and hair without over doing it.

This formula works really well for my hair, I hope it works just as well for yours!

xoxo hippiechicchick