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The Herbal Education Coordinator at City Market in Burlington, VT — there are many items from your kitchen that you can use to make natural beauty products. And aside from saving money, there are many reasons to make your own, including taking better care of your skin and hair. I have picked out five easy recipes for homemade hair conditioners that treat dry or damaged hair, along with some excellent general advice from Nunziata's natural hair care workshops. You might think of beer, bananas, and coconut oil as the main ingredients to an awesome banana bread, but to use in a natural hair conditioner?
While these are simple recipes, Nunziata does say it takes practice to get it right and that there are some important things to remember about using conditioners:
Conditioning lubricates the hair shaft, causing softness and preventing breakage and tangles. Most are applied after shampooing, but some are used prior and left on for 20 minutes or even overnight.
Avocado Deep Conditioner
- 1/2 mashed ripe avocado
- 1/2 tsp olive oil
- 3 drops lavender or rosemary essential oil
Combine ingredients and apply to hair, focusing on the ends. Leave on for at least 10 minutes, then rinse.
Cost: Around $10 for two to three treatments. The essential oil will be the most expensive item here (around $8.50). You can always buy a small amount of olive oil in bulk if you don't already have it on hand. Unless you plan to eat the other half of the avocado, keep the pit inside the flesh of the avocado and store it in a container in the refrigerator; this will keep it from turning completely brown when you are ready to use it again. Use the other half within 24 hours.
Oil Hair-Conditioning Treatment
- Small amount of jojoba, olive, or coconut oil
- Herb mixture of choice (optional)
- Essential oils of choice (optional)
- Dampen hair. For long or thick hair, use 1-2 teaspoons of the oil mixture, and for fine or short hair, use 1/4 teaspoon of the mixture. Massage oil into the scalp and work through the strands, covering all hair completely. Cover hair with a shower cap or plastic bag and if possible sit in the sun or by the woodstove. Heat facilitates the process. Leave the oil in for an hour or two, and then, shampoo and rinse.
Cost: Less than $15 if you don't use jojoba or essential oils. This cost should include at least 20 treatments, since a jar of coconut oil lasts a long time if you use a moderate amount for each treatment. Same with the essential oils if you decide to use them, which will increase the cost to between $20 to $25, depending on which essential oils you choose (some are more expensive than others).
Vinegar Rinses
Vinegar rinses relieve itchy scalp, dandruff, and dull hair and restore the scalp’s natural acid mantle. They are best for normal and oily hair, rather than dry. Use white vinegar for blondes, apple cider vinegar for brunettes, and red wine vinegar for red-heads. Leave the rinse on for at least five minutes if you are going to rinse it out. You can, however, leave it on and any smell will disappear once the hair is dry.
- Herb blend: For blondes, calendula and chamomile; For dark hair, nettle and marshmallow; or make up your own
- Apple cider vinegar
- A few drops of essential oil
- Distilled water
1. Fill a quart jar half way with herbs. Cover with vinegar and cap tightly. Place the jar in a warm spot for 2-3 weeks, shaking daily.2. Strain the vinegar and add essential oils. Store in a plastic bottle.3. Dilute the rinse with distilled water. For oily hair, dilute one part rinse with four parts water. For dry hair, dilute one part rinse with six parts water. After shampooing and rinsing, pour vinegar rinse slowly over hair, massaging it into the scalp. Rinse with water.
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