4 Hydrating Haircare Recipes You Can DIY at Home

Brown Sugar Scalp Scrub

If you're suffering from dry and flaky scalp this winter, a DIY sugar scalp scrub helps you get rid of dead skin and product build-up from shampoos, dry shampoos, and sprays, giving you less of a flat and dull look. It can also help your hair to grow because your follicles won't be clogged. "Sugar will gently exfoliate and dissolve completely, without leaving behind any grit or particles," says Dove expert dermatologist, Dr. Francesca Fusco.

Use this scrub once every couple of weeks:

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons of natural brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon of coconut oil
• A teaspoon of apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon of honey
• 3 drops of rosemary essential oil

1. Mix the sugar, coconut oil, and vinegar together until the scrub forms. Next, add the honey and essential oil.

2. Work a dollop of the product into your hands and then gently massage it into your scalp using your fingertips, just like how you shampoo your strands.

3. Rinse out the scrub thoroughly with warm water, which will melt the sugar, and then follow with your usual shampoo and conditioner.

Honey Hair Mask

"Honey has lots of sugars and therefore acts as a humectant, preserving moisture and making it perfect for dry hair or an irritated scalp," says Unilever hair expert, Leon Van-Gorkom. Honey also has vitamins and minerals as well as anti-bacterial and antifungal properties, which makes it great for keeping your scalp in tip-top shape.

To make a DIY honey hair mask you'll need:

• A towel to cover the shoulders
• A hair comb
• A shower cap
• 1 tbsp honey at room temperature
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• A small bowl

1. Mix honey and olive oil together in a small bowl. The olive oil is important because it gives the mask more of a liquid consistency, whilst adding vitamins A and E, and fatty acids that can help with dry hair.

2. Dampen your hair, place the towel around your shoulders and apply the mask directly to your head. Then comb the mask through your hair, ensuring all of your locks are evenly coated.

3. To avoid making a mess, cover your hair with a shower cap and let sit for 15 minutes. This also makes sure your hair absorbs as most of the mask as possible.

4. Rinse out the mask, then follow up by shampooing your hair. You may need to shampoo twice as the mask has an oily consistency.

Aloe Vera Hair Gel

When it comes to hair, aloe vera is amazing for your scalp because the proteolytic enzymes in the plant help repair dead skin cells, which reduces itching and dandruff. Aloe is also super moisturizing (similar to keratin), promoting hair growth and preventing breakage thanks to the plant's vitamin A and E. It keeps your locks soft, strong, and frizz-free.

Ingredients:

• Aloe Vera leaf or 100 percent aloe vera gel
• Essential oils like rosemary, lavender, or even peppermint
• Coconut, olive, or almond oil (optional)

Directions:

1. Cut open an aloe vera leaf. Using a knife or spoon, scrape out the clear, gelatinous pulp inside each leaf and put it in a bowl.

2. Mix your gel with a few drops of essential oil. This will help give your hair a boost of invigoration. When mixing in the essential oils, use one tablespoon of oil for every two tablespoons of aloe vera gel. If you want to add even more moisturizing and conditioning benefits, feel free to mix in coconut, olive, or almond oil. For these oils, the ratio will be the same as the essential oils.

3. Once you've blended everything together, you have the perfect aloe vera hair gel for styling - it's seriously that easy!

Steam Conditioning

Hair steaming is a traditional technique that uses moist heat to help open up the hair follicle, lift the cuticle on the hair shaft and allow conditioner and treatments to penetrate each strand to allow better absorption of moisture. It's one of the best things you can do to pamper very dry, damaged or chemically-treated hair as it improves elasticity and moisture retention and makes it way more manageable.

If you don't happen to have a hair steamer at home, we have a hair hack for you. One of the best ways to steam your hair is in the shower!

Directions:

1. After washing with your usual shampoo, apply a generous amount of your conditioner of choice. You can stimulate your scalp with a head massage while you're there.

2. Cover your conditioned hair with a plastic shower cap to trap the moisture in then allow the steam from the shower to open up the cuticles while the conditioner penetrates your strands. As an alternative to steaming, you can wrap your head in a hot towel, which will do the same job. Leave it for a good 20 minutes.

3. Remove the cap and rinse out the conditioner. Your hair should look glossy with a high sheen and the scalp should feel clean and calm with no itchiness or irritation.

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Photos 1 and 5 by Park Street and Mathilde Langevin for Unsplash

Photos 2,3,4: Shutterstock