DIY: At home hair repair mask.
- Jul 7, 2016
- 3 min read
My hair has been through hell and back. It has been semi-permanently and permanently dyed, torched with heating tools, and bleached. The most recent dye job has almost completely washed out (way to go Ion Brilliance) and has left me with patchy hair. And not only is it patchy, but it’s so dry and straw-like because all of the pigment washed out. The last thing I want to do is dye my hair once more - I just want it to grow out and I’ll cut out any bit chemically/physically modified. I’m either left with chopping it off and possibly buying hair extensions (so much $$$) or attempting to treat it with hair masks.
I visited Winners and Marshalls to see what hair masks they had in store, only to find that so many of the masks had harsh chemicals and were quite expensive. So as I got home it got me thinking, why don’t I simply make my own at-home hair mask? I researched crucial ingredients in repairing, hydrating, and smoothing dry and damaged hair and came up with my own concoction.
The following ingredients were mixed together in a bowl:
One egg.
Eggs contain proteins, fatty acids, and vitamins that are beneficial in strengthening hair. Vitamin A specifically is found in egg yolk and it’s amazing for hair growth because vitamin A stimulates sebum production to control dandruff and drying of scalp. One fatty protein known as lecithin is found in eggs and it helps prevent fizziness and reduces brittleness.
One teaspoon mayonnaise.
Since mayonnaise is oil based, it improves the shine of hair.
Quarter cup avocado oil.
Avocado oil is high in vitamin E, which is the most essential vitamin for skin and hair. Many people prefer avocado oil over olive oil because it is lighter and will not weigh the hair down and grease it up as much.
Quarter cup olive oil.
Since olive oil is such a heave oil, it will do wonders to tame frizzy hair.
Half cup apple cider vinegar.
Although you’re supposed to use apple cider vinegar to rinse your hair after shampooing it to give it great shine, I thought why not add it to the homemade hair repair mask? Just remember that vinegar is acidic and you don’t want to change the pH of your hair, so don’t leave the vinegar on for too long!
One teaspoon castor oil.
Personally, I added this because I use canola oil to improve hair growth on my eyelashes. I figured why not add this to the mask to improve my head hair growth, while also using all off the beneficial canola oil proteins, fatty acids, and vitamins.
Squeeze of honey.
Good old antibacterial honey, which is also known to be a natural hair lightener. Great addition to get that lighter hair in the summer without exposing your scalp to UV rays.
Quarter cup coconut oil.
If you don’t already know the benefits of coconut oil, stop reading this post, research coconut oil, and then come back. You’ll be using it for hair, skin, and cooking ALL DAY ERR DAY.
Tablespoon of argan oil.
Again, no comment necessary to describe the beneficial properties of argan oil.
This concoction is quite runny because it will be applied to dry not damp hair, in order to prevent diluting the heterogeneous mixture.
I first applied it to the ends of my 5-day-old hair, and focus entirely on where my hair felt dry. Eventually I brought it up to the roots to let the shine from the apple cider vinegar kick in, but keep in mind that your scalp naturally produces beneficial oils.
After you’ve doused your hair with your homemade concoction, wait between 15-20 minutes with a shower cap on (preference) and then wash it off with cool/warm water. Keep in mind that you do have eggs in your hair and you don’t want to cook them while they’re on your head. Cold water is further beneficial in closing the hair cuticle, which will lock in all of the delicious oils.
After your shower, dry and style your hair as you prefer (remember that when you use heating tools, use heat protectant), and finish off with a dollop of argan oil. Rub the argan oil with your fingertips to decrease the viscosity and then gently distribute it through the dry parts of the hair.
Obviously, this treatment is not going to work the first time; just like how every other hair mask in life needs more applications – but trying this every week for one month is bound to bring a little more freshness to your dead hair. Hey… it’s better than spending hundreds of dollars at the salon or suffering with short hair for years.
Let me know what your Holy Grail hair treatment is!
Also check out my YouTube Channel to see a video of me trying this mask out, and to watch any other videos you may like.
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