Homemade Hairspray (And it WORKS!)

Since going No Poo, I have slowly been replacing a lot of my commercial hair/body care products with more natural and non synthetic ingredients. The next thing I can cross off my list is, HAIRSPRAY!! Living in South Texas, the humidity here is God awful. So what every woman needs to keep her curls from going flat or her hair looking like she stuck her finger in an electrical socket, is hair products. Hairspray mostly. But what's in commercial hairsprays?? Poisonous fumes that should not be enhaled!!! Sure it can be safe when used properly but with the chemical compounds it contains (Polyvinylpyrrolidone, Propylene glycol, Polyvinyl alcohol, Hydroflurocarbon, Denatured alcohol and Carboxylmethylcellulose), you are taking a very large risk on your health over time. And let's not forget that it is HIGHLY flammable. Especially the hairsprays that are aerosol. These synthetic products are NOT necessary! Make sure you Educate Yourself. I know this seems very one sided but with all the other health problems we could potentially face in our lives, do we really need to add on to it??

What I have found is a very simple recipe that has had amazing results. Now this is NOT your 1980s super hold, Aqua Net, hairspray that your grandma uses that makes her hair as hard as a helmet. I say this because I know. This recipe is a flexible hold. Which I love because I DON'T like my hair to be hard. I like it to look as natural as possible but with enough hold that my curls stay in tact.

All you need is: A lemon cut into wedges, 2 cups of water, any essential oils you want (lavender smells great with lemon) and about 1/4 cup of clear grain alcohol (like vodka). You will also need a container that sprays a fine mist. This is not flammable. I tried aaalll different ways to light this mixture on fire. Worried about putting vodka in your hair?? Read THIS little article. You'll be surprised how good it is for your hair!

Boil the lemon wedges in 2 cups of water until the water has boiled halfway down.

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Pour the boiled lemon water through a mesh strainer (you don't want the pulp) into a measuring cup. You should have about 1 cup of liquid. If you don't you can add more boiled (or distilled) water. Let cool.

Once cooled, add the 1/4 cup of vodka and 6-8 drops of essential oils. Pour into your spray container and shake well to mix. I just re-purposed a bottle from a heat protectant spray.

I pretty much use this hairspray religiously now. It has worked amazing for me and I hope it does for you too. TIP: If you are a brunette (no highlights) try using an orange instead of a lemon. Lemons are really good for blondes or those with highlights and when you're out in the sun, it can lighten your hair a little. And if you are worried about this attracting bugs, worry not! Citrus is actually known to keep away bugs, especially mosquitoes. Oh, did I mention how great this smells??? YUM!!

Do you have any other natural hairspray methods?? Please share!