Hair masks for dry and dull hair
Battling dry and dull hair? Here are 10 super rich hair masks completely made out of natural ingredients.
Soak henna mixed with black tea overnight. In the morning, add two beaten eggs, four teaspoons of curd, juice of half a lemon and one tablespoon of coconut or olive oil. Leave this mask on for at least two hours before washing it off with cold water for best results. Use a mild shampoo.
Mix one egg yolk, one tablespoon of castor oil, one tablespoon of honey and cover your hair from root to tips. Put on a plastic shower cap and wrap your head with a towel. Wash off after half an hour and do a final rinse with apple cider vinegar. Using this mask thrice a week will give you excellent results.
Mash two ripe bananas till smooth. Add two tablespoons of mayonnaise and one tablespoon of olive oil. Apply and leave on hair for an hour. Wash hair with lukewarm water. Since bananas are known for its softening effects on the hair, this mask is excellent for ladies who have dull and rough hair.
Remove the skin of one large potato and grate it. Squeeze the juice into a bowl. Mix two tablespoons of aloe vera gel to this. Stir well till the mixture becomes smooth in texture. Massage onto the scalp for 15 minutes and then, leave the mask for two hours before washing off. This mask helps in hair growth and combats hair fall.
Take out all the cream at the bottom of a tender green coconut. Put it in a dish and warm it a little. Slowly massage it into your hair from root to tip. Wrap your hair in a warm towel and leave it for an hour. Wash with a mild shampoo and let your hair dry naturally. If done regularly, this pack helps regain your hair's lost shine and also makes it bouncy.
Mash avocado pulp and add mayonnaise in the ratio 1:2. Because of its thick and heavy texture, avocado is one of the best smoothening natural remedies for dry and dull hair. Apply the mixture through your hair. Wash off with tap water after 30 minutes.
- Methi Anti-Dandruff Hair Mask
Soak methi seeds in water overnight. Grind into a paste the next day and massage into scalp and hair. Leave on for 20 minutes before washing off. You can also use the water as the last rinse after you shampoo. This not only reduces dandruff, but also strengthens the hair.
- Protein-Rich Gram Flour Pack
Soak three tablespoons of black gram overnight and grind it to paste next day. Mix it with one beaten egg, one tablespoon of lemon juice and one cup of yoghurt. Apply to hair and leave on for half an hour before washing off with cold water.
Grind black pepper and lemon seeds in equal amounts. Boil three tablespoons of dried rosemary in three cups of water till the water reduces to less than half. Cool and strain. Dissolve the ground pepper and lemon seeds powder in this solution to make a fine paste. Add a cup of curd to it and mix well. Apply on your hair and scalp. Wash after 15 minutes with cold water.
Take a cupful of red hibiscus petals and soak it overnight. Make a paste of it and add olive oil to it. Apply it on your scalp and wash off after an hour for lustrous tresses.
Possible Causes for Dry Hair
- Shampooing too often
- Use of 'poos with harsh sulfates
- Use of products with alcohol which can also be drying
- Not drinking enough water
- Sleeping on a cotton pillowcase or using a cotton scarf, which rob hair of moisture
- Overly porous or low porosity hair
- Not using water based hair moisturizers
- Not sealing moisture in with an oil or butter
- Improper hair pH
- Excessive use of heavy products w/out proper cleansing (build-up)
- Chemical Damage such as relaxers or other chemical straighteners
- Color treated hair (notorious for dryness)
- Using too much direct heat (blow dryer, flat iron, curling iron, etc. on a consistent basis)
- Too much chlorine (from swimming pools or tap water)
- Salt (from ocean water)
- General weathering from the elements
- Mechanical damage from over manipulation (which leave the cuticle vulnerable)
Solutions
- Increase water in-take
- Pre-poo with an oil that can penetrate the hair shaft like coconut oil
- Cleanse with moisturizing poos or ones that contain milder surfactants like Coco Betaine, and always follow up with a conditioner that moisturizes well
- Use a water based leave-in conditioner after your wash and conditioning routine, and seal it in with a butter or oil while damp or wet
- Explore protective styling to help retain moisture
- Use deep conditioners weekly. Some may need to apply indirect heat through a shower cap, steamer, hair therapy wrap, etc., while deep conditioning
- Evaluate if your water is hard or soft and if it needs to be treated
- Protect your hair, when going swimming, with conditioner and a swim cap or use of a product specifically designed for sun/chlorine/salt, such as Ouidad Sun Shield
- Determine the pH of the products you use in your hair and adjust the ratios/products accordingly
- Always use a heat protectant when styling with heat.
- Sleep with a satin pillow case and/or satin scarf
- Be patient and gentle when handling your hair
- When you're in windy or sunny conditions, bun or don a hat
- The take away is this: Find out WHY your hair is dry. After you establish this, you can determine how best to combat the issue. Remember, the goal is to always keep your hair well-moisturized. Well, as best you can anyway! A well moisturized head of hair is a happy one!
Dry curly hair, especially dry African-American curly hair, is normal
Our hair is naturally curly, coarse and dry, it's just how it grows out of our heads. With straight hair, it's easy for the natural oils to travel down the hair shaft, keeping it moisturized. But with curly, coily hair, it's a lot harder for the oils to navigate, which causes the hair to remain dry, especially towards the ends. So don't assume that because your hair is dry, it's always an indication of how well you care for your hair, or signs of neglect. Most of the time it's just a characteristic of our hair! You can moisturize the heck out of my hair and still have it be dry by the end of the day.
Daily Moisture Treatments:
One of the most simple solutions to combating dry hair on a daily basis is to apply water on your hair day and night. In my experience, it's not enough to just apply products or oils to your dry hair, it needs water first. The water is the moisture, while the oils and products are what seals the moisture in.
Fill a spray bottle with two-thirds water and one-third aloe vera juice. Then give your hair a light spritz every morning and night, just enough to penetrate my strands, but not enough to make my hair soaking wet, so it doesn't ruin your style. Add the aloe vera juice because of it's amazing healing properties. It also helps to ease frizz and calms the ends of your hair.
After lightly spritzing with water, follow up with a bit of your favorite oil-based hair product to seal the moisture in.
This method works well on any style you're wearing: wash and go, twist out, bantu knot out, etc.. The only style you won't want to do this to is a silky, smooth flat- ironed style, as the water might revert your straight hair.
Weekly Moisture Treatments:
Once-per-week or once-every-two-weeks, a deep conditioning treatment is really helpful.
Anytime Moisture Treatments:
"Water Bagging"
If you're hanging around the house with nothing to do, why not condition your hair! A really quick way to infuse moisture into your hair without a lot of fuss, is to "water bag".
Spritz your hair with water (and aloe vera juice if you like) and throw on a plastic cap! Keep it on for as long as you want. You can even sleep with it on if you want to! When you take the plastic cap off, your hair will be extremely soft, and the best part, there's nothing to wash out! Just follow up with your favorite oil-based hair product to seal the moisture in.
The same "Wash and Go" from the image above after one night of "Water Bagging". You can sleep with the plastic cap on and wake up to plump, moisturized hair.
