diy hair mask for strong, shiny hair
Back in April I had balayage done to my hair. That is when the hairdresser highlights the lower sections of your hair and leaves the roots untreated. I know there is a lot more to it, but I'll leave that to the professionals to explain. I love the effect of this kind of highlight. It brightens my complexion and gives my hair some dimension. I am a low maintence girl and this is just so easy to maintain. The downside is that to get my hair lighter, bleach has to be applied. With that bleach comes some dryness and perhaps a little bit of damage to my ends. Not anything noticeable to anyone but myself, but I love having soft, shiny hair and that is a little more challenging to achieve with the dye put in. So, to counteract those issues I have developed a simple, once per week treatment that I apply before hot yoga. I put this in before class and allow the oils to penetrate the hair shaft in the hot room. The heat helps the oils bond to the cuticles of the hair. Plus, the coconut oil smells so wonderful it becomes a sensory experience. It's a good pick me up. If you don't practice yoga or have a weekly hot class, you can apply this without heat or take a blow dryer to heat it up. I even got my husband to put this in his hair before class. The vitamins and essential fatty acids in the oils helps strengthen hair to promote growth and prevent dandruff by moisturizing the scalp. Plus, this combination really keeps my hair so soft and manageable.
This recipe works well for my long hair. If your hair is shoulder length or shorter, I would suggest halving this amount for one treatment.
Ingredients:
1/2 tablespoon coconut oil. I use a scented version to have that more enjoyable aroma, but unscented would work just as well.
1 teaspoon avocado oil.
1 teaspoon jojoba oil.
1 teaspoon olive oil.
Instructions:
If the coconut oil is solid, rub around in your hands until it liquefies.
Instead of combining each ingredient in a bowl and mixing, I just apply one and then another to my hair and scalp. I want my entire head of hair to feel drenched and look wet by the time it is all applied.
If you have long hair, either braid it or wrap it up into a bun. Anyway to get it up and away from your face and clothing.
Leave the treatment on for a minimum of 20 minutes. You can even sleep in this by placing a shower cap on over the hair.
Wash out with your regular shampoo and conditioner. For me that's John Master's Bare.
I love how the scented coconut oil smell continues to linger after a wash or two. So nice!