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Hair care products you can make in your own kitchen

Why pay when home-made hair care is cheaper and better?

Author: Charlotte Kuchinsky October 4 2007

avocado

Let’s face it, we all go through periods in our life when we are forced to tighten our financial belts. We might encounter an unbudgeted home repair or junior might wreck the car. There are lots of things that can go wrong in everyday life and they very often do.

During those times, most of us look for ways to cut corners. One great tip is to eliminate expensive hair and skin care products by turning to natural ones that you can whip up right in your own kitchen. Whether it is a hair conditioner, rinse, clarifier or a something to soften your skin or whiten your teeth, there are a lot of things in my refrigerator and cabinet that you can use.

Like most women, I’m very particular about how my hair looks. Luckily there are several products in my kitchen that can actually help even baby fine, dry, brittle, damaged hair like mine! So let's have a look at the hair care products you can make in your very own home:

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Avocado makes a wonderful hair conditioning treatment because it is rich in natural oils as well as vitamin B-6 and E. It is also packed with protein and has wonderful hydrating properties. You can use mashed avocado alone or mix it with lemon juice and/or aloe or mayonnaise to make an easy to use paste. Apply your chosen mixture to your hair and then comb it through with a wide-tooth comb or a hair pick. Wrap the hair with one of those wonderful Turbie Twist towels and let it sit for between 15 and 45 minutes. All that is left to then is to wash, rinse, and set.

Banana can help restore life to dull looking hair. Simply mix it together with a little bit of olive oil to make a natural paste. Apply liberally throughout the hair before it is shampooed. Comb the mixture through with a hair pick or wide-tooth comb. Let it sit for 20 minutes to one hour (covered or uncovered). Finally, shampoo, rinse, and style. Your newly revitalized hair should bounce with more elasticity and glow with revitalized shine.

Beer can add body, fullness, softness, and shine to dull, flat hair. The proteins found in the malt and hops of beer actually help to coat, rebuild, and repair damaged hair. The quality of the beer isn’t of major concern, although flat beer works better than fresh. You also want to choose a variety that doesn’t have too strong of an odor, or the scent left behind could be overpowering. Apply the beer to freshly shampooed hair, working it through to the ends. Finally rinse with lukewarm water and style as usual.

Chamomile tea, mixed with beer, makes a wonderful natural hair lightener. Simply rinse the hair with beer as noted above and follow up with one or two cups of brewed chamomile tea. Let the tea sit on the hair for about five minutes and then rinse it out as well. The lightening effect of the tea will be very gradual but it will occur over time. How quickly and to what depth it lightens will be somewhat dependent on how often you shampoo and rinse.

Eggs can help restore shine to dry hair. They are also useful in taming frizz. Eggs contain natural fatty acids that infuse split ends with the nutrients needed to restore the hair’s natural shine. Make a conditioner by combining egg yolk with olive oil and water. Use it as you would a regular conditioner, and let it sit on the hair for at least five minutes. If your hair is really dry, let it sit for a minimum of ten minutes. All that is left to do then is to rinse and style.

Ketchup neutralizes the “green” tones that sometimes occur in blond hair that has been exposed to the chemicals common in swimming pool water. Apply ketchup to freshly shampooed hair. Next work it through with a hair pick or wide-tooth comb. Let set for at least 20 minutes or up to 45 minutes. Then rinse and style as usual. If the “green” persists, repeat the treatment in subsequent shampoos until hair returns to its natural blonde color.

Lemon juice, mixed with water, is great for creating highlights for blondes to light brownettes. Mix one-quarter cup of lemon juice with one cup of water to make the mixture. Put it into a spray bottle and spritz the hair as lightly or liberally as you like, whenever it will be exposed to the sun. However, don’t repeat the procedure too often throughout the summer or the mixture could begin to dry the hair and make it brittle.

Mayonnaise has long been recognized for its ability to help condition severely dry hair. It has natural oils and vitamins that infuse the hair with softness and shine. However, using mayonnaise alone may not have the maximum effect you want. If that is the case, try a mixture that is one part mayo, one part egg, and one part olive oil. The other ingredients have additional healing properties that are helpful. Combined with the mayonnaise, they make a much better overall hair mask.

Once you have mixed up your new natural hair conditioner, apply it directly to freshly shampooed hair. Work it through evenly with a wide-tooth comb or hair pick. Wrap the hair in a towel and wait for at least 30 minutes but no longer than one hour. Than, all that is left to do then is to rinse and style.

Rosemary oil can add luster and shine to extremely dry hair. This wonderful natural seasoning has a lot of powerful properties. It stimulates hair follicles, can help prevent premature hair loss, and darkens the hair naturally for those who don’t want to use harmful chemical dyes.

To make your own rosemary oil, put the fresh rosemary leaves into a container and cover them with either sesame or olive oil. Put the mixture on the window sill or other location where the sun will hit regularly. Leave there for one month. Once it has steeped for the appropriate amount of time, strain the mixture and put it into another container. Store in a dark place until you are ready to use it.

To use your rosemary oil, heat it slightly in the microwave or by inserting its container into very hot water. Once it is warmed, work the oil into already shampooed hair. Pick through the hair or use a wide-tooth comb to make certain that the oil is evenly distributed. Wrap your head in a towel and leave for between 15 minutes and one hour. Then, all you have to do is rinse and style.

Sage tea can help you hide that pesky gray. The tea is easy to make. Just simmer dried sage in water for about 30 minutes and then let it steep overnight. When you are ready, apply it to the hair like a rinse and let it naturally air dry. Then, all that is left then is to rinse and style. Although it may take more than one application to hide all of the gray, once you achieve the desired shade it only needs to be repeated about once a month.

Tomato juice is wonderful for chasing away unusual hair odors that most often occur among children. Simply pour it, undiluted, over freshly shampooed hair. Cover it with a shower cap and wait for 10 to 15 minutes. Then rinse and set as usual.

Toothpaste is useful with those terrible hair dye mistakes. If your dye leaves a stain on your skin around the hairline, rub in a bit of toothpaste. It has natural abrasives that will break-up and release the dye so that you can just wash it away.

Vegetable glycerin can help kick up the shine of any type of hair while also taming that frightening frizz. Mix a small amount, about the size of a dime, into your favorite hair styling product. Apply the mixture to your hair as you usually do, either wet or dry, and style. If your ends are particularly damaged, pour a dab of the glycerin into the palm of your hand. Rub your hands together and then gently work into the ends of the hair.

Vinegar, mixed with water, makes a wonderful hair rinse. It also helps to clarify the hair by removing excess product buildup. My mother used it on my hair when I was little because my baby fine hair was long (nearly down to my knees). It helped to restore youthful shine and untangled my terrible tresses with remarkable ease. I found out later that vinegar is also great for taming natural bacteria growth that occurs on the scalp. Some say it is also excellent for those suffering from dandruff. The type of vinegar chosen is up to you. Mom used apple cider vinegar on my hair but a lot of people with dark colored hair swear by brown vinegar. You can either choose to rinse the vinegar out with cool water or leave it on as a leave-in conditioner.

Beautiful hair is the goal of just about every woman that I know. The above products in some instances work better than the expensive ones purchased in exclusive boutiques. At any rate, they are worth a try. What have you got to lose?

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Comments

Posted on 20/10/07 11:49 by: Jane Cooper

A very interesting article, I will try some of the home made products but I'll drink the beer.
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Posted on 01/01/08 10:37 by: natalie

I thought the article had some really good tips but i have very sensitive eyes and i need to find out how to make my own shampoo , cos even the dearest ones make my eyes sore for days after one shampooing.

good luck with your site tho, i will be definitely trying some of your suggestions!! :D


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Posted on 30/06/08 09:07 by: Tracy

Hi, thanks for your suggestions!! I can't wait till I make my own rosemary oil... Just 1 thing I am wondering: the rosemary oil made by your method, can I use it as essential oil on my face as well? Or strictly for hair? Thanks
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Posted on 22/10/08 12:11 by: adrianna

I thought the article had some really useful tips for hair care. I will try some of the home made products.
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Posted on 09/02/09 13:34 by: Claire

Just the information I was looking for, thank you. Will probably give the tips a try.
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Posted on 24/03/09 10:58 by: Christine Heatherbell-Brown

I have real problems with allergies and so I thought I would try your hair conditioner involving egg yolk, olive oil and water. How much of each of these ingredients do I need to add together?

Also is there a natural shampoo one can make up at home that you can rinse out of your hair with just water before I put on the above conditioner?


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Posted on 25/03/09 12:48 by: Charlie Kuchinsky

Christine, thoroughly blend (in a blender if you have one) one egg, 2 or 3 teaspoons of olive oil to three-quarter of a cup of water. Pour the mixture over washed and towel dried hair. Work through the hair with a wide tooth comb or hair pick. Let sit on your hair for one to five minutes depending upon the hair's condition. Then rinse completely and style as usual.

If your ends are very dry, rub a few drops of olive oil into your hands and into the end of the hair shafts before your style. I recommend using baby shampoo if others set off your allergies. It is especially formulated to be allergy free.


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Posted on 26/03/09 05:30 by: Christine

Thanks for your help! Christine
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Posted on 17/06/10 23:17 by: Alicia

I have been messing today with items to use in my hair and have found a great combination that I can use daily.

For starters, I will tell you that I regularly soak fresh coffee in my hair (I'm a brunette) for about 30 minutes before showering. I do this once every few weeks and this helps to naturally darken my hair color and gives my hair a healthy shine.

In a spray bottle I have combined "Proclaim" Glossing Polish Color & Heat Protection serum (from Sally's Beauty Salon) with about 10 drops of olive oil, a little fresh black coffee, and a few drops of fresh lime juice for scent. I spritzed this in my damp hair (after I had already soaked coffee in my hair and then showered) ran my fingers through it and brushed it through evenly, then styled as usual. My hair is very shiny and soo soft! Also it isn't greasey:)

If you have blonde hair you can use fresh Camomile tea OR for a red color boil about 2 tbls of ground cloves and 1/3 cup water INSTEAD of the coffee for a dark brown color. Try playing around with this recipe for your own use. I hope this helps anyone with dry, damaged hair or if you just want to make your hair more healthy!


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Posted on 13/03/11 11:31 by: Kabelo Mokoena

Well, your recipes work. Thanx, nice stuff!
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