Hair Smoothies: The Frugal Fix for Frazzled Hair
I remember Grandma, and boy did she have beautiful hair!
As a woman who lived through the Great Depression and two World Wars, she had to learn to primp and preen on a shoestring. No expensive shampoos and conditioners. No pricey dye jobs. No weekly trips to the beauty parlor for a wash and set.
She merely whipped up a concoction or two right in her kitchen, to give her hair body, volume and shine, and to clobber the frizzies and split ends.
I have compiled several old time recipes, modernized by using that wonderful kitchen contraption, the blender! They use dairy products, fruits, eggs, honey, vanilla extract, fresh mint, and other healthy and fragrant ingredients.
They can be fixed in a snap, and cost just pennies per use! Why not give them a try?
To thicken and moisturize your hair, and give it a healthy shine:
Puree in your blender:
1 egg yolk
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup whole milk
4 tbsp. aloe vera gel and
4 fresh strawberries
Apply the mixture to damp, towel-dried hair. For best results, start at the roots and comb through to the end of the hair.
Place a shower cap or warm towel over your hair for 15 to 30 minutes.
Shampoo and rinse until the water runs clear.
To deep condition your hair and repair split ends:
Blend together:
1 tbsp. plain yogurt
1 tsp. wheat germ oil
1/8 tsp. lecithin granules
Squirt of honey
1 tsp. sweetened condensed milk
1/2 banana
1/4 of a peeled avocado
Brush the mixture on your hair in downward direction .
Wrap your scalp in plastic bag for 45 minutes.
Rinse thoroughly.
To add shine to your hair:
Blend together:
1 peeled red apple,
2 tablespoons baking soda, and
1/3 cup seltzer water
Apply to damp hair.
Leave on for 15 minutes.
Shampoo as usual.
To add volume:
Combine in your blender:
2 drops vanilla extract,
1 teaspoon chopped fresh mint and
1 cup plain yogurt
Work the mixture into damp hair.
Leave on for five minutes.
Rinse well.
To fight the frizzies:
Blend together:
1 tangerine
1 grapefruit
enough cornstarch to thicken.
Work through hair.
Leave on for 5 minutes.
Rinse well.
For more great hair tips, visit these websites:
Robert Hallowell, The Kitchen Beautician
and celebrity hair stylist
http://www.thekitchenbeautician.com/frames.html
Longhairlovers.com
http://www.longhairlovers.com/press.html
Great Day America
http://greatdayamerica.com/style/beauty/hairsmoothie.shtml
Irene Helen Zundel is a freelance writer, educator and mother, and an expert in child development, home schooling and creative parenting and home making.
Visit her online at http://www.irenehelenzundel.com
