Your hair is one of the first things that people see when they look at you and it can say a lot about your personality, style, and personal preferences. That’s why it’s important that you make sure your hair is clean, neat, and healthy.
Reader’s Digest listed 10 secrets to keeping your hair healthy, which includes taking omega-3 fatty acids, getting a regular trim, and regularly checking for excessive hair loss. Apart from those basic routines, you can also try these five alternatives to shampoo for curly hair. Here are some that actually work:
1. Baking Soda & Apple Cider Vinegar
The Alternative Daily points out that baking soda is known to clean the hair as thoroughly as shampoo—minus the harmful chemicals. Using baking soda is also a great way to remove any oil and soap build-up in your hair. Meanwhile, apple cider vinegar works just as well as a conditioner, leaving your hair soft and shiny. Rinsing with apple cider vinegar can also help restore the scalp’s natural pH balance as baking soda has a high pH level.
2. Egg Whites
Two to three eggs (whites only) can help you bring back the moisture in your hair. Style journalist Raffy Marie Parker notes that enzymes in egg whites cause them to foam, making them the best choice if you want to remove stubborn dirt, oil, and impurities from your hair. It can also help strengthen your hair, promote growth, and fight dandruff. You can also use egg whites as a hair mask—just combine it with other nutrient-rich ingredients like coconut oil.
3. Mayonnaise
Mayonnaise has L-cysteine, which is an amino acid that can nourish your scalp and promote healthy hair growth. It also contains egg yolks, vinegar, and oil that can effectively moisturize your hair. If you ever have problems with hair lice, Style Craze suggests using mayonnaise as it suffocates and kills lice effectively. It also works wonders for curly hair, especially for those that are really frizzy and hard to manage. Regular use can give your hair enough moisture to prevent frizz.
4. Coffee
The article Eight ways to use coffee on the skin, scalp, and hair explains that coffee is rich in nutrients and antioxidants that can help prevent common hair concerns like dullness, frizziness, damage, and breakage. Coffee, when directly applied can also help you rebalance the pH level of your hair and scalp.
The good news is that drinking coffee can also help as it can prevent abnormal hair loss. Lean ’N Green Coffee benefits include collagen which will help improve your hair.
This is because collagen can encourage the body to produce hair proteins, which will strengthen the skin around hair roots. Not only that, putting coffee grounds on your roots can help stimulate them for better growth and structure—it’s a good way to exfoliate your scalp, too.
5. Olive and Walnut Oil
If you want to give your hair more volume, body, and shine, you can use olive oil. It can also help strengthen hair as it penetrates the hair shaft, effectively preserving moisture. For an alternative oil, Claudine Collins-Hermanstein detailed the benefits of walnut oil for natural hair. She noted how it’s an effective scalp cleanser as it helps prevent dandruff and hair loss
When it comes to keeping your hair and your body healthy, natural ingredients are always the best choice. Although there are many bottled alternatives on the market, sometimes it pays to use what you already have – especially if you want to save money.
Other natural ingredients you can use include honey, for sun-damaged hair, avocado for frizzy hair, and beer for flat and dull hair. If you have an itchy scalp, you can use lemon juice. And if your hair suffered hair product damage, you can use yogurt.
