Frugal Hair Care: Do It Yourself, Naturally!
68Don't Let This Happen to You!
Ever Had a Severe Bad Hair Day?
A day soooo bad, it drove you straight to your friendly neighborhood salon, supermarket or drug store in search of a cure? And did you walk out of said establishment with your head held high, and your paycheck laid low?
Read On ...
List of Ingredients
Here's just a sampling of handy, down-to-earth items you may already have in stock. If not, just buy a slightly larger amount on your next grocery trip.
- Lemons
- Eggs
- Olive Oil
- Beer (Get the cheapest you can find. Stale's OK, too. Really!)
- Mayonnaise
- Avocado (Not guacamole!)
- Chamomile Tea
- Honey
- Baking Soda
You might find these at your pharmacy or health-food store:
- Jojoba Oil
- Glycerin
More Recipes
Basic Recipes
Just a few to get you started. These ingredients are safe ... feel free to experiment!
Hair Lighteners: To spark up highlights or to even up the color for light or blonde hair, apply lemon juice applied directly to the hair, followed by an hour or two of bright, hot sunlight. Do not tie up your hair before sunning, unless you're going for a subtle tie-dye effect. For a gentler treatment, add a (strong, lukewarm) cup of chamomile tea.
Pre-Shampoo Treatments: Slice open an avocado (save the pit, they make cool houseplants), and scoop out the creamy green goodness (compost the shell). Add 1 egg yolk (save the white for meringue or something) and a dash of olive oil. If your hair color is light or you want extra sparkle, add a dash of fresh lemon juice as well (compost any lemon bits you don't otherwise use). Mash into a paste, then paste the mash into your hair. Leave on for 1/2-hour, then shampoo, rinse and condition as usual. Your hair will glisten and feel terrific!
You might also want to try straight mayonnaise. For damaged hair, leave on and go about your day. Then, use a gentle, natural shampoo and conditioner in cool water -- believe me, you do NOT want to cook that mayonnaise in a steamy rinse. (NOTE: Use only if you do not plan to color or perm your hair for a month or so, especially if your hair is damaged or thinning.)
Hair Rinse: Stale beer (trust me!) can be used before shampooing, or after shampooing and before conditioning. For more shine, add olive oil or jojoba oil. Beer super-cleanses your hair and gives it body. Choose the cheapest lager-type beer in the store.
Shampoo: Avocado (see "Hair Treatments," above) and baking soda. Mash into paste. Rinse hair in warm water, then use paste like a regular shampoo. Rinse. Repeat if needed.
Conditioner: Honey and olive oil. Leave on for 1/2-hour, then rinse.
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CommentsLoading...
High praise, indeed (and scary fast). Many thanks!
That is great Marian. I'm a big fan of stuff you can make at home instead of buying the expensive stuff at the store, especially when you can eat it! Great picture of the monkey. Who doesn't like a great picture of a chimp? Good job!
Many thanks! I love natural and am falling in love with frugal. (Apes go with any decor.)
My Dad told me a tale once about an uncle who had gone bald, and encouraged his hair to re-grow with great success by slapping on a mixture of parafin and cows manure. (Or is that taking the whole natural hair products thing a bit too far?) In any case, I enjoyed the hub, and plan to try the lemons thing on my mid-blonde hair. Do you have any cure for grey other than dye? Now that would be a winner?
You offer some great alternatives to the harsh detergents used in store bought hair products. Great hub!
@Amanda ...
Natural henna dyes miiighhhtt help with the grey, but I don't know any grocery-store recipes (would love to see some).
@Shawna ...
Many thanks!
Actually, your first picture fits me to a "T"!!! Near Chicago as of late the humidity we lacked most of the summer is here with a vengence, and my bad hair days are back!
Oh, so you're a redhead too?
(Seriously, I feel your pain.)
Cute hub, I like the monkey picture, thanks for all the hair tips.
I've used the beer conditioner before, but was hoping you'd provide info about do it yourself haircuts for men. I used to have this little palm sized comb thing, with blades in the combs. I got it in Europe in '65 and used it to trim my own hair for years. Lost it and couldn't find a replacement. Ever seen one of these?
But, good hub. I enjoyed it!
Hi, Bruce!
I don't know much about hair cutting myself, but my son had a cutter like that, years ago. It was electric, and I think it came from Sears. I think department stores and big drugstores still sell them. Never saw a non-electric model, though.
Great tips!!! I have used honey, avocodo, and olive oil to condition my hair and they are great moisturizers. I also sometimes rinse my hair with a little bit of apple cider vinegar with water.
Excellent tips! Everyone needs to be frugal these days with the economy as it is!
Great hair tips! I've always had reservations about mashing avocados and eggs into my hair and successfully getting it out again, but it's worth the effort so I've heard lol.
Marye Audet Level 2 Commenter 3 years ago
Nice!