Homemade Conditioners for Damaged Hair

If your hair looks dull and lifeless and you want to do something about it, you have to ask yourself how come you got to this stage.

Obviously, the products you’ve been using are not working for you, so why do you keep using them? Have you ever considered using natural ingredients in your hair care routine?

There are so many products on the market, and so many tempting advertisements, that you tend to believe your hair will look just like the actress in the commercial. Of course, you disregard the fact that this actress spent a few hours in the makeup chair and had her hair done by professionals from scratch, and not to talk about Photoshop magic.

But it doesn’t work for you. You keep buying products and using them only a few times. The time, the money, the frustration…

Have you ever thought how did the aristocrats in the 19 century took care of their hair? They were wearing wigs for public occasions, but their real hair, the one under the wig, what did they do with it without shampoos and conditioners?

The Japanese Geishas wore their hair very long and that was part of their appeal. The look of the hair, how it shines, and the way it was set were very important. How did they do it without sprays, gels and other chemical products?

They did it by turning to nature, using what they had around them as shampoo and conditioners. Not that it did not get out of hand at times; A conditioner for men which was popular in the Victorian era was made of Macassar oil, a combination of coconut or palm oil and other fragrant oils. It was so thick that it would dry off, flake, and stain the furniture. That started the fashion of pinning small cloths to the sofas and chairs to prevent damage to the upholstery.

Modern hair conditioners started appearing on the market at the beginning of the 20th century, with the presentation of Brilliantine at the 1900 Wold Exposition in Paris. It was for men and intended to soften all the hair, including mustaches and beards. Alcohol and other fatty acids have replaced the natural oils and later silicons became the base for most products. Thus enabling us to have hair conditioner without it being heavy or greasy.

Blond HairBut they also contain ingredients that harm the hair and the scalp. Especially if you use other products in conjunction with the conditioner.

Some add weight to the hair, some contain silicon that builds up of the hair itself making it dull. Using a harsher shampoo just aggravates the situation, clarifying shampoos strip the hair from the buildup but leaves it devoid of moisture. You can start an endless cycle of changing shampoos and conditioners to fix the damage.

Why not go to basics and use what nature has given us? Let’s try some homemade conditioners to fix our damaged hair.

Home Remedies for Damaged Hair

Egg Recipe

The recipes below contain egg or other elements that contain it. The protein in the egg is said to be the best conditioner because it contains vitamins and proteins that coat the hair follicles to create a smooth look. The might look messy, but after combing the hair with the conditioner in it, is makes it look more reasonable and appealing.

What you need and how to use it:

  • a few drops of vitamin E oil (can be replaced with essential oils if you like).
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil.
  • One egg.
  1. Beat the egg, mix in the rest of the ingredients.
  2. Apply to the hair and massage in.
  3. Leave in hair for 15-20 minutes.
  4. Rinse off using a gentle shampoo.

Essential Oils

  • 3 Tbsp warm water.
  • 1 egg yolk.
  • 2 Tbsp protein powder.
  • 1 Tbsp jojoba oil.
  • 5 drops of sage essential oil.
  • 5 drops of spearmint essential oil.
  • For very dry and damaged hair change the oils to 7 drops of Myrrh and 3 drops of geranium.
  1. Mix together making sure the water is not too hot or the yolk will harden.
  2. Apply on the hair and cover.
  3. Wait 20 minutes.
  4. Rinse and shampoo.

Avocado Deep Conditioning

  • small jar of mayonnaise.
  • 1 ripe avocado.
  1. Mix well and smooth over head working it in all the way to the ends.
  2. Comb the hair to make sure every strand is coated.
  3. Use a shower cap to seal in body heat.
  4. Leave in for 20 minutes.
  5. Rinse off and shampoo.

Mayonnaise Conditioning

This one is to the brave among you.

  1. Apply 1 a cup of mayonnaise on your hair.
  2. Cover with shower cap.
  3. Wait 20 minutes.
  4. Rinse and shampoo.

Olive Oil Mask

  • 2 Tbsp honey.
  • 3 Tbsp olive oil.
  1. Mix together, add a little water and apply. You can warm up the mixture so the honey will mix better.
  2. Cover with a shower cap.
  3. Leave in for 15 minutes.

Yogurt Mask

  • 1 cup of yogurt.
  • 1 egg.
  • 1 banana.
  • 1 Tbsp lemon juice.
  1. Mix ingredients in a blender.
  2. Apply the paste to the hair.
  3. Comb and make sure all is covered.
  4. Leave for 20 minutes.
  5. Wash with warm water and a mild shampoo.

Yogurt Mask with Honey

  • 1 cup yogurt.
  • 3 Tbsp honey.
  • 3 vitamin E caplets.
  • 1 egg yolk.
  • 1 Tbsp lemon juice.
  1. Mix the honey with the vitamin by puncturing the caplets and squeezing the oil out.
  2. Add all the other ingredients.
  3. Apply to the hair.
  4. Rinse after 20 minutes.

Yogurt and Chamomile

  • 1 cup of plain yogurt.
  • 12 chamomile tea bags.
  • 3-4 drops of lavender oil.
  1. Boil water and steep the tea for 10 minutes.
  2. Let cool down a bit and add the oil.
  3. Let cool down a little more and add the yogurt.
  4. Apply on hair and massage in.
  5. Cover with shower cap.
  6. After 20 minutes rinse and use a mild shampoo.

Baking Soda Hair Cleaner

  • 1 Tbsp baking soda.
  • 3-5 drops of essential oils (lavender, patchouli, rosemary, sweet orange are some of the most often used).
  • a little water.

Make a paste and use it in the shower. It will not sud so it takes a little getting used to.

Those recipes for homemade conditioners are very simple and have been used for generations across many cultures as remedies for damaged hair. The less chemicals you use on your hair, the better off it will be.

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