While sebum not having a harder time traveling down our hair is just one reason our hair is drier than our straight-haired counterparts, it is accompanied by what we do to our tresses too, like heat styling (flat iron, blow-drying”>, chemical treatments (color, relaxers”> or just not using the proper products you need to keep that hair moisturized. While you can find every type of moisturizer combating dryness in any store possible, sometimes the best products for dryness are handmade and far less expensive.
1. Coconut Oil Hair Mask
You cannot get any simpler than a mask with only one ingredient. This heavy oil is rich in fatty acids, proteins, and vitamins and penetrates the hair shaft. This is great as a pre-poo.
What you need
- Warmed coconut oil
Simply apply the warmed coconut oil to wet or dry hair and massage into scalp. Cover with a plastic cap and a towel for at least one hour. Rinse, wash, and condition hair as usual.
2. Yogurt + Honey + Olive Oil Dry Hair Mask
This recipe from DIY Natural uses a few of our favorite natural ingredients. Yogurt (Greek and plain”> is great for bringing life back to dry, brittle hair. It will moisturize and bring shine to curly hair and keeps frizz away. Honey is a natural humectant to draw moisture into your strands while olive oil is great for conditioning and hydrating properties that help to repair dry and damaged strands. These three ingredients are great for severely dry and damaged curls thirsty for nourishment.
What you need
- ¼ cup unflavored, plain yogurt
- 1 tbsp. honey
- 1 tsp. olive oil
You may need to double amount for longer hair. Mix ingredients well before applying to damp hair. Cover and allow to sit in hair for 20 min. before rinsing well. Wash, condition, and style as usual.
3. Dry Ends 30-Minute Mask
Some of us just have dry, brittle ends that are splitting and need some TLC. While regular trims are always necessary, often the ends need to be sealed properly, as they are the oldest hairs and most fragile. If you are not sure if you need a trim or not, try out this 13-min. mask and see if your ends just needed some extra love that the almond oil, apple cider vinegar (ACV”>, and honey may be able to revive. ACV helps to flatten the hair’s cuticle, honey will draw in moisture, and the almond oil helps to seal.
What you need
- 2 tbsp. honey
- 1 tbsp. almond oil
- 1 tbsp. ACV
Mix all three together. Apply the mixture onto the ends of your hair and work your way up toward the roots to ensure you have all the damaged or dry strands. Cover hair and allow to sit for at least an hour before rinsing off. If you do have split ends this will merely make them look better, but they still need to be removed.
4. Dry Hair Pumpkin Hair Mask
Pumpkin is packed with antioxidants, beta-carotene, vitamins A, C, E, and potassium. Pumpkin is great for repairing damaged hair and skin that has been exposed to the sun and environment. This great mask recipe from behind the blue also fights dryness with coconut oil and honey.
What you need
- 1 can of pumpkin puree
- ¼ cup coconut oil
- 2 tbsp. honey
Mix all ingredients together and whisk with an egg better to remove all the lumps until it becomes the consistency of a conditioner. (If too thin, add more pumpkin”>. Add mask to damp hair at the ends and work your way up to the roots. Tuck hair under a plastic cap and leave mask on for up to 30 min. Rinse, shampoo, and condition as usual.
