Top 10 Natural Hair Conditioners that you need to know

With the increasing amount of chemicals, we expose out precious hair to, conditioning our hair has almost become a necessity with time.Be those hair colors, or the occasional straightening and what not can leave your locks terribly dry and fragile. What your hair needs at times is some pampering after all the havoc you have wrecked on it. With these simple homemade natural hair conditioners, you can easily restore the pH balance, moisture and life to your dead looking locks over some time.

1. Vinegar and Water 

• In 500 ml of water, add 50 ml of vinegar and rinse your hair with the liquid.

The vinegar renders a nice sheen to your locks and leaves them smelling fresh for long. This is because of the mild acetic acid in vinegar that keeps your hair from reeking of sweat and grime.

This conditioner is proven more beneficial when you have applied a hair mask consisting of eggs. The acid in the vinegar cuts the pungent odor of the eggs.

2. Orange Peel and Water

 One component that cleans the scalp and keeps the antibacterial infestations in the form of dandruff at bay is vitamin C. Orange peels contain a large number of nutrients other than vitamin C which is beneficial for both scalp and hair health.

• In 100 ml of water, add the peels of an orange and leave it the overnight. As the hours go by, the nutrients from the peel release into the water.
• Now use this water to rinse your hair. You can easily replace orange peels with any citrus fruit like lime, lemon or mosambi.

However, for caution, this hair care tip must not be practiced more than once in two weeks.

3. Coconut Water

 The tender water of a fresh coconut is great for your hair. Like coconut oil, which has small particles that easily absorbs into the scalp, coconut water also has a tendency to work similarly on your hair follicles and scalp making it healthier.

• Take water of a fresh coconut, mix it with normal water, and use it to rinse your hair.

The nutrients in the coconut will seep in to your hair making it naturally healthier. This is particularly beneficial for people witnessing chronic hair fall. Coconut contains natural constituents that get absorbed into the follicle and prevents it from drying.

Thus, this conditioner over prolonged use can prevent hair thinning and baldness.

4. Milk

 Milk is a complete food. Nourished with various enzymes and adequate amount of fats, milk can be easily used to condition your hair. While the fat from the milk coats the hair follicle, the enzymes gently cleanse the scalp.

• To use milk as a conditioner, take 100 ml of full fat milk and dilute it with a liter of water.
• Rinse your scalp with the mixture and flaunt your tresses with utter flamboyance.

5. Essential Oils with Water

 Essential oils are great for your skin. Every essential oil in the market, be it lavender, rosemary, thyme or even mint or eucalyptus, each one of them has a wonderful effect on the hair and scalp health.

• In a bucket of water, add  5 to 6 drops of the essential oil and mix it with your hands before you rinse your hair with that water.

The fragrant water will leave your hair with a gentle fragrance and fight sweat and irritation.

However, make sure that you use cold pressed essential oils for maximum benefits.

Note: Cold pressed oils are the oil that is collected from the source at the first attempt without any external influence like excessive heat or pressure. They can be obtained easily from the nearest pharmacy store or from the cosmetic counters of various departmental stores. The Indian market is flooded with organic brands that sell these organic essential oils.

6. Kaffir Lime Leaves and Water

 Kaffir lime is a fragrant species of the good old Indian “nimbu”. The species is known particularly for its refreshing smell and antibacterial and antifungal properties, which prevent bacterial and fungal buildup on the scalp.

• In approximately 100 ml of water, tear around five to six medium sized leaves of Kaffir lime leaves and let the mixture sit overnight.
• The guiding principle remains the same whereas the resultant product is a fragrant infusion of the leaves.
• This process can be repeated with mint leaves, eucalyptus leaves, “neem” leaves, holy basil leaves or a combination of multiple leaves that complement each other.

7. Honey, Olive Oil and Milk

• In a small bowl, take 2 tablespoons of olive oil and milk.
• Whisk it together and add a teaspoon of honey to the mixture.
• Add this mixture to a 500 ml of water and rinse your hair with the plain water a couple of times to get rid of the sticky honey.

Each ingredient in the conditioner recipe nourishes your hair and caters to your hair’s needs, leaving you with soft bouncy hair. This little hair care tip in the form of a conditioner recipe is particularly helpful for dry, frizzy hair, which is extremely difficult to tame.

8. Mehendi and Eggs

 Mehendi is a natural conditioner and leaves a nice burgundy color to your hair when used as a conditioner. While it is usually available in the form of dried leaves, it is better to grind fresh mehendi leaves with a stone and then use it to condition your hair.

• Take a couple of tablespoons of mehendi powder in a bowl and mix it either with water, milk or a couple of eggs.
• Make a runny mixture with some water and use it to apply on your scalp.
• Leave it for an hour or two before you rinse it with plain water.

If you do not like the smell of the eggs, we recommend you use the vinegar with water conditioner to condition your hair along with getting rid of the smell.

Mehendi, being a natural cooling agent can effectively treat the zits and rashes that pop up on the scalp. The milk and the eggs further soften and nourish the hair follicles.

This treatment is particularly beneficial for people with curly hair.

With prolonged use, say couple of months with two-week intervals in between can help you naturally straighten your hair, make it look shinier and jet black. But mehendi is extremely drying and its overuse can leave your hair drier, fragile and brittle. To avoid that, we recommend the two week interval between mehendi sessions and a break of a month or two for the hair to release its natural oils. It breaks the monotony and allows your hair to readjust to the circumstances.

9. Yoghurt, Mayonnaise and Avocado

• Mix all the three above mentioned ingredients in the equal proportions and mix them into a gooey paste and apply it on your scalp and hair.
• Leave the paste on your hair for an hour before you rinse it off with plain water.

You might want to use the vinegar and water concentrate again to wash your hair if you feel that the yoghurt was pungent. The yoghurt rich in milk enzymes and proteins pampers your scalp whereas the avocado nourishes the hair shaft and hair follicle to replenish your hair’s health. Mayonnaise with the goodness of the eggs, mildly cleanses the scalp as well as contributing towards improving the texture of your hair.

10. Sesame Seeds and Aloe Vera gel Conditioner

• In a bowl, mix equal quantities of aloe vera gel and sesame oil and whisk it into an even mixture.
• Apply the mixture on your hair before you rinse it with cold water.

The aloe vera gel makes your hair shiny and smooth by repairing the hair shaft and the sesame oil works on the scalp and the hair follicles maintaining steady growth and repairing the dead follicles to become functional again.

Again, this hair care tip is extremely beneficial for people experiencing baldness and hair thinning.

The bounties of nature are huge. You will be surprised to know to what extent science has pushed itself to understand the nature and put the knowledge to good use. These hair care tips are a mere collection of a handful of items that can prove beneficial and can easily replace the industrially manufactured conditioners filled with chemicals and fillers. A natural hair conditioner comes really handy, after all.

Image Credit : flickr by o5com