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The choice to keep the hairs on your head long and heavy may be very rewarding as it enhances appearance. However, the only clause here is “if it must stay long, then it must be kept healthy”. To do this, there are myriads of hair care products that may be found in markets, saloons, spas, and every other place you may think of getting such products. Unfortunately, a good number of these products are made with chemical toxins which may cause harm to your mane health over time. Therefore, to rid your mane of choking, growth-unfriendly and unhealthy elements caused by these chemicals in hair products, there is a need for regular detoxification (1).
Mane Detoxification
Mane detoxification is the method of drawing toxins and dead cells out of your hair to keep the scalp clean and stimulate hair follicles. As crucial as this is, you can easily do every aspect of it yourself using homemade detoxifying shampoos and masks. First, let’s look at some practices that may make your mane unhealthy.
Practices that make your mane Unhealthy
Some practices may get your mane looking unhealthy and eventually cause damage if you do not identify them early. Some of them include:
1. Wrong Choice of Hair Products:
Some hidden chemicals in your hair care products (most of which have no short-term effect) may be unhealthy to your mane in the long term. For example, certain hair products contain chemicals that should not be let anywhere close to your hair. Using these products over time may greatly contribute to the damage of your mane.
2. Brushing your hair when it’s still wet:
This is a prevalent practice that must be discouraged. To preserve the health of your mane, which is most fragile when it is wet, you need to leave it to get halfway dry before brushing it.
3. Excess use of Shampoo and Conditioners:
Whatever you use excessively may become unhealthy; this is the same for shampoos and conditioners. Identifying your hair goals and sticking to a modest use of the products that provide it is key.
Also Read – Try Yoga for Long Black Hair – 11 Asanas and Pranayamas to Try
4. Daily Washing Of The Hair:
Washing your hair once, every two or three days instead of daily may help protect your scalp. It may reduce the demand on the scalp to produce those natural oils that keep your hair shiny.
5. Regular use of the same Hair Products:
Over time, regular use of the same hair products may leave a build-up on your scalp after your mane has adapted to them (2).
6. Other factors:
Such as towel drying the hair, profuse heat styling, amongst others, may adversely affect hair health.
The detoxification of an unhealthy mane aims to heal and restore the hair. To achieve this, some homemade shampoo and masks have proven to be very effective.
Homemade Detoxification Shampoos and Masks
These homemade hair detoxification shampoos and masks have one thing in common – the ingredients needed for their preparation are all readily available. Here are the recipes for preparation
1. Coconut Oil and Vitamin E oil Detoxification Shampoo:
Coconut contains numerous nutrients and healthy fats, including lauric acid, protein, vitamins C, E, and B, making it nutritious and healthy for use. Although the oil made from coconut flesh has the most attention, the milk also has very spectacular benefits to the hair (3).
The other active ingredient in this shampoo, Vitamin E oil, has natural antioxidant effects that may help rid your hair of free radicals, detoxify it and keep your mane healthy (4).
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup (2-3 tablespoons) of coconut milk
- 1/2 teaspoon of Vitamin E oil
- 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil (olive oil is optional, if your hair is not dry, you may leave it out)
- 3 tablespoons of liquid castile soap or organic baby wash
- 10-20 drops of any essential oil of choice
Method of Use
- Pour the coconut oil and liquid castile soap or baby wash (use only one of the two) into a mixing bowl
- Add the Vitamin E oil to the bowl
- If you are using olive oil, add the half teaspoon
- Add 10-20 drops of the essential oil of your choice
- Blend the mixture thoroughly till you get an even mix
- Massage this mixture into your mane gently.
- Wash off after 20 minutes with tepid water (5).
2.Lemon and Cucumber detoxification shampoo:
Lemon juice with a natural state acidity level of 2 helps balance the mane’s pH level. It also offers numerous other benefits to hair health. Cucumber is dense in Vitamins A, K, and C, minerals like silica, alkaline material, magnesium, and manganese, which are very nutritious to the hair.
The lemon and cucumber detoxification shampoo is one of the easiest to make yet, very effective in keeping the scalp and mane clean.
Ingredients
- 1 cucumber
- 1 lemon (the cucumber and lemon must be proportionate in size)
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil (optional)
- 5-10 drops of essential oil
Method of Use
- Peel the cucumber and cut it into large chunks, then blend it.
- Cut the lemon and squeeze its juice into the bowl of blended cucumber
- Mix both juices to an evenly distributed blend
- If you are using olive oil, add the two tablespoons into the mixture
- Add 5-10 drops of essential oil
- Thoroughly mix up the content of the bowl or shake it up in a bottle
- Massage your scalp with the detoxifying paste and leave for 20 minutes.
- Rinse it off with tepid water.
Also Read – 4 Exclusive Recipes of Homemade Hair Detox Shampoos
3. Aloe vera and Bentonite clay detoxification mask:
The direct application of raw aloe vera gel to the hair may facilitate a deep cleanse, strengthen hair strands and calm an itchy scalp (6).
Bentonite clay is derived from volcanic ash and is extensively used to remove toxins and add moisture to hair (7). Bentonite clay absorbs chemicals, grime, and other pollutants from the scalp. In addition, it detoxifies the hair to keep dry scalp, frizziness, and the effects of heat damage at bay. These factors indicate how tremendous the benefits of an aloe vera and bentonite clay mixture may be to your mane.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup of pure aloe vera gel
- 1/2 cup of bentonite clay powder
- 1 cup of apple cider vinegar (it is rich in Vitamins B and C and also contains alpha hydroxy acid, which has anti-inflammatory properties) (8)
- A plastic bowl is recommended to be used for this mixture to prevent the bentonite clay from chemically reacting with the container
Method of Use
- Pour the aloe vera gel and bentonite clay into the bowl
- Add half a cup of apple cider vinegar and mix the three thoroughly
- Massage the mixture into your scalp
- Leave the mask for 30 minutes before rinsing with the remaining half cup of apple cider vinegar.
- Leave the (apple cider vinegar) rinsed hair for 3 minutes
- Rinse the hair finally with tepid water and finally with cold water.
4. Redmond Clay and Herbal infusion detoxification mask:
Redmond clay is all-natural bentonite clay and helps in the cleansing of built-up toxins from the body. This clay, when mixed with freshly brewed herbal tea infusion (9), may
- Detoxify your hair of unwanted elements
- Extract impurities from your pores
- Soothe irritation and
- Leave your mane looking as appealing as you intended it to be.
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons of Redmond clay
- 1 cup of freshly brewed herbal tea infusion
- 1/2 cup of apple cider vinegar
- 10 drops of any essential oil of choice
Method of Use
- Leave the freshly brewed herbal tea infusion to get cold
- Pour the cool herbal tea infusion into a plastic bowl and add the Redmond clay and apple cider vinegar
- Add 10 drops of any essential oil of your choice to the smooth mixture and whip the blend together
- Massage your mane and scalp with the mask for 3 minutes
- Leave it to sit for 30 minutes before rinsing off with tepid water (10).
Benefits of Using Homemade Detoxification shampoos and masks:
Mane detoxification (at least once a month) is a required practice to keep your hair healthy. The detoxification shampoos and masks discussed above are recommended for the following benefits:
1. Ingredients availability:
Coconut, aloe vera, cucumber, bentonite clay, and every other ingredient needed for these shampoos and masks are easily accessible products. The ease with which these ingredients could be gotten helps prevent procrastination, waste of time and prevents financial concerns.
2. Absence of chemicals on the scalp:
Detoxification aims to rid the mane of impurities mostly caused by hidden chemicals and preservatives in other hair care products. Using natural homemade detoxifying shampoos and masks keeps the mane 100% natural and free from more chemicals.
3. Fresh shampoo and mask:
These homemade products may be easily prepared within a few minutes. The shampoo and masks are always fresh hence, very potent for detoxification. Compared to other products that have been on shelves for weeks, natural hair products are the best for your mane.
4. Protection of the planet:
The chemicals used to produce most hair care products are harmful to our ecosystem, environment, and planet. When you use a natural homemade mask or shampoo, you are contributing your quota to the protection of the planet.
Also Read – How To Use Cilantro for A Glowing Skin and Shiney Hair
Disadvantages of using Homemade Hair detoxification shampoos and masks
Homemade hair detoxification shampoo and masks may not have any negative effect on your mane. However, there are some general shortcomings they have.
1. Short shelf-life:
As a result of the perishable ingredients used to produce them, homemade shampoo and masks have a short shelf life.
2. Preparation shortcomings:
Compared to over-the-counter shampoos and masks, these homemade hair products may have shortcomings in preparation, especially with disparities in the quantity of a particular product needed.
Summary
Opting to keep your hair in a long naturally attractive style has its pros and cons. This mane may appear overly dry, rough, and dull when it becomes unhealthy, and healing that requires detoxification. Homemade hair detoxification shampoo and masks have been used for centuries for this purpose. Currently (with the high-level exposure to chemicals which the hair endures from hair care products), the use of these ingredients may produce the ideal shampoo and masks that will heal your mane.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Why do you get build-up in your hair?
The scalp build-up is caused by the accumulation of oily secretions, hair products, sweat, and dead skin cells on the scalp.
How do you know when to detoxify your hair?
Generally, it is advised to detoxify the hair a minimum of once a month. Then, when your hair appears dull, dry, and rough, you know it is suffering from a build-up of unwanted elements.
Can you use natural homemade shampoo and masks every day?
Home-made hair detoxification shampoo and masks shouldn’t be used more than twice a week.
Is lemon juice healthy for the hair?
Lemon juice has numerous benefits to the hair. Nonetheless, it may lighten the color of your hair.
What happens if you have shampoo on your hair for too long?
Having these shampoos and masks on your hair for longer than the required time may not result in extra benefits. The usual time you should leave your hair damp with a mask or shampoo is a minimum of 20 minutes and a maximum of 35 minutes.
References –
- “Is a hair detox a real thing?” – healthline.com
- “10 things that are destroying your hair without you even knowing” – luxyhair.com
- “How to Use Coconut Milk in Your Hair” – healthline.com
- “Is vitamin E good for your hair?” – medicalnewstoday.com
- “How To Make Your Own Coconut Shampoo (and Coconut Milk)” – onegoodthingbyjillee.com
- “Aloe vera benefits for your hair” – healthline.com
- “The BEST Aloe Vera Clay Mask Recipe with Honey + Bentonite” – facialclaymasks.com
- “Can Apple Cider Vinegar Benefit Your Hair?” – healthline.com
- “HOW TO USE HERBAL HAIR TEA RINSES” – chagrinvalleysoapandsalve.com
- “How to Make Herbal Infusions & Decoctions for Wellness Support” – mountainroseherbs.com
