Be a Kitchen Beautician: 5 DIY Recipes for Healthier, Thicker Hair
Think you need to splurge on fancy products to protect, strengthen, and beautify your hair? Not so! “You can get great results using items from your kitchen,” promises celebrity hair-stylist Tyler Laswell.
To stop the clock on aging hair and bring back the bounce, shine, and thickness you want, here are four all-natural treatments to try on your locks. The best part? You don’t need to visit a fancy salon to try them— instead, you can become a “kitchen beautician” right in the comfort of your own home.
1. Thicken thinning hair with rosemary.
“Coupled with regular scalp massages, rosemary-infused olive oil strengthens and stimulates follicles to promote hair regrowth,” reveals holistic aesthetician Stephanie Tourles, author of Organic Body Care Recipes.
Kitchen beautician recipe: Warm ½ cup of olive oil with 3 sprigs of rosemary. Allow to cool. Dip your finger tips into the oil and make small circles on your scalp. Begin at your forehead, working toward the back of your head, re-dipping fingers in oil as necessary. Relax for 15 minutes, then shampoo as usual.
2. Amp up the volume with baking soda.
Volumizing mousses and sprays can be pricey, especially if you use them every day. Luckily, there’s a cheap and easy way to get extra oomph: “Baking soda. It supercharges your shampoo, removing excess oil and buildup that can make your hair look at,” says Laswell.
Kitchen beautician recipe: Pour about a teaspoon of baking soda into your hand, add your usual amount of shampoo and lather up. After you style your hair you’ll immediately notice more body and bounce.
3. Enhance color with tea.
Don’t want to shell out big bucks to keep your hair color vibrant? Simply rinse it with a color-enhancing tea. “These teas don’t drastically change your hair color,” says Laswell. “They just kick up your own natural highlights.”
Kitchen beautician recipe: If your hair is brown, use black tea for richer color. If your hair is blonde, brighten it with chamomile tea. If you’re a redhead, enliven the color with hibiscus tea. Steep 3 to 5 bags in one cup of water for 15 minutes. Cool to room temperature, then pour through damp hair and let sit for 10 minutes. Rinse and style as usual.
4. De-frizz with coconut oil.
“Coconut oil tames frizz better than many of the silicone serums on the market,” declares Laswell. Unlike silicone (which coats the hair so it lays at, but doesn’t penetrate the hair shaft and hydrate it), coconut oil seeps in under the hair’s cuticle, moisturizing it with fatty acids and lling it with essential proteins for a smoother look.
Kitchen beautician recipe: Warm a dab of coconut oil between your palms, then run your fingers through dry hair, concentrating on the mid-shaft and ends. Afterwards, brush your hair thoroughly to evenly distribute the oil.
5. Restore softness and shine with avocados.
Thanks to their rich stores of healthy oleic fats, avocados make dry hair silky, soft and shiny again.
Kitchen beautician recipe: Remove the skin and pit from half an avocado. Place in a blender with 2 Tbs. olive oil; blend until smooth. Apply the mask through damp hair and put on a shower cap to trap body heat, which helps the mask penetrate hair. Relax for 20 minutes, then shampoo as usual. Use this hair mask twice a week for silky softness.
This article originally appeared in our print magazine.
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