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View Full Version : Need help fast please! Sugar water for setting lotion???



Wusel
June 12th, 2015, 06:31 AM
Need to put my bangs up in a pompadour and need something to set it and keep it standing up for some hours this evening. Is sugar water damaging? Got this tip from a friend.

calmyogi
June 12th, 2015, 06:38 AM
I don't see why it would be.

Gertrude
June 12th, 2015, 06:42 AM
Sugar water was used a lot in the UK as an economical setting lotion for pompadours and rolls for 1940s hairstyles. Totally harmless to hair, but it does set like cement! Washes out with warm water, but you won't have touchable locks (-;

Squiggy
June 12th, 2015, 06:48 AM
Seconding Gertrude. The only downside I've heard about it (never tried it myself) is that it won't last through high humidity or rain. But then again, commercial hairsprays usually don't last in those conditions either!

Wusel
June 12th, 2015, 06:52 AM
THANK YOU!

Yes, I've got this tip from a friend who lives a ... don't know how to call it properly... :D excessive rockabilly lifestyle. :D

SO, sugar on my head too :D

Wusel
June 12th, 2015, 08:08 AM
WOAH!!!
MY HAIR IS CONCRETED!!!
:D

THIS will stay up for YEARS!

Anje
June 12th, 2015, 08:43 AM
OK, I'm going to have to make a mental note of this. I've heard of it being used as hairspray before, but wasn't sure if it actually worked. :)

jeanniet
June 12th, 2015, 08:48 AM
Pics, please? I have got to see this!

lapushka
June 12th, 2015, 09:02 AM
Okay, okay, I have to ask. Doesn't that attract... like, bugs? :)

Wusel
June 12th, 2015, 09:33 AM
Okay, okay, I have to ask. Doesn't that attract... like, bugs? :)

:D I hope not! I'm still inside my apartment. Here are no bugs. And no bees...

Wusel
June 12th, 2015, 09:34 AM
Pics, please? I have got to see this!

I make a pic later :)

Nadine <3
June 12th, 2015, 10:04 AM
Yes, it works REALLY well. I've used it to set braids so I could wear them for a few days without them falling apart. It stays for a very, very long time. Just BE CAREFUL during take down, it's sticky and you don't want to just pull on it. Take it out carefully and soak it well and gob some conditioner in and detangle.

teal
June 12th, 2015, 10:56 AM
What sugar-to-water ratio did you use?

Wusel
June 12th, 2015, 11:21 AM
What sugar-to-water ratio did you use?

100ml water and 4 teaspoons sugar.

TrapperCreekD
June 12th, 2015, 11:40 AM
I've used it as hairspray a few times a while back, and from what I remember it works pretty well. Just don't take it down roughly or try to run a brush though it - get it wet and let the sugar relax its grip first.

rosieolie
June 12th, 2015, 12:00 PM
This is so cool! I have been wanting an alternative to hairspray for years! I used to love doing a little bump with my fringe pulled back, but it falls flat without any product to hold it up. Thank you!

lapushka
June 12th, 2015, 12:43 PM
No offense you guys, but I think I'd rather use hairspray if I must. Natural options are all great and all, but if it's that tacky and sticky, I'd rather go for a mild hold hairspray. Just MO.

meteor
June 12th, 2015, 01:25 PM
I think it will attract lint/dust pretty well, but then again, so does hairspray and most hair styling products anyway.
I've used coconut water and water+honey before in my final rinses and the sugars in them helped a bit with control/hold.
Do try to dilute quite a lot or else you might need to rinse it out to avoid the stickiness. It's super-easy to wash out with water alone though. :)

Nadine <3
June 12th, 2015, 02:09 PM
No offense you guys, but I think I'd rather use hairspray if I must. Natural options are all great and all, but if it's that tacky and sticky, I'd rather go for a mild hold hairspray. Just MO.

If it's a one time deal, buying an entire can of hairspray seems like a waist. Plus, for the life of me I can't even tell the difference between the two...well the sugar water doesn't gag me when I spray it.

lilin
June 12th, 2015, 03:03 PM
Wow, neat! I might have to try that if I ever need hold for some kind of event. I almost never use gel, so I can't really justify buying it, but on the rare occasion I need it, it's never there. So then I buy it, use it once, and it sits around for 2 years unused and eventually gets tossed. Rinse and repeat. But hey, I always have sugar around!

Just remember not to manipulate the hair once it's dry! The one risk here, as far as I'm aware, is that breaking the hold of a gel by manipulating it when dry can also kink the hair encased inside the gel. When you're ready to take your hair down, just get straight in the shower and wait for the water to melt the hold gently.

lapushka
June 12th, 2015, 03:09 PM
If it's a one time deal, buying an entire can of hairspray seems like a waist. Plus, for the life of me I can't even tell the difference between the two...well the sugar water doesn't gag me when I spray it.

I still have a can in my cupboard - you never know. It just doesn't get used much. So that's why I wouldn't immediately DIY the stuff. ;) I admit, I do used to love my hairspray when I didn't wear my hair wavy! Yeah, the can is that old. :lol:

Wusel
June 12th, 2015, 04:52 PM
No offense you guys, but I think I'd rather use hairspray if I must. Natural options are all great and all, but if it's that tacky and sticky, I'd rather go for a mild hold hairspray. Just MO.

It's not tacky and sticky. It dries like hairspray and it's after midnight in Germany and after a VERY WILD party evening my hair ist still PERFECT!
I don't get why people use hairspray. I never do this again. It's so much better and healthier for scalp and hair, this sugarwater.
I'm over the moon about it!!!
WOW! I swear, it's amazing!!!
:)

Wusel
June 12th, 2015, 04:55 PM
Wow...
It's out now.
Only a cup of water, comb through and ALL OUT!
And fresh, shiny hair!!!
WOW!!!
:D

Lauraes
June 12th, 2015, 04:56 PM
Sounds a lot less drying than hairspray. I'll have to try it one day to see if it can get braid waves to stay in my hair for more than a few hours, that'll be a challenge. :p

Wusel
June 12th, 2015, 05:14 PM
Sounds a lot less drying than hairspray. I'll have to try it one day to see if it can get braid waves to stay in my hair for more than a few hours, that'll be a challenge. :p

It's absolutely NOT DRYING! :)
I have the feeling that it's even softening and moisturizing! :)
My hair is really silky now :)

spidermom
June 12th, 2015, 07:04 PM
Nice! It will attract bees and wasps, though.

Wusel
June 13th, 2015, 02:28 AM
Nice! It will attract bees and wasps, though.

No. it didn't. I was outside whole afternoon and evening and no bee came along. :)
And if it did, I prefer this than the chemicals in my hairspray. It scares me when I read what's in it.

Wusel
June 13th, 2015, 08:54 AM
Second time I used it.
Perfect method to keep my bangs back and out of the face in a nice wave to the side. Cemented. Again. Didn't even move while bike riding. AWESOME!

spirals
June 13th, 2015, 10:42 AM
I still have a can in my cupboard - you never know. It just doesn't get used much. So that's why I wouldn't immediately DIY the stuff. ;) I admit, I do used to love my hairspray when I didn't wear my hair wavy! Yeah, the can is that old. :lol:
Meanwhile, I use so much hairspray that it's probably coating my lungs. :lol: (I do vintage styles frequently.)

Gertrude
June 13th, 2015, 11:09 AM
My mother and her friends used the sugar water, with hair rolled around whatever was round and handy while it dried to get a sky high pompadour roll at the front of her shoulder length coiffure. And she assured me that she was never pursued by the swarm of bees and wasps I was imagining. It doesn't withstand rain and it's not repositionable. With hairspray you can spray on some water and then re-mould the hair. But sugar water definitely doesn't make a hole in the ozone. Hairspray is a big part of the cause about that hole.

Glad it worked for you @Wusel (-:

Totty
June 13th, 2015, 12:50 PM
I use suger water now and again and I love it for my curly hair . My nicest curls were with sugar water.
I adder a little bit of oil and I imagine you could and some bug repellent EO.
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y265/tottyspics/Hair%202013/DSC_4396.jpg (http://s7.photobucket.com/user/tottyspics/media/Hair%202013/DSC_4396.jpg.html)

spirals
June 13th, 2015, 04:39 PM
Hairspray is a big part of the cause about that hole.

So use non-aerosol.

Gertrude
June 14th, 2015, 07:58 AM
So use non-aerosol.

Sorry! My apologies. I wasn't suggesting using hairspray nowadays spreading CFCs into the atmosphere. I was stuck mentally in the past, when Ellnett, the brand leader and others here in Europe still had CFCs after the US banned them )-: When I was small nobody hired a baby sitter for children. I, like all my friends, accompanied my mother to the hair dresser and was just bored. The salon had huge cans of Ellnett and sprayed it on lavishly. I would be coughing between that and the perm lotion. The good old days (-;

Calaelen
June 14th, 2015, 10:32 AM
If you have any sort of dandruff, or Seborrhoeic Dermatitis, you may want to avoid this. These conditions are caused by yeast overgrowth, and the sugar may exacerbate the condition. Otherwise, this is a very safe alternative to hairspray, and modifications for lighter hold would be lemon juice or vinegar added with the sugar and water.

lapushka
June 14th, 2015, 12:07 PM
If you have any sort of dandruff, or Seborrhoeic Dermatitis, you may want to avoid this. These conditions are caused by yeast overgrowth, and the sugar may exacerbate the condition. Otherwise, this is a very safe alternative to hairspray, and modifications for lighter hold would be lemon juice or vinegar added with the sugar and water.

That certainly is good to know. I have SD, so good I'm sticking to hairspray. ;) Not that I've used it for *ages*!

Betazed
June 14th, 2015, 01:27 PM
I was looking for an alternative to the big can of Rave hair spray that's sat in my bathroom for years. I'm going to have my hair in double french braids for an upcoming powwow that I'll be dancing in. I wanted something that will keep the flyaways from getting too out of control but the ingredient list on that can of Rave scared me. My gramma suggested this sugar water but like others who have posted before me, I was worried about attracting bugs. I'm allergic to bee and wasp stings so I'd rather not have to be rushed to a hospital whilst in my full traditional outfit. Awkward! I'm glad to read it didn't cause any insect attraction. I think I'll test this out before hand though. Our powwow is held right along a river so there will probably be a lot of bugs to contend with. I think I'll set my hair and take my Terrier for a swim in the river and a walk in the woods (with my EpiPen, of course!) to see for myself that I'm not swarmed. I'm optimistic! Thanks, OP for starting this thread!

meteor
June 14th, 2015, 03:26 PM
If you have any sort of dandruff, or Seborrhoeic Dermatitis, you may want to avoid this. These conditions are caused by yeast overgrowth, and the sugar may exacerbate the condition. Otherwise, this is a very safe alternative to hairspray, and modifications for lighter hold would be lemon juice or vinegar added with the sugar and water.

Calaelen, thank you so much for bringing this up! :D
I've been wondering about this Sugar & SD connection ever since I saw this thread, but I couldn't find anything on specifically topical application of sugar (sugary water). The connection between sugar consumption internally and skin issues like SD is very well documented in research, but can somebody please share links to this issue related to topical application of sugar?

It's not that I'm questioning it (I think I've read it somewhere but can't find it, and it does make intuitive sense as sugary water feels sticky and unpleasant on skin as it dries) it's just that it would be good to know for other sugar-containing ingredients as well, like honey and many other items that we use on scalp/skin and also things like glycerin (which is a type of a sugar alcohol compound), so I think it would be pretty useful info all around for scalp&skin care.
Thank you very much! :blossom:

yahirwaO.o
June 14th, 2015, 08:07 PM
If you have any sort of dandruff, or Seborrhoeic Dermatitis, you may want to avoid this. These conditions are caused by yeast overgrowth, and the sugar may exacerbate the condition. Otherwise, this is a very safe alternative to hairspray, and modifications for lighter hold would be lemon juice or vinegar added with the sugar and water.

Lemon Juice for me, I use it all the time to tame my front hairs that look like bad cut bangs and to hold my bun waves and braid waves with great success.
My hair is really dark, so lemmon juice does not lighten my hair at all. I want to try sugar water but I feel its more stiff rather than flexible.

meteor
June 14th, 2015, 08:21 PM
Lemon Juice for me, I use it all the time to tame my front hairs that look like bad cut bangs and to hold my bun waves and braid waves with great success.
My hair is really dark, so lemmon juice does not lighten my hair at all. I want to try sugar water but I feel its more stiff rather than flexible.

Maybe diluting sugar with more water will make the hold more flexible for your taste? :)

What about lemon juice - you are not worried about using it straight, despite the very acidic ~2 pH ? Or do you dilute it well? :)

yahirwaO.o
June 14th, 2015, 08:57 PM
Maybe diluting sugar with more water will make the hold more flexible for your taste? :)

What about lemon juice - you are not worried about using it straight, despite the very acidic ~2 pH ? Or do you dilute it well? :)

Yeah diluting sugar makes sense, but responding the answer I have use it both ways and despite ph, it certainly does not affect my hair or not nottice any problem so far when used straight. And I prefer it straight out of lemmon because its very practical to me.

Here in Mexico, its was and some areas still is, very common to use it as hairspray substitute (oranges and mandarins too believe it) and I dont know anybody who has any problem, if that, I always see super thick tammed black braids all over both young and very old people!!!!!

Now there is some controversy about lemmon juice being actually alkaline inside body rather than acidic, which based on my experience could be the reason why I havent seen any problem despite using it everyday on my hair.... dont know if thats true, but hair is so much happier and more flexible than regular drugstore sticky hairspray!! ;)