Recipe: leave-in hair conditioner

Several months ago Mountain Rose Herbs posted a recipe for a leave-in hair conditioner. I thought it might help de-tangle my daughters' hair, so I made a batch. I was pleasantly surprised to find that it works for my hair and my husband's hair also. We all have curly hair in varying textures, with the exception of my youngest daughter whose hair will only be curly if she ever moves to a more humid climate. I can't find the link to the original recipe, but here is my adaptation of it.

You'll need a spray bottle that holds more than 6 ounces. If you have one that originally held a purchased leave-in conditioner, that's ideal, as it dispenses the conditioner in smaller quantities than a regular spray bottle. If possible, use a bottle that sprays a fine mist rather than a heavy shower--it will make the conditioner last longer. A bottle that used to hold spray gel would probably work too.

This recipe makes enough for five of us to use almost every day for a month. It's really helpful on those "oh no, I spent too long on Facebook and I ran out of time to wash my hair" mornings.

Pour 3 ounces of aloe vera gel into a 2 cup measuring cup.
Add 3 ounces of water.
Add 1/8 teaspoon jojoba oil and
1/8 teaspoon vegetable glycerin.

Whisk. Pour it into your spray bottle--I recommend using a funnel, as aloe vera gel is a little gloppy even after being whisked.

Add 10 drops lemongrass essential oil,
10 drops lavender essential oil,
and 2 drops tea tree oil.
(For a different fragrance, try 10 drops lemongrass and 10 drops rosemary essential oil.
The lemongrass and tea tree oil keep the lavender from being a frilly feminine fragrance, but if you want a really feminine fragrance, try just using the lavender.)

Put the sprayer top on the bottle securely, and shake.

Your conditioner is ready to use. Shake before each use.

I bought all my ingredients from vitacost.com, which has great deals on all the things I used to drive to the health food store to purchase. Shipping is $4.99 on every order under $75; orders over that amount ship free.