Because self-care is just as important as the food we eat and the supplements we take, we’re talking about DIY self-care for three things women spend a lot of time on. When these three things look good, let’s face it, we feel better about ourselves.
We're talking about hair, nails, and skin.
Today, we focus on getting beautiful, luscious locks with what’s in your fridge and cupboard at home.
3 Tips to Start
1: Don't wash hair daily
Washing hair a few times a week is plenty, so you don’t strip the natural moisture in your hair. The more you wash it, the oilier it will become. Get a good organic dry shampoo if you tend to get oily up toward the roots and soon your hair will stop overproducing oil.
2: The less heat, the better
I need to take my own advice here because I have curly hair and straighten it often in the fall and winter using a blow dryer followed by a flat iron which is a double heat whammy. Try to let your hair air dry whenever possible.
3: Use moisturizing hair masks once a week
3 DIY Hair Masks that Bring Back Moisture and Shine
1: Warm Coconut Oil
This is as simple as it gets with one ingredient. Coconut oil is heavy, and that’s key because it helps to penetrate the hair shaft.
Use just one tablespoon of warmed coconut oil on the ends of damp hair OR for extremely dry hair; leave on overnight and then wash it out in the morning.
This is my lazy treatment and one I always make sure to use when I’m on vacation.
2: Avocado and Egg Yolk
This is an excellent hair mask for repair from intense damage from heat, the sun, or hair dryers.
The healthy oil in avocado will smooth and moisturize your locks without weighing down fine hair, so if coconut oil is too heavy for you, this is a great hair mask and one that can be used all the way from roots to ends.
Egg yolks have been used in DIY women’s hair treatments since before the 1940’s.
Hair is mostly made up of proteins and amino acids, and this combination means that egg yolks are the perfect food for boosting the hair’s supply of necessary nutrients needed to strengthen it.
The vitamin A found in egg yolk will improve the hair’s ability to produce natural moisture. Lecithin (fat emulsifier) helps reduce frizz and prevents breakage and brittleness. Biotin, a B vitamin present in egg yolks, works to renew the roots and follicles, which improves hair’s overall health.
Overall, this one is our personal favorites to use as a wonderful conditioner and to repair dry and damaged hair.
Recipe:
Mix ingredients well. Apply to wet or dry hair and allow to sit for 15-20 minutes before rinsing (but not washing) hair.
3: Honey, Olive Oil, and Banana
A natural humectant to attract more moisture into your hair is the classic honey, olive oil and banana mixture. Naturally potassium-rich bananas will work to strengthen your hair’s natural elasticity, which minimizes breakage and facilitates repair of damaged hair.
Recipe:
Warm the olive oil, blend in the honey, and then add banana (you can sub ½ cup pumpkin or plain yogurt as well).
Mix the ingredients well. Apply to damp hair, and allow to sit for 15-20 minutes. Rinse and wash your hair. Allow to dry as normal.
Just as it’s important what we eat to fill in nutritional deficiencies, it’s important to keep certain foods out so they don’t create toxicity. The same goes for your hair.
Note – these three ingredients below should be kept out of your shampoo and hair care products for your own safety.
3 Ingredients to Keep OUT of Your Shampoo
1: Sodium Lauryl or Laureth Sulfate
(Harsh cleaner, unnecessary for hair which really doesn’t get that dirty.)
2: Parabens
(Used to protect against microbial invasion but studies link it to hormone disruption. This is why we use coconut oil in products.)
3: Polyethylene Glycol
(Used as a humectant, but doesn’t honey sound better?)
