Hair wax stick
Hair wax stick
We've seen these hair wax sticks trending recently (and retailing for up to $50!) so we thought we would try and create our own, and we're pretty stoked with the results! Hair wax sticks offer a convenient, mess-free, and effective solution for achieving a slicked-back hairstyle with a professional finish. copy.png "Hair wax stick (Instagram Story) copy")
We have used beeswax and castor oil as our base, castor oil as it is thick and sticky and is said to be nourishing for hair and scalp, beeswax as it is hard but flexible, it is the basis for the structural integrity of the stick and does the heavy lifting in terms of hold.
We have also included conditioner pellets (BTMS 25) to add more solidity to the stick and for its conditioning properties (why just style your hair when you can condition it at the same time?).
Polysorbate 80 is a solubiliser and has been included to help with the wash-off aspect of the product. This can be optional however as it is there to help the product wash out more easily, which with a wax product is certainly a consideration, it is helpful. See substitutions below if you choose not to include it.
Tubes
You can use *large kraft tubes, deodorant tubes or even small kraft tubes or lip balm tubes (these are great for filling with any excess product and using for travel or taming eyebrows!)
Keep in mind all these tubes hold different amounts of product, so once you make your decision use our Batch Size Calculator to adjust the size of your batch accordingly.
*Large kraft tubes can sometime be difficult to push up once the product has set. We have tested this formulation and it works really well, however this can be dependant on weather and temperature. What works in Auckland winter, may not be the same for Invercargill winter for example. If you need help pressing the product up we recommend using a hairdryer around the outside or wrapping the tube in a hot flannel to soften the sides.
Recipe
Makes 100g - use our Batch Size Calculator and the percentages provided here to easily adjust the volume of your batch.
Ingredients
Phase A
30g | 30% Castor oil
30g | 30% Beeswax
14g | 14% Sunflower oil
10g | 10% Conditioner pellets (BTMS 25)
10g | 10% Polysorbate 80
5g | 5% Candelilla wax
Phase B
1g | 1% Vitamin E
Method
- Weigh and combine all the ingredients in Phase A. You can use a double boiler or pot on direct heat. Direct heat will melt more quickly so make sure you're stirring constantly so it doesn't burn.
- Gently heat until all the waxes are melted.
- Take off heat and add Phase B, stir to combine.
- Pour into tube/s and leave to set. (A hole can appear in the middle as the mixture sets, to avoid this save a bit of your mixture and very gently re-warm it to top up/fill in the hole at the stick sets.)
- With hair tied back, run the stick backwards from your face to slick down loose, frizzy hairs and fly aways.
- Beeswax: You can use any type of beeswax, we used white to make the formula as neutral as possible. To make the formula vegan you can use a different type of wax such as sunflower or rice bran, be aware you may need to re-work the ratios as these waxes are harder than beeswax.
- Sunflower oil: This is a very neutral and in expensive oil which is why we chose it, but this is where you really bring your formula to life! Any liquid oil will work and not change the structure of the final product so have some fun. Great hair oils include: Amla, Argan, Baobab and Broccoli. You could use multiple different oils, as long as they add up to 14%.
- Polysorbate 80: If you choose not to include it replace the % with more castor oil.
- Candelilla wax: You could switch this for another wax or more beeswax, just be aware that it may change the solidity of the final product.
- Scent: Of course you can scent your stick if you wish to! We chose to leave this unscented as not everyone wants to commit to aromatic hair for a day, but this is another area where you can have some fun. If you choose to use essential oils or fragrance oils to scent your product, you generally want to use them for hair products at 0.5%, just check with recommended usage rate for the specific scent you choose. At it with the vitamin E in Phase B.