Let’s face it; most of America is not in the financial class to have the luxury of buying expensive hair products. I’m talking about the products that promise to promote healthy hair growth, stop breakage, bring out the shine, or even grow hair six inches in three months.
African-American women alone spend more money on hair care products than any other race. Not talking about a few hundred dollars here and there, studies show the amount we spend on hair care products surpasses the half a trillion dollar mark annually, just in our hair care alone.
So, how can we cut this cost down? The answer is simple! Create treatments from the comfort of our own kitchen at little to no cost at all. We could save ourselves so much money if we used home remedies to fix our everyday hair problems. There are plenty of ways to fix whatever problem you’re having with just a simple home recipe.
Top Five Homemade Hair Rescues
1. Mayonnaise
Combats dry hair, adds shine and adds intense moisture from roots to the ends and overall is a great conditioner. If your hair is dull, limp, breaks easy with a crunchy sound, then this homemade remedy will help.
Instructions:
- With a spray bottle, dampen hair with a few sprays.
- Hair should not be wet enough to drip. Grab the jar of mayonnaise you plan to use. Brand really does not matter since they all have egg protein.
- Scoop out some mayo and place it into a medium sized bowl or cup. The amount of mayo you will need for your hair depends on the length and thickness of your hair.
- In sections, place mayonnaise in hair from the roots to the ends of hair. Put enough in to where you are comfortable with it and to where the hair is saturated enough.
- After you have completed each section, place a plastic cap on for at least 20 minutes.
- When desired amount of time has passed, rinse mayonnaise out of hair with warm water.
- Follow up with a sulfate-free shampoo. In some cases, you may have to shampoo hair more than once to wash the mayo out.
- Rinse with cool water.
- Style as desired.
(There are some people who prefer to shampoo the hair first and then apply the mask. Then follow up the mask with another shampoo wash.)
*Some people like to add oils or an egg to the mayonnaise mask. It really depends on the individual. Mayonnaise is made up of mostly eggs anyway, so it doesn’t hurt to add another egg. Oil suggestions include olive oil, grape-seed oil and avocado oil.
2. Baking Soda and Yogurt
This treatment helps with removing dirt, buildup, and oils while also providing enough moisture to protect the hair once the dirt is stripped from the hair. It will provide a shine and give the hair some bounce.
Instructions:
- Mix yogurt and baking soda together to form a paste.
- With freshly shampooed hair, apply the mix.
- Leave on hair, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Rinse out with warm water.
- If you like, you can follow up with a moisturizing conditioner.
3. Eggs
Eggs are known to be great for protein treatments. They provide strength, elasticity, prevents splits and breakage from occurring with your hair, while also preventing frizz.
Instructions:
- Depending on the length and thickness, use 1-2 eggs.
- In a bowl, stir the eggs until the yolk is mixed in.
- Apply thoroughly through the hair, and you can choose to leave it uncovered or covered.
- Let it set for 20 minutes.
- Rinse out with warm water.
4. Oatmeal Mask
Oatmeal helps with dandruff, when your head is feeling itchy or you have a dry scalp. It’s rich in vitamin B, and softens the hair and hair follicles. It conditions all the way from the scalp to the ends of the hair.
Instructions:
- Use 1 cup of oatmeal, preferably not the Instant Oats.
- In a blender, beat the oats until it is in a powdered form.
- Now you add ½ cup of water and ¼ cup EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil).
- Blend thoroughly.
- Now apply the mask to your hair.
- Evenly distributing throughout hair.
- Massage into your scalp.
- Leave on hair for 15 minutes.
- Rinse with warm water.
*For those with thicker, coarser, or longer hair, you may need to double the recipe.
5. Onions and Honey
Yes onions. Believe it or not, onions bring about hair growth. Onions help in regenerating hair follicles. It’s great for stimulating the scalp, while promoting healthier and faster growth because of its richness in Sulfur. Also, the honey helps keep the hair moisturized!
Instructions:
- Peel one or two onions.
- Place the peels into a blender.
- Blend until it becomes a liquid.
- Extract the liquid and mix it with 1tbsp of honey.
- Apply the mix to the hair and scalp; allow it to sit for 45 minutes.
(You can massage the hair if you’d like to.)
- Rinse thoroughly.
*In order to get rid of the smell, use a no sulfate (smell-good) shampoo. You should do this treatment once a week in order to see results.