Beauty care can be a toxic business.
We’ve been trained to think that all those fancy, store-bought products are an essential aspect of looking and feeling our best—but this just isn’t the case. These products aren’t just inessential; in many cases, they’re actually undermining our health. And as health slips away, beauty becomes an increasingly difficult thing to maintain.
This is exactly the game in which conventional product manufacturers would like to trap you—then you’ll need to buy their products in order to maintain a certain standard of health and beauty. For example, many common skin moisturizers, make-ups, lip balms, and other self-care products actually sap the health of your skin over time (and they contain all sorts of toxins that cause a myriad of long-term health issues).
Hair products are no exception. Especially as we age, keeping hair full, beautiful, and healthy can be hard work. For this reason, many people rely on commercial hair care products. But the truth is that the short-term benefit is not worth the risks posed by popular hair care products.
Popular shampoos and conditioners rarely support the long-term health of your hair; they contain microbeads (a glorified name for poisonous plastic), phthalates, silicone and other health-sapping ingredients.
Silicone-based hair products can give hair a temporary shiny, smooth look but they make your hair weaken and over time look worse that it did before
Silicone-based hair products can give hair a shiny, smooth look, but here’s what’s actually happening: the silicone seals off your hair follicles from moisture, so as soon as the product washes out, your hair looks worse than it did before (until you reapply more product, of course).
Over time, your hair can actually become addicted to silicone and similar compounds—it literally stops producing its own emollients.[1]
Luckily, there’s a better way…
While there’s certainly an increasing number of healthy, organic, effective hair care products now on the market, they too are inessential. You can take matters into your own hands by making your own hair products at home—it’s much easier than you think.
The natural ingredients discussed below promote beautiful hair by making it strong and healthy, rather than giving it the illusory appearance of beauty with damaging chemicals. They can even prevent hair loss and promote the growth of new hair, regardless of your age.
And when we say that these products are easy to make, we mean it. A simple mixture of coconut oil and choice essential oils makes a fabulous natural hair care serum. But don’t let the simplicity fool you—this is a powerfully healing blend. Let’s look at what makes its components so supportive for your hair.
Fractionated coconut oil is the foundational ingredient of this at-home blend. We’ve sung the praises of coconut oil many times before. There are endless cosmetic uses for this superfood oil (and that’s not even counting its culinary and therapeutic applications). The caprylic acid and capric acid it contains pack an antioxidant punch, and thus work wonders for keeping the hair and scalp moisturized and healthy.[2] Studies have shown that, because of its high affinity for hair proteins, coconut oil reduces protein loss in hair follicles, reduces split ends, and increases the “structural strength and resiliency of hair mass.”[3]
Rosemary essential oil is a must-have for any healthful hair serum. A 2012 study published in the International Journal of Biotechnology found that rosemary is of greater antibacterial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory value that nearly any other comparable remedy.[4] These mechanisms allow rosemary (especially rosemary essential oil, which is a potent concentration of all its healing compounds) to help prevent baldness, encourage new hair growth, alleviate dandruff, and even slow the growth of grey hair.[5]
Lavender essential oil, besides adding a wonderful and relaxing fragrance to the blend, has also been successfully used in the treatment of alopecia (premature balding). It works its magic by soothing and moisturizing hair, by stimulating the scalp’s own production of moisturizing sebum, and by improving blood circulation to hair follicles.[6] It even controls the microbial overgrowth that leads to dandruff and fungal infections.[7]
Ylang ylang essential oil tops off this blend by acting as a thickening agent for hair. It strengthens and rejuvenates hair follicles, and modulates the production of natural oils (meaning that, regardless of whether you have dry or oily hair, it will bring the scalp’s oil production into perfect balance).[8]
Assembling these powerhouse ingredients into your DIY hair serum couldn’t be easier.
Just fill a glass spray bottle nearly to the top with fractionated coconut oil, and add 4-5 drops of each of the essential oils discussed above (you can also add a couple drops of your favorite essential oil to customize the scent). Coat your hair with 2-4 sprays after showering, while your hair is still wet, and massage into the hair and scalp.
Don’t stay trapped in the belief that proper self-care can only be purchased. Making your own products is more affordable, more personally empowering, and most importantly, much healthier for your hair.
References
[1] http://journal.scconline.org/pdf/cc1995/cc046n05/p00231-p00245.pdf
[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23892389
[3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4387693/
[4] http://www.lifescienceglobal.com/pms/index.php/ijbwi/article/view/232
[5] http://www.naturallivingideas.com/hair-growth-serum/
[6] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9828867
[7] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4054083/
