Eco-Friendly Hair Gel - an alternative to chemical gels and waxes

Several years ago I did a road trip to Florida with some friends. It was my first time traveling the the United States but it wouldn't be my last.

During this trip I ran out of my usual hair gel (or putty... I don't recall the brand I was using at the time). I needed something fast but I'm fairly picky about what I put in my hair. I'm not keen on the oily, greasy feeling that accompanies hair wax and putty products and I don't like my hair to be as stiff as a board which you get with mouse or hair-sprays. I also had a pretty nasty sunburn at the time and had bought a bottle of Fruit of the Earth's pure Aloe Vera gel. Imagine my surprise when my lack of hair wax combined with my lobster-red sunburn compelled me to wipe the excess aloe vera gel on my hands through my hair. From that day forward I have not used a hair product other than pure aloe vera in my hair. I mean, it's aloe vera! It's a natural plant product and it is leaps and bounds beyond any other hair product. It's cost-effective / cheap and it has one ingredient. In terms of usage it gives you the utmost control. If you want hard spikey hair just squirt out a tablespoon into your palm and style it as you would gel. If you want something with a little hold but not stiff then wet your hands thoroughly and mix in a little less aloe vera gel. By changing the water / aloe ratio you can create any type of hold you want.

There are also some other benefits that come with using aloe vera as a hair product. These are:

• fixibility - yes, that's right. Aloe vera gel is very fixable. So, if that young child hops up and decides to mess up your hair.. no worries! Just wet your hands and run them through your hair. The cured gel turns back to liquid and you're back to square one. It's endlessly fixable!
• removal - have you ever tried to rinse out wax or putty from your hair? Unless you're using shampoo then you're basically out of luck. It just doesn't come out. Aloe vera on the other hand rinses out no problem. And best of all it actually moisturizes your hair. Try it! When you're done for the day and you hop in the shower you will be amazed at how soft your hair is.
  
• non-flaky - aloe vera is non-flaky. For instance, imagine you used a generous amount to throw your hair up into some serious spikes or a mow-hawk even. Then later on you felt like taming it down a bit. Run your hands through your hair several times and voila! Your hair will be soft and manageable once again.
  

So don't delay, go out and buy a bottle of aloe vera and give this a try. I have also tried it straight from the plant and it works just as good! Unfortunately my latitude prevents me from being able to grow my own but I will always have a bottle or two on hand. Good luck and please feel free to post comments on your findings!