Whether your hair is dry, oily, frizzy or brittle, a hair mask can help restore it to its natural beauty. Sometimes referred to as a deep conditioning treatment, hair masks will help boost your hair’s health, leaving it softer and shinier than before.
The best part of a hair mask? You can make one entirely from ingredients in your kitchen. Here are some common hair mask ingredients, their benefits, and how to apply them.
Coconut Oil and Olive Oil: Coconut oil and olive oil serve a similar purpose in nourishing your hair. They contain fatty acids that leave hair hydrated, soft, and shiny.
Eggs: Eggs are filled with vitamins, proteins, and fatty acids that leave your hair stronger and looking healthier. This is great for people with thin hair.
Honey: Honey is a natural humectant that traps moisture in your hair and leaves it strong and shiny. Honey is very useful for breakage and split ends.
Avocado: Avocado is full of nutrients, which makes it great to add in your salad, apply on your skin, or in your hair. Avocado is a natural hair volumizer that strengthens hair and thickens hair follicles. It is great for people who use a blow-drier or hot tools. It also helps with moisture and shine.
Lemon: In addition to absorbing oils from an oily scalp, lemon naturally clarifies your hair! This makes the fruit a great ingredient to maintain or reinforce summertime blonde brightness in your hair.
Banana: Bananas help with breakage or split ends and can help soothe an irritated or dry scalp. Bananas also reduce frizz and improve your hair’s general health.
You can easily create a mask fit for your hair’s needs by mixing some of these ingredients together. Here are a few hair mask suggestions for the days where you feel like giving yourself a bit of pampering and TLC!
For oily and greasy hair:
– 2 tablespoons of honey
– 1 teaspoon of lemon juice
For dry, damaged hair:
– 1 avocado
– 1 tablespoon of honey
– 1 tablespoon of olive or coconut oil
For curly, frizzy hair:
– 1 banana
– 1 tablespoon of honey
– 1 tablespoon of olive or coconut oil
For soft, shiny, healthier hair:
– 2 tablespoons olive or coconut oil
– 1 teaspoon of lemon juice
– 2 eggs
Once you have made the mask, apply it to your hair from the roots down until your hair is fully covered. I recommend wearing clothes you don’t particularly care about in case the mask drips, especially if you use oils since they can be hard to wash off.
To make sure the mask is everywhere, run a thick tooth comb through your hair. Put your hair up in a shower cap and leave it in for 20 minutes or more if the ingredients allow it.
Wash your hair with lukewarm or cold water (it will most likely take more than one rinse to get it all out). And voilà!