Keep your braids refreshed and your scalp itch-free this summer with this simple braid spray recipe for box braids.
I love wearing my hair curly most of the time but I live in a humid area with temperatures going as high as 55 degrees in the summer.
Irrespective of what I do, my hair just isn’t having it. It becomes a big ball of frizz after a few hours outside.
As a result, from May-August every year, my hair is always in braids with a two-week rest between each hairdo.
Grab the handy recipe card at the end as well to use when you’re ready to try out this braid spray for box braids.
While braids are low maintenance, it’s easy to neglect your hair underneath.
After all, all you have to do is throw it in a bun in the morning and you’re good to go.
However, keeping your moisture levels up is still required if you don’t want to end up taking most of your hair out along with the braids 8 weeks later.
I’ve used commercial braid sprays before but I didn’t like the sticky feeling they left behind on my braids.
They also didn’t do much to retain moisture and may have contributed to unnecessary itching possibly because I was allergic to an ingredient in them.
Additionally, at roughly $5 a spray bottle, which lasted less than 2 weeks, it was starting to get expensive.
When I braided my hair a few weeks ago, I decided to play around with a few things and ended up with a great recipe, which has been doing wonders for keeping my braids refreshed and moisturized.
Related Content: How to Take Down Braids Without Sacrificing Your Edges
5 Advantages of a Braid Spray
1. Growth Spurt
The four ingredients will assist with stimulating your follicles, which can lead to a growth spurt and optimize your length retention for the summer.
2. Prevents Itchiness
Wearing a protective style over a few weeks can lead to a dry scalp and itchiness. This refreshing braid spray helps prevent this pesky problem.
It also provides a cooling and relaxing effect under protective styles such as wigs or braids.
3. Less Build-up
There’s less risk of product build-up, which reduces the need to wash your hair as often.
Unless you swim regularly, I’d say washing once or twice a month with diluted Castile soap is adequate.
4. Braid Spray is Great for Dry Environments
If you live in a dry and/or humid environment, wearing your hair in a protective style can lead to a funky smell within a few weeks.
By applying this braid spray, you can prevent an annoying smell and keep your protective style smelling fresh.
5. Braid Spray Promotes Moisture
One of the ingredients in this braid spray promotes moisture.
When you take down your protective style, your strands will be soft and pliable instead of dry and crunchy.
Ingredients For Anti-Itch Braid Spray
1 x 4 oz Spray Bottle
1 x Bottle of Rose Water
1 x Kinky Curly Knot Today or
1 x Trader Joe’s Tea Tree Tingle Conditioner
1 x Tea Tree Essential Oil
1 x Peppermint Essential Oil
1 x Lavender Essential Oil
1 x Eucalyptus Essential Oil
How to Make a Refreshing Braid Spray for Summer
DIY Braid Spray – Step 1
Fill the spray bottle almost to the top with rose water. You can also use distilled water but I liked the delicate scent of rose water.
DIY Braid Spray – Step 2
Add 1 – 2 tablespoons of Kinky Curly Knot Today or Trader Joe’s Tea Tree Tingle conditioner to it. Close the bottle and shake until the conditioner is dissolved.
DIY Braid Spray – Step 3
Open up the spray bottle and add 5 drops of each essential oil. Close up again and shake vigorously.
Your refreshing braid spray is ready. The mixture should be cloudy yet clear. If it comes out as cloudy only, you have put in too much conditioner and it needs to be diluted with more rose water or distilled water.
Tip: If you would like a bit of fragrance, you can add 5 drops of ylang-ylang essential oil to the mix.
How to Use Refreshing Braid Spray
- Spray on your braids every morning focusing on where your real hair ends, then give your braids a shake and you’re good to go. You can also spray it lightly on your scalp.
- On wash day, after you rinse out your diluted conditioner, be very generous with the spray, especially on your scalp.
One bottle of braid spray should last up to 2 weeks depending on how often I use it.
The ingredients listed above are more than enough to make up to 10 or more 4oz bottles of braid spray so this is an economical recipe.
Grab all the ingredients for the braid spray with free shipping on Amazon Prime. Find out how to join HERE.
For more hair growth solutions, recipes, tips, tricks, and free hair growth coaching, check out The Ultimate Hair Growth Guide.
More Healthy Hair Growth Resources
- How to Grow Your Hair Healthy & Long with Natural Oils
- Tea Rinsing Secrets for Healthy Hair Care & Growth
- 365 Days of Moisture for Dry and Parched Hair
- Natural Butters for Hair: A Guide for Creating Recipes for Healthy Hair
Refreshing Braid Spray Recipe
This braid spray recipe will keep your braids refreshed all summer long and eliminate scalp itching and irritation.
Materials
- 1 bottle of rose water
- 1 tablespoon of moisturizing conditioner
- 3 drops of peppermint essential oil
- 3 drops of tea tree essential oil
- 3 drops of eucalyptus essential oil
- 3 drops of lavender essential oil
Tools
Instructions
- Fill the spray bottle almost to the top with rose water (about 90%). You can also use distilled water but I liked the delicate scent of rose water.
- Add 1 – 2 tablespoons of a moisturizing conditioner. For this recipe, I prefer Kinky Curly Knot Today or Trader Joe’s Tea Tree Tingle conditioner to it.
- Close the spray bottle and shake until the conditioner is completely dissolved.
- Open up the spray bottle and add the essential oils. Close up again and shake vigorously. You can increase it to 5 drops each if you want more intensity.
Notes
- The braid spray should be cloudy yet clear. If it comes out as cloudy only, you have put in too much conditioner and it needs to be diluted with more rose water or distilled water. Too much conditioner will lead to build-up at the roots.
- If you would like a bit of fragrance, you can add 5 drops of ylang-ylang essential oil to the mix as well.
- To use, spray generously on your braids every morning focusing on where your real hair ends, then give your braids a shake and you’re good to go. You can also spray it lightly on your scalp. Don't oversaturate.
- On wash day, after you rinse out your diluted conditioner, be very generous with the spray, especially on your scalp.
This post contains affiliate links which means I will make a small commission if you purchase through those links. Read full disclosure HERE.
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[…] plaits twisted together and pinned down under my wig. I use the same braid spray I recommend from this earlier article. It’s excellent for keeping the hair moisturized under the wig cap. Concentrate on your edges and […]