Gee, Your Hair Smells Lavender-ific

Anyone who has known me for any length of time, knows that I have a love/hate thing going on with my curly head of hair. It's true. Sometimes the pendulum swings slowly and sometimes I'll flip from love to hate overnight. Most of the time though, I'm wallowing in an all-out "I-hate-my-hair" pit of despair. Naturally curly hair can do that to a person.

Over the years I'd try almost anything if it promised better hair. It's been my constant quest. My grail. My impossible dream. I've permed it, straightened it, and otherwise tortured it. I've even chopped it all off in frustration. Just about any product that was marketed "for curly hair", I'd buy. Nothing worked.

A few months ago I bought Curly Girl: The Handbook.* It has changed everything. Above and beyond all the stories, the method, the tips and tricks... the big message was this: You are not alone... and it's never too late to learn how to take care of your curls. Bam.

One of the things that delighted the heck out of me with the book was the natural DIY curl-care recipes it contained. The first thing I tried was the "Lavender-It-With-Love Spray". Kind of an all-purpose curl-refreshing mist that's especially good to use for reviving curls on the days between hair cleansing. The recipe in the book uses lavender essential oil, but when I realized how much dried lavender I still had from last summer, I knew I needed to try making it with that.

Curl-Reviving Lavender Spray
adapted from Crunchy Betty and Curly Girl: The Handbook by Lorraine Massey

Cook some up....

1. Bring slightly more than 4 cups of water to a rolling boil. Turn the heat down, cover the pot, and simmer for a 30-45 minutes.
2. Remove from heat and add 1 cup dried lavender buds. Stir well. 
3. Cover the pot and let it cool and steep for 12-24 hours.
4. Strain the liquid through a coffee filter into a glass jar or bottle
5. Refrigerate until needed. Will keep for about two to three weeks.

To revive bed-head or ponytail-bump, etc...

1. Fill a small spray bottle with the lavender infusion. (Take the time to find one that make a nice big mist-y spray instead of one that squirts.)
2. Flip dry hair upside down and spray the underside. Gently scrunch hair from the ends up toward the scalp.
3. Flip hair back, shake out, and spray the infusion all over the top side. Gently scrunch again.
4. Use as often you need; whenever your hair needs a pick-up spritz.

Notes: Be sure not to spray the lavender infusion while wearing a white blouse or shirt... it shouldn't stain permanently, but it will leave temporary "tea spots" if it drips on light colored clothing. This version takes longer to make than the one in the book, and it doesn't keep as long (so don't double it), but it's completely simple to make and it works great too. I use it almost every single day.

*If you're a curly girl (or guy, or have curly-kids), I would totally recommend that book. It has changed my whole approach to my hair. I still haven't found my exact groove as far as what combination of products, concoctions, and techniques are the best for my head of curls, but my hair is so very much better than it ever was (except for a couple of really good years in my twenties). This is a personal recommendation by the way, I'm not being paid or compensated in any way to say any of it. Curly-people need to help each other out is all.