Recipes for Great Hair

Summer vacation usually means lots of time in the sun, sand, and pool. As much fun as that can be, the heat, chlorine, and minerals can wreck havoc on your tresses. I have been busy in the kitchen—yes, the kitchen—whipping up homemade hair remedies! It seems that if we’re trying to purify our hair to make it the prettiest, why not try out fresh and natural ingredients? Plus, it’s something fun to do while at the cabin for a week or trying to recover from a hundred-degree day in the AC.

Here are my favorites:

Replenishing Hair Paste
Rich in protein, antioxidants, and moisture, this super-blend brings the supple back to strung-out locks.

1 whole ripe avocado
1/4 cup of coconut cream (found canned at the grocery store)
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp. aloe gel or juice
1 tsp. sea salt

Mash avocado and coconut cream together in a bowl until smooth. Add lemon juice, aloe gel, and sea salt to complete the mixture. Refrigerate while you jump in the shower and give yourself a gentle shampoo. Towel dry the hair and apply the mixture liberally. Cover with a shower cap or wrap in plastic. Heat up the outside of the cap with your hair dryer for 30 seconds. Allow the paste to process on your hair for 30 to 45 minutes. Rinse well and follow with a light shampoo and conditioner if needed.

Green Machine Anti-Chlorine Treatment
Chlorine can deposit an unwanted grimy shine to the hair with reflections of a muddy green color. I wasn’t overly excited when I mixed these two ingredients for my swim team friend, but it really did work!

1 cup organic ketchup
4 tbsp. apple cider vinegar

It works best to mix together in a tint bottle (available at beauty supply stores like Sally’s). Shake until the ingredients are liquefied. Apply to clean, dry hair and emulsify until the entire head is covered. Clip the hair up and pop a shower cap over your head for 30 minutes. Shampoo and apply my Replenishing Hair Paste or a conditioner.

To avoid chlorine problems in the future, remember to always rinse dry hair with clean tap water for 30 seconds before jumping in the pool. Our hair works like a sponge: If it is filled with non-chlorinated water first, it will repel the chemically treated water in the pool.

Add these tricks to your beauty cookbook, and enjoy what is left of the summer!