Beauty Bit: DIY Hair Masks

Dry And Damaged Hair

There are several nourishing masks for dry and brittle hair you can mix up in your own kitchen using basic and natural ingredients. Oil - based masks are extremely good for dry hair, they make it softer and visibly healthier. Here are a few recipes to try out.

Coconut Oil 

Coconut oil is one of the most famous remedies for dry hair since it is one of the few oils that can actually penetrate the pores of our hair. It can be used by itself or enriched by other ingredients to form a nourishing treatment. Opt for the unrefined version if possible.
In this mask we will combine coconut oil with egg, which is full of proteins.

Ingredients: several tbsp coconut oil (depending on the length of the hair)
                  1 whole egg

Coconut oil turns solid on room temperature, so first  take a few tbsp and melt it down in a small pot on a stove on low heat (or put the jar in a bowl with hot water in it). After the oil is melted, add in the egg and mix the two ingredients together. Apply it on your hair and let it sit for 30 - 40 minutes. To make the mask even more effective, you can put on a shower cap or wrap your head in a plastic wrap. Be careful to rinse the mask with lukewarm and not hot water (hot water will boil the eggs).

Olive Oil 

Olive oil is another famous remedy, known by our grandmothers and passed down by generations. As well as coconut oil, it is both good for skin and hair. 

Ingredients: 4 - 5 tbsp olive oil
                  2 egg yolks 

Whisk the ingredients together and apply it on your hair. Put a shower cap and leave it in for at least 20 minutes. Again, you can enhance the effect of the treatments by applying heat - wearing a shower cap or wrapping your head in plastic wrap. Rinse with lukewarm water.

Argan Oil

Argan oil, also known as the Miracle Oil, is extremely beneficial for both hair and skin. It penetrates the hair pores and hydrates it. It improves hair elasticity and growth. Natural antioxidants in argan oil strengthen and repair hair. It is believed that it locks in the moisture, thus making hair healthier and shinier. It is great nourishment for colour treated hair. It is rich in vitamin E and unsaturated fatty acids such as Omega 3 and Omega 9, which heal the hair and treat the split ends. 

Apply argan oil in your hair and also massage it in the scalp. Comb your hair to evenly distribute the oil. Wrap your head in a warm towel and let it sit for at least 20 minutes before rinsing it off with warm water. 

Jojoba Oil

Another great "beauty oil" is jojoba oil. It is a great treatment both for skin and hair, because it closely simulates human sebum, the oil that actually protects our skin and hair from drying. It strengthens and moisturizes dry and damaged hair.
Apply jojoba oil in hair, put on a shower cap and let it sit for 20 minutes or even overnight before washing it off. 

Avocado


Ingredients: several tbsp coconut oil (depending on the length of the hair)
                  1 ripe avocado
                  1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

Melt the coconut oil and add it to mashed avocado and apple cider vinegar. Avocado is full of healthy and nutritious fats and rich in potassium and vitamins E and B, while apple cider vinegar will add to the shine of your hair. 


Ingredients: 1 ripe avocado 
                  1 tsp olive oil
                  1 tsp honey

Mash avocado until smooth. Mix the mashed avocado meat with olive oil and honey, apply to hair and leave it in for at least 20 minutes. 
Honey is famous for its moisturizing properties which make it ideal for maintaining scalp health. 

xoxo,
Iskra


  

Beauty Bit: Healthy And Shiny Hair

A Few Tips on How To Grow Your Hair Healthy

Long hair or short hair; blonde, red or brunette - it doesn't really matter, as long as your hair is clean and healthy. There are many things that can affect our hair in a negative way, but there are also several tips we can follow in order to protect it and grow it healthy. Here are just a few that I have personally tried and have seen great results so far. Just as a side note, I have naturally curly, and thus very dry hair.

1. This trick really works- tie your hair in a bun or a pony tail when you go to sleep. That way your hair won't get all tangled up and it will prevent the hairs rubbing on the pillow.

2. Find a suitable shampoo and conditioner for your hair type and opt for a more natural, or even Sodium Lauryl Sulfate / Sodium Laureth Sulfate - free version. The mentioned ingredients dry both your hair and scalp and can cause allergies and irritations. 

3. Nourish your hair with a weekly treatment. It can be a homemade mask or a treatment from a drug store, but find something natural to condition your hair with on a weekly basis. Besides the all-natural DIY masks (several recipes here), I love the Macadamia Natural Oil Deep Repair Masque - it nourishes your hair leaving it with a rich and gorgeous scent. 

4. Drink lots of water! It would be optimal to drink half of your body weight in ounces of water throughout each day. (Eg.: 140 pounds = 70 ounces of water)

5. Food matters! "We are what we eat" and nutrients that feed our body also influence the health of our hair. Good diet will benefit your body, skin, nails, hair and overall performance. Try to eat 4 - 6 smaller meals throughout the day, incorporating a lot of raw veggies and fruit and avoiding any artificial sweeteners and sodas.

6. Supplements can also help grow your hair healthier. You should always consult your doctor regarding which supplements to take, but from my personal experience, Omega 3 is great both for skin and hair.

7. This goes hand in hand with the first tip - invest in a silk pillow case. Not only is it good for your hair (it prevents frizz and hair breakage), but it is also believed that it doesn't encourage the formation of fine lines and wrinkles as much as other materials.

8. Avoid washing your hair every day. It is hard not to do this if you have extremely oily hair, but by washing it every day, you are both drying your scalp and damaging your hair.  By washing your hair every day, the oils are stripped off too quickly and thus can appear in even bigger amounts to make up for the previous loss. Giving it at least one day of rest in between the washes, your hair will soon adapt to this new regime and won't be as greasy.

9. It is true that combing your hair directly after the shower is more likely to damage it, but personally, that's the only time I can actually comb my hair since it's curly. In order to protect it, always use a wide tooth comb (a wooden one, preferably) and comb your hair gently (first dealing with the tangled lover part, and than moving on to the rest). Also, apply a leave - in conditioner before combing your hair.

10. Try to air dry your hair and use a heat protectant when applying heat to it.

11. Trim your hair every few months to get rid of the split ends.

Hope this helps :)

xoxo,

Iskra