Get Long And Healthy Hair With Ingredients You Can Find In Your Own Kitchen
Luxury haircare products currently on the market can be expensive. Plus, a lot of these products contain chemicals and additives that can actually be harmful to your body and to the environment. Luckily, there's a quick and easy way to fight back against dry, damaged hair that won't break the bank.
Did you know that you can find everything you need to revitalize tired hair in your very own kitchen? Keep reading to learn how you can put your pantry to good use.
Honey Has Natural Antibacterial Properties
Honey really can do it all. Not only does this sweet stuff taste delicious, but it can also be used as an at-home scalp remedy. Honey helps your hair retain moisture, and it can actually draw water to your hair.
Mix honey with one of your favorite natural oils (you'll see some suggestions for oils that work wonders for your hair later on this list) to create a deep conditioning treatment. You can also use honey to create your own hair mask.
Is There Anything Coconut Oil Can't Do?
It seems like people are using extra virgin coconut oil for everything these days— cooking, skincare, haircare, and household cleaning. If you mix coconut oil with a bit of honey, you've got yourself a conditioning treatment that will leave your hair feeling clean and moisturized.
This oil is rich in fatty acids, which makes it an ideal product for dry, damaged, or coarse hair. Also, coconut oil isn't just for the hair on your head. This stuff makes an excellent shaving lotion.
Mayonnaise Is An Unexpected Hair Miracle
Believe it or not, mayonnaise already contains a lot of the items that are going to pop up later on this list. It's basically a ready-made hair treatment in a bottle. If you don't like the smell of mayonnaise, you can add a bit of your favorite essential oil to the mix to make the whole experience a little less... mayonnaise-y.
Mayonnaise is filled with protein which is known to strengthen individual hair strands giving you longer, shinier hair.
Eggs Are Full Of Healthy Proteins
Mayonnaise is mostly made out of eggs, so it should come as no surprise that you can also use eggs to keep your hair shiny and healthy. Eggs are a great source of protein, which is great for your body, but it's also great for your hair. It's the protein in hair that makes it strong and healthy.
When you add protein to your hair, you're reinforcing each individual strand. Egg whites also work wonders for your skin, so eggs can do double duty.
Yogurt Contains Hair Healthy B Vitamins
Biotin is a main ingredient in many hair growth serums and vitamins. That's because biotin, which is a kind of B vitamin, is involved in the synthesis of fatty acids and glucose. It plays a major role in maintaining a healthy scalp and long luscious locks.
Yogurt is an excellent source of Biotin and it contains other ingredients that make it great for your hair. You can use it as a hair mask base and mix in other ingredients from this list to create a super-powerful concoction.
You Can Use Lemon Juice As A Natural Hair Bleach
People have been using lemon juice to add some natural-looking blonde highlights to their hair for generations. If you're already blonde, a little bit of lemon juice can make you look even blonder. Basically, you just mix lemon juice with a bit of water, and either apply it to your hair in sections or put the whole mixture in a spray bottle and start spraying away.
If you really want this natural bleach to work, let your hair soak up some sun rays after it soaks up that lemon juice.
Carrots Are A Great Source Of Vitamin A
Vitamin A is an essential nutrient for healthy hair and nails, and carrots are a great source of vitamin A. You could just eat a lot of carrots, or if you have a juicer handy, you could make your own carrot juice.
The best way to use carrots to strengthen your hair is to put carrot oil directly in your hair. This stuff is great for your skin too. It reduces the appearance of stretch marks and helps your skin retain moisture. You can buy carrot oil online or from a health food store, or you can try making your own carrot oil.
Raw Apple Cider Vinegar Can Help Your Hair Grow
A lot of people drink a shot of apple cider vinegar in the morning to kickstart their digestive system for the day, but this super versatile superfood can also help balance your scalp's pH levels.
This stuff works great as a hair rinse and as a dandruff treatment. If you want to make your hair look super shiny, mix equal parts water and apple cider vinegar in a spray bottle, spray the mixtures onto your hair, and then rinse away after several minutes.
Rosemary Does More Than Just Smell Nice
Rosemary can actually stimulate your hair follicles and promote hair growth. You can mix fresh rosemary sprigs into a hair mask base like yogurt, eggs, or oil and let it diffuse into the liquid, or you can use rosemary essential oil in your hair treatment recipes.
Rosemary has been used in natural hair care for decades. it has a lovely, fresh smell and it can even be cooling on irritated scalps. If you're feeling really crafty, you can even grow your own rosemary.
Baking Soda Can Do It All
If you're interested in keeping things all-natural in the shower, you can actually mix baking soda and apple cider vinegar together to create a shampoo alternative. Baking soda is also great for whitening your teeth and deodorizing pretty much anything, from refrigerators to kitty litter to smelly armpits.
Some people even use baking powder on its own as a dry shampoo. This stuff really can do it all. It's an essential household product.
Avocados Keep Hair Shiny And Nourished
Avocados aren't the cheapest, but if you have a few extra lying around, or if you have an avocado that's become too ripe to enjoy in a salad, you can whip it up into an ultra-nourishing hair mask.
Avocados are full of vitamins that are great for hair health. Also, avocados are super soft, so you don't even need a blender to mix them with other hair-healthy ingredients such as yogurt, egg yolk, or honey.
Banana Moisturizes Damaged Hair
Bananas are an ideal base for a homemade mask because they're full of healthy oils, minerals, and vitamins that moisturize and fortify hair. Bananas are also really great for your scalp. This is the perfect ingredient to help revitalize dry hair.
You can make a banana hair mask by mixing mashed banana with any of the ingredients on this list. Just make sure that you mash the banana very thoroughly because it can be difficult to wash big chunks of banana out of your hair.
Peanut Oil Is Often Overlooked
Peanut oil doesn't quite get the press it deserves when it comes to hair care. Everyone knows about the power of argan oil and coconut oil, but peanut oil is also filled with essential vitamins that help hair grow longer, stronger, and silkier.
Peanut oil is perfect for curly hair, or hair that is coarse, dry or damaged. You can even heat up the peanut oil slightly and use it as a hot oil treatment.
Cayenne Pepper Packs A Punch
Cayenne pepper contains capsaicin which stimulates hair follicles and improves circulation in your scalp. Many beauty experts claim that massaging cayenne pepper mixed with oil into your scalp can actually help your hair grow and regenerate.
This is an all-natural ingredient that packs a huge punch. Just make sure that nobody tries to sniff or lick your head because they might just get a face full of spice. Not that anybody should go around sniffing or licking hair...
Chamomile Tea Isn't Just For Bedtime
Chamomile tea is best known as a bedtime beverage. This stuff really can help you fall asleep. Did you know that you can also incorporate chamomile into your haircare routine?
This tea can be used as a natural hair bleach or toner and helps cleanse greasy hair. Chamomile tea smells great on its own, but if you want to mix this stuff with other lovely smelling essential oils, go right ahead. Actually, chamomile and rosemary essential oil would go great together.
Garlic Doesn't Smell Great, But It Works
Garlic smells great in a sauce, but you probably don't want to walk around with the stench of garlic in your hair all day. The thing is, this stuff really works, so if you want the hair health benefits, you have to deal with the smell. Just wash your hair really well after you use it and everything should be fine.
You can make a tonic to combat hair loss by letting chopped garlic soak in water overnight. Before you shower, apply the tonic all over your scalp and let it sit for 20 minutes.
Onions Help Combat Hair Loss
Onions and garlic contain many of the same compounds, so you can use onion in your hair the same way you would use garlic. Cut it into small chunks, let it sit in water, and then rub that mixture all over your scalp.
If you're short on time, you can also just chop up an onion and rub the cut side of the onion onto your scalp, especially in places where you feel like your hair has become sparse.
Everybody Can Benefit From Ghee
Ok, so not everybody has ghee in their pantry, and this stuff isn't the cheapest butter in the world, but ghee definitely makes an excellent hair conditioner. Ghee works especially well on dry, damaged hair.
Ghee is a type of clarified butter that's made in India. It's been used in traditional Indian healing practices for generations and is often the main ingredient in many traditional Indian medicines. This stuff can literally heal you, and if you haven't ever cooked with it, now is the perfect time to start.
Save Some Beer For Your Hair
It may seem counterintuitive, but beer is actually an excellent hair treatment. This stuff is full of B vitamins that can actually draw moisture from the air into your hair and repair damaged strands.
To use beer as a hair treatment, just pour some into a glass and let it sit out at room temperature. Then use your fingers to work the warm beer into your scalp. You can also use beer as a natural alternative to hair spray.
Olive Oil Always Does The Trick
Olive oil is basically a miracle ingredient. Many people from regions around the Mediterranean Sea swear by olive oil as both a hair product and a skin product. This stuff is tried and true as homemade hair care.
You can mix olive oil with other essential oils to create an intensive hair mask, or you can heat it up and use it as a hot oil treatment. This stuff will leave your hair looking shiny and silky for days.