Let's Make Our Own Temple Balm

While ponytails, updos and buns do help with protecting our ends, our edges need pampering as well.

While wearing these styles, most like to smooth their hair back or up, along their temples, to give the style a ‘polished’ look. But as we all know, too much stress - tight braids, accessories, constantly pulling hair back - can cause breakage along the hairline.

There are several products available that proclaim to grow back or fill-in edges, but with a few simple ingredients, you can create your own.

The following list of ingredients will help you do just that :o) By the way, this was previously published in Clutch's sister mag Coco and Creme - DIY Temple Balm for Hairline Protection - it was one of the favorite articles I wrote, so I decided to share it here.

They are ingredients that will enable you to make a DIY temple balm, that will not only give your ponytails, updos and buns that ‘polished’ look, but will protect the hair around your temples, stimulate scalp circulation and promote hair growth.

The first step will be to decide whether you want an oil or pomade type balm. For an oil based balm, you can choose among the following carrier oils:

• Jojoba Oil


• Olive Oil


• Coconut Oil


• Hemp Oil


• Neem Oil


• Shea Oil


• Sweet Almond Oil

For a pomade type balm you can choose among the following butters:

• Cocoa Butter


• Olive Butter


• Aloe Butter


• Hemp Butter


• Shea Butter


• Almond Butter

*If you have a favorite carrier oil or butter that is not listed, you can use them as well*

The next step will be to add essential oils and/or herbs to your oil or butter. Carrier oils can be infused with herbs (see - Annies Remedy.com for instructions). Essential oils can be added directly to your oils or butters. You can also add carrier oils infused with herbs to melted butter.

Essential Oils and Herbs

• Arnica


• Calendula


• Stinging Nettle


• Rosemary (oil or leaves)


• Peppermint Oil


• Sage (EO or leaves)


• Cedarwood


• Saw Palmetto Extract

For those who would prefer a gel type balm essential oils and/or infused carrier oils can be mixed with 3 parts Aloe Vera Gel and 1 part oil.

DIY Basic Temple Balm Recipe

Combine ¼ cup of carrier oil (remember, see instruction link above if you want to make an herb infused oil), or butter in a 4 ounce container with 2 or more essential oils adding ¼ tsp of each. If you are using butter, melt butter before adding oils to make mixing easier, then let it sit to solidify. Feel free to tweak ingredients to your liking.

Use your temple balm as a hairdressing to smooth the edges when wearing ponytails, updos and buns, or just to protect and treat thinning edges. Your temple balm can also be used for scalp massages as well.



For the ‘polished’ look, lightly moisturized your edges with water, then add your balm. Gently brush back and cover with a silk/satin scarf for approx. 20 to 30 mins or overnight.

Here are the places where I shop for essential oils - I usually pull up all three sites to search for the cheapest prices.

Wholesale Supplies Plus

From Nature With Love

Texas Natural Supply