Please help me reverse engineer my favorite hair wax.
February 19, 2016 12:28 AM Subscribe
I just got a super short haircut, and started using this incredible hair wax to style it into tiny, tiny spikes: Scentsiv Unscented Fragrance Free Hair Styling Wax. It was the first hair wax I got that was truly unscented, and it works like a charm.
It has also seemingly vanished off the planet.
Does anyone know when this miracle product is going to come back? Or, as the more likely option, how to make my own? I have access to a kitchen, cooking supplies, and cooking knowledge, so that's not the problem. The problem is that most DIY pomade/hair wax recipes contain beeswax, which will set off my allergies, as it's naturally scented. So I'd need a DIY recipe with a Microcrystalline Wax base instead, as that wax is completely scent free. My hair and I thank you!
(If it helps, here's the ingredients for the now vanished miracle goop: Water (Aqua), Microcrystalline Wax, PEG-7 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Caprylic/Capric/Myristic/Stearic Triglyceride, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Steareth-2, Cetyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Polyimide-1, Aluminum Starch, Dehydroacetic Acid, Benzyl Alcohol)
Does anyone know when this miracle product is going to come back? Or, as the more likely option, how to make my own? I have access to a kitchen, cooking supplies, and cooking knowledge, so that's not the problem. The problem is that most DIY pomade/hair wax recipes contain beeswax, which will set off my allergies, as it's naturally scented. So I'd need a DIY recipe with a Microcrystalline Wax base instead, as that wax is completely scent free. My hair and I thank you!
(If it helps, here's the ingredients for the now vanished miracle goop: Water (Aqua), Microcrystalline Wax, PEG-7 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Caprylic/Capric/Myristic/Stearic Triglyceride, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Steareth-2, Cetyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Polyimide-1, Aluminum Starch, Dehydroacetic Acid, Benzyl Alcohol)
Have you tried coconut oil?
posted by yesster at 5:09 AM on February 19, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by yesster at 5:09 AM on February 19, 2016 [1 favorite]
Best answer: If you look the chemicals up on Skin Deep, these are their purpose:
Caprylic/Capric/Myristic/Stearic Triglyceride - emollient
Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2 - emollient
Steareth-2 - for emulsion
Cetyl Alcohol - emollient
Stearyl Alcohol - emulsion
Glycerin - humectant/solvent
Polyimide-1 - film former
Aluminum Starch- viscosity
Dehydroacetic Acid - preservative
Benzyl Alcohol - multi/preservative
Not having any experience with your specific product, just based on this list, if I wanted to DIY this, I would mix water, wax, castor oil, hair conditioner, flax seed oil, and vodka. Maybe also corn starch or arrowroot powder.
First melt wax, then add oils, then add conditioner, water & vodka. I'd use an immersion blender to emulsify. The vodka should give a reasonable shelf life (couple months?), but for best case, you could just keep it in the fridge. You'd have to play around with percentages, but my first guess would be something like 30% wax, 30% oil, 20% conditioner, 20% other.
I have all sorts of sensitivities myself. Lately I've been using Free & Clear conditioner, which I'm pleased with. They also make a gel that you could sub in for the flax seed oil.
posted by slipthought at 7:39 AM on February 19, 2016 [2 favorites]
Caprylic/Capric/Myristic/Stearic Triglyceride - emollient
Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2 - emollient
Steareth-2 - for emulsion
Cetyl Alcohol - emollient
Stearyl Alcohol - emulsion
Glycerin - humectant/solvent
Polyimide-1 - film former
Aluminum Starch- viscosity
Dehydroacetic Acid - preservative
Benzyl Alcohol - multi/preservative
Not having any experience with your specific product, just based on this list, if I wanted to DIY this, I would mix water, wax, castor oil, hair conditioner, flax seed oil, and vodka. Maybe also corn starch or arrowroot powder.
First melt wax, then add oils, then add conditioner, water & vodka. I'd use an immersion blender to emulsify. The vodka should give a reasonable shelf life (couple months?), but for best case, you could just keep it in the fridge. You'd have to play around with percentages, but my first guess would be something like 30% wax, 30% oil, 20% conditioner, 20% other.
I have all sorts of sensitivities myself. Lately I've been using Free & Clear conditioner, which I'm pleased with. They also make a gel that you could sub in for the flax seed oil.
posted by slipthought at 7:39 AM on February 19, 2016 [2 favorites]
Meant add shea butter and coconut oil to that list as an alternative to ready-made conditioner, though if you're sensitive to beeswax, you might not like the shea butter. It's pretty stinky.
posted by slipthought at 7:42 AM on February 19, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by slipthought at 7:42 AM on February 19, 2016 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Hi all. I haven't tried coconut oil yet; I haven't tried any DIY yet. I wanted to see if it was even possible first, and it looks like it is.
I have a couple of DIY low tech pomade recipes; I can try to substitute the microcrystalline wax for the beeswax, and maybe up the oil content to make it more pliable. (One of the complaints about the scentsiv is that it's really hard.)
posted by spinifex23 at 1:12 PM on February 19, 2016
I have a couple of DIY low tech pomade recipes; I can try to substitute the microcrystalline wax for the beeswax, and maybe up the oil content to make it more pliable. (One of the complaints about the scentsiv is that it's really hard.)
posted by spinifex23 at 1:12 PM on February 19, 2016
Best answer: I'd probably start by mixing microcrystalline wax with an oil or silicone (to make it softer), and experiment from there. I usually buy supplies from LotionCrafter, but it looks like they don't have microcrystalline wax.
If you use any water or water based ingredients in the pomade (and want to keep it longer than a week-ish), you need a preservative. I like the Point of Interest blog for general info about DIY - she has written a lot about making emulsified products, using preservatives, etc. I bet she's written about hair wax / pomade before as well.
posted by insectosaurus at 3:58 PM on February 19, 2016 [1 favorite]
If you use any water or water based ingredients in the pomade (and want to keep it longer than a week-ish), you need a preservative. I like the Point of Interest blog for general info about DIY - she has written a lot about making emulsified products, using preservatives, etc. I bet she's written about hair wax / pomade before as well.
posted by insectosaurus at 3:58 PM on February 19, 2016 [1 favorite]
I don't know anything about DIY-ing personal care products, but Rough Luxury by Oribe is an incredible product, if you're interested in replacing yours. I was recommended Rough Luxury by my stylist, and it's truly amazing. I use it daily, don't wash my hair every day, and it doesn't build up like some products do. I have 2C curly hair that's super dry and it doesn't seem to upset the balance in my hair.
Full disclosure - I've tried different brands of wax and have thoroughly hated them all.... I'm so anti-hair-wax products I make my husband wash his hair as soon as he comes home from a haircut, I dislike the smell and texture that much. But Oribe's Rough Luxury, man, it's expensive but smells SO GOOD and it lasts FOREVER. One jar has lasted me 4 months, and I'm not even done with it yet.
Honestly, by the time you buy all the ingredients to reverse engineer it, you might be better off trying some products and just buying the one that you like. Maybe go to your stylist and ask if you can try a few? Just my .02 cents, but like I said, I know nothing about making something that complex from scratch.
posted by onecircleaday at 7:58 PM on February 20, 2016
Full disclosure - I've tried different brands of wax and have thoroughly hated them all.... I'm so anti-hair-wax products I make my husband wash his hair as soon as he comes home from a haircut, I dislike the smell and texture that much. But Oribe's Rough Luxury, man, it's expensive but smells SO GOOD and it lasts FOREVER. One jar has lasted me 4 months, and I'm not even done with it yet.
Honestly, by the time you buy all the ingredients to reverse engineer it, you might be better off trying some products and just buying the one that you like. Maybe go to your stylist and ask if you can try a few? Just my .02 cents, but like I said, I know nothing about making something that complex from scratch.
posted by onecircleaday at 7:58 PM on February 20, 2016
Gah, I missed in your post that you need to be completely scent-free.
My faux pas, I'm sorry : (
posted by onecircleaday at 8:01 PM on February 20, 2016 [1 favorite]
My faux pas, I'm sorry : (
posted by onecircleaday at 8:01 PM on February 20, 2016 [1 favorite]
This is a long shot, but maybe it's available here? No idea if this site is legitimate, but it looks like it's available.
posted by onecircleaday at 8:04 PM on February 20, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by onecircleaday at 8:04 PM on February 20, 2016 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
Here's their page on pomades. You can always ask in DIY makeup forums how to substitute your wax for beeswax.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 1:04 AM on February 19, 2016 [1 favorite]