The sun, sea, pool, pollution, wind, chemicals… Our hair will cry for help many times! On a daily basis, all of those will leave their mark, making your hair dry, dull, rough and frizzy, and easily tangled. That means it’s time to moisturize it, to give back the water it lost and make your hair healthy and pretty again.
However, life happens, bills arrive, and there’s rarely money left to get a moisturizing treatment at the beauty salon. For those of us in this situation, there are homemade moisturizing hair treatments with natural ingredients. They’re simple and much cheaper since you might have many of them in your kitchen.
These recipes, besides being cheap and simple to make, will also nourish your hair, replenishing its moisture and lipids, taming your hair and keeping it pretty. Oil-based recipes have this double action.
More good news: homemade moisturization can be done in all types of hair – straight, wavy, curly or kinky with or without chemical procedures. In today’s article, we’ll show 27 easy and simple homemade moisturizer for natural hair.
Why Use Hair Moisturizers?
You’ve probably moisturized your hair many times, but never really knew what the treatment does. Homemade Natural Hair moisturization replenishes moisture (water) that your hair has lost – due to external aggressions such as wind, pollution, heat, ocean and pool water; or due to mechanical and chemical agents such as hair dryers, flat irons, curling irons, excess of low-pH shampoos(anti-residue shampoos), straighteners, relaxers, perms, dyes…
Moisturizing your hair can also give it back nutrients it has lost, such as keratin, the main component of the hair structure.
That’s why, in general, this kind of treatment is made with products that contain keratin, silk extracts, proteins, vegetable oils, vitamins, ceramides, silicon, lanolin and biotin. All of those nutrients are crucial to make your hair soft, shiny and healthy again – whether they’re straight, wavy, curly or kinky. But you’ll need to keep a moisturizing routine for your hair, usually on a weekly basis.
Does my hair need to be moisturized?
Moisturizing, although beneficial, isn’t the only treatment your hair needs. You can associate it with nutrition and reconstruction routines, to replenish your hair’s natural oils and mass. You can alternate these three treatments with a good hair schedule.
To check what your hair currently needs, take a hair porosity test: put a strand of your hair in a glass of clear water. Then observe what happens. If the hair sinks, the treatment it needs is a reconstruction; if it stays halfway down, it needs nutrition; lastly, if it floats, it needs moisturizing.
Homemade Natural Hair Moisturizer Recipes
Now it’s time to learn a few powerful recipes to make your hair shiny and silky in an easy, convenient way. Here are 27 recipes to make your homemade daily natural hair moisturizers.
1. Avocado moisturizer
In a blender, mix one tablespoon of sugar, one tablespoon of heavy cream and three tablespoons of avocado. Sift the mixture and add one tablespoon of your vegetable oil of choice (like coconut oil). Apply the mixture to your (previously shampooed) hair length and tips. Leave it for about 30 minutes to one hour. After that, rinse well and finish by applying a conditioner.
How long does it take to regrow your hair after shaving?
2. Coconut milk moisturizer
Mix two tablespoons of the moisturizing mask you use and three tablespoons of coconut milk, in a bowl. Divide your clean (previously shampooed) hair into sections and apply the mixture to each of them, massaging them well. Put on a heat cap and wait for about 15 minutes. Wash your hair and condition it normally.
3. Honey moisturizer
Add three tablespoons of olive oil and half a cup of honey to a bowl. Mix well. Next, divide your (previously shampooed and still wet) hair in sections. Apply the mixture throughout the hair length and tips. Massage it well.
Then, put on a heat cap or a warm towel around your head and leave it for 30 minutes. Passed that time, rinse your hair and wash it normally, with shampoo and conditioner.
4. Okra moisturizer
Wash the okras well with running water, then cut off their extremities and chop them. Boil them in mineral water for 20 minutes. Then, put the okra pieces in a bowl and mash them with a fork. Add two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil or your preferred vegetable oil (like coconut oil), mixing well.
Mix everything in a blender until creamy. Wait for it to cool. Then add two tablespoons of your moisturizing mask. Set it aside. Meanwhile, shampoo your hair, rinse it and towel off the excess water. Divide your hair into sections and apply the mixture to each of them, massaging them well.
5. Banana moisturizer
In a blender, mix a ripe banana with six tablespoons of milk and one tablespoon of sugar. Add one tablespoon of your preferred vegetable oil (like coconut), and some of your usual moisturizing mask. Mix well.
Next, divide your clean hair into sections and apply the mixture to each of them, massaging them well. Leave it on for 20 minutes and rinse. Finish by applying conditioner.
6. Gelatin moisturizer
In a pan, heat up about a glass of water, and add a packet of flavorless gelatin. Mix well until it becomes a gel. Then shampoo your hair and apply the mixture to your hair, including the roots. Let it sit for a few minutes and wash with warm water.
7. Sugar moisturizer
Mix in a bowl: three tablespoons of your moisturizing mask with two tablespoons of sanding sugar or one tablespoon of brown sugar. Set it aside. Then, shampoo your hair and towel off the excess water. Divide your hair into sections and apply the mixture to each of them, massaging well.
Leave it on your hair for 20 minutes and rinse. You don’t need to use shampoo or conditioner afterward.
8. Grape moisturizer
In a bowl, add 40 ml of (organic, 100% natural) grape juice, one cap of distilled glycerin, one cap of Bepanthen Liquid Solution, two tablespoons of the moisturizing mask you use, and one teaspoon of honey. Mix well. Shampoo your hair and towel off the excess water.
Then divide your hair into sections and apply the mix to each of them. Massage your hair from the length to the tips, avoiding the roots. Put on a heat cap and wait for about 5 minutes. Rinse with lukewarm or cold water and apply your preferred conditioner.
Put on a heat cap and wait for about 40 minutes. After that, wash your hair and finish it with your preferred conditioner.
9. Aloe vera moisturizer
Prepare aloe vera juice, by blending the middle of an aloe vera leaf with a glass of water. Apply the juice to your clean (previously shampooed) hair with a dye brush or a cotton ball. Let the juice sit for a few minutes and rinse it off. Finish by applying conditioner.
10. Yogurt moisturizer
On the yogurt container itself, add a teaspoon of honey and a teaspoon of apple vinegar. Divide your hair in sections and apply the mixture on the length and tips. Let it stay for about 15 minutes. Then wash your hair in warm water. If you prefer to use only the yogurt, you can leave it on for 30 minutes.
11. Olive oil moisturizer
In a microwave, warm up an amount of olive oil that can cover your hair length. Then apply it from the roots to the tips. Massage your scalp as well, to activate blood flow. Wrap your hair in a warm towel and leave it for about 30 minutes or overnight, if you prefer. Wash your hair normally, with shampoo and conditioner.
12. Apple vinegar moisturizer
Get an amount of apple vinegar that can cover your whole hair length. Apply it to your clean hair with a cotton ball, from roots to tips. Leave it on for about 5 to 10 minutes and rinse well.
13. Egg moisturizer
Mix two tablespoons of olive oil, three eggs and one tablespoon of honey, in a bowl. Divide your clean hair into sections and apply the mixture on the roots, length, and tips. Put on a heat cap after that. Leave it on your hair for 30 minutes and rinse.
14. Mayonnaise moisturizer
Divide your wet hair into sections and apply a cup of mayonnaise to it. Massage it well from roots to tips. Then put on a heat cap and leave it for about an hour. Rinse your hair and wash it normally, with shampoo and conditioner.
15. Papaya moisturizer
Mix in a blender, until smooth: one tablespoon of coconut oil, one tablespoon of honey, one cup of natural yogurt, one cup of chopped bananas and one cup of chopped papaya. Apply this homemade natural moisturizer mixture to your hair and put on a heat cap. Leave it for about 30 minutes. Then wash your hair normally.
16. Avocado and olive oil moisturizer
In a bowl, mix together a mashed avocado and two tablespoons of olive oil, until it’s thick and smooth. Apply it to your shampooed (still wet) hair. Leave it for about 30 minutes and rinse. Apply conditioner.
17. Cornstarch moisturizer
Wash your hair with shampoo and apply a moisturizing mask. Wait. Meanwhile, heat up a few tablespoons of cornstarch in water.
Boil it until it forms a paste. Apply the still mildly warm mixture to your hair, on top of the hair mask. Leave it for 30 minutes. Wash your hair with cold water and condition it.
18. Mayonnaise and avocado moisturizer
In a bowl, mix one cup of mayonnaise and mashed ripe avocado. Apply the mixture to your hair, from roots to tips. Leave it for 20 minutes, then shampoo and condition it normally.
19. Egg whites moisturizer
Gather a number of egg whites that can cover your whole hair length. Apply it to your hair and leave it on for about 20 minutes. Then, wash your hair normally, with shampoo and conditioner.
20. Milk moisturizer
Apply non-boiled milk to your whole hair and scalp, using a cotton ball. Leave it for about an hour and wash your hair normally.
21. Pumpkin moisturizer
Cut the pumpkin in slices and cook them for 20 minutes. Mash them well and add natural plain yogurt, mixing until smooth. Then apply it to your hair and leave it for about 15 to 20 minutes. Rinse it off and wash your hair with shampoo.
22. Coconut oil moisturizer
Warm up the coconut oil (on the microwave or in a water bath). Apply it while still lukewarm on your hair and scalp. Leave it on for at least two hours, or overnight. Rinse it off, then shampoo and condition it.
23. Banana, honey and almond oil moisturizer
In a bowl, mix one ripe banana, one tablespoon of almond oil and two tablespoons of honey. Mix well until smooth. Then apply the mixture on the length and tips. Let it stay for at least 30 minutes. Then wash your hair well in warm water.
24. Olive oil, honey and glycerin moisturizer
In a bowl, add two tablespoons of glycerin, two tablespoons of honey and two tablespoons of olive oil. Mix well. Apply the mixture to your shampooed hair, from roots to tips. Rinse it and finish with a conditioner.
25. Powder milk moisturizer
In a bowl, add ¼ of powder milk with a bit of water. Mix until smooth. Apply the mixture to your hair, from roots to tips, massaging well. Then wrap your hair in a warm towel and leave it for a few minutes. Rinse it off and wash your hair.
26. Carrot moisturizer
In a blender, mix one medium-sized carrot, four tablespoons of milk and half a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil. Add your moisturizer mask of choice.
Then apply the mixture to your shampooed (still wet) hair, massaging well. Leave it on for 30 minutes and wash well. Finish your hair as usual.
27. Chamomile moisturizer
Brew half a glass of chamomile tea and set it aside. Add one-quarter of a glass of olive oil and mix well. Divide your hair into sections and apply the mixture on the length and tips. Let it stay for a few minutes.
FAQs
It feels dry because it usually is. The natural sebum from the scalp doesn’t make it far down the length of the hair because of all the twists and turns in naturally curly hair.
So it’s left mostly unprotected. Most people with natural hair have to do moisturizing treatments and lock in the moisture after that with a gel that makes a light cast over the hair.
Natural hair needs moisture every day. If you use a gel cast system, you can sometimes go two or three days without moisturizing again, but the ideal is to use some sort of moisturizing system daily.
It can if you use the wrong ingredients. There is some misinformation about baking soda being used to soften the hair and raise the hair cuticle so that moisture can penetrate more easily. This can lead to over-moisturization or hygral fatigue. Moreover, baking soda is corrosive.
This depends on the style you’re using. If you’re doing a wash and go, or you’re plopping your hair to define it, you’ll probably moisturize in the morning.
If you’re using a style that requires your hair to be dry by morning, the results will be more predictable if you moisturize at night. It’s also better to moisturize at night if you plan on blow drying your hair.
Yes. You definitely can use oil and water to moisturize your natural hair.
Aloe vera is one of the best natural moisturizers. This is why many hair conditioners and deep conditioning masks contain aloe vera in the first five ingredients.
Yes. Oil and water are usually sufficient to moisturize a baby’s hair.
Yes, in fact it’s recommended to do so if you know you’ll rinse the moisturizer out in the morning. Sleeping with a DIY deep conditioning mask allows the moisture to penetrate your strands better.
So, have you ever used one of these homemade moisturizers on your natural hair? What were the results? Leave us a comment below telling us about it.