This pretty, shimmery hair mist was inspired by a recipe request from Kim. She requested a hair mist that would “repair damaged and dry hair, add a lovely fragrance, and give the hair a subtle golden shimmer.” She described a shop-bought version she’d tried, saying “it absorbed quickly into hair, had a lovely fragrance, and the shimmer was fantastic.” Colour me intrigued! I love a good hair mist, especially in the winter.
The base of this hair mist is mostly water, to prevent instant onset greasies (urk). To that, I’ve added all kinds of great-for-hair goodies. Silk adds a beautiful sheen while working to strengthen your hair. Phytokeratin adds shine and bounce, and bamboo bioferment adds slip and is a great source of hair health enhancing silica. Vegetable glycerin helps keep hair hydrated and avoid static.
I’ve added vitamin rich argan oil (USA / Canada) as well, using self-emulsifying turkey red oil to distribute the oils in the water base so we don’t have oily blobs floating on top of the mist. A small amount of added oils will nourish the hair and help prevent static attacks, but too much will leave you looking greebly, so I’d recommend avoiding adding extra oil unless your hair is really dry.
A blend of spicy ginger, sweet palmarosa, floral michelia alba, and bright bergamot essential oils finish everything off. It’s a lovely scent blend. It’s complex and sweet, though the sweetness is cut by the spice of the ginger and the clean citrus of the bergamot, so it’s not at all cloying. I love having a wee cloud of this scent wafting out of my hair during the day.
And last but not least, a wee bit of silver mica. It leaves a hint of wintery shimmer in the hair, catching the light and perhaps looking a wee bit like frost. I love it!
Winter Shimmer Hair Mist
20 drops argan oil (USA / Canada)
10 drops Turkey Red Oil
8 drops ginger essential oil (CO2 extracted preferred)
5 drops palmarosa essential oil
3 drops michelia alba essential oil
8 drops bergamot essential oil45g | 1.5 fl oz water
¼ tsp silk peptides
1g | 0.03oz phytokeratin
1g | 0.03oz bamboo bioferment
5g | 0.17oz vegetable glycerine (USA / Canada)
1/32 tsp silver micaBroad spectrum preservative of choice (why?)
Count out the drops of argan oil (USA / Canada), Turkey Red Oil, and essential oils into into the bottom of a 60mL/2oz spray bottle, and swirl the bottle to combine. I used a trigger spray bottle as I was afraid the mica would clog a mister top, and the trigger bottle is holding up quite nicely. The mica does come out of the bottle, and the mist does mist, rather than spray like a water pistol.
Using a funnel, add the water, silk, phytokeratin, bamboo bioferment, vegetable glycerine (USA / Canada), mica, and preservative. Cap and shake to combine.
Hey Marie, you’re awesome as usual.
I have a substitution question. The bamboo bioferment (liquid) is a bit less accessible to me than bamboo leaf botanical extract (powder). What do you think about a substitution of one for the other? I suspect a one for one by weight might be too much powder. I’m thinking about just going with maybe a 1/4 tsp?
Thanks for all you do!
Hi Kathie! Other than turning the powder into a tincture first, adding a wee bit of the powder (1/4 tsp might even be too much, but I haven’t tried it) to the mixture would be the other way I’d do it. Since it’s not an oil adding too much isn’t a huge concern as you won’t end up with a spray that’s too oily to use on hair. Do be sure to preserve it, though, especially since you’ll be adding relatively raw plant matter to the mix 🙂
Awesome! Light moisturizing and shimmery. I’d bet gold or bronze mica would be lovely, as well. This would be great in my girls’ (and my) stockings!
Woo! Enjoy the shimmer 😀
I love this but would any of the ingredients affect color treated hair? Also, I’ll be going for the gold instead of silver. I love gold anything!
Hi Deb! As somebody who has never permanently colour treated her hair I’m not sure. Nothing in here as effected any wash-out dyes I’ve used. Perhaps do a patch test? It is mostly water, so personally I wouldn’t be concerned.
Can you tell me what michelia alba smells like? I don’t have this EO. Wondering what EO would be similar as I have several different essential oils. Does it smell like Elemi with a bit of mint?
I have to say I’ve been making and selling products for awhile now and learn so much from your site.
Hmm. It’s bright and a bit floral, but not very sweet. I wouldn’t say there’s even a hint of mint in there, and I’ve never smelled elemi, so I can’t really comment on that. Thanks for reading!
Hi Marie,
Thank you for so much for making what I requested, I can’t wait to get the supplies together and make it! I’ve been wanting to make natural body care and makeup products for years but it wasn’t until I stumbled across your blog that I’ve been inspired enough and learned sufficient information to actually try many of these products. I haven’t been disappointed with any of your recipes yet! Thank you for taking the time to develop these recipes, and sharing them with everyone gratis, it truly is a wonderful and generous service that you provide. You’re awesome! Sincerely, Kim Adamson
Hi Kim! Thank you so much for the request, it was a really fun one to make and I’m really enjoying using it 🙂 Thank you so much for reading & DIYing with me, I’m so glad I’ve inspired you to get your hands dirty 😉
Hi Marie!
Thanks for another great recipe! I love the way you take up challenges and recipe requests from others.:-D
I was wondering, are there any oils I could substitute the turkey red oil with…? I know it’s tricky, because turkey red oil is miscible, unlike other oils, but could Olive Squalane work instead, do you think…?
Anna 🙂
Hi Anna! I know of no other oils that are miscible, and you really can’t use anything that’s isn’t miscible and expect the same result. Polysorbate 20 would be a good alternative, though not as natural.
Heya
Can’t wait to try this. What about preservative? I have black hair, with greys ewww. Would this enhance my greys? Which isn’t the look I’m going for.. Love your new website!!!!
Hey Annie! You should include a preservative (good catch), I’ve got a list of ’em here. If you’ve got greys you might prefer a warmer mica, but I haven’t noticed use of this making me look like I have greys so… eh? Try it and let me know what you think?
This spray mist sounds like something my teenage granddaughter would love. However, she will have lots of questions like–how often and how much mist can I use? How long does the smell last? Hair wet or dry? How long is this mist good for, does it need a preservative?
Hi Evelyn! I’d include a preservative. The scent won’t last too long as it’s from essential oils, not artificial fragrance oils. You can use it on wet or dry hair, and you can use as much as you like, though too much may leave the hair looking greasy 🙂
Hi Marie,
I just discovered your blog and wanted to let you know that I think it’s fantastic. I’ve been browsing it for over an hour this morning with my coffee. I’ve always been fascinated by body products and cosmetics, and particularly how to make them (at least in a way that that makes a comparable product to store-bought products). I’ve just started making my own soap and am waiting for my shipment to come in with ingredients to start making lotion. Your website does a great job of breaking down how to use ingredients, and has taken some of the mystery out of DIY’ing.
I’m from Victoria, BC, and I also love that you have found some excellent places to purchase ingredients that are either located, or can ship to Canada.
Can’t wait to see what else you will share with us!
Thanks, Kaylee! I hope you have loads of fun with all your ingredients, and enjoy that lovely Victoria weather enough for the both of us, k? 😉
Thank you for your blog and fantastic recipes. I have learned so much just from reading your blog. My daughters & I are benefiting greatly from your fabulous recipes. I have one question. I do not have phytokeratin. Is there a substitute?
Thanks so much for reading, Ginny 🙂 Sadly, I know of no good alternatives to phytokeratin (other than keratin, but I don’t know where you’d get that).
I would love to see a before and after hair shot to display the amount of shimmer! 🙂
I’m afraid I don’t have this anymore, so don’t hold your breath 😛
I recently found your website while trying to find some ways to more easily and effectively take care of my crazy, curly mane while living in dry Alaska… You have an incredible website here! I can’t wait to put into practice some of the things I’ve found here.
I was wondering what brand of mica you’d recommend for ordering online? Thanks!
Hey Dani! I have a big list of places to shop here. If you are in the USA, TKB Trading is fantastic! Thanks so much for reading and have fun DIYing 😀
Hi Marie,
I just made this hair mist! It is fabulous!! I will say that I did leave out the mica and I am having a hard time finding the bamboo bioferment at a price I can afford lol so I left it out too. I don’t really need the mica due to having about 13 different colors in my own natural hair!
I would like to say that with my hair type fine, wavy and extra thick!! lots of hair! I could actually double the oil content without leaving an oily look to my hair!
Your website is wonderful and a really big help to those of us still our DIYing legs! Thank you so much for all that you are doing!
Yay! I’m so glad 😀 Thanks so much for DIYing with me! 🙂
Hey
I have been trying to make an emulsified fine hair mist I am using E-wax. I did a formula with 1 percent E-wax but mixture separated but will mix well with a small shake I want to have it stay mixed up and fine. How can I achieve that?
If you want to make mists you’d be better off using a solubilizer, like polysorbate 80, rather than e-waxes; emulsifying waxes are not designed for thin, mistable products like what you’re trying to do 🙂
Hi Marie
Where would on source Bamboo Bioferment in Canada? I know WindyPoint has the Sea Kelp Bioferment. Could I use that instead?
Thanks!
My original source has discontinued it. Sea Kelp Bioferment would be a decent alternative 🙂
Hi!
I just came from my first haircut in a long time, and the stylist put something like this on my hair and I love it.
Then I found your site and this recipe! Sooo excited to try it! I have been using my own shampoo bar and leave-in conditioner recipe for a long time & have no desire to buy a commercial product.
A couple questions about the delivery system though-
The mica doesn’t clog the sprayer?
and
What kind of sprayer top is that? (that is, where can I get a few?)
I have been using a pump fine-mist sprayer top that I got at wholesalesupplyplus– I really want to use a trigger instead,, but it has to deliver a mist not a jet. I’m having a heckuva time finding one that says *fine-mist* trigger. (they have one at wsp, but the comments suggest that it is more of a jet)
Again, congratulations on a great site, you are a wonderful resource.
Thank you! I intend keep visiting.
Hey Suzanne! As I recall the mica didn’t clog my sprayer, but other people did encounter issues with the mister top rather than the trigger mister top. Unfortunately, I do not remember where the ones I got were from—it’s been years, and my memory isn’t that great 🙂 Happy making!
I can’t wait to make this. I actually love my greys and I’m hoping that the mica will help play them up a bit. I’m a bit of an odd ball. But I do have a question. The directions do not say how much broad spectrum preservative to use. Could you tell me how much this should be?
Hey Lizz! I’ve got a preservative calculator here you can use—the amount will vary with the preservative you choose 🙂 Happy making!
HI there, thanks for this lovely formula. Im curious as to how this is safe without an emulsifier? Its my understanding that when ever mixing oil and water, you must use an emulsifier in order for it to keep from separating and to be stabile. if only using EO in a water based formula, a solubilizer is enough to mix them in but when plant oils are added, separation and destabilization will occur. What about this formula keeps this from happening?
Thank so much