How to make your own sulfur serum

Whilst researching natural hair remedies, one of the things that kept cropping up was sulfur.  I have to admit, before embarking on this hair journey, I had never really known much about sulfur and it's uses knew NOTHING about sulfur and it's uses.  One of the ladies I follow on twitter is an avid natural hair product advocate and when I found out that she made her own sulfur hair serum, of course, I had to know more!  So without further a do, I am pleased to introduce to you I Am London Diva as my first 'guest blogger', with her [very detailed] post on how to make your own sulfur serum.

How to make your own sulfur serum for faster & thicker hair growth

Sulfur based products are have become very popular as a growth aid over recent years with new hair care companies creating and selling their own sulfur based products to sell. Although the products do work, and I would love to continue supporting these businesses, I’ve realised that it’s far cheaper to buy my own ingredients and make my own homemade version. The quantities made will last a lot longer, therefore saving in product and shipping costs overtime and unlike other hair care products, this is one which can be replicated with ease.

When used on the scalp, sulfur is an active ingredient used to increase existing hair growth, helps in areas where hair loss may have occurred, and to treat scalp ailments when applied topically.

In my personal experience of using sulfur based products, I have experienced faster hair growth, a tighter and softer curl pattern and increased thickness with the new growth.

The best and only type of sulfur to use for topical use is ‘sublimed sulfur’ which is commonly known as ‘flowers of sulfur’ and is easily available to purchase on-line or in most herbal stores. This type of sulfur is not to be taken orally.

I would recommend eBay as a quick and easy source to obtain sublimed sulfur powder, where many sellers have this product listed. If you do a search on eBay try both spellings of ‘sulphur’ and ‘sulfur’ when doing your search.  If you have no luck finding any sulfur on eBay you can try a Google search for your country and purchase some at an on-line store if you have no herbal stores in your area that stock it.

What ingredients will I need to make my own sulfur serum?

The ingredients needed for this particular sulfur serum can be pretty varied depending on the individual, but you will at least need TWO very important ingredients even if you decide to leave out the rest;

1. Sulfur powder 

2. An oil of your choice

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Coconut Oil

The oil you choose will serve as a carrier for the sulfur and will also moisturise your as sulfur is very drying to the hair itself. This serum is strictly for use on the scalp and not on the hair.

If you wish to use more than one oil in your serum, that is fine. In the example I’ll be giving on how to make your own I’m going to be using a mix of coconut oil and EVOO [extra virgin olive oil] that I picked up very cheaply from my supermarket.

Another optional ingredient is an essential oil of your choice. Some people with very sensitive noses do not like the aroma of the sulfur and wish to mask it. A few drops of your essential oil to your sulfur concoction can either be used as a ‘perfume’ or an addition to your growth aid, e.g. Rosemary Oil, which is said to have beneficial properties for healthy hair growth.

Rosemary Essential Oil

When it comes to essential oils, please be careful which ones you purchase. They are not to be used directly on the scalp and do need to be diluted. I purchased an organic essential oil of Mango and Kiwi in jojoba oil from a trusted homeopath on eBay. When it comes to essential oils please go for quality, over what could potentially be a cheap synthetic product.

Aside from the ingredients you’ll also need a plastic bottle to mix and keep your product in. You can either buy a new one or re-use an old. I use an old bottle as I don’t use the product from the bottle straight onto scalp [I will explain why further on].

How to Make Your Sulfur Serum

Take a teaspoon of sulfur powder and pour it in the bottle.

Coconut oil solidifies at cold temperatures, so you may want to use less of it in your coconut oil to olive oil ratio.

If your coconut oil is solid then you can warm it for a few second in the microwave, or sit the jar/bottle in some warm water.

Pour the desired amount of coconut oil into the bottle with the sulfur powder.

Put the lid back onto the bottle and shake the bottle mixing the sulfur powder and coconut oil.

Fill the remainder of the bottle up with EVOO, but leave some room in the bottle at the top. This is because you will need to shake the ingredients once again, and before every use.

Add a few drops of your selected essential oil to mask the fragrance of the sulfur if you choose to.

Shake the bottle a few times a day and leave the bottle for a couple of days before using for the first time.

How to Apply Your Sulfur Serum

From past experience I never apply the serum to my scalp using a bottle that contains a nozzle. No matter how small the hole it, you will experience unnecessary dripping on your face, neck and ears after applying it to the scalp.

Remove all jewellery before applying. 

If you wear an anklet and wash your hair in the shower remove the anklet as it will tarnish when washing the sulfur out of your hair.

Shake the bottle to mix up the sulfur powder and the oils.

Pour the amount of oil needed to use on your scalp into a small dish or container. Do not use a metal container.

Part the hair and apply the serum sparingly on the scalp. Do not vigorously rub it into the scalp. Sulfur is drying, so combined with friction it is not a good idea. This method reduces dripping onto the face, neck and ears.

As sulfur is a drying ingredient always moisturise your hair after applying Moisturise as close to the scalp as possible whether that be with a hair cream, lotion or spray. Apply your moisturiser to the entire length of the hair. No matter how careful you are in applying to your scalp, traces of sulfur will make contact with other parts of your hair.

How often you apply the serum to your scalp is entirely up to you. I have applied as frequently as daily to weekly. I did see faster results the more I applied on a daily basis.

After applying the serum, limit what you touch. I always have a damp cloth or towel around when using sulfur to wipe any excess away or clean my hands. Most metals you come into contact with sulfur will tarnish. I don’t even touch my metallic door handles directly after using it.

For example, if you scratch your scalp then touch your earrings, they will potentially tarnish. It is easier to remove the tarnish from sterling silver than yellow gold [which I’ve found to be practically impossible].

Since doing this method I have had no problems with a white gold ring I own, or my sterling silver earrings. Nothing has tarnished and I credit that to the way I apply it and making sure I wash my hands thoroughly before putting my jewellery back on.

Pros

·      Faster hair growth.

·      Curlier or a looser hair pattern depending on your hair type.

·      Thicker hair.

Cons

·      Tarnishes jewellery.

·      Some people may experience mild headaches, if new/not used to using sulfur before.

·      Creepy/crawling feeling on the scalp. Some people don’t like this feeling but this has been attributed to faster hair growth occurring, so for some it can be deemed either a pro or a con.

·      Smell of sulfur on your headscarf and pillow.

·      Sulfur will break the hair if applied to it. So only apply it to the scalp.

Copyright © Naomi Miller 2011 All Rights Reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced without written consent from the author.

Thank you so much London Diva for this very useful and informative post -  I've already ordered my sulfur!  Be sure to check out I Am London Diva's blog at http://www.iamlondondiva.com/