When the sebaceous glands under-produce, the scalp turns tight and dry. Hair grows dull, rough to the touch, tangles easily and can become brittle. Bleaching, balayage, straightening, overly hot blow-drying, sun and sea water all take a toll on our hair and its health. Here are simple, effective home remedies to nourish and repair it.
Homemade recipes to nourish your hair
The oil mask, for dry hair
Mix equal parts sweet almond oil, palm oil, olive oil and castor oil. Apply the blend all over your hair and leave it on for at least 2 hours before washing as usual.
The mayonnaise mask
Mix 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise with the juice of a fresh lemon. Apply along the length of your hair for 20 minutes before shampooing.
To encourage hair growth
Herbs
Put 50 g of linden (lime) blossom in a litre of boiling water. Let it steep for 5 minutes, then strain: use the liquid as a rinse. Another method: add 1 tablespoon of thyme to a cup of cold water, bring to the boil, then let stand for 10 minutes. Strain, then rub the liquid briskly into your scalp morning and night.
The monoi oil mask
Monoi is a true beauty secret of Polynesian women, who often use it as a repairing pre-shampoo treatment to nourish the hair. It's made by macerating tiare flowers in coconut oil, one of the rare oils able to penetrate right to the hair's root: it wraps each strand in a protective sheath and gives it strength and shine, while delicately scenting it. Its smoothing, softening formula works wonders on dull, dry and brittle hair.
Apply it all over your hair, especially if it's dry or damaged. Wrap your hair in a towel or braid it to create a heat effect that allows for a deeper treatment. Leave it on for at least 30 minutes, or overnight if your hair is very dry and very damaged. Wash thoroughly (once for dry hair, at least twice for oily hair): your hair comes out soft, supple and shiny.
Our grandmother's recipes
Linden blossom tonic
In half a litre of low-mineral water, add five tablespoons of linden sapwood. Heat and let it boil for fifteen minutes. Remove from heat and strain, then steep four tablespoons of linden flowers and leaves in this decoction. Let it infuse for fifteen minutes, then strain. Add the juice of half a lemon and shake well. Massage this tonic into your scalp every morning, keeping it refrigerated between uses and not storing it for more than eight days.
Sea water, for oily hair
Collect a bucket of sea water, as clear as possible, and massage it into your hair. This very inexpensive treatment helps eliminate dandruff: the plankton and minerals it contains rebalance the scalp and make it more vibrant. Rinse afterwards with fresh water.
To repair your hair
An inexpensive trick that's easy to make at home: mix 3 tablespoons of honey with 5 tablespoons of olive oil in a bowl. You can add an egg yolk for an even more nourishing treatment, and a few drops of lemon juice for shine (not every time, just now and then). Apply this mixture along the lengths, focusing on the ends rather than the scalp.
Wrap your hair in a warm towel and leave it on for at least 30 minutes, or overnight. Then wash with cold water, which closes the cuticle, using a gentle shampoo, and rinse thoroughly — poor rinsing weighs hair down. Do this mask every two weeks: soft, shiny hair guaranteed!
Honey and olive oil as a mask, linden blossom as a tonic, monoi as a pre-shampoo treatment: grandmother's remedies nourish and repair hair, no artifice required.
Tips
- Use nourishing, protective shampoos and treatments.
- Massage your hair along its full length to help nourishing actives penetrate the fibre and smooth the cuticle back down.
- Limit the use of curling irons and straighteners as much as possible.
- Hold your hair dryer 2 to 3 cm from the scalp, at a moderate temperature.
- Choose brushes with natural bristles.
