If you’re trying to make the switch to natural hair care products (like I am), you’ll love what I have for you today! All natural, DIY hair pomade… made two ways to fit your needs!
This DIY hair pomade is one of the best (in my opinion), and it holds hair in place even for the rowdiest of boys… unless of course they’re smashing their heads into things. Then, they’ll have a nice spiked, messy look going on. But, hey… a mom can only do so much sometimes. 😉
Making The Switch To Natural Hair Care
Believe it or not, my family and I do not live a 100% natural lifestyle, free of toxins. We’re still, slowly, making the transition. One thing at a time, just like you probably are.
My goal with Growing Up Herbal is to share my life and this process with you while encouraging you to live life naturally (even if it’s one little thing at a time). I’m all about progress over perfection. Life is not perfect. I am not perfect. And striving for perfection will only lead to disappointment and defeat. That, my friend, is not how I want to live my life.
With that being said, one of the recent areas I’ve been trying to focus on cleaning up in my home is our hair care. My husband and my kids are definitely further along in the toxic-free hair care products than I am (maybe it’s easier for guys), but I’m getting there.
The guys all wash their hair with natural shampoos, but for the longest time, we’ve not really been able to find a styling gel or pomade that worked well for their hair… until now.
I was recently given the book The Beeswax Workshop by my friend Chris Dalzeil, who blogs over at Joybilee Farms, about the many, many ways you can use beeswax. After browsing through her book for a while, I came across a couple different recipes for hair pomade which peaked my curiosity.
DIY Hair Pomade
Now, I’ve tried a couple other DIY recipes for hair pomade, but I haven’t loved them. They either contained some form of liquid (which means they have a short shelf-life), they were sticky and greasy (gross), or they didn’t hold the hair style for long (and this is a must with my four rowdy boys). However, after making and trying the hair pomade in Chris’s book, I have been super pleased with the results, and today, I want to share the recipe with you.
Below, you’ll find the recipe for making a DIY hair pomade, and as you will see, there are two different versions of this DIY hair pomade… one for a medium hold and one for a firm hold. Just pick whichever one you think you’ll need and get busy making some.
DIY Hair Pomade
From The Beeswax Workshop by Chris Dalzeil
Yields 6-ounces
Ingredients for Medium Hold Pomade:
- 2 tablespoons beeswax
- 3 tablespoons kokum butter
- 2 tablespoons jojoba oil
- 1 tablespoon argan oil
- 40 drops essential oils of choice
Ingredients for Firm Hold Pomade:
- 3Â tablespoons beeswax
- 2Â tablespoons kokum butter
- 2 tablespoons jojoba oil
- 1 tablespoon argan oil
- 40 drops essential oils of choice
Directions:
- Melt beeswax, kokum butter, and oils together in a double boiler over low heat until fully melted. Remove from heat and stir well. Add in essential oils.
- As the mixture cools, use an immersion blender or small whisk to blend the mixture further. This will create a lighter, fluffier combination. Repeat this process as the mix cools.
- Spoon the mixture into a tin or glass jar of your choice. Allow to cool completely. Label and date.
To Use:
Scoop a pea-size amount into your hands and rub together to melt. Using your fingers, rub the pomade through the hair and style as desired.
Notes:
- In order for this pomade to turn out well, it’s important to use kokum butter and jojoba oil. These are harder and wax-like which yields a better (less sticky) product that other butters and oils will.
- Use age-appropriate essential oils of your choice.
I often purchase my carrier oils and essential oils through Plant Therapy and my butters at Mountain Rose Herbs.
So there you go. A new DIY hair pomade for you to make and try if you’re looking for one. So far, it’s working really well for us. Aren’t these guys super handsome? I know, I know… I am a little biased!
Want even more herbal ointment recipes? Check out my e-book, Herbal Ointments, Salves & Balms: The Ultimate How-To Guide! Not only will it tell you which of these ointments to use and why, but it will walk you through the steps of making them yourself! Plus, you’ll learn how to source quality ingredients, how to keep your creations shelf-stable, and how to add “advanced” ingredients into them. Oh… and you’ll get 5 exclusive recipes to help you get started making your own herbal ointments, salves, and balms right away! Learn more about it here!
Thanks for sharing my book with your readers, Meagan. Your guys look amazing. My sons never looked that clean all at the same time!
LOL! Well, I can totally relate. I snapped this one quickly before church!
Hello, Would the above be considered non water soluble or water soluble pomade? Thanks.
It would not be water soluble, Robert.
Hi there!
Would that ratio be really greasy for you? So much oil and with butter too.
So I have been trying to create some pomade, I have been playing with the ration of 1:1:1:1/4 (Wax:Oil:Butter:essential oil) and other combinations.
There is a few problems I keep encountering which is texture it leaves the hair (too waxy, coarse, thick)Oily, even when i change the ratio or not use oil in the mix. It still feels greasy and I look like I havn’t washed my hair in days.
Hard to wash off, even with conditioner. Texture of the pomade when it is drying, how to make it more malleable?
what other raw materials I can use to counter this problems?
Thanks!
I’ve not encountered any issues with greasy looking hair or this pomade being hard to wash out. If you have questions, let me encourage you to contact the author on her blog.
[…] DIY Pomade […]
I’m sorry; I’m totally distracted by those cute boys. What did the recipe say? 😉
Yeah, I think they’re pretty cute myself!
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Thanks so much sharing these recipes. Followed your instructions for the firm hold and was perfect! I’ve been using higher end/expensive hair wax for years, typically Aveda but recently started paying closer attention to all the skin/grooming products I use looking for natural alternatives. Not only do I now know for certain on the ingredients, it works just as well if not better than anything I ever bought previously. Added bonus is the satisfaction of making something yourself that really works at a fraction of the cost compared to buying. Thanks again for taking the time to share useful information and make the world a better place 🙂
Thanks for sharing your experience, Tony. I’m so glad it worked well for you!
Why kokum butter instead of Shea butter?
I believe the end product will be softer and not hold the hair in shape as well if you use shea butter. Kokum is harder and does a better job of keeping hair in its place.
I’ve got all the ingredients except the Argan oil. Could another oil be used?
I would assume you can use another oil. I think the argan oil is included here because it’s commonly used for hair. If you try substituting it, maybe try making a smaller batch so you can see if it turns out or not.
I saw that it should be dated afterward; how long would you say it lasts? Also, about what length of hair is a pea-sized amount appropriate for? My hair’s quite a bit longer than your sons’, but I’m excited to try this out. 🙂
Hmm, I would start with a small amount and see how it works for you. You can always increase the amount and use more if you need it. And this would last at least a year before the oils would start going rancid due to oxygen exposure, so that gives you plenty of time to use it. Hope you like it!
Thank you for this recipe! We are having some issues with the balm really being solid and not melting into a gummy gel like substance which is what the initial picture shows? There are also little chunks of an oil or butter that is not melting in my hubby’s hands and looks like large pieces of dandruff or snow. ???? Any suggestions to correct that issues? Thank you !????
Hey Jillian. Yes, salves (which is what this is) can be tricky. They can be harder or softer, depending on the season and temperature of your home, and sometimes the butter will want to separate from the oils and wax if it cools too quickly, giving you that dandruff-like effect. I’m not sure which pomade recipe you tried, the medium- or firm-hold, but you could try softening it a bit. To do that, you can remelt the pomade you made, and add a little more of the jojoba and argan oils (maybe 1 1/2 teaspoons of each), then let that harden up again. To make it softer, you can beat it with a whisk as it cools to fluff it into a light, buttery consistency, blend it with an immersion blender (only really works if you have a large enough batch, though), or simply keep stirring it ever so often as it cools in the tin (which is what I did when I made mine). Hope this is helpful, and that you’re able to correct it!
Thank you Megan!!!???? I’ll try that this week and let you know how it goes. Thank you so very much!