Almost everyone suffers a bad hair day. That is fine until those days do not become a norm. But in case those days happen every other day. Then, there is nothing much that can help as an immediate cure. Of course, except a good hair conditioner recipe to recover from the havoc on mane and scalp.
There are innumerable hair conditioning products available on the supermarket aisles. I am sure you must have tried almost all.
Though I am not sure if any of them worked for you.
For me, nothing worked after a few applications.
Though, the initial use of a new conditioner brand did wonders. But with continued use, the magic vanished.
Much like the hollow promises by a shallow date.
Issues with commercial hair conditioner
It is not that every hair conditioner will not work. But the truth is that most of the products end up creating a build up.
A build-up refers to ingredients in the conditioner that end up in the hair after each application.
Although one washes off the conditioner after an application. But still few of its elements stay back on the scalp and mane.
If you notice a white powdery instance on your head. Then, that is what I am referring to with the term “build up”.
A conditioner provides a suppleness to the hair. But while doing so. Most of the commercial conditioners create a build up.
This build up then makes the scalp itchy. It also plays havoc on the hair. It makes the mane irritable as well.
Although the day you apply conditioner everything seems good. Hence, it is hard to imagine that the conditioner could be a problem ever.
What exactly is wrong with the salon brand hair conditioner
To understand what goes wrong in a commercial hair conditioner recipe. One needs to understand what happens with the hair when it needs a conditioner.
A huge portion of hair is a protein called Keratin. This keratin has anions. The anions are amino acids that are negatively charged.
On the other hand, the conditioners have cations. For obvious reasons, they are positively charged. Hence, they end up forming bonds with the exterior shafts of the hair.
That is how the hair seems to feel revived. The cations leave a thin film of shine and smoothness on the hair. Due to the strong affinity between the opposite charges. These formed bonds do not dispel.
They kind of become concrete. Even when one washes off the conditioner with water. The layer of cations remains intact on the hair.
This is a pretending business of commercial hair conditioners that is the problem.
The ingredients that these cations contain are not so good for us. They may contain any of the following :
1. Mineral oil
a by-product of petroleum fractioning that can alter the genetic structure. Also claimed to be responsible for abnormal hormonal functions.
2. Propylene Glycol
It creates an itchy scalp. Though it pretends to give a shining and smooth exterior to hair. But it does not live up to its promise after a few days. This one ingredient should nowhere be around your skin and hair.
3. Artificial Colors and Aromas
I mean with such a prefix how can you not sense wrong. I prefer to stay away from drama. My hair conditioner is the least of all places to expect it.
On a serious note. Why would one want to color and smell good from an artificial source? I get scared with the thought of unnatural stuff clinging to my hair.
To get rid of these so-called conditioners. And to condition hair as well. One can switch to nature-based products for an effective solution.
A simple hair conditioner recipe that works like a breeze is with vinegar.
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Hair Conditioner Recipe with Natural Ingredients
For this DIY hair conditioner recipe, you need 2 ingredients.
Organic unfiltered apple cider vinegar
Water (as pure as possible)
The ratio that I stick to is 1:5. For every part of vinegar, I add 5 times the water.
I got hair to my waist. For that length, I use 2 tbsp of vinegar. Hence, the amount of water is 10 tbsp.
It sounds simple. But, it is simple for sure. Though the best part is that it works.
It works because the acidity in vinegar balances the high ph of shampoo.
So, the scalp issues of dryness and flakiness vanish.
Also, the vinegar flattens the open cuticles on the hair. The cuticles open up due to the alkaline nature of cleansers. The acidity of vinegar calms those flyaway filaments of hair. That is how they lump up together and their shaft closes.
How to use the hair conditioner recipe made with vinegar
It is easy to use the apple cider vinegar hair conditioner. Shampoo as usual. Then, once you have rinsed all the traces of shampoo from your hair.
Pour the conditioner on your hair. Ensure that the conditioner reaches each part of your scalp. I also immerse my hair in the solution for a minute before pouring it all over my head.
It allows the conditioner to seep in the exteriors of the hair cuticle. Thus, working on closing the flyaway ends.
That is it. Do not wash it off the way one does with the usual conditioners.
Do not bother about the smell of vinegar. It will disappear once the water dries off.
In Conclusion
Shampoo strips the hair off grime and grease. While doing so. It also manages to wipe off moisture from the scalp and hair.
To make both of them supple. One grabs a bottle of conditioner to dab some of the fluffy stuff on hair. But little do we know that that stuff pretends to provide nourishment.
It has a slew of ingredients in it that may cause damage in the long run. One of the major issues is of persistent flakes of white colored powder. And of course hair breakage with consistent use.
The alternative to its use is to use a natural hair conditioning recipe. The simplest of all is apple cider vinegar.
It does not contain harmful ingredients. Moreover, it makes the hair strands smooth. It also controls the itchiness of the scalp.
The commercial conditioners are high on ingredients that place a layer of artificial sheen on hair.
While the apple cider vinegar adjusts the ph mantle of the scalp. Also, it aligns the cuticles of the hair that disrupt due to washing.
Vinegar does not have any fats in it. Hence, does not weigh down the hair. But be sure to get an original unfiltered apple cider vinegar with the mother. Do not be conned by the inexpensive ones. The cheap ones are a mere dilution of apple juice.
Thus, it turns out to be a wonderful hair conditioner recipe minus the cons of a regular one.
Happy Hair to you!
Image Courtesy: Pixabay
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