The recipe for great hair - home help to liven up your locks
Forget the bathroom cabinet when it comes to home help in the beauty department - the kitchen cupboard might be a tastier option!
Don’t take our word for it, just ask screen siren Sienna Miller. The New York-born ‘Alfie’ actress is an unofficial ambassador for Heinz after recently revealing that an unlikely dollop of tomato ketchup was her top beauty tip.
Known for honey-blonde hair, Sienna had to bring in the red sauce to rescue a dye disaster involving henna, which had given her a greenish glow.
Home remedies aren’t a new celebrity fad. They’ve been used for centuries and, just like Sienna, you can raid the larder for some DIY hair rejuvenation.
“Sometimes our hair needs a bit of a boost and often, while luxury products will work and smell amazing, your quick fix could be sitting in the kitchen cupboard,” confirms celebrity hairdresser Jason Cocking.
So if your hair’s crying out for some TLC, head for the cupboard and try some of these tasty treatments...
Olive oil
Traditional olive oil is just as handy on your hair as on salads. “Apply extra virgin olive oil as a pre-treatment,” Cocking advises.
“This can be used cold or heated to a relaxing warm temperature. Leave on for 20 minutes then shampoo out. It may take a couple of washes but you’ll certainly notice the difference.” If you have fine hair, an olive oil spray is a much lighter option for shinier, healthier tresses. Avoid any oil-based products if you have hair extensions as this may loosen the bonds.
Sea salt
You can banish those embarrassing flakes of dandruff on your shoulders with the help of this everyday condiment.
“Give your head a good exfoliation using sea salt,” says Cocking. “This will get rid of all the dry flakes, while a good rinse afterwards with warm water and shampoo will make sure any residue is dissolved out.”
Vinegar
Fragile and colour-treated hair is particularly
tangle-prone. If knots are your nemesis, all you need is a product with a low pH, according to Cocking.
“To untangle tricky hair, the best product to work its magic is white vinegar,” he says. If the smell reminds you of fish and chips, try pink grape juice as an alternative. Apply to your hair for 15 minutes and comb through with a wide comb, washing out well.
Charcoal
If you’ve got dark hair, salt and pepper roots are so noticeable. Strawberry blonde Nicole Kidman has regularly been spotted on the red carpet sporting grey roots, but the colour contrast is less obvious.
“If you have dark hair and struggle to cover your greys in between dyes or colourist appointments, try using charcoal,” Cocking suggests. “Apply to dry hair, being careful to blend it in, and nobody will ever know.”
Mayonnaise/Egg whites
For super-shiny hair, a pure protein remedy is the answer. “As a classic rescue remedy, apply mayonnaise straight from the fridge to penetrate your hair, or try whisking up an egg-white mask,” Cocking suggests. “Leave on your hair and wrap it up for about 20 minutes.” Wash out thoroughly with lukewarm water and your hair will look thoroughly nourished.
Seawater
Pack an empty spray bottle in your beach bag if you’re after the mermaid look. Cocking advises: “Bottle up the seawater and spray into your roots, giving you instant volume. Alternatively, scrunch it into your curls to get that summer-ready beach look. “If you hate the smell of salt water, add rose water or petals to the mix, making you look and smell heavenly.”
Comments
by Dubai Hair Doctor
Tuesday, June 12 2012, 10:08AM
“The only thing that actually hydrates hair is water! Oil does not penetrate the hair shaft. Some of the more refined oils like Moroccan are becoming very popular due to aggressive marketing and celebrity endorsement. If you feel they are good for your hair, carry on.”
by Melissa Taylor
Tuesday, June 12 2012, 3:59AM
“One great product, in my experience, for keeping hair healthy is argan oil. I have Pro Naturals Moroccan Argan Oil and it deeply conditions and hydrates my hair, plus it leaves it smooth and shiny. Recommend it!”
by Monique Brown
Monday, June 11 2012, 7:47PM
“thanks for the info, very useful, I also use a good product to keep my hair pretty and healthy, it's Pro Naturals Moroccan Argan Oil which protects my hair , makes it stronger and keeps it soft, shiny and healthy.:D”
by Dubai Hair Doctor
Monday, June 11 2012, 3:20PM
“I cant believe that you are promoting such remedies in this day and age. It is utter nonsense. Firstly Olive oil and mayonnaise has no benefit to the hair and scalp, left in the fridge or not! Oil turns rancid quickly attracting dust and desquamation from the skin, thus making the hair dull and smelly. Vinegar rinses;This doesn't apply nowadays. In the old days, before modern shampoo, you would have washed your hair with soap. These soaps would deposit an alkaline film on the hair, dulling the hair's cuticle. An acid rinse, from lemon or vinegar, would neutralize this alkaline deposit and add shine. Modern shampoos do not create an alkaline film so an acid rinse is unnecessary. De tangling; Just before you wash your hair, firstly detangle the hair by running a wide-toothed comb through starting at the ends, gradually working up the hair strands. Use a 'saw-cut' comb in which each tooth is cut into it, making it smoother. They are available in plastic or vulcanite (hard rubber). Avoid cheap plastic combs made from a mould as these can cut into the hair. Metal combs are even worse as their edges can lacerate the hair. Salt; Will not remove or treat dandruff, fact, dandruff is the mildest form mild seborrhoeic excema.There are variations in the severity and form of this condition. With some types of dandruff the white or grey flakes leave the scalp surface easily, falling onto the clothes and shoulders and, with darker clothing, are quite obvious. In other cases the scale is more adherent to the scalp, and rather than the flakes leaving the skin's surface, sticky yellow scales build up to form a thick covering on the scalp.
With the simpler forms of dandruff (pityriasis simplex) the scalp is usually of a normal colour, however, with the more severe forms of the condition (Seborrhoic dermatitis) there is an underlying inflammation which renders scalp tissues more tender and sensitive than with simple dandruff. . Shampoos which control the level of micro-organisms on the scalp but which also have a calming and smoothing effect on the irritated scalp tissues are usually the best form of treatment.Not Salt!”