Know when your hair is feeling dull, dry and lifeless and it just needs some life injected into it? Yeah, you’re standing there looking at the mirror in disbelief and despair, thinking what went wrong and what can you do to fix it. You’re wondering if a good deep conditioning treatment is gonna do the trick while, but suddenly you realise you’ve finished that overpriced product you decided to splurge on. What can you? Well, it’s quite simple you need to summon up your DIY skills and “bake” a killer recipe for your hair. While there are some famous kitchen ingredients to choose from, I want to introduce you to some unusual, or less thought of, foods for homemade natural hair recipes.
OATS
Oatmeal is a good, healthy choice to start your day with and maybe you had some for breakfast with berries and some honey drizzled on top. However, they are not only good for a healthy diet but they’re also good for your hair. They contain omega-3 and 6 fatty acids that are essential for human functioning and also known to stimulate and maintain normal hair growth. Oats are packed with B vitamins (2, 3, 5 and 6) which encourage cells to grow, fight hair loss and delay hair greying. Minerals such as potassium, magnesium, phosphorus and calcium also support hair growth and prevent hair loss.
In “hair language” the nutritious cocktail of protein, minerals, fatty acids and B vitamins present in oats will moisturise your hair and help repair damaged hair to become less brittle and more elastic. Your hair will also be left shinier and softer because oats will act as emollients that will form a silicon-like film on the hair that will smooth the outer layer of your hair.
Recipe: To make a simple recipe first hydrate the oats in 100 ml/3.3 oz of milk for 2 hours, strain the liquid and mix with honey, coconut oil and banana.
COCOA (Chocolate Powder)
Chocolate is the culprit of many of our sweet sins, but now we can use it free of any guilt. Yes, it’s true chocolate is also good for the hair. However, it has to be dark and unsweetened which means high cocoa content (+70%). Chocolate is packed with nutritious value and some unexpected benefits. The vitamin A (antioxidant) present in it gives you fuller/thicker and stronger hair. Along with flavonoids, vitamin A also fights free radicals which means strong and elastic hair, resulting in less breakage. The magnesium, potassium and phosphorus prevent hair loss and promote hair growth. You will feel that chocolate adds moisture, shine, manageability and softness to your hair.
Recipe: Mix 2 tbsp. of chocolate powder with Greek yoghurt, aloe vera and a vegetable oil of your preference.
GELATIN
Gelatin is good for healthy skin, hair, nails, digestion, joints and a few other things. However, I’m not talking about the sweetened and flavoured version normally thought of as a hospital or kids’ dessert. Gelatin has keratin, which is also present in hair. It penetrates the hair strand, bonds to damaged areas and works to make your hair stronger and more elastic. It also forms a film on the hair shaft that makes it feel soft, shiny and smooth by bonding its layers which also prevents breakage through friction. Despite its many benefits for your hair, you need to be careful when using it as too much protein (keratin) will leave your hair stiff, brittle and dry. Remember to always follow up with a moisturising deep conditioner as it is a protein treatment.
Recipe: Mix 2 tbsp. of unflavoured and unsweetened gelatin powder with a cup hot water (not boiling) and apply the liquid on your hair. Leave it for 30 minutes, cleanse and condition your hair and follow with a moisturising conditioner. For those of who are vegan or vegetarian instead of animal-derived gelatin, you can use agar-agar which comes from algae.
BEETROOT
Rich in antioxidants and flavonoids beetroot fights and protects your hair from free radicals. It has calcium, magnesium, iron, sodium, potassium and vitamins B and C which are essential for hair growth and to lessen hair loss. This combination of minerals and vitamins increases blood flow in the scalp that stimulates hair follicles and promotes hair growth. The carotenoids in it will give you shiny and thicker hair. Beetroot juice will also alleviate dry and itchy scalp.
Recipe: Place 1/2 beetroot in a food processor and reduce, add 1 or 2 tbsp of water if needed. Strain the liquid and mix with a banana, honey and EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)until you reach a smooth consistency. Apply on your hair and leave it on for 1 hour. This will be very moisturising for your hair.
Don’t hold yourself from trying any of these ingredients in your homemade recipes, you hair will thank you for the pampering session and you won’t break the bank.
Have you tried any of these ingredients? How did your hair respond? Do you know/use other unusual foods for homemade hair recipes?
photo credit: 31 days – 31 photos: Day 18 – Still Eating The Green Jello via photopin (license)
8 thoughts on “Unusual Foods For Homemade Natural Hair Recipes”
Wow! I would never of though of putting chocolate in hair!
Very Informative, thank you Ana. And all stuff is present in many households and much cheaper! And most certainly less damaging for your hair than some products some salon or hair stylist are trying to sell!
Hi Sonia. You’re certainly right it’s readily available in many homes and much cheaper.
Chocolate is good for your hair – it’s official! Love this idea. As everybody’s budgets get squeezed nowadays unusual foods for homemade natural hair recipes offers a way to get the results you want at a price that’s affordable. I haven’t personally tried any of these foods on my hair but I’m tempted to try.
Hi Annie, these recipes will certainly pamper you hair at an affordable price and they’re so easy to make there are no excuses. Do try them.
This is really interesting information. I think these natural hair recipies would be fun to try.
Thank you Linda. These recipes are fun, natural and they work!
Hi Ana,
Thank you so much for this article. I’ve only recently stopped bleaching my hair from my natural medium brown to peroxide blonde. I was just using the packet dye at home and doing it myself and I finally killed it.
I actually bought some really good organic natural, unsweetened gelatine recently so I’ll definitely have to try it on my hair. It sounds like it’s exactly what it needs!
I’d never thought of that before or read that anywhere so thank you.
All the best
Katia
Hi Katia! Bleaching kills your hair, it’s worse than dyeing your hair. The latter just adds colour on top, the former takes your natural colour out. t’s understandable that your hair might be felling dry and lifeless. You need to add a protein treatment to your hair regimen, to give your hair what you have taken out. Do protein treatments and follow with a moisturizing one. With just this single action you will notice a difference in your hair. If you need more help you know where to find me. 😉