Even the best head of hair sometimes needs a little extra love. This silk-infused leave-in conditioner uses Marshmallow Root to help de-tangle your hair, while Hibiscus and Oat Straw pump up softness and shine. Aloe Gel moisturizes and conditions, and adds a little bit of texture. We scented this recipe with our delicate Tunisian Neroli, but you can omit the Essential Oil and Polysorbate if you’d prefer to keep the recipe all-natural and unscented.
Hibiscus Silk Leave-In Conditioner
Makes about sixteeen ounces
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Hibiscus Powder
- 1 tablespoon Marshmallow Root Powder
- 8 ounces distilled water
- 12 ounces of Aloe Vera Gel 1:1
- 1 teaspoon Oat Straw Extract 10:1
- 1 tablespoon Silk Peptide Powder
- 1 teaspoon (5ml) Neroli Essential Oil
- 1 teaspoon (5ml) Polysorbate 20
- 1 teaspoon (5ml) Grapefruit Seed Extract
You can purchase the ingredients for this recipe online at www.FromNatureWithLove.com.
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Directions
- Combine the Hibiscus Powder and Marshmallow Root Powder in a heat-proof bowl or beaker. Mix in eight ounces of boiled water, and allow to steep for thirty minutes.
- Strain the infused water through several layers of cheesecloth to remove the powders. The solids can be discarded.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the Oat Straw Extract and Silk Powder with a few tablespoons of Aloe Vera Gel. Add enough Gel to create a smooth paste, then add the rest of the Gel slowly, stirring continuously as the ingredients are combined.
- In another small container, combine the Neroli, Polysorbate 20, and Grapefruit Seed Extract. Make sure that the ingredients are fully blended together.
- Combine the infused water with the Aloe Vera mixture and the Essential Oil mixture. Mix well to make sure that the ingredients are well dispersed throughout the mixture.
Usage & Packaging
- The bulk of this recipe should be stored in your refrigerator. A large glass bottle would be ideal. A small glass spray bottle can be kept in the bathroom for daily use. Try our 2 Ounce Cobalt with Sprayer.
- Spritz damp hair liberally with the conditioner before brushing.
Grapefruit extract is not a preservative
This has oils and aloe vera which do require one
Hi Margo,
Please see http://www.fromnaturewithlove.com/soap/product.asp?product_id=PRSVGSE60US413 for detailed information regarding our Grapefruit Seed Extract and its applications.
Hi-
What do you think of the idea of replacing part or all of the distilled water with floral water? The neroli oil is very pricey; I wonder if I omit that and use orange blossom water?
Would the product be safe for hair in bright sunlight?
Hi Suzanne, We love swapping out distilled water for our hydrosols, especially in leave-on formulations (though, hydrosols can replace the water phase of any formulation). As for photosensitivity, it is our understanding that Orange Blossom hydrosol has minimum to no phototoxicity. You may want to test a small strand or patch of hair to be sure.
If “Grapefruit Seed Extract” is a broad-spectrum preservative, why does this need to be stored in the fridge?
Anyone???
Hello Tasha, These kinds of recipes are meant to serve as inspiration and a starting point for professional formulators and artisans, so the recipe would need to be challenge-tested and most likely altered in order to achieve true shelf stability. Since we have not tested this formula for stability we can’t recommend storing it at room temperature. While the grapefruit seed extract will certainly aid in preserving the conditioner it may not be enough on its own. For true stability it may require additional ingredients and/or a slightly different ratio.
Well, I made this recipe today. This is my first time making anything like this. The conditioner does not look like the cream-colored substance in the photo. Is that correct? Mine is dark berry colored.. from the hibiscus. It does not stain though.
Second, the infused hibiscus/marshmallow water becomes sort of gel-like. It took a long time to get through the filter/cheesecloth.
It smells good.
But.. it won’t go through a spray nozzle. I have ruined 2 nozzles. I tested them first with just water; they were not defective. I don’t know what is in the mixture that did that. I want to try the stuff. but now I don’t know how to do that, or to fix it so it will go through the sprayer? It does not seem very viscous. I could try filtering again, or diluting with something? Water, or aloe?; I don’t really understand the mechanics of a spray nozzle to figure out how to correct this.
Any comments or suggestions?
Thanks,
Suzanne.
Hello Suzanne, We will be happy to try and help troubleshoot this recipe for you. It is possible that the color of your finished product will vary, as the color of our natural products will vary. With regards to the gelatinous state of the Hibiscus Petal Powder and the Marshmallow Root Powder, that may be due to some of the components of Marshmallow Root Powder, such as pectin and starch. Please be sure to use boiling water for steeping, and try adding more to see if that helps. Unfortunately, we do not carry this product any more and are unable to test this on your behalf. Also, please confirm if you are using ingredients purchased through From Nature With Love, as this may also play a role in the final product.