Introduction: Homemade Pomade: Make That 'stache Shine

By the panties within
About: i like to make things. i usually forget to document them, but i hope to start.

This is my first Instructable; please be nice.

Is your facial hair droopy and inexpressive? Do you need some curl in your world? Make this easy, inexpensive and nontoxic pomade today! Also usable on dreadlocks, mohawks, braids, and anything else you'd use wax or pomade for.

Step 1: Collect the Ingredients

You will need:

A. Beeswax. Find at a local craft store, hardware store (it's used to lubricate screws and threads), candle supply warehouse, or melt down some beeswax candles.

B. Olive oil. I guess you could use any oil, but this is safe to eat. A concern when it's right above your mouth.

C. Some kind of essential oil (for pleasant fragrance). I chose some fennel oil that my friend Dwayne gave us. Apparently it has some sort of health or aromatherapy benefit. Or something. Make sure it's not diluted with water or you will spend precious time waiting for the water to cook out.

D. A saucepan. Don't use a good one if you're messy. If you're clean, use whatever you want.

E. A glass jar that has a wide mouth.

F. A wire rack that fits in the saucepan. You can also jimmy-rig a tinfoil ring, or some clotheshangers, or whatever keeps the glass jar off the bottom of the saucepan.

Step 2: Make a Makeshift Double Boiler

I guess you could use an actual double boiler but this stuff is really hard to clean up. Place the jar on the rack inside the saucepan. Fill with water. Boil water. SAFETY NOTE: Now is when you have to start being careful. Glass becomes VERY HOT and DOES NOT COOL DOWN EASILY. So use potholders. Don't catch anything on fire. Don't drop anything on you, as it will be MOLTEN WAX AND HOT OIL.

Step 3: Melt the Wax


I chose an arbitrary amount of wax. You will probably make more than you will ever need, no matter how little you make. Unless you wax every hair on your body, every day, ever.

I chopped up the wax so it'd melt faster. I'd avise the same. SAFETY DISCLAIMER: Do not cut yourself with a knife. beeswax is pretty hard. Try a "shaving" motion.

Pop it in the glass jar, let it melt.

Step 4: Add the Oils


As simple as that. Carefully pour in the olive oil and essential oil. Let them get nice and mixed up. I ended up with about a 1:1 ratio wax to oil. along the way (slowly adding oil) i tested the mix by putting a small amount in the freezer and then testing it on my 'stache.

Step 5: Pour Into Appropriate Containers, Let Cool, PARTY


Pretty self-explanatory step. SAFETY DISCLAIMER: be careful pouring the mix into your containers! Over newspaper, the sink, anywhere safe and preferably disposable. When molten this stuff will work its way into everything!

You want airtight containers ideally. An open container will be fine for the short term (a year or so). I chose a travel kit and a "rest-of-it" kit that will probably get lost in a week. The altoids tin on the left is my first batch that i made five years ago. The only reason i made a new batch was because i thought i'd lost it. I found it looking for suitable containers for my new batch. The stuff lasts FOREVER.

To apply:

take a tiny bit on your fingertips, massage it for a few seconds to soften it. Work it into your moustache, dreads, hair or whatever slowly and evenly. It'll be flaky at first and look like you have lip dandruff, but after a short while it'll distribute and smooth out.

STYLE DISCLAIMER: moustaches take work. Yours may not curl at first; this is something that you will have to train your hair to do. This stuff is pliable, not stiff like hair gel. Make sure to keep an eye on your moustache as drinking, negligence, or heavy make-out sessions will disturb your handlebars, Sandoz, or freddie mercury.

Aside from that, have fun knockin 'em dead!