Ok, ok, ok, I get it. 

You've been trying to tell me something for a while now and I finally understand. 

Yeah... masks, treatments, and scrubs are great, but you want a product that gives your hair definition, shine, and moisture all in one. 

You want styling products. 

That said, I present to you this month's mix, a Curl Styling Jelly. 

I'll pause for your chair dance and extreme excitement to settle in. 

Before I dive into the ingredients, I wanted to let you know that this is an intermediate level recipe. 

You'll have to cook the ingredients and there are 3 phases in this process. 

The gel phase, the water phase, and the oil phase. 

Recreating a Jelly without a ton of synthetics is hard.  

But my experienced CurlMixers should have no problems at all.

And don't worry if you're new to CurlMix because we break it all the way down just for you.

 

If you read the labels on any of your "Jelly", "Pudding", or "Edge Control" products, some are natural, but most of them are synthetic and some even harmful. 

Some of them even have Mineral Oil in them, which is like, Deadly Sin #1 of curly hair ingredients to watch out for.  

As a result, I had to find ingredients that would do the work of the synthetic ingredients but without the nasty effects.

 

Recipe Ingredients

Flax Seeds

Shea Butter

Avocado Oil & Fragrance

Guar Gum

Behentromonium

 

Flax Seeds

For hold, my go-to is Flax seed gel. It's the only gel I've used that's moisturizing and actually, holds my hair in place.

And trust me I've used a lot of products in the past, it works wonders.

Plus, it doesn't leave a crusty, white residue. 

The flax seed gel gives the product that "Jelly" effect. 

TIP: Use more water when boiling the gel if you want more "jelly" effect and less cream in your styler. 

 

Shea Butter

I also wanted my hair to feel super soft and shiny, so I added Shea butter, but only a little. 

Shea butter coats the hair making it feel soft and ensuring the gel doesn't make your hair crunchy. 

 

For added moisture, I almost added Glycerin, but I remembered the properties of Glycerin...it's a humectant. 

Ideally, you don't want a humectant in your product for styling.

It sucks moisture from the air into your hair.

This means in the heat, you'd be a frizz ball because your hair wouldn't hold a style or have any definition.

So we used water instead.

 

To ensure this product works for everyone, I used a model who had a finer texture than me. 

I already have kinky hair, and everything gets tested on my hair FIRST. 

Once I knew it worked on my hair, I wanted to show you it would work on a fine, curly texture too. 

Check out the recipe video to see the results. 

 

I've learned from and worked with dozens of stylists when it comes to curly hair.

After speaking with many of them, I've found that lightweight/water-based products are best for ALL hair, even kinkier, coarse textures like mine. 

The pores on our hair are too small to absorb products that are very heavy.

So I make it a point to use less butter, more oil, and light ingredients that easily absorb into the hair. 

This way, we can ensure major hydration and health. 

 

So, back to the recipe. 

Avocado Oil

We've got Flax seed gel, Shea butter, and we added Avocado oil. 

It needed a light oil with lots of benefits. 

Avocado oil is a light-weight oil that is easily absorbed into the hair and is packed with vitamins A, B, D, and  E. 

It's great for moisturizing dry hair and adding shine to dull frizzy hair. 

 

Guar Gum

Next, I added a little Guar gum for the added slip effect and as a thickening agent.

I wanted it to feel good going on to the hair. 

 

At CurlMix our goal is to educate you while introducing you to new ingredients and DIY techniques, which is what makes our next ingredient so special.

It is a brand new ingredient that some people may have questions about.

I'll forewarn you, the name might sound a little scary but I can assure you it's safe. 

It is...

[dun dun dun]

 

Behentromonium Chloride (BHM)

Behentrimonium Chloride is a potent conditioner with anti-static and detangling properties.  

It is able to restore & rebuild damaged hair because it does not coat the hair, it penetrates & strengthens the hair shaft.

It is especially effective for softening coarse hair and has antimicrobial properties which give it a preservative effect.

It is a plant-based salt derived from Canola oil, that completely dissolves in water. 

So, why did we decide to use it for this product?

Let me spell it out for you:

1. Professional Composition

Without an emulsifier, this mixture will not blend properly.

The Avocado oil won't blend with the Flax seed gel or the Distilled water.

The Shea butter won't combine either.

You'll have to mix it up every time you wish to use your Curl Styling Jelly. 

Given the jelly texture, it is a pain in the butt to mix each time.

Many people want completely natural ingredients but don't like the separation of the ingredients.

 

2. Conditioning

BHM actually conditions the hair. It will leave your hair feeling moisturized and taken care of.

It's not just an emulsifier, it actually works to repair the hair. 

This is key.

Not only is this particular conditioning agent plant-based and especially effective at doing its job, it’s also Whole Foods Premium Body Care approved.

And, their standards, developed by a team of scientists over the course of years, are some of the strictest in the industry. 

We really did our homework for this one!

 

3. Antimicrobial Properties

Surprisingly, my product test batch has been sitting outside the fridge for weeks and I don't have any mold visibly present. 

This doesn't mean you don't need a preservative, you should always add a preservative when adding water to a product if you want to extend shelf life and safe use.

However, if you don't add one, the BHM helps to fight bacteria in your product. 

And just in case you were still on the fence about its' safety rating, the Environmental Working Group has rated BHM as a low-risk ingredient. 

It has a 3 out of 10 rating, meaning it is safe to use. 

TIP: Some people may be allergic or sensitive to this ingredient. Do a 30-minute patch test by mixing a little bit of the ingredient with water and rubbing it on your forearm.

See EWG rating here. 

The Environmental Working Group’s mission is to empower people to live healthier lives in a healthier environment. With breakthrough research and education, they drive consumer choice and civic action.

They are a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to protecting human health and the environment.  

If you ever want to check if an ingredient or product is safe, just search it there. 

You may be surprised by what you find, even in your favorite products...

Now,

If you're still like...

"Baby bye, I'm not using that".

 

That's the beauty of CurlMix, you could simply toss it out of your recipe and use the other ingredients and still have an awesome styler. 

It's something new that we are testing out. 

Leave a comment and let us know what you think of the recipe and the introduction of new ingredients below. 

If you like what we're doing, tell us. If not, tell us that too. 

We just want to introduce you to something new, so you can learn how to make your own hair products, and let you customize them. 

So if you are ready, you can get this month's subscription here:

DIY Curl Styling Jelly

Love,

Kim