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French Flour Formula for Shiny, Silky Hair

posted by Annie B. Bond Jan 22, 2002 5:20 pm
French Flour Formula for Shiny, Silky Hair
11 comments

Adapted from The Herbal Home Spa, by Greta Breedlove (Storey Books, 1998).

This simple flouring technique is all the rage in France, where the women are known for their beauty and this easy formula gives them lustrous, manageable hair. Evidently, flour smoothes the scales of the hair shaft. Who knew?

Find out the easy technique for hair so smooth and shiny, you’ll say “magnifique!” No more frizzies!

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup white spelt flour
1/2 cup barley flour
1 cup distilled water
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 plastic bag that can fit over the hair

To Make:
1. Sift the flours together in a large bowl.

2. Pour the water and vinegar over the flours and mix well.

To Use:
1. Spoon the flour mixture onto your dry hair.

2. Smooth the paste all over the hair shafts. (This treatment is for the hair. It is not harmful for the scalp, but the focus is on getting the paste on the individual strands of hair.)

3. Sweep the coated hair up on top of your head and cover with a plastic bag, securing with a hair clip or clothespin.

4. Leave on for 20 to 30 minutes.

5. Remove plastic bag and rinse the mixture off hair thoroughly using cool water. (Hot water will make the flour stick to the hair shafts.)

6. Shampoo as usual, rinsing with cool water.

More on Hair Care (79 articles available)
More from Annie B. Bond (3247 articles available)

11 comments

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11 comments add your comment
Catman P.

Interesting.

Maggie A.

spelt flour it is to make a flourless bread or cookies it is very healthy instead of the regular flour,taste diferent ,but it is good anyway if you look for healthy choices the brand in the frozen section ( EZEQUIEL is good but you will find many more in healthy store,always read the ingredients,

Susan S M

"Evidently, flour smoothes the scales of the hair shaft." You don't really want to smooth down the hair shaft - waxy conditioners do this as well. Your hair can't "breath", and it will appear dull.

Gem O.
  • Gem O. says
  • Jan 27, 2009 8:04 PM

Ridiculous??? Totally!!! Except for temporary brain freeze, I have absolutely no excuse for trying this concoction. So for anybody tempted - don't! Both flours are coarse and four shampoos later I still am picking bits of lice-like residue from my hair. I tried walnut oil to help it slide off, lots of rinsing, brushing, etc. My hair is short; can't even imagine the effort long hair would require to remove that goo. And yes, I did use cool H2O for initial rinse. And no, it did not make my hair any nicer or healthier looking... Off to bake some spelt flour cookies ;).

Oh, and as a 100% European, who happened to spend half of her life (20yrs) in the US and traveled the world extensively, I must say - bologna! Considering that beauty standards differ, taking pride in one's appearance is the matter of personal values and not nationality!

Sally Bennett

What a ridiculous idea!! I can't believe anyone would actually try this flour mixture thing in one's hair. What a mess. Not only the mess of trying to get all that rinsed out, but one would risk clogging the drain. One the other hand, the vinegar rinse is a classic idea and tried and true.

Danielle W.

I am an american living in Paris. Just to kill the stereotype, women here look like total crap. They do not moisturize or use conditioner. They look dried up and tens of years older than they really are! French women may be skinnier, but americans have prettier faces and hair!

VV V.
  • VV V. says
  • Aug 13, 2007 4:18 PM


(N.B. This is off-topic, but might be of interest to the author or to would-be-authors.)

Why, WHY do people have to spoil everything by mercilessly stereotyping?!

" in France where the women are known for their beauty"?

It may sound like nitpicking on my part, and maybe it is, but I really think the author should think about the impact of such fluff. Because I (the proud owner of 1000 + books) can assert in all seriousness that I would not even consider buying a book that contains stereotypes. They are usually a pretty good indicator as to the actual worth of the information contained.

(BTW, one of my own g-g-mothers was French. From France. Not known for her beauty. ;)
But she was nice-looking enough - and kind, I am told. The beauties in my family came from other parts of Europe. And they - all of them, including grandmaman - rarely washed their hair anyway..;)

Rebecca Sentance

Has anyone here tried this? I'd like to, but I don't think my parents would let me buy special kinds of flour >

Jack Morrow

Spelt flour is a type of wheat flour. You can probably find it at a natural foods store, such as Wild Oats or Whole Foods, if you cannot locate it at your closest market.

Emma Dorsey

yes I would like to know too what spelt flour is"?

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Adapted from The Herbal Home Spa, by Greta Breedlove (Storey Books, 1998). Copyright (c) 1998 by Greta Breedlove. Reprinted by permission of Storey Books.

Disclaimer: Care2.com does not warrant and shall have no liability for information provided in this newsletter or on Care2.com. Each individual person, fabric, or material may react differently to a particular suggested use. It is recommended that before you begin to use any formula, you read the directions carefully and test it first. Should you have any health care-related questions or concerns, please call or see your physician or other health care provider.

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