When it comes to hair products, we're spoilt for choice. There are overnight serums which take lacklustre strands and make them glossy while you sleep, sprays for achieving gravity-defying volume, and hair masks for breathing life into overprocessed lengths ravaged by bleach. But instead of raiding Space NK for our next fix, we looked a little closer to home. Our kitchen cupboards, to be exact.
You only have to scroll through Pinterest for a few minutes to see that DIY haircare remedies are huge. Recipes containing everything from banana and egg white to avocado and apple cider vinegar are becoming popular with the eco-friendly, skin sensitive and experimental among us. But before you roll your eyes, there's method in the mixing. These concoctions are easy to whip up, pretty cheap (if you use leftovers from your breakfast) and you get to control the ingredients you're putting on your scalp and hair.
Five R29 staffers tried five at-home haircare remedies. Here are the results...
Serena Brown, art intern
DIY remedy: Egg white and olive oil
Verdict: My usual haircare routine changes so much because my hair has a mind of its own depending on the weather. I usually shampoo my curls with either Cantu Sulphate-Free Cleansing Cream Shampoo or OGX Extra Strength Damage Remedy + Coconut Miracle Oil Shampoo. Both are really good at rehydrating my hair which can get quite dry, especially when it’s cold.
I mixed one egg into a bowl with a few slugs of olive oil and attempted to scoop it up with my hand and fling it on my hair without getting raw egg all over my bedroom floor. But as you can probably guess, I got raw egg all over my bedroom floor. After squelching the egg and olive oil into my hair, I left it on for about 15 minutes and washed it off in the shower. It was actually quite tricky to completely wash out as it had really stuck onto my hair. My hair didn’t really smell bad afterwards but I still washed it with some shampoo in case I’d just gotten used to the smell of egg.
After using my usual products to style my hair, surprisingly I’d say the hair mask really did work. My hair felt much more glossy and a lot less dry but I think this has a lot to do with my hair texture. I don't think this would work as well with those who don't have Afro hair. The results were great but I’m not too sure I could get used to putting egg on my head and feeling normal about it...
Annika Kanwal, campaign manager
DIY remedy: Champagne
Verdict: I’m currently sporting a long, thick black mane but haircare is not one of my strengths. In fact, I’d say my normal hair regime is pretty basic. I tend to switch between Head & Shoulders and L'Oréal Elvive Extraordinary Oil Shampoo and Conditioner, depending what’s on offer. I find Head & Shoulders is really good for cleaning my hair and making it look refreshed, while L'Oréal Elvive gives me a nice sleek shine and a soft feel. Switching between the two gives me a good balance and keeps my hair looking healthy.
Washing my hair with champagne was definitely an upgrade to my usual routine. Once I popped the champers in the shower, the smell was great. Trying to manoeuvre pouring a bottle of champagne onto my hair was not without its difficulties, however. Alcohol in my eyes totally ruined my champagne shower moment. I used about a quarter of the bottle and the champagne felt smooth in my hair, which made it quite silky. It was easy to wash out.
After washing, I towel-dried the excess then blow-dried my hair. Once dry, the texture of my hair did feel soft on the lower parts but I felt my roots were greasy. I didn’t have the rejuvenated feel I was hoping for. I think I’ll be sticking to drinking champagne rather than washing my hair with it next time. And yes I did drink the rest of the bottle.
Natalie Gil, senior news writer
DIY Remedy: Avocado and banana
Verdict: My current haircare routine can't really be described as a 'routine'. I wash it too often (every other day – blame the gym), with any old shampoo and conditioner to hand, i.e. not one tailored to my hair type, and I always forget to use hair masks. I couldn't even tell you the name of the brand I'm currently using – all I know is it's coconut scented – so I was excited to give my hair some much-needed TLC.
My first impressions of the avo and banana mask were good: it looked and smelled like one of my favourite smoothies! And it made me feel smug because #wellness. But then things went downhill. I didn't mash the mixture up enough, so huge chunks of food plopped onto my shower floor as I applied it to my ends, clogging up my drain, while the rest (somehow) found its way onto the walls. After a few minutes, I washed it all out (or so I thought). There were huge chunks of banana on my brush as I brushed my soaking wet hair, but I didn't have time to rinse it again so I went to bed with plaits to contain the mess as much as possible. The following morning, my hair was greasier and frizzier than usual and I smelled like a fruit and veg stall – and I still haven't managed to scrape the crusty banana off my bathroom wall.
Sheloa Nichols, director of content production
DIY Remedy:Apple cider vinegar
Verdict: I have to say I was wholly unprepared for the effect ACV (as it’s known online) would have on my hair. Seriously I am shook. SHOOK, I tell you. First of all, you are supposed to 'rinse' your hair with it after you shampoo. I confess, while I had mixed it with some water as directed, I had not thought through the rinsing part, so I simply poured it over my head as delicately as possible…and immediately had the sensation that I had given my virgin hair its first shot of bottom shelf tequila. The BURN, people! If you're ever wondering where you might have had a small spot on your hairline, I assure you pouring ACV on your head will pinpoint its exact follicular location.
The sensation and the smell actually took my breath away. However, and this is very important, the shock was momentary and I tell you it was worth it! After catching my breath I left it in for a few mins as directed (cue body scrub) and then proceeded to rinse it out. Honestly my hair felt like it had grown anew on my head – as I was rinsing it out I was amazed. My hair has never felt so silky in the shower. I have two young nieces and I’ve helped out at bath-time so I have a very recent reference for how youthful my hair feels. ACV is like a hair youth serum!
After I rinsed out the ACV I mixed a little of my shampoo and conditioner together just to give my hair a little moisture and to combat any remaining smell (I didn’t want to put anything on it because it felt so awesome but thought it was better to be safe). The result is super shiny and bouncy hair. I am definitely working this into my regime on a weekly basis! And after it dried, there was no smell. True story.
Jacqueline Kilikita, beauty editor
DIY remedy: Beer
Verdict: I’ve heard that a beer rinse takes dull lengths and makes them glossy, and seeing as my biggest beauty goal is to achieve hair so shiny, you need to wear sunglasses to look at it, I was intrigued. Right now I'm using TRESemme Colour Shineplex Shampoo, which is low in sulphates to keep hair healthy and soft, KMS Moist Repair Conditioner, which in my opinion is the best frizz-fighting product, and Redken Extreme Cat Treatment to counteract the straightener abuse.
I figured a treatment might be a little bit too much this time, so after a shampoo and a light condition I cracked open a can of Heineken (don’t judge my choice of tipple) and doused my hair in it, massaging the frothy bubbles into my scalp, mid-lengths and roots. I let it do its thing while I shaved my legs and then rinsed it out well. My hair felt cleaner than usual, actually, which might be testament to the fizz. But instead of the mirror shine I’d hoped for, all I got was the stale smell of a two-day hangover (blow-drying made the stench worse) and knotty ends.
I refused to put straighteners over it and I just couldn’t go to bed like that, so I jumped back in the shower and gave it another quick shampoo, literally 30 seconds. While beer isn't that great for shine in my opinion, it did feel like it gave my scalp a deep cleanse, and as someone who is prone to flakes, I appreciate that. When it comes to glossiness, I'll be sticking to tried and tested treatments next time. Hari's Hairdressers is my go-to.
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