Chemical Free Hair Shots (with FREE recipe)

Chemical free hair shots for when you feel the need for that extra hair boost!

Hair Shots Key Ingredients

My reasoning for writing todays blog is to show that hair care alongside skin care, doesnt have to consist of expensive products or in fact ingredients. They can be made from as little as three or four key ingredients that you are likely to have a round your home?
Once you have a brief understanding of how these ingredients work on the hair. You will see that you can make an endless set of treats for yourself, at a very affordable price.
The massive benefits before we even begin with the ingredients is that its chemical free! For me, I have chosen to source ingredients that are all Vegan friendly and cruelty free. (check your supplier of ingredients to see if they are Vegan and cruelty free)

Why use a hair shot?

Well, plain and simply, to give your hair and scalp that extra boost that is sometimes needed when perhaps we have been to a warmer climate? We have been ill or run down? We all know that when you are ill its your skin, hair and nails that suffer due to the lack of vitamins and the immune system being low. It can also be due to extreme temperatures. This time of year when we are coming out of Winter and the days can be windy, cold and then frosty. We then go indoors or jump in our cars and turn up the heating and get all warm and cozy. That will have an impact on the hair and the skin. Then perhaps you are then adding heated tools to the mix, such as hair straightners or hairdryers?? The list goes on but you get the picture?
 The focus should also be on the scalp as well as the hair. After all the scalp is what is producing our new hair. When in fact the hair we spend so much time combing and grooming, is actually dead hair. So I want to encourage you to use this hair shot receipe to nourish both  the hair mid lengths and ends, but also the scalp and the build of products we apply to our hair daily.

So lets get started on the three key oil ingredients that are going to nourish, soften and provide your hair with a powerful shot of nourishment.

Coconut oil:

This can be found easily these days at any supermarket. A lot of us, including myself, cook with it. It such an affordable wonder-product in my personal opinion. It has a mass of wonderful skin care properties. I love this ingredient for so many reasons. But for now, we`ll focus on hair care. Coconut oil penetrates deep into the hair follicles adding lustre, shine and softness to the hair. Who doesnt want that right? Its a semi-hard oil, meaning that when it gets cold it will harden and likewise when it gets warm it will soften or even melt. So you will need to melt this down to get it to a managable state to apply it to your hair. But Ill explain this later.

Olive Oil:

This oil has many wonderful benefts to the hair and scalp. One being that  it can aid with hair growth. Its a fabulaous repair oil for damaged hair. It offers an excellent source of antioxidants that promote a healthy scalp and skin. If you apply this to the scalp area this will help with dry, irritated scalps or those that suffer with dandruff. It will help with product build up and can even treat common fungal infections. Again, this product is so readily available to use these days at a minimal fee for an ingredient that offers so many benefits. You may not even know its sitting there on your kitchen shelf with all these wonderful properties to offer other than cooking with it?

Argan oil:

You may have heard about this oil in hair care products? It became the buzz word not so long ago when hair straighteners hit the industry. Anything with "Argan Oil" in the title seemed to cost a small fortune. Possibly not an oil you will have sitting on your shelf at home? But it can still be easily purchased in its natural state online. Or you can skip on this oil for this particular recipe if you feel its not an option to purchase. You will still enjoy a wonderful hair shot treatment.

Argan oil is rich in vitamins and loaded with antioxidants and fatty acids. Which in simple terms means its going to pack a punch on your hair and scalp to keep it healthier. Thats why you see it everywhere on the list of ingredients for those high end high street or even professional hair care products. It another wonder-ingredient!

Bonus ingredients
Essential oils:

Again these arent a must in this treatment. But if you have them to hand they will not only add a wonderful fragrance to your hair shot. Essential oils have so many wonderful benefits. Depending on the ones you chose to add to your treatment, and that is a very personal choice. Thats one of the reasons I love essential oils. They offer so many mood enhancing, well-being, body and mind benefits, the natural way...from plants. I mean, thats Mother Nature rocking it right there.

For me, I chose Rosemary essential oil to help my scalp as I have a dry itchy scalp sometimes and it also stimulates hair growth amongst many other things. I also added some Lavender essential oil. Now I am aware that Lavender is the Marmite of the essential oil world (I love Marmite I might add). I do think it is given a hard time. I think we tend to associate it to old Grannys and talc and old style soap bars. When in fact, it not only smells amazing, it has so many lovely benefits on the scalp and on our well-being. So, for me, I added it to help with calming and soothing my scalp. Also for its anti-inflammatory properties and for its divine aroma. 

Lets get making

Tools & Equipment:

• Microwave
• Microwave safe jug or mixing bowl
• Measuring spoon
• Spatula or whisk to stir all ingredients together
• Dish to store any leftovers in for next use

This recipe made me enough to have two treatment hot oil hair shots. But that is depending on the length of your hair and the thickness? I have mid length hair and its very thick. 

For this recipe you will need to heat your oils up in the microwave to ensure the coconut oil is melted. I did this on 30 second bursts as you dont want to make the oil super hot, remember this has to go on your hair and scalp so it needs to be manageable.
Add all the oils into the heatproof bowl or jug. Warm to ensure they are all melted and blended together. The mixture should be warm when its applied to the hair and scalp but not boiling! You should be able to handle it easily.
Add into the oils the essential oils if youve chosen to use these. Mix well together. 

Receipe:

• 1tbsp Coconut oil
• 1 tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 tbsp Argan Oil
• 3 drops of Lavender Essential oil
• 3 drops of Rosemary Essential oil

How to use:

1. Wet and wash your hair in the usual way you do, just one shampoo at this stage is fine.
2. Squeeze out any excess water and towel dry off. Now add your hair shot blend to your hair ensuring its evenly distributed and worked in. Massage it into the mid lengths and ends of the hair where it can be drier. Any left over, massage into the scalp.
3. Now wrap up your hair in a towel or shower cap.This part is important to allow the heat to open up the hair follicles and allow the oils to work. Leave this on your hair as a treatment for 20 minutes.

   

   Rocking the towel

4. Remove the towel or shower cap and gently comb through your hair with a wide toothed comb and massage the treatment into the scalp and ends. 
5. Next throughly wet the hair and shampoo once with your usual shampoo product. No conditioner is required as you have already carried out a conditioning treatment. You will need to wash your hair with shampoo. Water and oil do not mix remember.
6. Towel dry hair. I rough dried mine and allowed it to air dry for most of the day.
7. You should be left with lovely shiny, soft, managable hair.

   

   Me after my "Homemade" Hair Shot Treatment

   
   
8. I had enough hair shot to carry out another treatment. I added this to a jar that would be easy to get the treatment out of with a lid on. I would recommend carrying out this treatment once a week on your hair or as and when you feel it needs a bit of extra special pampering.

Now you have a wonderfully nourishing hair treatment that not only can you make yourself. You know exactly what you have added to it and why. Plus you have given your hair a shot of nourishment that it will thank you for.
Happy making 

If you would like to see any of my other artisan Vegan friendly and cruelty free products I hand make, formulate and retail. Visit my online store www.ssemporium.co.uk or pop over to any of my social media pages I am on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. You will find me under
Stepping Stones Emporium

Thanks for reading

Love & Sparkles

Caroline King

Beauty Geek