To mix or not to mix....

[gennatay]

I've been going back and forth on whether or not I want to continue to mix my own hair products. I know what my hair likes/dislikes, its just finding the right products that have all the ingredients that I like. So mixing would be ideal for me. But on the other hand, I really dont have time to play around to find the right formulations, and it seems like keeping all the ingredients on hand would get to be expensive.

So for those who mix, why do you? Do you save any money/time by mixing?
For those who don't have you ever considered it?

 

[Tiye]

I do both - I make products and I buy products too. If I only used my own formulations I would live in a beauty product vacuum and I'd never get any new ideas. A musician has to listen to other music a chef has to eat different types of food. It's that sort of thing. In fact that's why I'm here - to get ideas. I don't mix to save money per se - I do it because it's fun. But - it's only fun if you're practical about it and work with ingredients that you can easily get for a reasonable price. If you're sending to the far corners of the planet for rare oils or trying to get chemicals for home use that are normally sold only to big manufacturers then it's not fun anymore.

 

[lovelexi]

I have considered it in the very beginning of my hair journey but then I found natural products. I think it probably saves more money to mix your own products. Its getting the stash to where it needs to be will be the initial expense. But I save time by not mixing. I'm in college...so I really don't have the time or tools to properly mix my own stuff. And as I stated before my natural products are working really great. If it aint broke dont fix it!

 

[Grand Prix]

I don't have the time or the patience, and it is a little expensive to have to buy all those ingredients to mix together.
I did try it for a while and now I still like to add coconut milk or cream to dilute my DCs. It's cheap and my hair loves it, and all you need is a bowl and a spoon.

 

[davisbr88]

I am a mixing machine! Lol.
I make everything I use on my hair with the exception of shampoo, gel, and heat protectant (but I'm working on that too). For me, I don't make things that would cost less to buy (which is the case for shampoo, since I use it so rarely that buying all of the ingredients doesn't make sense; and gel, since I can get a 16 oz container for like $3). But in general, I like to mix things because for one, doing the research is fun to me, I know that if I run out I can just whip up another batch without having to go to the store or wait for it to be delivered, I get to know exactly what is going on to my hair ,and I can control and tweak ingredients to my liking. In order to save time, you can just make a decent batch of whatever you're making and add a natural preservative like grapefruit seed extract, raw honey, etc. I do live in an apartment so having the separate ingredients takes up space, but I am okay with it since I have a surprising amount of storage for just a one-bedroom.

 

[kittykhat]

I think it would be more beneficial to actually *make* your own product. Not just by mixing store bought products.

 

[davisbr88]

Oh. Sorry, OP. I thought you meant mixing things up from scratch - like buying the actual ingredients. I didn't know you meant mixing products together. My fault. Got all enthusiastic for nothing... lol.

 

[KittyMeowMeow]

I loved mixing up products, but I got much better results with products I bought instead. And after a disastrous run-in with a DC mix I made with avocado, aloe, honey and oils that took weeks to get out, I swore off homemade products for good. My hair is too sensitive to be experimenting. If my hair was more resilient and my mixes worked as well as purchased products, I would make my own products.

 

[Nonie]

For those who don't have you ever considered it?

Never. (OK, that was a bit of an exaggeration. I did once think about it, but I could never get with it. I think I just realized that it'd take a lot of know-how and expertise to actually create the sort of quality I'd want. The pros definitely do a better job than I.) Besides it being time-consuming, I honestly believe that throwing a bunch of ingredients together will not guarantee a good end product. I mean, if you were to give two people the same cake ingredients and ask them to come up with a cake, chances are, one cake will turn out better than the other because it's not just the ingredients alone that make the product work. The technique in mixing, the order, the time invested, the quantities used...all play a part in what you get in the end. That is why I do not make things from scratch, but prefer the pros who have actually done the science and extensive tests to do the work for me.

As for mixing store bought ingredients together... Again, not something I would do. A lot of these products are stable in the way they are sold and who knows what chemical reaction you create by mixing the products, which could enhance or diminish its quality. I'd rather just follow directions. Doesn't mean I will use the same line for all the steps, but I allow each product to do the work it was created to do without the interruption of another with a different agenda. Like instead of using a pure protein and having to follow it up with a moisturizing conditioner, I use a reconstructor like GPB which has both moisturizing and strengthening properties, and can therefore save time. I have never really cared about ingredients because I could get something with similar ingredients and not get the same results--simply because not the same "chef baked both cakes". So I just prefer to find entire products that my hair likes and use them, regardless of whether they have "scary products" (like mineral oil) or not. After all, Shea butter which is supposed to be a natural wonder really sucks as far as my hair is concerned.

 

[gennatay]

I meant making things from scratch, like buying the avocado butter and mixing it with other butters and oils etc. But, I've also read that some ladies mix things with store bought products i.e. the ECO gel custard. I just wanted to get others opinions on the subject. Thanks ladies

 

[davisbr88]

Oh okay. Yeah, it definitely takes a lot of research - it took me a few days for some of my formulas, but it was a good way for me to take my mind off of school and relax (ironic that I take a break from PhD research to do hair research for relaxation... lmao.) I find it personally fulfilling. I have never mixed store bought products, but I don't know if I'd ever do that though.
PS. Avocado butter is the business!

 

[lovenharmony]

I just started mixing ingredients together...it's fun for me since I'm learning more about skin and hair care at the same time Who knows, I might create my own staple product so then I don't have to rely on commercial products that may or may not work for me.

 

[Vashti]

I do both. I mix natural ingredients from my kitchen to make my own oil blends and deep conditioner (both very easy) and then I buy the rest of my hair products. For me making a few products here and there saves on money and improves quality, IMO. When I make my own DC I know exactly what's going in my hair and what it's going to do for my hair. I also know that it's 100% natural with no substances that will damage my hair.

 

[Natural Hair Stylist]

I love making my own products that is mostly what I do now. My hair is way better when I make my own.