Something that I swear by in order to keep my hair healthy and shiny is homemade masks. Not only are they completely natural but they can contain so many amazing ingredients to make your hair look and feel fantastic. You will find most of these ingredients around your home and these masks are much more cost effective than the ones you will find in the shops.
Incorporate one of these masks into your routine once a week should help to make a big difference to your hair. Give each one a go and see which works best for you!
Coconut Oil and Banana
Ingredients:
- 1 banana
- 1 tbsp coconut oil, melted
In a bowl, mash the banana with a fork and then mix in the melted coconut oil until well combined. Once the mixture is smooth, work it through the ends and all the way up to the roots. Leave the hair for around 30 minutes and then wash and condition as normal. If you have a banana going off, chop it up and freeze it and then defrost it the day you want to make the mask. This will be just as nutritious for your hair and will prevent anything getting thrown away.
Bananas are rich in potassium and natural oils which help to moisturise the scalp, make hair shinier and protect against breakage. Coconut oil is able to penetrate the hair follicles really well, which can help to bring life back to dull and dry hair. This mask is great as you don’t need many ingredients at all and it is extremely cost effective.
Olive Oil, Avocado and Honey
Ingredients:
- 1 avocado, skin and stone removed
- 50ml honey
- 50ml olive oil
- 50ml water (optional)
To make this mask, place the avocado, honey and olive oil in a food processor or blender until completely smooth. This can also be done with a fork and bowl, although you might need to put the mixture through a sieve towards the end. If you need to, add the 50ml water to thin out the mixture slightly. This will depend on the size of the avocado, so isn’t always necessary.
Take your mixture and apply to damp hair, starting with the ends and working up towards the roots. Unless you have very dry hair, avoid the first inch of hair by the roots to avoid excess oil. Gently massage the hair to help incorporate the product and place in a loose bun. Cover with a towel or shower cap and leave for 30 minutes to an hour.
Rinse normally with shampoo and conditioner and leave to dry naturally if possible. This is a fantastic mask for deep conditioning which will help your hair to feel soft and smooth. Avocados and olive oil are very moisturizing as they contain natural oils, whereas the honey helps to smooth the hair follicles.
As with the banana, if you have an avocado that is starting to go brown during the week, pop it into the freezer and take it out the day you want to make this mask. This saves having to use a fresh avocado for the mask and prevents waste.
Yoghurt and Lemon Juice
Ingredients:
- 3 tbsp natural yoghurt
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
Simply combine the yoghurt and lemon juice in a bowl and work through all of your hair. After 30 minutes, wash and condition as usual. Natural yoghurt is full of protein, which helps our hair to be strong and healthy. It also contains lactic acids to remove dead skin cells on the scalp, in turn encouraging hair to grow.
Lemon juice is another ingredient which helps to cleanse hair follicles to encourage growth, thanks to its acidic nature. It also helps to cut through build up of products or grease, leaving your hair feeling clean and healthy. Lemon juice contains magnesium which also plays an important role in promoting follicle growth, so it is a great all round ingredient to use on your hair.
You should aim to consume around 300mg of magnesium a day as an adult male or 270mg as an adult female to help maximise your opportunity for hair growth, along with the hair masks. The easiest way to do this is by taking magnesium supplements, my favourites are from nutriadvanced.co.uk.
Other Natural Hair Care Tips
Now that you know some of the best natural masks to use on your hair, here are a few additional ways you can naturally protect your hair!
Firstly, try to only wash your hair every 2-3 days. This helps to restore the oils in your hair that will keep it feeling soft and healthy. If you find that your hair feels greasy, try to persevere with it as your hair will gradually get used to being washed less often. A natural dry shampoo can be made using 4 tablespoons of cornstarch and 10 drops of essential oils. This will help to prevent your hair looking greasy whilst it gets used to being washed less often. Not only is washing your hair less great for your hair, but it is also fantastic for the environment.
Another tip that is eco-friendly and amazing for your hair is washing it in cold water. Water that is too hot will strip your hair of all the essential oils which will make it feel more dry and damaged. Hot water can also dry out your scalp, causing dandruff in some cases. So, wash your hair in cooler water and you should notice a great difference in your hair!
Something that I love to do for my hair, as well as for self care, is to massage my scalp. Before each time I wash my hair, so about 2-3 times a week, I will warm up some hair oil and give myself a gentle scalp massage for 10 minutes. I find this is a great way to relieve any stress and it also encourages the healthy growth of your hair follicles, thus naturally making it grow quicker. My personal favourite is coconut oil, as it is very cost effective and it penetrates the hair follicles really well.
Finally, avoid heat styling wherever possible. If you can leave your hair to dry naturally that’s ideal, or use a low heat setting on your hair dryer. Try alternatives to straighteners or curlers like the overnight dressing gown curls trend or essential oils. This might not work for everyone, yet it is definitely worth a try.
Final Thoughts
So, there you have it! Three natural hair masks that are cheap and easy to make. They will also be much better for your hair than masks you can buy in the shop which are usually full of many different artificial ingredients. Work one of these masks into your routine once a week to help keep your hair looking and feeling amazing.