We got our start in a small apartment kitchen in Houston, TX where Clayton decided to make his own all-natural pomade. We've grown a lot since then, but there was something special about making those tiny batches of pomade on a stovetop double boiler. 

We hope that we can pass that experience on to you with this easy guide to making your own pomade at home!

Note: This recipe makes an oil-based pomade. Oil-based pomade is the most traditional form of pomade, and is definitely the easiest, and safest pomade to make at home. This pomade is not water soluble, meaning it will require some shampoo to remove from your hair. However, it boasts a strong hold, high shine, and is SUPER healthy for your scalp and hair!

Equipment:

- Pot - Any sized pot will do, just make sure your bowl fits onto it without falling in. This will be used for boiling water.
- Bowl - Glass or Metal - Bowl must be wider than pot so that it can safely sit on top of it. 
- Heat Resistant Spatula - Do not use wood - Any kitchen spoon or spatula should do, just make sure it's heat resistant.
- Kitchen Scale - This is important, and the only piece of equipment you may need to buy. If you do not want to buy this, I will provide volume measurements in the recipe. You can find them at any grocery store, or on amazon for no more than $15.
- Container for Pomade - Do not use plastic. Anything else will do. We recommend an old pomade jar, but any glass or metal container will be fine. The lid does not need to fit tight because there is no water on this recipe, so no evaporation.

Ingredients / Shopping List:

All of the ingredients should be available at your local Whole Foods, Sprouts, or any other natural grocery store. Choose the smallest size of whatever you find. You'll have leftovers. Alternatively, all of these ingredients can be purchased easily and in small amounts on Amazon. 

- Castor Oil: 30g - Castor oil should be the easiest oil to find, and is essential to this recipe. It should not be replaced for anything else. 

- Jojoba Oil: 10g - Jojoba oil is a great medium weight oil. If you cannot find Jojoba Oil you can replace this with another oil of your choosing. More castor oil, more almond oil, avocado oil, or grapeseed oil would all be good options

- Sweet Almond Oil: 10g - Sweet almond oil provides higher shine to this recipe. If you want to save some money it could be swapped with more jojoba oil or castor oil.

- Shea Butter: 25g - Shea butter helps this product bind together as well as provides deep nourishment for your hair and scalp. This ingredient is necessary for this formula. Do not replace it.

- Candelilla Wax: 22g - This specific ingredient may be the hardest ingredient to track down locally. It CAN be replaced with another wax if you cannot find it. Replace it with: Beeswax (24g) or Carnauba Wax (17g).

- Essential Oils: 3g - Choose whatever essential oils smell the best to you! Essential oils are added to the recipe for fragrance, so it is not necessary. If you don't add them, make sure to add 3g of another oil (any listed above) to compensate.

Here's a photo of our setup. All of these items are from my home. No O'Douds equipment will be used in the making of this pomade. 

Recipe:

Castor Oil: 30g / 3 tbsp
Jojoba Oil: 10g / 1 tbsp
Almond Oil: 10g / 1 tbsp
Shea Butter: 25g / 2 tbsp
Candelilla Wax: 22g / 3 tbsp + 1 tsp
Essential Oils: 3g / 1 tsp

If you need to substitute certain ingredients, please read the substitution options in the Ingredients section above!

Steps

Below these steps we'll put some photos of the process for reference!

1. Boil Water. Fill your pot to about 30-50% capacity and bring to a boil.

2. Measure Ingredients. One at a time, use a small bowl to weigh out the castor oil, jojoba oil, almond oil, shea butter, and candelilla wax, adding them to your glass or metal mixing bowl as you go. 

3. Melt Ingredients. Place your glass or metal mixing bowl on your pot, over the boiling water.
If enough water evaporates, you may need to add more water. That's not a problem, just remove your mixing bowl, add some hot water to the pot, and place your mixing bowl back on the pot.

4. Heat until your waxes and oils are fully incorporated.
You should not be able to see any inconsistencies. It is better to heat longer rather than not long enough. I'd suggest that you leave the mixing bowl over the boiling water for at least 10 minutes.

5. Remove from heat. Once your mixture is fully incorporated, use oven mits to remove the mixing bowl from the heat and place on a heat resistant surface. 

6. Add Essential Oils. Your mixture will start cooling down rapidly, so quickly add your essential oils (3g / 1 tsp) to the mixture and use the spatula to mix it in until fully incorporated. IF your mixture cools too quickly and starts to harden before you can mix in the oils, simply put the mixing bowl back on the pot boiling water to reheat. 

7. Pour the mixture into your pomade container. Be careful, this is hot wax!

You're done! Congratulations, you just made your very own pomade!