I have been addicted to hot oil hair treatments since I was about 12 years old. I used to warm the oil up, put it on my hair, and then rinse it out with apple cider vinegar/baking soda. I’m not sure that the last part of my hair treatment was all that healthy but I swore by it.

Well, I’m a bit older now but still addicted to hair oil for a deep conditioning treatment. I normally toss together whatever the new oil de jour is with some jojoba and essential oils (Geranium and Lavender are my standbys).

Last night, I got inspired and made a more serious attempt at a conditioning hair oil.

First, I infused some sesame seed oil/unrefined hemp seed oil with herbs of calendula, and Fenugreek. Fenugreek is traditionally used in India by infusing the seeds into yogurt and using the mixture as a hair conditioner. I did a luke warm infusion and simmered the oil on low for an hour with the herbs. I strained the oil with a makeshift strainer – a coffee filter lining my pasta drainer.
You can see by the oil that it is very dark after the infusion. The unrefined hemp seed oil is a natural dark green brown color to start and the infusion darkened it.

The infusion was the time intensive part. The rest is easy. My recipe looks like this:

2 oz. Hemp and Seseme Infused oil

2 oz. Castor Oil

2 oz. Fractionated Coconut Oil

1 oz. Evening Primrose Oil

1 oz. Avocado Oil

1 oz. Soybean Oil

Essential Oil Blend: .25 oz. Carrot Seed Oil, .10 oz. Frankincense CO2 Extracted, .25 oz. Basil Essential Oil, .15 oz. Cedarwood EO, .15 oz. Rosemary EO

After I had all the oils assembled, it was a quick pour into the bottle and voila! A lovely, stimulating scalp and hair oil.

Directions for use: Massage into scalp and hair. Leave on for a minimum of 20 minutes. Wash and condition your hair like normal to rinse the hair oil out.

The post Hot Oil Hair Treatment – Recipe & Technique appeared first on Soap Queen.

If your hair is feeling dry, oil might be the answer. This is especially true if you use hot styling tools every day or color your hair. Hair oil can be used in a variety of ways depending on your hair texture and severity of dryness. This Hydrating Hair Oil was specifically formulated to be easy to make and to be used in a variety of ways depending on your preference. Fractionated coconut oil gives this oil an overall light texture, while argan oil adds amazing antioxidant properties along with a blend of fatty acids that are amazing for hair.

Need some extreme moisture? Gently heat the hair oil and apply to dry hair. Wrap your hair in a warm, dry towel and allow the oil to penetrate the oil for about 30 minutes. Wash out thoroughly; it will probably take two shampoos to fully remove the oil. You can also apply a small amount of oil to the ends of dry or wet hair to keep hair smooth throughout the day. This recipe is also suitable for beards, facial hair and can be used as a body oil. This project also includes free templates! Download them here.

What You’ll Need:
Three 2 oz. Brushed Aluminum Bottle with Pump Top
4 oz. Caprylic/Capric Triglycerides (Fractionated Coconut Oil)
2 oz. Argan Oil
0.2 oz. Cucumber Extract
0.2 oz. Lavender 40/42 Essential Oil
Optional: Hair Oil Label Template

Click here to add everything you need for this project to your Bramble Berry shopping cart!

ONE: In a small container, combine the fractionated coconut oil, argan oil, cucumber extract, and lavender 40/42 essential oil. Stir until everything is fully mixed together.

TWO: Slowly and carefully, pour the hair oil into the three brushed aluminum bottles. You can use a funnel if you like. Cap the bottles with the pump top and enjoy!

If you’d like to use the oil as a hot treatment, pump the oil into a heat-safe container and heat on 10-second bursts. You want the oil warm but not too hot, otherwise it can burn the scalp. Spread the warm oil over your hair. Put on a shower cap and then a warm towel, or just a towel if you like. Leave the oil on for 30 minutes up to 2 hours, then wash it out. This oil can also be used (very) sparingly on the ends of hair to keep them hydrated, or can be applied to skin to keep it soft and hydrated during any season.

Print

Hydrating Lavender Hair Oil Tutorial

This Hair Oil can be used in many ways, or as a body oil.

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Author Soap Queen

Ingredients

• Three 2 oz. Brushed Aluminum Bottle with Pump Top
• 4 oz. Caprylic/Capric Triglycerides Fractionated Coconut Oil
• 2 oz. Argan Oil
• 0.2 oz. Cucumber Extract
• 0.2 oz. Lavender 40/42 Essential Oil

Instructions

• In a small container, combine 4 oz. fractionated coconut oil, 2 oz. argan oil, .2 oz. cucumber extract, .2 oz. of lavender 40/42 essential oil. Stir until everything is fully mixed together.
• Slowly and carefully, pour the hair oil into the three brushed aluminum bottles. You can use a funnel if you like. Cap the bottles with the pump top and enjoy!

The post Hydrating Lavender Hair Oil Tutorial appeared first on Soap Queen.

LabColors can be used to dye light or blonde hair; learn how in this blog post!

In the LabColor Hair Color Tutorial, the Stephenson Organic Hair Conditioner Base diluted the LabColor slightly and made it easier to apply. If you prefer to create your own hair care products, the How to Make Shampoo and Conditioner video on Soap Queen TV shows you how. This video is an oldie but a goodie (made in 2010!), making it a great #ThrowbackThursday. The video first demonstrates how to customize a shampoo base, then how to create a conditioner from scratch.

The process of creating homemade conditioner is similar to making a lotion. Conditioner also includes many of the same ingredients as lotion, such as distilled water, oils, BTMS-50 and Optiphen. The How to Create Homemade Lotion Recipes post goes over the basic ingredients of emulsified products and how to use them.

If you like the idea of creating your own shampoo rather than using a base, the Argan Oil Shampoo is great for dry hair. The addition of carrot and nettle extract give the shampoo great hair-loving properties. If you prefer a different type of extract, feel free to customize the recipe to meet your particular hair needs. Learn more about extracts in this Sunday Night Spotlight.

You can also create solid shampoo bars with the cold process soaping technique. In the Sudsy Shampoo Bar recipe, citric acid is used to lower the pH and make the bars gentle for the hair. The Invigorating Shampoo Bars have zesty Tea Tree Essential Oil to make your hair smell amazing.

Top: Sudsy Shampoo Bar recipe, Bottom: Invigorating Shampoo Bars

If you don’t have the time to wash your hair, dry shampoo is a fantastic option. Simply shake the powder into your roots to absorb excess oils. Making your own dry shampoo is incredibly easy. Learn how in this Dry Shampoo Tutorial. The shampoo can be customized with fragrance and color. We used Relaxing Fragrance Oil, which is a luscious blend of lavender, pine and vanilla.

Dry shampoo is a great option for busy mornings when showering is not possible.

Love the idea of brightly colored hair, but need something a little less permanent? The Hair Chalk Recipe and Application Tutorial shows you how to create hair chalk that can be customized to any color you’d like. The hair chalk works great on both light and dark colored hair. This makes it a great option for brunettes who don’t want to bleach their hair to achieve rainbow locks.

Have you ever made shampoo, conditioner, or other hair products before? I love treating my hair to homemade hair care products. 

The post Hair Recipe Roundup + #ThrowbackThursday Video! appeared first on Soap Queen.

The idea of dyeing hair with LabColors came to me after watching a video on how to dye your hair with Kool-Aid. Since I had dyed my hair with Kool-Aid as a kid, I knew that concept worked. Both Kool-Aid and LabColors are made up of similar dye components, and I thought, “If you can use Kool-Aid to dye hair, why not use LabColors?” Then, it was time to experiment. In the photos shown above and below, I used Impatien Pink LabColor mixed with Stephenson Organic Hair Conditioner. Lightweight and full of hair loving ingredients, the conditioner is a great way to disperse the color and makes applying easy. As a bonus, you can save $10 off any Stephenson purchase of $20 or more with the coupon code: SAVETEN. But but don’t wait too long! Only the first 600 customers will get this deal. Browse through Stephenson products here.

Interested in giving your hair a little color with LabColors? The process is easy as can be. One word of caution: in our tests, we found the LabColor dye technique only works well on light colored hair. In addition, it works best on color treated hair. If your hair is brown, I recommend bleaching your hair first before applying the color. We found the LabColor does not leave much, if any, color on darker shades of hair.

All you need to dye your hair with LabColors is undiluted LabColor and a diluting agent! I highly recommend diluting the color in Stephenson Organic Hair Conditioner; we found this the easiest way to apply the color. That being said, the color can also be diluted in hot water. Scroll down to see our results from dispersing the LabColor in both conditioner and hot water.

In addition to your ingredients, I recommend picking up a few tools. A hair cape really came in handy to avoid the color from staining skin and clothing. You will also need a brush, some hair ties of clip to section your hair. Gloves are also a must…LabColors stain the skin quite easily!

What You’ll Need:
18-30 mL LabColor of your choice (undiluted)
1-3 oz. Stephenson Organic Conditioner Base
Optional: Gloves, comb, hair tie

Cape on and hair is sectioned…I’m ready to color my hair!

First, we did a little test to find out how the color is affected by diluting the LabColor in conditioner versus hot water. In one container, we added 18 mL of undiluted Impatient Pink LabColor into 3 oz. of the Stephenson Organic Conditioner Base (see photo below). Then, we added 18 mL of undiluted Impatient Pink LabColor into 3 oz. of boiling distilled water. My hair was sectioned off into two small test pieces. The conditioner mixture was applied to one piece of hair, and the other piece was submerged in the hot water mixture for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, we rinsed the hair in lukewarm water.

If you want, you can dilute the LabColor in water or conditioner in different ratios, depending on how strong you want the color to be. If you have slightly darker hair, I would recommend using more LabColor in the dilution method of your choice (water or conditioner). For example, you may want to use closer to 30 mL of LabColor in 3 oz. of water or conditioner to achieve a more pigmented dye.

Below are the dried pieces of colored hair. On the left is the hair dyed with the LabColor and conditioner mixture. On the right is the piece of hair dyed with hot water and LabColor. The difference between the two is very slight, but the hair dipped in hot water is slightly brighter and more vibrant.

On the right is hair colored with LabColor and hot water, and on the left is hair dyed with LabColor and Stephenson Organic Hair Conditioner Base.

While the hot water method results in slightly more vibrant color, it is a little bit more difficult to execute. The hair must be held in the water the entire time, and it’s harder to control how much hair comes in contact with the dye. Because the difference was so small, we chose to dye the rest of my hair with the conditioner method. The consistency of the conditioner made it really easy to paint on with a brush; we used one similar to this brush and it worked great!

A friend applied the color mixture to the bottom inches of my hair. If you feel extremely confident in coloring your hair yourself, go for it! But, because the color is a little messy and will stain clothes and other porous surfaces, I would recommend having a friend apply the color to avoid a mess. I left the color on my hair for 20 minutes, then rinsed the color out with lukewarm water. I did not shampoo out the color. Instead, I rinsed and rinsed until the water ran clear.

After rinsing out the color, I dried my hair with a blow dryer and styled it as usual. I’m so thrilled with how the color turned out! The color did fade quite a bit after the first wash, but was still a nice soft pink. After about two weeks, I was overdue for a trim and the pink tips got cut off. I loved the color for those two weeks though, I got so many nice compliments!

Once the office saw how well the LabColor worked on my hair, everybody wanted to try! Below, Emily used the Aqua LabColor mixed in Conditioner Base to give the tips of her hair a light green, mermaid shade. I love how the green shade looks on her natural curls!

Emily used Aqua LabColor to dye the tips of her hair. The green looks gorgeous!

Caitlin also got in the hair fun and used Brilliant Blue LabColor to dye the front section of her hair. Caitlin used the hot water method rather than dispersing the LabColor in conditioner. First, she boiled 1/2 cup of water and added 20 mL of undiluted Brilliant Blue LabColor. Then, she added 1 Tbs. of plain white vinegar and dunked her hair in the solution for about 20 minutes. Her thought was the vinegar would help the dye stick, much like when you use vinegar to dye Easter eggs. Her experiment worked, and the color ended up being nice and vibrant! The photo below was taken a full two weeks after Caitlin applied the dye, which for her is approximately 7 washes. The added vinegar seemed to help make the color longer lasting.

Now, here are a few trials that didn’t quite work. In our tests, we found that dark hair did not absorb the color. Also, lighter hair that has not been color treated did not absorb the color as well as bleached hair. Below, we mixed 30 mL Royal Purple LabColor in 3 oz. Stephenson Organic Conditioner Base, and applied the color to Cheyenne’s dark brown hair.

After 30 minutes, the color was washed out in lukewarm water. As you can see in the bottom right photo, the color did not stick. We also tried the hot water dilution method with no luck. If you have extremely dark hair, I would recommend highlighting your hair first in order to get the color to stick. If you do not, the color may not show up at all. I would hate for you to waste for LabColor!

Unfortunately, the LabColor dye method does not work on dark hair. The technique works with light, color treated hair. 

Rachel in customer service also tried dyeing her hair with LabColor and conditioner. She used 30 mL Countryside Blue LabColor in 1 ounce of Stephenson Organic Conditioner Base and applied the dye to the bottom of her hair for 30 minutes. Despite having lighter brown hair, the color did not take very well. Shoot!

After using the dye, I recommend washing your hair as little as possible to avoid the color from washing out. I found that after about 3-4 washes, the majority of my color has faded to a faint pink shade. Emily found that the majority of the green in her hair washed out after 1-2 washes, while Caitlin’s blue hair is still going strong! So the staying power of the color will depend on the person and the vinegar. My guess is the staying power will depend on your hair type, the shampoo and water temperature, and how long/concentrated the hair dye was.

Have you ever experimented with adding color to your hair before? I absolutely loved the pink for the few weeks I had it. It was such a fun way to try something different with hair, and I got so many nice compliments. I’m thinking about green for St. Patrick’s Day next year. =)

The post How to Dye Hair with LabColors appeared first on Soap Queen.

Summer sun can be tough on your hair, so that’s why we’re rounding up our Sizzling Summer Hair series. Featuring nourishing ingredients such as Argan Oil, Nettle Extract and Carrot Seed Essential Oil, this is a collection of tutorials that will keep your hair healthy year ’round.

The Sizzling Summer Hair collection includes four tutorials: Argan Oil Shampoo, Conditioner, Pink Sea Salt Beach Spray and Hot Oil Treatment.

You may notice that several ingredients were key in these tutorials. This is why we picked them for these recipes.

Argan Oil: Argan Oil was an anchoring ingredient in many of these projects. Because of its high antioxidant content and ease of absorption, it’s popular in hair products and lotions. You can learn more about Argan Oil here. Argan Oil was used in the Shampoo, Conditioner and Hot Oil Treatment.

Carrot Extract: Who knew the extract could be just as good for you as the vegetable itself? Carrot Extract is high in vitamins A and E, and it’s often used as a conditioning agent in hair products. It’s also great for skin care products at a 1 – 5% usage rate. Carrot Extract was used in the  Shampoo, Conditioner and Hot Oil Treatment.

Potassium Cocoate: This was the secret weapon in the Argan Oil Shampoo recipe. Potassium Cocoate is similar to a liquid soap made with 100% coconut oil. It has excellent cleansing properties, and works well in shampoos, scrubs and liquid soaps. Potassium Cocoate was used in the Argan Oil Shampoo.

Coconut Lemongrass Fragrance Oil: This tropical fragrance is reminiscent of an exotic beach vacation. With notes of lemongrass and sweet coconut, it’s a refreshing twist on traditionally sugary summer scents. Coconut Lemongrass was used in the Shampoo and Conditioner.

Aside from tutorials, we also introduced a fun hair style to finish off the beach look. Our social media maven Amanda demonstrates how to style your hair into this cute beachy twist using only bobby pins and a head band.

For another fun summer look, consider “painting” your hair with chalk. Hair chalking is popular because it’s an easy, low-commitment way to temporarily add pops of color to your hair. See our tutorial here.

Surf’s up! Welcome to summer, everyone =)

The post Sizzling Summer Hair Round Up appeared first on Soap Queen.

If going to the beach everyday this summer is not a possibility, you can easily recreate the texture of beach-hair with the Pink Sea Salt Beach Spray. Simply spray dry hair and “scrunch” to help define curls, and make your hair more manageable when creating up-dos. If you’re tired of the traditional pony-tail, included in this post is a simple hair tutorial that’s great for beating summer heat.

The warm weather has certainly inspired use of bright color palettes and fruity scents. The soap created for an upcoming Soap Queen TV short is a perfect example! On the other hand, our Facebook Photo of the Week  from Shana of Bathvs features a classic color combination of black and white, resulting in a soap that is perfect for all seasons.

Shana’s Obsidian Soap is scented with a blend of  Jasmine, Sandalwood, Vanilla, and Patchouli, making it a great soap for both men and women. If you love the striking contrast of black and white soap, the Black, White and Gold All Over Cold Process Tutorial is the perfect project to try. If you prefer melt and pour, the Licorice Candy Soap Tutorial features black and white stripes that really pop.

Shown above (top, clockwise) is a collection of Shana’s beautiful soaps, a Sweet Orange Shampoo Bar and Conditioner Bar, Avo-Bomb Avocado Bath Bombs, and the Cucumber Melon Soap Bar. Cucumber Melon is a classic summer scent and works perfectly in a wide variety of projects, such as this Cucumber Melon Deodorant Tutorial.  If you’re looking for a fun twist on cucumber scents, check out the sample of the month, Cucumber and Kiwi Fragrance Oil.

Thanks to Shana for being a part of our awesome community, and thanks to everyone else who shows us photos, asks questions and contributes to the lively Bramble Berry Facebook page community. We are continually inspired by your creativity and personal successes!

Find Bathvs
On Etsy
On Facebook

Post pictures of your crafty creations on the Facebook page each week for a chance to be featured on the Soap Queen blog and receive a sweet soapy package from Bramble Berry. Photos are chosen based on consensus from the Bramble Berry staff, so the best way to increase your chances of winning is to show us lots of photos!

The post Facebook Photo of the Week (June 21st ~ June 27th) appeared first on Soap Queen.

Check out the other tutorials in this series: Argan Oil Shampoo & Conditioner

What You’ll Need:

8 oz. Aloe Vera Liquid
1 oz. Pink Sea Salt, Extra Small
1 oz. Fine Grained Dead Sea Salt
2.5 mL Germaben
Droppers
Two 4 oz. Brushed Metal Bottles with Spray Top

Click here to add everything you need for this project to your Bramble Berry shopping cart!

ONE: In a large container, pour Aloe Vera Liquid. Place the container into the microwave and heat for approximately 1-2 minutes.

TWO: Carefully remove the hot liquid from the microwave and add both salts. Stir until salts have dissolved. If necessary, place the mixture back into the microwave and heat on 30 second bursts.

THREE: Strain mixture to remove any Pink Sea Salt that has not dissolved.

FOUR: Once the temperature is below 142 degrees, add Germaben and stir to combine. Once cooled to room temperature, pour mixture into spray bottles.

To use, spray liberally throughout hair and allow to dry. You could even try scrunching or twisting sections of hair for added curl. Always shake before using.

Easy Breezy Up-Do Hairstyle

What You Need:

Stretchy Headband
Pink Sea Salt Beach Spray
3- 5 Bobby Pins (optional)

ONE: Spritz the ends of hair with Beachy Salt Spray. This helps give your hair texture, making it easier to work with.

TWO: Place headband over hair, making sure your hair is smooth on top.

THREE: Section out a small amount of hair along the face. Tuck this piece of hair over the headband, and pull through the other side.

FOUR: Section out another piece of hair, including the hair you just pulled through the headband. Pull this section over and through the headband.

FIVE: Repeat this process until all hair is tucked over and through the headband.

SIX: If needed, go back and tuck in any hair that may have fallen out. You can also secure pieces with a bobby pin. Keep tucking until your hair feels secure!

Set with hairspray!

Big thanks to Amanda in our social media department for being our hair model. Be sure to say ‘Hi’ to her in the comments or on our Facebook page. She’s frequently there, answering questions and ooohing over all of your creations =) 

The post Sizzling Summer Hair: Pink Sea Salt Beach Spray + Hairstyle appeared first on Soap Queen.

This Argan Oil shampoo is particularly loving to your hair and scalp. Argan Oil has long been used as an additive to hair products because of its high content of Vitamin E and essential fatty acids. The addition of Nettle and Carrot Extract provide some extra strand-nourishing power.

Check out the other tutorials in this series: Argan Oil Conditioner and Pink Sea Salt Beach Spray

What You’ll Need:

4.8 oz. distilled water
2.1 oz. Potassium Cocoate
.6 oz. Liquid Crothix
.2 oz. Coconut Lemongrass Fragrance Oil
.1 oz. (3 mL) Carrot Extract
.1 oz. (3 mL) Nettle Extract
.2 oz. (6 mL) Argan Oil
.1 oz. (3 mL) Optiphen ND
2 Brushed Aluminum Bottles with Pump Top

Click here to add everything you need for this project to your Bramble Berry shopping cart!

Note: The crothix pastilles originally used in this recipe were discontinued. Now the recipe calls for all liquid crothix.

EQUIPMENT PREP: Disinfect your utensils by dipping them in a 5% bleach water solution and allowing to dry. This includes mixing containers, your stick blender, and any spoons or spatulas that may come in contact with your lotion. Your products must be absolutely 100% free of germs, bacteria, microbes or anything so be safe and bleach water all your utensils.

ONE: Measure the distilled water into a disinfected heatsafe container. Heat the water in the microwave on 1 minute bursts until it reaches 150 degrees F.

TWO: In a second disinfected container, combine and heat the Potassium Cocoate, Argan Oil and Liquid Crothix. Heat until the mixture reaches 150 degrees F.

Note: This photo shows Crothix pastilles, which have been discontinued. The recipe has been reformulated to accommodate this change. 

THREE: Add the water to the oils. Stir or stick blend for 15 – 20 seconds to combine.

FOUR: Once the temperature drops below 140 degrees F, add the Coconut Lemongrass Fragrance Oil, Optiphen ND and Carrot and Nettle Extracts. You can use a scale and measure in ounces, or use droppers to measure in milliliters (we found using droppers and measuring in milliliters was easier since the amounts are so small).  Stir to combine.

FIVE: Pour into bottles and leave uncovered overnight.

Your shampoo is ready to use!

Print

Argan Oil Shampoo Recipe

This Argan Oil Shampoo is perfect for dry or damaged hair.

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 2 bottles

Author Soap Queen

Ingredients

• 4.8 oz. distilled water
• 2.1 oz. Potassium Cocoate
• .6 oz. Liquid Crothix
• .2 oz. Coconut Lemongrass Fragrance Oil
• .1 oz. 3 mL Carrot Extract
• .1 oz. 3 mL Nettle Extract
• .2 oz. 6 mL Argan Oil
• .1 oz. 3 mL Optiphen ND
• 2 Brushed Aluminum Bottles with Pump Top

Instructions

Note: The crothix pastilles originally used in this recipe were discontinued. Now the recipe calls for all liquid crothix.

• EQUIPMENT PREP: Disinfect your utensils by dipping them in a 5% bleach water solution and allowing to dry. This includes mixing containers, your stick blender, and any spoons or spatulas that may come in contact with your lotion. Your products must be absolutely 100% free of germs, bacteria, microbes or anything so be safe and bleach water all your utensils.
• Measure the distilled water into a disinfected heatsafe container. Heat the water in the microwave on 1 minute bursts until it reaches 150 degrees F.
• In a second disinfected container, combine and heat the Potassium Cocoate, Argan Oil, and Liquid Crothix. Heat until the mixture reaches 150 degrees F.
• Add the water to the oils. Stir or stick blend for 15 – 20 seconds to combine.
• Once the temperature drops below 140 degrees F, add the Coconut Lemongrass Fragrance Oil, Optiphen ND and Carrot and Nettle Extracts. You can use a scale and measure in ounces, or use droppers to measure in milliliters (we found using droppers and measuring in milliliters was easier since the amounts are so small). Stir to combine.
• Pour into bottles and leave uncovered overnight. Your shampoo is ready to use!

The post Argan Oil Shampoo Recipe appeared first on Soap Queen.

Making the Hair Chalk

Recipe:

2 Tablespoons Colorant (We found that oxides and Bramble Berry neon pigments worked best and micas didn’t really work at all; they just crumble apart.)

1/2 teaspoon Kaolin Clay

1 Tablespoon Witch Hazel

1/2 teaspoon Arrowroot Powder

1/2 teaspoon Water

Click here to add everything you need to your Bramble Berry shopping cart!

ONE: Mix dry colorant (in the pictures, I’m using Electric Bubblegum Pigment) and Kaolin Clay together in a bowl big enough to stick both hands in.

TWO: Create a slurry by placing the Arrowroot Powder and water in a separate small container and mixing well. Microwave the mixture for 5 seconds. If it’s not a little bit thick after 5 seconds, try another three second burst. You do not want it gummy, just slightly thickened and overheating will cause gumminess so proceed with caution (and the 3 second bursts) while heating.

THREE: Add the Witch Hazel to the dry powders, and hand mix together (while wearing gloves!). Once well mixed, add the Arrowroot Powder and Water slurry.  Really squish the mixture together. You don’t want it crumbly or wet, or to have bits of undispersed clay. It should have texture just like kid’s modeling clay. If it is too dry, spritz witch hazel one spritz at a time until correct consistency is reached.

FOUR: Roll mixture on a piece of parchment paper until you get the shape you like. Allow to air dry overnight.

Applying the Hair Chalk

Tools:

Gloves

Apron

Spray Bottle with water

Comb

Blow-Dryer, Hair Straightener and/or Curling Iron

Hairspray

COLORS USED: Electric Bubblegum Neon Pigment, Ultraviolet Blue Neon Pigment, Hydrated Chrome Green Pigment

PREP: Cover the shoulders of the person you’re applying the chalk to with an old towel or a thin sheet of plastic. Put on some gloves to protect your hands, and wear an apron to protect clothing. A plastic/waterproof apron would work best if you have one.

NOTE: For the tutorial, I pulled half of Rachel’s hair up so I could chalk just the hair underneath for an ombre or peekaboo effect. In the very last picture, check out Becky’s blonde hair with chalk on the outermost strands. Both styles worked great! Get creative with where the chalk is applied for some really unique effects. Use of the hair chalk can have as subtle or as obvious a result as you’d like.

ONE: Wet designated area of hair desired to be chalked using the spray bottle. Really saturate the hair with a good amount of water!

TWO: Apply the chalk to the wet hair by dragging it along the strands. Use your fingers to rub the chalk into the hair really well.

THREE: Once you’ve reached the desired amount of coverage, comb through the hair to evenly distribute the chalk.

FOUR: Heat-set the chalk using either a blow-dryer, curling iron, or straightener. A curling iron or straightener on wet hair may not be the best idea for those with damaged hair. You can also straighten or curl the hair after you blow-dry it. Take this opportunity to style the hair before the next step.

FIVE: Spray chalked hair with hair spray so that it doesn’t brush off onto clothing.

Thanks Rachel G. and Becky for being the hair chalk models extraordinaire!

Click here for a printable PDF of this tutorial.

Looking for more hair DIY recipes? Check out the fun tutorials below!  The Argan Oil Shampoo and Leave-In Conditioner (top left and right) leave your hair feeling silky and soft. Don’t forget about manly facial hair; the Sculpting Mustache Wax and Moisturizing Mahogany Beard Oil keep beards looking polished. 

The post Hair Chalk Recipe and Application Tutorial appeared first on Soap Queen.