DIY natural hair masks are a godsend.
Why? Because natural hair products are expensive, and it can cost an arm and a leg to maintain it.
If you’re transitioning to natural hair, it can be incredibly hard on the wallet to buy all the things you need for your new journey. If you’re on a hair growth journey, you need to invest in quality and hydrating natural hair products, and possibly pay for a big chop.
Even if you’re happy with your length and are simply looking to maintain it, you still need to ensure the products you’re using are top notch. One wrong move and you can lose those inches!
It’s safe to say that wherever you are in your natural hair journey, you’re going to have to drop some serious coint at some point.
So of course, if you can save some money and make some DIY natural hair masks, why not?
This is an affordable way to moisturize and condition your hair, plus you can control the ingredients. The latter is especially useful since there are a lot of bad products on the market – some of the worst ingredients for your natural hair can be found in products that claim to be “all-natural”. Talk about trust issues!
Want to know the best DIY natural hair masks for all of your hair-care needs? Let’s go!
DIY Natural Hair Masks: How To Pick The Right One For You
As mentioned, one of the best things about DIY natural hair masks is that you have 100% control on what goes into them.
But this feeds into the hardest thing about DIY projects in general: the possibilities are literally endless.
There are so many possible ingredients one can use when creating DIY natural hair masks. Which ones are right for you?
Here are the main things you need to know for your DIY natural hair masks:
♥ Your hair needs: are you looking for moisture or protein? Are you growing your natural hair or are you looking to maintain your current length?
♥ Hair type and texture: do you have low porosity or high porosity? Do you have Type 4c curls or are you a Type 3? Do you tend to experience breakage or shedding?
♥ The ingredients to use: use plant-based ingredients rather than animal-based ingredients (i.e. eggs), as the molecules in these ingredients are smaller and can penetrate into your hair.
♥ The right ratio = you can be as generous as needed with your carrier oils. But because essential oils are so concentrated, only a few drops (no more than 5) is needed to get full effects.
Once you figure this out, you then want to solidify what product you want to make. You can create almost anything, including: stylers, like gels; moisture or protein deep conditioners, and; growth or scalp stimulating oils.
The list goes on!
Here are some ideas for some DIY natural hair masks, and other products you can create, to up your natural hair game:
Need moisture? DIY Deep Conditioner for Natural Hair Growth
This DIY deep conditioner for natural hair growth will be perfect if you are looking to boost your moisture game. This deep conditioner is great if it’s winter and/or you’re experiencing breakage due to dryness.
Here’s what you need:
♥ Honey = honey has incredible benefits for natural hair. First off, it’s antibacterial and antiseptic, so bye-bye to dandruff and scalp irritation. But, it also acts as an emollient, which are agents that smooth out and soften the hair shaft.
♥ Avocado = half an avocado is just the protein boost your hair needs to manage dead ends and maintain length, but not to the point of protein overload.
♥ Castor oil = everyone knows about the effects castor oil can have on hair growth. It has a high amount of fatty acids and various omegas, including the godsend that is ricinoleic acid, which is antibacterial and also boosts blood circulation to the scalp.
♥ Aloe Vera Gel = one of the last missing pieces in this hair growth formula is a moisture boost. Cue in aloe vera gel! Aloe vera is anti-flammatory, so it can reduce dandruff and itchy scalp. But it also contains Vitamin B-12, a key component of the hair growth cycle. And it feels refreshing too!
♥ Peppermint Essential Oil = to add a bit more of a scalp stimulator, add a couple drops of peppermint essential oil to boost blood circulation (and to get rid of the avocado smell!).
Need protein? DIY Natural Hair Protein Treatment
This DIY natural hair protein treatment is great for non-protein sensitive naturals who need a protein treatment or are experiencing hydral fatigue.
Hydral fatigue is when your curls are overly-moisturized, resulting in a break in the precious disulfide chemical bonds that make up your protein structure.
You know you have hydral fatigue if your hair feels like seaweed out of the shower and you are experiencing excessive breakage.
Here are the ingredients to your DIY natural hair protein treatment:
♥ Greek yogurt – in this mixture, non-fat, plain Greek yogurt will add protein to your hair and also will provide additional moisture, maintaining your moisture-protein balance.
♥ Avocado – avocados are a great protein source, but the fatty acids in avocados will provide additional moisture and conditioning agents too, like Vitamin E and omegas!
♥ Olive Oil – olive oil will act as the oil to mix these two protein sources together while ensuring that your moisture balance is perfectly centred!
As a side note, many people opt to use eggs in their DIY natural hair masks for a protein boost. The problem with this though is that egg molecules are quite large and won’t be able to penetrate into your hair strands. Plus, if you prefer to use hot water to wash out the mask (we suggest using cold water though), you’ll find little scrambled egg pieces in your hair! Gross!
Thus, we suggest using avocados as a replacement, which provide enough fatty acids and vitamins to be moisturizing too.
If you are allergic to avocados or they are not available in your location, use mayonnaise, as the eggs in mayonnaise have been processed a bit more and the molecules are smaller.
Looking to grow? DIY Natural Hair Growth Oil/Scalp Stimulator
Hit a growth plateau in your natural hair journey? You may need to wake those dead follicles up!
This DIY natural hair growth oil, mixed with the right ratio of essential oils to carrier oils, will stimulate the follicles and get some blood flowing through your scalp. Make sure to use this DIY natural hair growth oil in conjunction with the moisturizing deep conditioner to retain your length.
♥ Olive Oil – olive oil is the perfect carrier oil for your hair growth blend. Not only is it jam-packed with vitamins and minerals, it’s antibacterial, meaning that any follicles subject to fungus or other microbial issues will be able to heal.
♥ Jojoba Oil – jojoba oil is one of the best hair oils for natural hair, but is especially beneficial for our scalp. Why? Because jojoba oil is the closest oil that looks like the oil our bodies makes naturally, called sebum.
♥ Jamaican Black Castor Oil – JBCO is a stable for natural hair. Like olive oil, it’s antibacterial so it will keep microbes at bay, but will also stimulate blood flow where applied.
♥ Cedarwood Essential Oil – this essential oil is known for stimulating blood flow on the scalp and waking up dormant hair follicles. Because it’s so potent, be conservative on the number of drops applied, using no more than 3 drops. This will make sure you are not causing permanent damage to your follicles! Peppermint essential oil is a good substitute as well.
Need definition? DIY Natural Hair Gel
DIY natural hair gels aren’t new – the recipe below is one of the more popular, well-known natural hair DIYs.
Hair gel is a blessing and a curse to natural hair – yes it can make your curls pop, but most gels are formulated with some of the worst ingredients for natural hair. Plus it can cause product buildup like nobody’s business.
Who knew flaxseeds were the answer to our woes! When flaxseeds are boiled, it can create a gel that will lock in moisture and define and elongate curls. Flaxseeds are also a healthy source of fatty acids and vitamins like Vitamin E. Talk about a win-win!
Here’s how you make your DIY Natural Hair Gel:
♥ Mix together a quarter of a cup of flax seeds and two cups of water in a small pot,
♥ Put the oven on medium heat and stir until the mixture comes to a boil, making sure the seeds don’t stick to the bottom,
♥ Once the water starts to form a sticky texture and the mixture comes to a boil, lower the heat to low and prepare a strainer,
♥ Get a clean mason jar or container and cover the opening with clean pantyhose or stocking and pour the contents from the pot into it,
♥ Once the liquid is in a jar, add Vitamin E or peppermint essential oil drops (optional).
DIY Natural Hair Shampoo
Every so often, we need to give our scalps a deep clean. And regular shampoos just don’t get the job done right.
You need a DIY natural hair shampoo in your life!
Is your scalp itchy, flaky or inflamed? Do you find that your hair is dirtier than usual? Can’t retain a style? It may be because you have product buildup that a normal shampoo won’t be able to penetrate. And using a shampoo repeatedly might be too stripping for some curl types.
This DIY natural hair shampoo will detox your hair and scalp and remove all the stubborn buildup. Here’s how:
♥ Bentonite Clay – The negative chemical charge of the clay will pull the positively-charged dirt out of your curls. Be sure to get your scalp as well!
♥ Apple Cider Vinegar – ACV is great to close your cuticles after the clay is done doing its job. This is especially useful for high porosity natural hair!
♥ Aloe Vera Gel – a moisturizing legend.
♥ Lavender Essential Oil – great to relax your follicles (and will get rid of the vinegar smell too)!
With this one, be sure to use your favorite pre-poo and detangle prior to using the mask. This shampoo will replace your regular shampoo, but be sure to use a moisturizing conditioner/deep conditioner immediately after washing it out!
The Bottom Line
It doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg to grow and maintain your natural hair. DIY natural hair masks can be just as effective as over-the-shelf masks, if you use the right ingredients!
