Hair treatments help keep your hair looking shiny, healthy, and clean. A natural homemade product is better where it has fewer additives than many over-the-counter hair care products that in most cases have potentially nasty ingredients. A homemade natural moisturizer for hair will not only make you feel better about yourself but will also help save you dollars in expensive hair beauty appointments because diy deep hair conditioner treatments at home are simple and cost effective. Here are five natural hair products you can make from everyday items in your pantry.
Using chemical products and hair dryers and hair straighteners on a day to day basis damages your hair, with loss of moisture giving a lackluster look. Putting that moisture back into to the hair shaft is essential for hair beauty but we can’t always make it to the hair salon. Here’s how to make your own hair moisturizer at home with natural products…
#1. Olive Oil Treatment
How to treat dry hair?
Virgin olive oil from the pantry makes a great natural hair moisturizing treatment.
Olive oil is high in monosaturated fats. Oils with a high loading of saturated or monosaturated fats, like olive oil, diffuse into the hair shaft and work much better than polyunsaturated types for treating your hair.1
Pour enough olive oil to coat your hair (about a tablespoon or two) and let it soak in. Leave for 30 minutes to a few hours, or overnight just like you would with a leave-in conditioner (just make sure you place a towel on your pillow so as not to stain it). Then, wash as normal. You’ll find your hair is soft and lustrous.
#2. Cool Final Rinse
Next on our hair care tips…
A cool final rinse helps close the hair cuticles and seal in moisture. This simple action amazingly helps (if you can remember to do it). It is a simple diy hair treatment that will save you dollars at the hair salon or on commercial products.
#3. Coconut Oil Treatment
Coconut oil provides another homemade leave in hair moisturizer product.
In place of olive oil, you might find that coconut oil works for you as a deep natural hair conditioner. Apply the same method as stated for olive oil.
Coconut oil, like olive oil, penetrates the hair shaft, as it is about 90% saturated fat ¹. Also, it has a high affinity for hair proteins because it is a triglyceride of lauric acid and so works well as a homemade deep conditioner for damaged hair. As a treatment before or after you shampoo it is known to reduce hair protein loss ².
For a final hair rinse, you can try diluting 1 part coconut vinegar with 2 parts coconut water for a fuller and shinier head of hair and to help repair damaged hair. As a natural conditioning for hair this rinse works by sealing the hair cuticles, locking in moisture and stopping them from drying out.
You can buy coconut vinegar from Amazon.
#4. Egg Protein Treatment
Here’s a homemade deep conditioner for dry hair.
Spoiler alert: The raw egg and apple cider vinegar in this homemade hair moisturizer does give off an odor, but if you can handle this for 15 minutes, you are on your way to shinier, healthier hair.
Whisk together three whole eggs and 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar and apply to damp hair. Leave for 15 minutes, then rinse off in cold water.
This is a great protein fix to make your hair look fuller, with a bouncy shine and is a good homemade conditioner, especially as a dry hair treatment.
It is possibly the best moisturizer for dry hair and scalp in terms of a diy hair mask.
#5. Rosemary Herbal Final Rinse
This is a treatment for hair that is normal to oily. It will leave your hair feeling glossy, clean, and soft. You can also use it to treat dandruff or an itchy scalp. Like lavender, rosemary contains terpenic compounds that are useful in the treatment of dandruff ³.
For a final rinse, get hold of 3-4 sprigs of rosemary from your garden or supermarket. Steep these in about 2-3 cups of boiling water for about an hour. Strain the herbal water and use in your final rinse as a leave-in treatment. Whallah!
Rosemary has a reputation for stimulating hair growth as it helps with blood circulation of the scalp. So, it aids in preventing hair loss 4. It also helps (especially combined with sage) to treat premature graying 4 5. Rosemary essential oil is also great for dealing with everyday stress as it helps with our cognitive processing and contains powerful antioxidants that protect us from the effects of stress and toxins 3.
Final Thoughts
This list of hair treatments covers some natural hair care ideas for adding moisture, shine, and fullness. Choose a homemade hair treatment to add moisture to dry hair, shine to oily hair, or to natural hair growth.
Use these recipes for you and your family. Or, you could, with a bit of thought about packaging, turn these into awesome gifts for that special someone who prefers natural products. I hope this has helped.
Mary-Anne
PS: See also my article on water as a natural face moisturizer.
Resources
- Robbins, CR. (2013). Chemical and Physical Behavior of Human Hair.4th ed. New York: Springer; 2013.
- Rele, AS, Mohile, RB. (2003). Effect of mineral oil, sunflower oil, and coconut oil on prevention of hair damage. J Cosmet Sci. 54:175–92.
- Andrade, J. M., Faustino, C., Garcia, C., Ladeiras, D., Reis, C. P., & Rijo, P. (2018). Rosmarinus officinalis L.: an update review of its phytochemistry and biological activity. Future Science OA, 4(4), FSO283. http://doi.org/10.4155/fsoa-2017-0124
Read Also
Gavazzoni Dias M. F. (2015). Hair cosmetics: an overview. International journal of trichology, 7(1), 2-15. See here.
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Hi, I’m Mary-Anne. Apart from a PhD in Earth and Life Sciences, I have a whole heap of other life experiences. I am a believer in wellness through wildness. This is about connecting with the nature within and the nature around to keep fit and healthy in body, mind, and spirit. I enjoy researching and writing about natural things that support our wellbeing and then sharing the benefits I discover.