Making my own Aloe Gel for hair

curlygirlyme

I really like Ohm Aloe Gel but it's $$$

So I've come up with all the things I want to put into my own aloe vera gel but how do I infuse my aloe with herbs like lavender? I thought I would put the aloe gel and herbs into the pot and boil it. Does anyone know if this will work? I'm kinda excited about doing this. If it turns out good I'm not going to buy Ohm stuff anymore which will cut my hair budget down a good amout. Thanks!

WurlyLox

ETA: Sorry - you plainly say aloe gel, but I was thinking flaxseed gel - that's what everyone usually asks about - never mind . . . .:laughing8:

Tho I haven't seen anything here lately, there have been several threads about homemade flaxseed gel. Should be able to find them easily with a Google search. I think folks usually use essential oils, e.g., rosemary, for fragrance and preservation rather than adding the actual plant when cooking the gel.

msjaim

Ingredients: Distilled Water, Aloe Vera Juice, Natural Thickener, Nettle, Horsetail, Lavender, Yarrow, Vegetable Glycerin, Fragrance blend, Grapefruit Seed Extract-Preservative.

[email protected] the ingredients, I would make a tea with water & herbs first,strain it, then incorporate it with the aloe gel & gylcerine... wondering if the thickener that is used is guar gum....

shawnette

curlygirlyme wrote: »

I really like Ohm Aloe Gel but it's $$$

So I've come up with all the things I want to put into my own aloe vera gel but how do I infuse my aloe with herbs like lavender? I thought I would put the aloe gel and herbs into the pot and boil it. Does anyone know if this will work? I'm kinda excited about doing this. If it turns out good I'm not going to buy Ohm stuff anymore which will cut my hair budget down a good amout. Thanks!

If you boil the aloe, you'll kill off most of the benefits.

msjaim wrote: »

Ingredients: Distilled Water, Aloe Vera Juice, Natural Thickener, Nettle, Horsetail, Lavender, Yarrow, Vegetable Glycerin, Fragrance blend, Grapefruit Seed Extract-Preservative.

[email protected] the ingredients, I would make a tea with water & herbs first,strain it, then incorporate it with the aloe gel & gylcerine... wondering if the thickener that is used is guar gum....

Either that or Pectin, which is also commonly used in gels.

msjaim

aaaah, thank u , I forgot about pectin!!!!!
I think this would be easy for the OP to replicate.. fairly simple ingredients.. Im sure u could come up with something close.. Ill def be looking out for this one. Ive never used the original product, but this sounds like something I may try to cook up just to see how it turns out

curlygirlyme

Yeah I was worried if I boiled the aloe that might happen... but then if I made a tea and added it to the gel I was worried it would be too thin. I think I will added irish moss and xanthan or guar gum to it and see how it goes. Thanks for the help

shawnette

curlygirlyme wrote: »

Yeah I was worried if I boiled the aloe that might happen... but then if I made a tea and added it to the gel I was worried it would be too thin. I think I will added irish moss and xanthan or guar gum to it and see how it goes. Thanks for the help

Well, the 1st ingredient is distilled water. Just make the tea with distilled water. I would make it fairly strong, that way it's more concentrated, so you don't have to use as much liquid. Also, get the thickest aloe you can find. I'm pretty sure the people who work at Chamberlin's think I'm crazy. I hold the bottles up to the light and tip them back and forth to see how thick the gel is, lol. And once you add your thickener, the amount of water isn't a big deal. Guar works really well, but I would probably go with the pectin for this recipe.

Hmmm. I just took my braids out so maybe I'll try it out, too...

vkb247

The recipe called for aloe vera juice so it is definitely going to be watery. I think using the irish moss sounds yummy.

msjaim

im going to try this out tonight

msjaim

I wish I knew what the original gel looked like & what the texture was like. I went a head and made a gel that didnt turn out that badly. Ill probably end up duplicating it but mixing it with a few additional things to make a cream so I dont have to layer it with moisturizing agents

I heated up 6 oz of purified water in the microwave
In an unbleached type re-usable tea bag I added:
1tbsp yarrow
1tbsp nettle
1tbsp horsetail
1tbsp irish moss
I let that steep for about 15/ 20 mins- sqeezed the bag to get all of the goodness out
I rinsed the tea bag out & poured the tea through it 2 more times just to get as many particles as possible out.
when I heated the water it evaporated a lil bit, maybe about an ounce or so.

I added about 2 ounces pectin gell & about 1/2 tsp of lemon juice to help it set a bit, I then added about 3 ounces of whole leafe aloe juice.. it turned out pretty decent. Im thinking this might put up a fight againts this chicago humidity. Ill try & post a pic of my hair & the gel later

curlygirlyme

No luck still stuck!!

I tried making this several different ways by boiling the herbs lose in the water then straining, putting the herbs lose into a container then straining, adding a little guar gum at a time, etc. it's just not going well

I get

A pile of goo
Pieces of the herbs left behind
Gel with big chunks of guar gum in it

Anyway it's a mess. I was thinking of trying xanthan gum or pectin for a better thickness. I was also thinking of either A) trying tea bags to infuse the water with the herbs or trying to use herb powders instead. Any advice would really be helpful. Thanks again

morrighu

Guar Gum must be carefully dissolved. It should be ground first and then you really need a stick blender to get it dissolved properly into some very hot water. Otherwise its a LOT of stirring. And I'd seriously look into using herbal extracts. When most cosmetics list herbs its the extracts and not the actual plant.

The other thing to do is to make the herbal tea first and then strain it. You'll probably need a coffee filter for this. Put it in your strainer and let the tea drip through it slowly. That will get all the plant tid bits out of it. Then you can add your gum to it to thicken it.

curlygirlyme

I have not been able to find herbal extracts anywhere. Otherwise I'd get lazy and do that.

shawnette

curlygirlyme wrote: »

I have not been able to find herbal extracts anywhere. Otherwise I'd get lazy and do that.

Whole Foods sells herbal extracts. You should be able to find them at any decent sized health food store. They come in little dropper bottles, like EOs.

curlygirlyme

The nearest Whole Foods is 3 hours away. Anyone know where I can buy it online or make my own?

curlygirlyme

I found this

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Make Your Own Liquid Herbal Extract[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]While paying for the convenience of a manufactured herbal extract can be nice, we have found that the best medicines are those we make ourselves. Not only that, but for those of us that incorporate extracts into our daily diet the costs really begins to add up. Making your own extracts will save you hundreds and possibly thousands of dollars.
This recipe is the simplest way to make your own liquid herbal extracts in your own home. Start with a clean jar that has a tight fitting lid and the herbs of your choice. If you can use fresh herbs, then fabulous! Fresh material is always preferred but availability is determined by your local bio-region, climate, etc and many quality herbs may not be available. If you cannot locate fresh materials, be sure to get good quality, organic herbs from a reputable supplier. Note: Try not to use powdered herbs; they will be difficult to filter out in the end and the debris will settle in your final product.
If using fresh material, chop the herbs finely. Then put in the glass jar. Next, pour a good, strong grain alcohol or Vodka over the herbs, completely covering the herbal material. If you are using dried herbs you will need to add more alcohol over the next day or two as the dried herbs absorb and expand. A good ratio for dried material is about 1 part herb to 5 parts alcohol and with fresh material 1 part herb to 3 parts alcohol.
After you have done this, cover with tight fitting lid and be sure to place a plastic bag sandwiched between the lid and the jar. This will prevent rust contamination from spoiling your extract.
Shake well and place the jar in a dark place & allow the herbs to soak or macerate for 4 to 6 weeks. Shake every few days. The alcohol will siphon and extract the active constituents from the herbs. After 4 to 6 weeks strain the herbs. Use a large sieve, strainer, press or potato ricer lined with fine mesh cloth or cheesecloth. Then pour into another large bowl or container. After you have done this grab the soggy herbal material and place in muslin, cheese or another fine cloth and tightly squeeze the material to extract every last drop from the cloth. The herbal material left over that is saturated, is the strongest in terms of active medicinal constituents. Now funnel the material from your larger container into smaller bottles, preferably amber bottles and store your tinctures in a cool dark place. Voila! You have now made your own remarkable medicinal herbal extract for a fraction of the price you would have paid at the store. By now you have probably noticed that your pantry is stored with some 16-20 ounces of liquid herbal extract……this will last you for some time. (It will keep for 3-5 years) Enjoy![/FONT]

Anyone ever tried this?

goobernut

curlygirlme -- I've actually made my own herb extract before (mmmm did my own vanilla too), however, that is a LOT of work just to try out a recipe that you're not sure you're gonna like. I'd try the tea bag recipe first. Or try morrighu's idea of boiling herbs in water and straining the juice through a coffee filter if you can't get ahold of the empty tea bags.

kathymack

I bought a can of 4 oz canning jars and a litter of vodka--have tons of organic herbs. Thought if I did a bunch it would be less total effort. Most of the recipes I found online only called for two weeks of soaking to make a tincture. Anyone know if more is better?

goobernut

I can't remember how long I did the herbs? I know I let the vanilla go for a month, but the thick beans are a little bit different than the herbs.

Just scanned various places on the net and they say anywhere from 2 weeks to 4 weeks. I didn't catch any right away that suggested 6 weeks.

kathymack

goobernut wrote: »

I can't remember how long I did the herbs? I know I let the vanilla go for a month, but the thick beans are a little bit different than the herbs.

Just scanned various places on the net and they say anywhere from 2 weeks to 4 weeks. I didn't catch any right away that suggested 6 weeks.

That was in the directions that curlygirl me posted in #16. It said 4-6 weeks. Maybe I'll aim for around 4 weeks.

mzmillion

whoooooooooo, I just want to say, you guys know your stuff. I can't even imagine doing all of this. What would I even use extracts for???? I don't know. I think I'm big because I just melted down some black soap, adding some oils and tea and tried to turn it into shampoo....lol.

curlygirlyme

I have no idea what I'm doing LOL. I'm winging it just to see what I can come up with. It's kinda like my hobby.

I've been messing around with flax seed gel too. I came up with my own recipe and I'm still tweeking it

2 cups water (next time I'm going to buy distilled because OK has pretty hard water)
1/2 cup golden flax seeds
1/8 cup dark brown flax seeds
1 tsp dark agave nectar
1 tsp light agave nectar
1/2 tsp vegetable glycerin
1/4 epsom salt

It's almost right. I'm going to try 1/4 cup dark seeds, 1/2 tsp epsom salt, and maybe a little more agave nectar.

I know I'm crazy but it's fun and it's the one hobby I have that's not too time consuming. I have three kids under the age of 4 so I fit in little things whenever I can.

GAgal

I am going to address this in this thread since it is kind of a side subject. Has everyone that has tried making the EO's used alcohol as the "carrier"?

I was skimming through this and thought, what a great idea! But when I did an online search most places recommended using a "carrier oil" such as olive, etc...just looking for guidance from someone who has successfully done this.

This would be more for scent, but I have a loaded Gardenia bush out from and would love to do that with some of the blooms.

What do you think? TIA!

kathymack

GAgal wrote: »

I am going to address this in this thread since it is kind of a side subject. Has everyone that has tried making the EO's used alcohol as the "carrier"?

I was skimming through this and thought, what a great idea! But when I did an online search most places recommended using a "carrier oil" such as olive, etc...just looking for guidance from someone who has successfully done this.

This would be more for scent, but I have a loaded Gardenia bush out from and would love to do that with some of the blooms.

What do you think? TIA!

If you use alcohol to extract the herbs, it's called a tincture.

After reading the instructions last week, I started mine. I bought new 4oz canning jars and a 1/2 gallon of cheap vodka. (I live in PA and the state stores don't carry grain alcohol.) I rinsed the jars with boiling water, put two T of each of the herbs I was going to do and filled with the vodka. Covered with plastic wrap prior to the lid and ring. Put it in a fairly dark room. This morning, I checked the jars--added a little vodka where necessary and will check weekly for about a month. I need to get some amber jars for final storage.

If you want to do a "gardinia extract," you could try some fresh blooms in a little vodka to see if it works.

morrighu

You can buy aloe powder that's more concentrated and just add that your cooled tea until you get the right consistency.

kathymack

kathymack wrote: »

If you use alcohol to extract the herbs, it's called a tincture.

After reading the instructions last week, I started mine. I bought new 4oz canning jars and a 1/2 gallon of cheap vodka. (I live in PA and the state stores don't carry grain alcohol.) I rinsed the jars with boiling water, put two T of each of the herbs I was going to do and filled with the vodka. Covered with plastic wrap prior to the lid and ring. Put it in a fairly dark room. This morning, I checked the jars--added a little vodka where necessary and will check weekly for about a month. I need to get some amber jars for final storage.

If you want to do a "gardinia extract," you could try some fresh blooms in a little vodka to see if it works.

Okay, I finally got my amber bottles and strained my tincture. It was much easier then I thought it would be--nightmares of FSG going through my head! I used a brown paper filter in a gold coffee filter. Most of the 4 oz jars yielded 2-3 oz of tincture. The most notably exception was the burdock root--not even an ounce.

My biggest caution is to be careful. I have allergies and think I was allergic to the burdock root. Even though I did allergy med and inhaler this am, my throat is itchy. Now, I have to think of ways I want to use these. Probably start with homemade FSG.

dailywavy

I've been trying to find a good calendula extract but can't find one in my area. I emailed mountainroseherbs.com and asked about doing extracts-I needed an oil based not water based one and they were kind enough to reply back and very quickly I might add! They are very helpful there!

Here is what they sent me:
Fill a glass jar 1/4 full of dried botanical, and then cover with Extra Virgin Olive Oil (or other oil of choice) leaving at least 1-2” of oil above the herbs to allow the herbs to swell. Generally, 4 ounces of herb is used for each 1-2 cups of oil, but this depends upon the herb used. Dense materials, such as roots and barks, will absorb far less than fluffy materials such as flowers and leaves. Place jar in a sunny window and shake once or twice per day. Allow the oil to infuse for at least 4-6 weeks, or until the oil takes on the color and scent of the herb. Once that the oil is ready, strain using cheesecloth, and bottle into amber bottles for storage. Make sure to squeeze as much oil as possible from the herbs and cheesecloth so that you do not waste any precious oil! The infused oil may be used alone, or used within herbal preparations such as salves, massage oils, creams, lotions, or anything else you desire! Herbal oils will keep for approximately a year if stored properly in a dark and cool place. Vitamin E Oil may also be added to prolong the shelf life.

Give us an update on your concoctions!

Goin'Grey

I made the golden fsg and the brown, and I too think the combo will be great...I will make you recipe soon. You are on to something here. I got better hold with the brown FSG... Keep me posted!