Best All-Natural Hair Treatments From Home That Actually Work
A few years ago I had hair that was brittle, dry, and had terrible split ends. I also knew nothing about “paraben-free”, damage-control treatments, or the harm I was causing my hair with my everyday products. All I knew was that, despite my best efforts to grow long hair, my hair was continuously getting shorter and thinner. I ate healthy, exercised regularly, and felt like I took good care of myself overall. It was then that I switched to all-natural home treatments, gave up my typical shampoos and conditioners, and started giving my hair the clean-living it deserved! I’m happy to report that a couple years later, my hair grows long, thicker, and hardly ever breaks. For those looking for some hippie-approved remedies that will actually make a difference, this is for you!
Rice Water
A popular trend I discovered about a year ago that really works. It’s cheap, easy, and you can feel the results immediately. You’ll want to limit this to weekly or bi-weekly. Here’s what you’ll need:
1/2 cup of rice (jasmine or white)
1 cup of water
a few drops of orange or rosemary essential oil (optional)
All you have to do is rinse off the rise to clean it from impurities, then let it sit in a cup of water for about 6-8 hours. Add in a few drops of essential oil if you wish (sometimes the rice can be a little stinky, but I hardly ever need to add the essential oil myself) and move your concoction to the fridge overnight. Use your rice water treatment the next day as a rinse, let it sit on your hair for 20-30 minutes, and then wash as normal. You’ll be able to feel the protein treatment you just gave your hair after just one time!
Heat Protectant
First and foremost, if you’re reading this article, then you probably already know how bad heat is for your hair. I’ll save you the lecture because sometimes it’s unavoidable if we want to prevent looking like big foot with an afro. Instead, here’s an easy recipe to make your own all-natural heat protectant spray so you can keep your hair safe before using your hot tools. Here’s what you need:
1 teaspoon fractionated coconut oil (get it here)
2 teaspoon sweet almond oil (get it here)
2 teaspoons of a paraban-free conditioner (I use Olaplex, which you can get here)
1 cup distilled water
spray bottle
a few drops of essential oil (optional)
Again, essential oil is more for smell preference and I prefer to just go without! All you have to do is mix all of the ingredients into your spray bottle, shake it up, and there you go! An all-natural, effective heat protectant spray for when you can’t go without the heat.
Leave-In Conditioner
I love leave-in conditioner because you can continuously be treating your hair to a healthy treatment even throughout your day. Everything I’ve purchased in the past has made my hair feel greasy, but this DIY formula makes my hair feel great! Once you have the ingredients, you’ll easily be able to keep it stocked in your bathroom. Here’s what you need:
1/4 cup filtered or distilled water
1 tablespoon coconut milk (get a single can here)
1/4 teaspoon jojoba oil (get it here)
essential oil (optional)
spray bottle
Again, the essential oil is optional for smell preference. Mix everything together in a spray bottle and you have an easy, all-natural leave-in conditioner to treat your hair all throughout the day!
Hair Mask
If you have a little more time, a hair mask is a great bi-weekly treatment to keep your hair soft, moisturized, and strong. There’s lots of recipes out there, but my favorite is this one made of all things in my kitchen! My hair loves this treatment and is insanely smooth after. Here’s the goodies you need:
one avocado, mashed
one banana, mashed
one egg
one tablespoon olive oil
essential oil (optional for smell)
Also note that you can substitute mayonnaise or greek yogurt for any of the ingredients if you wish! Just mix everything up in a bowl so that it forms a paste, apply it first to your ends and work your way up towards your scalp. You really want to make sure your ends are saturated! Leave on for thirty minutes and then rinse. Your hair will feel stronger after just one time.
Coconut Shampoo Bar
Shampoo bars have become a popular trend lately and I fully support it. Not only is it an all-natural option, it also promotes sustainability by getting rid of all of the packaging and shipping to get the shampoo we normally buy into the stores. There’s lots of recipes out there, but I don’t like to make any using lye. Lye is safe if it’s combined correctly with the appropriate ingredients, but in my opinion, anything that could be harmful to breathe in when crafting an “all-natural” product probably isn’t worth using. Here’s the items you’ll need for your shampoo bars:
silicone soap mold (get one here)
4-cup microwavable measuring cup (get one here)
1 lb. goat milk soap base (get it here)
2 teaspoon castor oil (get it here)
1 teaspoon shea butter (get it here)
20 drops coconut fragrance oil (get it here)
Cut the goat milk soap into 1” cubes and melt in microwave for 30-second increments using the measuring cup. Once mostly melted, add in the shea butter and microwave another 15-20 seconds. Add in the castor oil and coconut oil and stir until it’s all combined. Poor the mixture into the molds and let sit in a cool, dry place for 4-6 hours until hardened. You can store your unused/extra bars in an airtight container for up to a year. It’s an easy, all-natural, environmentally-friendly option that ends up being super affordable compared to buying other paraben-free and sulfate-free shampoos!
You can start with any of the things on this guide, but if you’re really serious about getting back to healthy hair and avoiding harsh chemicals, I recommend making the switch to all of them! Once you have the supplies it’s easy to keep making your own DIY products at home, and I bet you’ll never switch back to store-bought items. Wishing you your best locks ever!
Brooke
