Saturday, May 5, 2012

DIY Beeswax Hair Pomade

When I first met Andrew, he was using 'Got2Be' hair gel that created these scary, weapon-esque straight up spikes that you could barely touch. With a bit of help, he's now a pro at managing his beautiful hair using mostly Aveda stuff (to my chagrin and our pocket book).

A few weeks ago I had this random thought: "What if I could DIY some hair pomade using beeswax?" Almost too crunchy, I figured I'd give it a try for fun, with almost no expectations that a) it would work, or b) that Andrew would even like it...

I bought some beeswax at the market and attempted to google a recipe. I only found one with measurements and I decided it was too complicated really. So- I figured I'd wing it from other blog posts and reading I had done. 

I can barely believe it, but it actually works! And quite fabulously if I do say so myself. Although it sounds pretty darn crunchy to make your own hair pomade, it's cheap, easy to make and has three ingredients. So why not? Ladies- you could totally use this as well, if you'd like less 'waxy-ness' and just a  bit of a hold, just replace more of the beeswax for oil.
(The finished beeswax product in a small anchor glass container. It smells slightly like clove and coconut oil!)

DIY Beeswax Hair Pomade (makes about 1/4 cup ish).
(I apologize, but honestly I didn't write anything down, since I was sorta just going by feel. It's kinda how I role typically, but drives Andrew bonkers. It also demonstrates that you can totally adjust to what you feel would be best for what you want in the consistency).

Equipment:
Double boiler (or a fake-out double boiler using a pot with about 2 inches and a metal bowl. Just be aware that the beeswax is a little tricky-but not impossible- to clean out).
A shallow glass jar
A metal spoon
A digital scale (or... you could probably guesstimate in tablespoons)

Ingredients:
0.6 oz of beeswax (update: Andrew prefers a more waxy hold- we now use 1 ounce of beeswax)
4 teaspoons of unrefined coconut oil
clove essential oil to scenting preference (or another essential oil that makes you happy)

(UPDATE: Many of you are asking about how to change the consistency of the recipe- it's easy! Just add more coconut oil if you want it more malleable or more beeswax if you want it harder. I have remelted a batch and added more beeswax after Andrew tried it and gave me some feedback. Remelting wasn't difficult, if it's already in the glass jar it should pop out easily, but if it doesn't just use a hair dryer to melt the edges and pop it back into the double boiler. Don't be afraid to play around with the recipe until you get something that works for you!)

(the beeswax melting away in our fake out double boiler! With the help of hot water, dish detergent and a hard scrubby the wax was gone without too much effort)
  1. First, since I had a fake out double boiler, I boiled the water and placed the metal bowl on top.
  2. I had purchased an ounce of beeswax (hard cube) at the farmer's market for 50 cents. Using the digital scale I cut away at it until it weighed 0.6 ounces. If I had to guess, I'd say about 4 tablespoons of shredded beeswax.
  3. Place the beeswax in the double boiler to start melting.
  4. Add 4 teaspoons of coconut oil.
  5. Using a metal spoon mix together until completely melted.
  6. Take off heat and pour into glass container.
  7. QUICKLY add about 5 drops of essential oil (or try 3, sniff and add more to your scenting pleasure).
  8. Allow to cool to room temperature.

Done! And it only took about 20min from start to cooling!

To Use:
This recipe makes quite a hard consistency (which actually perfectly matches Andrew's current pomade or clay preference). So- using your fingernail (or spoon) scrape off about pea-sized amount and work into your fingers. 

(Andrew's hair at 8:20pm after a full day of wearing the beeswax pomade- perfect! And he notes that it demonstrates his need for a haircut lol)

Performance:
After a full day of having it in his hair, it looks fantastic and hasn't moved (without being stiff or weird looking). Even walking in the windy city that is Halifax hasn't had an effect. We don't expect that much difficulty with the shampooing, as most pomades have a wax as part of their recipe.

**Post shower update: Andrew had ZERO difficulties washing the pomade out of his hair- and is now a daily, under a 1$, delicious smelling, 3 ingredient beeswax pomade convert. Success!

No more chemical-filled, pricey pomade/clays for us!

article and photographs copyright of EcoYogini at ecoyogini.blogspot.com

51 comments:

  1. How cool! My husband uses Got2Be and Bed Head and something by Garnier Fructis. I don't have the time to make DIY hair products and he certainly doesn't have the motivation. But I will file this away on my aspire to-do list for when I emerge from the new mom fog.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This is DI4Y (Do It 4 You). It can be custom made to suit, shiny, matte etc.
      http://ommade-organic-skin-care-natural-products.myshopify.com/products/styling-hair-wax

      Delete
  2. Okay this is just TOO COOL !!! My daughter is 16 and obsessed with hair care products. I am going to try this - it would save so much money and much healthier for her.
    And hey, I might try it too!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thanks for the recipe!!! I will definitely be making this ASAP! :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. YESSSSSSSSSS!!! This is an absolutely fantabulously awesome recipe. Bonus points for being able to use the beeswax from our own bees. Now, if only I could grow coconuts on my balcony...

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thanks everyone! I hope you all have an easy time making it- let me know if you have any changes or suggestions that you make :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. That's so cool. I wish my 20 yo son would go for something like that but he won't. My 22 yo son is a Got2Be user as well but he no longer lives in my house and yeah, he wouldn't go for a DIY product either.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Quick question. I'm looking at giving this a go but alas the hair in my family is fine and tends to get oily easily. Did you find that the oils in the pomade translated to an oily hair look? Thanks :)
    I'm hoping to make a ginger scented pomade for my ginger haired brother :-p

    ReplyDelete
  8. @Anonymous: Andrew doesn't have thin hair, but it gets oily- he's actually only starting to run out of this batch NOW, more than six months later :) You could always decrease the oil content, but as long as he doesn't put too much it should be fine. It's much more waxy than say a "clay" though.
    the good thing about this pomade is that if your brother doesn't like it, it wasn't that expensive to make :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. Hi! I was wondering if it would be alright to mention this post about your pomade on my blog - I'd like to give you credit for making the original. Please let me know- I would have emailed, but couldn't find an address- feel free to skip posting this comment, if you wish- I'm not asking in order to advertise my own blog, just to respectfully ask your permission. Thanks!
    - Heather R.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey! Yes of course :D I'm gonna skip over there and see how it went for you!

      Delete
  10. I just made my own beeswax/EO oil hair pomade! I used this stuff for the oil:

    http://www.amazon.com/Essential-Conditioning-Serum-Wild-Coconut/dp/B003FLTQ0G

    It's just a blend of a bunch of oils, with nothing else (no alcohol or any chemicals).

    Sure, I could have just used coconut and olive oil, and I might do that for the next batch, but I had the EO already, and wanted something thicker. It's AWESOME! I've been meaning to do this forever, as commercial hair pastes make my forehead break out if I sweat. And why not, for a LITTLE amount compared to $10-$20 per tin.

    I used about 1oz of the oil, and a half ounce of beeswax. About $2.50, on just a tiny test batch. Of course, being able to blend it to your desired thickness is just a bonus.

    This took all of 15 minutes, including trial and error. So stoked!

    ReplyDelete
  11. oh, and another question:

    is this good for straightening out wavy hair?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hm, I would have to say if you put in less beeswax (just a smidgeon of beeswax) it might be good for straightening hair, but the risk is that your hair would be pretty heavy and oily. Perhaps consider replacing the coconut oil with a lighter oil, like almond oil, or even grapeseed oil (or argan oil would be really great).
      That said, straight up oils may make your hair oily.... :S

      Delete
  12. is coconut oil necessary in step 4?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. for the pomade to work and not to TOO stiff, you should put some sort of oil. coconut oil is pretty cheap and solid at room temperature (whereas many other oils aren't).
      You could put less coconut oil and more beeswax and you'll get a stiffer pommade.

      Delete
  13. I tried the recipe with 3 3/4 T shredded beeswax - but THAT wasn't it. It was completely hard. So I modified it slightly to this :

    3T + 2tsp shredded beeswax (smooshed into tablespoon)
    3T + 1tsp unrefined coconut oil
    1T shea butter
    6 drops champaca essential oil
    9 drops lemon essential oil
    (makes it smell like lemon cake when combined with the coconut oil)

    With the same basic instructions. It's still very solid with this recipe but rubbing it puts some on my fingers. More like a styling or finishing wax than a pomade. And it's perfect! I have very short hair and it holds well enough to keep everything in place without looking like I've used anything. Including holding tiny little curls without letting them frizz.

    Thank you so much for posting this!

    ReplyDelete
  14. I love using the FX Surf Head hair paste which uses sea salt to add texture as well as a teensy bit of hold to my short but rather dense hair. Any suggestions for recipe modifications that could incorporate the sea salt idea?

    Making my own would be very worth it!!!

    Thanks! Nancy G.

    ReplyDelete
  15. You are awesome!
    I'm gonna do this.
    I've had beeswax for ages, and always thought it would be great for my hair if I could thin it, and tonight I thought, "why not try and thin it? How to do so...."
    Nows I knows.
    Thanks a lot, fine lady!

    ReplyDelete
  16. I just made this & my hubby will be trying it out tomorrow! It looks great. I will definitely update once he tries it :)
    It began to solidify almost immediately so you have to be quick to transfer to your glass jar! it definitely has a hard texture to it, so next time I might alter the recipe to add more coconut oil!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Where do you all buy your beeswax and oils?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I get my beeswax at the Halifax Seaport Market from the Nova Scotia Honey guy and my oils from Planet organic, petes or superstore or sobeys :)

      Delete
  18. I love it! I will definitely try this. I wonder if you could use Ghee haha

    ReplyDelete
  19. Hi,

    I tried the procedure explained in your blog and the result was awesome.

    Thanks for posting this tutorial.

    Cheers,
    Prabhath MP
    Bangalore, India

    ReplyDelete
  20. I made this using 1.2 tbsp beeswax pellets, and 4 tspn coconut oil & it came out amazing!
    The consistency is really hard, so it does take my husband a little longer to style his hair, but the results are totally worth it.
    We went to the beach and his hair was still spiked after hours in the water! & it washes out easily with shampoo!

    ReplyDelete
  21. My son has just had his ringlets chopped and is looking for styling products. I made this last night for him and it's great for.giving his hair a but of texture. Come and join Natural Mixtresses on Facebook. It would be great if you could share your recipe !

    ReplyDelete
  22. Can i skip this boiler step if i buy the white refined beewax?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. @Anon Nov 2nd 2013: The boiler step is to melt everything together- so nope: you need to melt all the ingredients together so that when it cools it hardens into one cohesive whole.

      Delete
  23. When you say "4 tsp of coco oil", would that be 4tsp of melted coconut oil? or solid? If solid, then is it a heaped teaspoon? or flat?
    Thanks

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. it would be 4 tea spoons of coconut oil, solid... and usually it's a flat teaspoon. That said- the measurements should be adjusted to what you prefer- you might prefer less or more depending on the consistency of the beeswax. If the first batch isn't quite what you want, re-melt it all in the double boiler and add wax (for a more solid consistency) or coconut oil (for a more soft consistency).

      Delete
    2. Thanks, much appreciated. I am looking for a wax that can provide quite a strong hold. I will test it out then.

      Delete
  24. Made this & tested it tonight....fabulous! Used sandalwood EO. Smells wonderful & much cheaper & healthier than store-bought waxes loaded with "stuffs".

    ReplyDelete
  25. hey hi
    nice recipe
    but i have silky hair that needs a good hold pomade
    do you think this would be the one?
    any alterations?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey! well it is pretty heavy, so it MAY be too heavy for your fine hair.... that said if you wanted a pomade with good hold, add more beeswax to this recipe (maybe a whole ounce) and give it a try! it won't cost you much if it doesn't work :)

      Delete
  26. Hi I love the idea of making pomade at home, just one question, can this be rinsed with water? I usually just rinse my hair thoroughly with water. I shampoo and condition every 2-3 days so I'm just wondering if I can keep that same routine if i used this daily? can the beeswax cause buildup?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. hmmm this is a good question. Andrew washes his hair every day w regular shampoo. Honestly, my thoughts are that you'd probably do better with a shampoo.... that said- you could always try it and see.

      Delete
  27. Started growing out my hair again & was looking for a natural product to spike it with, Thank goodness I came across your blog post! I used to be a Got2Be user too & this pomade is way better. No sticky mess, no flaking & it holds all day too! Heck I even put some on the beard and keeps it nice and neat. Couldn't be happier, Thank you for taking the time to share this with us!

    ReplyDelete
  28. Would you like to check out the homemade pomade i made,. it's a mixture of different hair products, such as wax and mineral oils
    http://randomcebu.blogspot.com/2014/03/homemade-pomade.html

    ReplyDelete
  29. Hello, thank you for the post! I had been using a product from a local barber shop that an employee was making, but he's no longer around and his product left with him. I know that it had beeswax and bentonite clay in it. Searching online I can only find recipes with either beeswax or clay, but never both. I'm really trying to recreate this same mixture and am looking for something more matte and less oily so any thoughts on a mixture to start with? I tried 3TB beeswax, 1TB clay, and 4 tsp coconut oil but it's still a little oily for me so not sure if I should just lower the oil or alter the beeswax and clay as well. Any thoughts? Thanks again!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I would say decrease the coconut oil and increase the beeswax-clay. You could do this by simply plunking the mixture back into the double boiler (if it's oily enough it should pop right out of the jar, or you could microwave it to spoon it out) and re melt it, adding more beeswax... :)
      Good luck!

      Delete
  30. Thanks so much, making a girl version with bergamot and rosewood and it will smell awesome for my teenager - and look up the psychological benefits of these EOs :)

    ReplyDelete
  31. Hi, I followed the recipe above and it worked well in my hair. Very good hold. My only complaint is the consistency is too hard. It's like candle wax. I had to really mash it in my hands to break it down and then remove bits out of my hair. Does anyone have any suggestions how to make it more pliable or creamier?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I have my pomade in an Altoids tin and I use an old button to scrape it out. The friction from the scraping warms it up just enough to make it easier to work with. Hope it helps.

      Delete
    2. Is there anything you can mix/do during the making process to make it creamier? I have the same problem and everytime I have to heat it with hairdryer first. Thanks

      Delete
    3. Hi Adi: Yes! Just add more coconut oil to the recipe- you can totally play around with the ratio until you get something you like. I have remelted a recipe and added more wax when Andrew wasn't happy with the consistency. It's easy to do.
      Also- Andrew scrapes the pomade with his fingernail and rubs it between his fingers to warm it up and make it more malleable. :)

      Delete
    4. Thanks Eco Yogini. I'll try it out :)

      Delete
  32. I would avoid coconut oil just because it can plug up your pipes over time.
    http://ptpa.com/2014/06/21/one-harmful-effect-using-coconut-oil/

    ReplyDelete
  33. Can I use shea butter instead of coconut oil?

    ReplyDelete
  34. I used 4 teaspoons but not flat (didn't read the comment further down)- should i add more wax, and how much?

    ReplyDelete
  35. Wow, I need to try this! Thank you...

    ReplyDelete

I love hearing from you! So I don't miss a comment, I like "pre-approving" them :)
I ask only that we stay respectful.
Also, please note that this is a personal blog and not a space for advertising your company. I reserve the right to delete "advertising" comments.

**NB: The ANONYMOUS option is the BEST way to comment if you don't have a blogger or established google/gmail account.
Merci!