Get beautiful, luxurious hair without using toxic chemicals! Check out these natural DIYs for a softening honey treatment, a vinegar hair rinse, and a hot oil hair treatment.
Guest post by Stacy of A Delightful Home
Does all-natural hair care seem like a luxury you can’t afford?
It did to me!
Thankfully I learned that a few simple DIY hair treatments were all I needed to have natural hair care whenever I wanted.
Today I’d like to pass along a few tips so you can also enjoy naturally beautiful hair without spending a fortune.
Not only is homemade hair care much less expensive than store-bought, it’s also free of toxins and chemicals. (Here’s why using natural skincare and toiletry products is important!) When you make these treatments yourself, you’ll know exactly what ingredients are included. That’s always a bonus in my book.
Without further ado, here are three simple hair treatments you can make at home:
DIY Honey-Softening Hair Treatment
This is a little sticky, but it truly makes your hair feel soft and smooth afterwards.
To give yourself a honey hair treatment:
Massage 1/2 cup of honey, or as much as you need (less for short hair, more for long hair) into dry hair and leave for 20 minutes.
Increase the effectiveness of this hair treatment by putting on a shower cap or wrapping a plastic bag around your hair. This will help keep the heat in which will allow the honey to soak in more deeply.
Once the 20 minutes are up, shampoo and condition as usual.
Honey is also great as a face cleanser. Find out how to use it here: 10 Ways to Use Honey (in Your Food and On Your Skin).
Other one-ingredient hair treatments include mayonnaise and avocado. Simply massage into hair as described above.
Vinegar Rinse
Vinegar adds a lovely shine to hair. It’s probably the most frugal hair treatment available (a close rival to baking soda).
Vinegar cleanses hair, removing dirt, grease, and buildup.
A vinegar rinse can be used a few times a week. How often you use a vinegar rinse depends on your hair type; take note if it is causing any extra dryness. If so, reduce the amount and frequency.
To make a vinegar rinse:
The easiest way to make and use a vinegar rinse is to pour 1 cup of water and 1/3 cup of apple cider vinegar into a spray bottle. Close the lid and shake to combine.
Spray onto hair and massage into scalp. Let sit for a few minutes before rinsing off with warm water.
Alternatively, you can mix up a cup of water and vinegar and pour directly over your hair. I find this a little difficult, but maybe you are more coordinated than me.
Variations:
The amount of vinegar you use can vary greatly. Some use straight vinegar and others use a highly diluted mix. Experiment to see what works best for you. If you have oily hair, use more vinegar. If your hair is dry, use less.
Vinegar rinses can be customized by adding 1-2 drops of essential oil. Lavender, rosemary or chamomile are all excellent choices for this. (Rocky Mountain Oils carries all of these essential oils at an affordable price!)
Dried herbs can be steeped in vinegar for a number of weeks to create an infusion. This creates a lovely scent, plus gives the vinegar some extra nourishing properties. Find instructions here.
DIY Hot Oil Hair Treatment
When I was teenager I bought hot oil hair treatments in little tubes. They always promised soft, bouncy hair, and sometimes delivered. But, as I learned more about how chemicals and toxins affect the body, I became wary of these products and stopped using them.
Happily, I discovered it was easy to make my own hot oil hair treatments. And they work very well!
Here’s how to do it:
Pour 1 – 2 tablespoons of olive oil into a heat-proof measuring cup.
Place measuring cup in a heavy saucepan.
Pour water into the saucepan until it comes up to the same height or slightly above the oil.
Warm pan over medium heat until the oil reaches about 100 degrees F.
Remove from heat (VERY carefully – you will probably need a hot pad or oven mitt).
Gently rub the oil into dry hair and leave for 30 minutes. Use a plastic bag or shower cap around the hair for extra heat and to keep from creating any mess (sometimes the oil drips).
Create an herbal version by steeping rosemary in the oil.
So there you have it: three simple DIY hair treatments, all natural and frugal!
If you’d like more DIY hair treatment ideas, you can get my free DIY natural hair treatment mini eBook when you sign up for updates from A Delightful Home.
I’d love to hear your experience with natural hair treatments.
For more natural skincare tips and recipes, check out these related posts:
DIY Lavender, Calendula, & Chamomile Soothing Hard Lotion Bars
DIY Oatmeal Lavender Bath Teas
Reduce the Appearance of Cellulite with a Coffee Scrub
Simplify Skincare with the Oil Cleansing Method
Have you tried any DIY natural hair treatments? If so, which ones?
Stacy is a preacher’s wife and homeschool mom of three. Slightly obsessed with all things DIY, she most enjoys creating herbal remedies and homemade body care. Stacy blogs at A Delightful Home and is the author of The Body Scrub Bible, a comprehensive guide to creating natural, gift-worthy body scrubs.
jennifer
I have used coconut oil with a few teaspoons of lemon juice to help with dried scalp it works wonders
Stacy @ A Delightful Home
I love that idea, Jennifer! I hadn’t thought to mix lemon with coconut oil. I bet that works very well!
raisa
Hi Jennifer, i can get a very dry scalp, can you explain your treatment with coconut oil and lemon?THanks,
Rasa
Rachel Morehouse
When I tried the vinegar rinse in the past, I could smell it for the next 3 days, even after shampooing with regular shampoo a day later. I was disappointed because I drink Dr. Bragg’s and use it for cleaning, but I couldn’t stand it in my hair. Maybe my nose is extra sensitive?
Susanne Runion
These look great. I can’t wait to try them. I will be sharing this on my FB page. Thanks.
Martine Bracke
What kind of honey do you use ? raw organic or regular?
Rhiannon
I don’t spend money on myself that often, not for more than what I need, and even then I try to spend as little as possible. Kids tend to be expensive.
I love these, I love the idea of pampering myself with stuff that is all ready in my house for other uses.
Julie Howe
I use apple cider vinegar about every other night, and it has been so great for my scalp. I used to have dry, itchy scalp with lots of dandruff, yet my hair would get extremely oily at the scalp by the day’s end. I started reading about natural alternatives to shampoo and conditioner and experimenting. What works for me is to wash my hair with baking soda and water every other night; on the other nights I wash with shampoo and then let an ACV and water mixture sit in my hair for three or four minutes.
Deanna
Hi,
These sound great and I would love to try them- currently I am buying my “say yes to Carrots” shampoo and conditioner in the organic section of Kroger but it is definetly expensive !! I had tried the baking soda wash and then rinse with vinegar a while back and did it for almost 2 weeks but my hair was soooo greasy I could not leave it down and if we were going somewhere special I would flip back to the regular stuff so I could look nice. Any tips on how to switch from store stuff to home made and making the transition go quicker? What is your daily routine? How about for kids? Thanks for putting up with all my questions- I really want to switch but just can’t afford a month of greasy hair 🙁
Jo
Vinegar rinse. Equalise ph levels. Was used before conditioner was marketed. Beer works as well but makes the hair smell like a brewery. Rainwater works to a degree.
Baking soda . Highly alkaline. Use for product build up and chlorine removal. Makes the hair dehydrated and leached of natural oils. Use cautiously.
Oil treatment. Use any finer, less sticky vegetable oil other than olive oil. Canola, pumpkin seed, apricot kernel or Grapeseed?
Simply put; shampoo hair less often, plaster it with conditioner before swimming, plait it before bed, and you won’t need ‘most’ treatments.
Brushing scalp every day-
The hair should be thoroughly brushed every day, (before wetting hair) twice a day. This applies to very long hair and very short hair, especially to crew cuts (i.e.: #2 clipper all over) or balding heads! A good quality brush with flexible bristles should be used. Blow drying brushes are not satisfactory. Effective brushing WILL NOT straighten perms. Duration of this exercise is at least 2 minutes.
The scalp is vulnerable to:
· Natural oils
· Perspiration.
· Loose hairs.
· Dead skin cells which accumulate on the scalp.
· Accumulation of dust particles
· Hairstyling aids
· Environmental debris ( eg. grease, from work)
By brushing the hair, you will remove the above mentioned from the scalp, which offers a breeding ground for disease-producing bacteria. Failing to do so, could in turn, lead to scalp disorders, such as itchy scalp, dry scalp, flaky scalp, dull/dry hair, offensive scent and hair loss.
Effective brushing of the hair will:
· Make the scalp feel great! Tingly when done correctly
· Increase the blood supply to the scalp, promoting healthy scalp and proper circulation.
· Active circulation of the scalp, incidentally brings nourishment to the hair follicles. The only true way to ‘FEED’ the hair.
· Activate the sebaceous (oil) glands.
· Disperse natural oils down the length of the hair, encouraging shine. (Remember! Natural oil IS the best conditioner.)
Care must be taken when brushing long hair, not to ‘whip’ it, as to cause split ends. Remember, to concentrate on brushing the scalp, more than the hair. NEVER NEVER rip into the hair. Always work knots out by reverse teasing the way up the hair strands. Once the knots are out, focus on the scalp. Daily hair loss is an expected natural occurrence.
Very short haired clients should remember to be gentle on the scalp. There could be a tendency to be rough, thus causing injuries such as scratches or even bleeding!
For hair and scalp analysis, advice on purchasing the correct brush or a demonstration on effective brushing, see YOUR HAIRDRESSER
Rachel
How can you remove large buildu of rust and mineral deposits (like lime) from using hard well water?
Jo
Hi Rachel. Are you referring to a build up in your hair? If so just use a mix of shampoo and Bicarb Soda mixed to a fairly thick paste. Apply very liberally. Massage well into the hair, wrap in cling wrap and let it soak for 20 mins. Rinse and shampoo out. Follow with a protein treatment.
To prevent a mineral build up by using a deep cleansing shampoo fortnightly, followed by a protein treatment.
Jo
Elaine
I dye my hair with henna. It’s not exactly a “make at home” but it’s cheaper and it really makes my hair so shiny! I noticed a tiny bit of grays, also I felt my hair color was dull and lifeless. I used Light Mountain brand from the Frontier Co-Op I run and I’m never going back! Not only does it color my hair, it also makes it incredibly shiny and easy to manage. It takes a long time to dye it, but I choose to do it on a night when I don’t have anything else going on! I add plastic wrap and a ski cap to hold in the heat while it’s “curing”.
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