Being a CG follower I know how hard it is to get CG friendly products in India. So, I am always on look out for homemade products that we can use to style or hair.  Today I will share with you a homemade styling spray recipe which can be used in place of flax seed gel to provide hold to curls. I had been thinking of trying this hair spray for quite some time and finally gave it a try.

So here is what you need

1 Orange

2 Cups water

Procedure: Cut the orange into smaller pieces (with the skin) and put in water. Boil the mix on medium heat till it is reduced to half of its original quantity. Strain the mixture and you have your own homemade natural hard hold spray ready to use.  Store it in a spray bottle and keep it in refrigerator.

I used a big size orange so you have to tweak with water and orange quantity if you are using smaller size orange.

You will see some people asking to put 1-2 tablespoons of vodka or Isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol). But according to what I researched, alcohol when added as 20% of the total amount then it is effective to preserve a product. Also, Isopropyl alcohol is drying for hair so it is a better option to keep the mixture in fridge. Even then you want to add it to the spray then add around 50 ml of alcohol to 1 cup (around 237 ml) of spray. This way you can keep it outside the fridge.

Why this spray works

Citrus fruits and other fruits like apple, pear, berries etc contain good amount of pectin. Pectin is a naturally occurring polysaccharide which when heated with water and sugar creates a thickening effect which is used to make jams and jellies. Because of this thickening property it can provide good hold. Pectin also comes in powder form which is used to make jams and jellies at home. So, you can also use this powder to make hair gel. But in India, pectin powder is not readily available. If you can get hold of it at your local store then you can try making hair gel. Pectin is also the main gelling agent in some styling products like Kinky Curly Curling Custard and As I am Curling Jelly.

How I used it

• Used mix of coconut oil and castor oil on scalp and hair before shampoo.
• Washed my hair using Giovanni smooth as silk shampoo and conditioner.
• After wash, used cotton t-shirt to absorb excess water.
• I did not apply a leave-in conditioner after the shower because I wanted to see how it works if used alone.
• Sprayed it on hair using a spray bottle.
• I used a lot of it so I had to use a cotton t-shirt again to absorb the excess.
• Left my hair to air dry and scrunched it again after it was completely dry.

Results:

First mistake I did was I boiled it too long. So, the final amount was less than 1 cup. I was trying to make it more concentrated. But due to that it turned out to be a hard hold spray. Second mistake, I used too much of it and it was dripping from my hair. So I had to use cotton t-shirt to absorb the excess. Due to both these factors my hair was feeling a bit hard but good curl definition. It was like when we put more honey in flax seed gel by mistake. But I really felt that we can adjust the hold by boiling it for a lesser time.

Next time when I used the same spray from my first trial batch then I added some more water and used it in a lesser quantity. This time it was not dripping from hair and I also used my Kinky curly knot today leave-in conditioner before the spray. This time my hair was not feeling hard to touch and definition was really good.

Being a spray, it is much easier to apply than flax seed gel and the product does not get wasted.

The pics below are from my first trial of the spray (without a leave-in conditioner and more concentrated).

Hair styled with Orange hair spray – first day curls

Below is my second day pic. Because of my new hair cut, these days I don’t tie my hair on top or plop it at night. I just use satin pillow at night. In morning I did not feel the need of refreshing my hair as it was not looking dry. But by the evening, my hair started looking little dull so I applied a little amount of coconut oil.

Second day curls without refreshing

Conclusion: Orange styling spray can be a really good replacement for flax seed gel to style your curls and waves . It will work better if used after a leave-in conditioner and sprayed lightly on hair. I highly recommend that you give it a try and see if it works on your hair.  And also, please share your result and tips in the comments below.

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