The haircare product industry is an 85+ billion dollar industry₁. There are endless options on drugstore and beauty store shelves, but I don’t like buying them for a few reasons. Not only are they expensive, but they usually come in plastic containers that aren’t easy to recycle. Not to mention the endless chemicals involved, and animal cruelty concerns. Ultimately, all the ingredients I need are right here in my kitchen.

There are other small habits I’ve incorporated to get healthier hair that cost nothing or only require household items.

Adopt a clarifying routine

You should adopt a regular clarifying routine. However often you wash your hair is up to you—but a clarifying wash once every 5 washes is a great way to avoid heavy buildup and remove dead skin and particles from the hair. If you smoke or work around smoke and dust, clarifying will help keep your hair healthy and vibrant. I’ve noticed that when I clarify after going to a bonfire or barbeque, my hair looks much redder.

How to clarify your hair:

• Use a clarifying shampoo that works best for your hair type & texture. Tea Tree shampoo from a natural product store is ideal to clarify the hair but you can easily add a few drops of Tea Tree essential oil to the palm of your hand, and mix it into a quarter-size amount of shampoo.
• Condition first. I highly recommend this because it helps the buildup slide off the hair shafts. Condition from roots to ends, leave it in for 2-3 minutes, and rinse.
• Now that your hair is conditioned, shampoo with your tea tree shampoo (or shampoo mixed with a 2 drops of tea tree essential oil). Lather, rinse, repeat. Repeat again if you have severe buildup. This ensures your wash will last at least two days.
• Important: Once you’re out of the shower, rub your hair gently through a towel, but don’t twist it on top of your head. Just gently squeeze out excess water and hang the towel back up. (Towels gather lots of little fibers and residue that will create more buildup)
• Comb through your hair with a wide toothed comb to get any tangles out. Then repeat with a very fine-toothed comb. Between strokes, clean the comb.
• Then, blow-dry as normal or air dry.

Clean your hair products

Dirty or dusty hair brushes, blowdryers, and flat irons can add to the buildup in your hair and make it appear dull. Try to clean off your hair products and sanitize them every two weeks or so.

• Wipe or vacuum out any dust particles that get trapped in the blow dryer vents. (Always unplug first!)
• Clean off curling irons and flat irons with a paper towel soaked in rubbing alcohol. (Unplug first!)
• Clean and sanitize your hair brushes and combs regularly. After removing all the stray hair, dip them in a container of 3-4 cups warm water and 4 tablespoons of white vinegar or 2 teaspoons of dish soap. Let the brushes soak for 10-15 minutes. Wipe down the bristles with a your finger inside a damp cloth. You’ll start to see the debris coming off onto your cloth. Rinse thoroughly in the sink and leave out to dry.

Treat your hair every once in a while

Special hair masks and treatments are a great way to refresh your hair. There are plenty of inexpensive home methods that are easy and effective.

Having a lazy night in? That is the best time to do a haircare routine. I’ve been making this egg mask since I was about 11 years old and it’s an easy, inexpensive way to condition the hair.

Egg Mask

Using eggs to moisturize your hair is a classic technique. The best way to do it without making a mess is in the shower! Just follow these steps:

• whisk 2–3 eggs in a small bowl until they are sufficiently blended. For thicker, longer hair, use three eggs. For thinner or shorter lengths, use only two. You may choose to add a few drops of lavender oil, Moroccan oil or argan oil to make the mask more slippery.
• Begin showering, give your hair a light shampooing and rinse.
• Add the egg mixture to your hair from roots to ends, massaging the mixture until it’s frothy. Turn the water down and let the mask sit for at least 5 minutes.
• After the mask has set in your hair, turn the water back up and thoroughly rinse out the eggs with water. Next, shampoo and condition as normal.

You will notice that your hair is very soft after it’s dried. Doing this once a week will help strengthen your hair and make it shiny and healthy.

Vegan homemade hair mask

I’ve also been making this cruelty-free version for quite a while, and it works just as well. I used to make this mask for my friends at slumber parties. For this, I like to use the blender to get a smooth, even application. But if you don’t have a blender, you can use a whisk or a fork to mix up the ingredients.

In a blender, combine:

• 1 ripe avocado
• optional: 1/4 of a ripe banana
• 1 tablespoon of an oil of your choice (Vitamin E oil, jojoba oil, or cruelty-free argan oil are good options. If you have textured hair, coconut oil is also a great option.)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons almond or coconut milk

Once the ingredients are blended until smooth, pour the contents into a bowl and start by dipping your ends into it. Using your hands, work the remaining mask into your scalp. Cover your head with a bag or bonnet to let your body heat warm up the mask, and leave in your hair for at least 1 hour. After the mask has had time to set in your hair, shower as normal with warm water and gently towel dry your hair.

Tip: if you have any mask leftover, you can jar it for up to 3 days in the fridge and use again!

Oil Before Blowdrying

Before blowdrying your hair, rub a drop or two of hair oil of your choice between clean hands (this warms up and evenly distributes the oil) and apply it to the ends of your hair. This will help tame split ends and moisturizes the hair as well. When you blow dry, use a paddle brush or comb to work the oil through the ends.

Moroccan oil or argan oil are great for blow drying hair, especially if you intend to style it.

Be Kind When You Brush

When we are in a hurry to get out of the house, hair brushing becomes a rushed task. If you have to pull hard on your hairbrush to get it through your hair, or if you hear ripping sounds, you’re doing it wrong!

When I’m brushing, I try to pretend I’m brushing a friend’s hair. It reminds me to be more gentle. Always start by brushing the ends of your hair. Work any tangles out and then work your way up to the roots. Be kind to your hair when you brush it. Ripping and pulling split the ends of your hair, making it appear dead and frizzy.

If you take anything from this article, it should be that your hair brushing technique is super important. Healthy hair is hair that is treated with love.

Make your own damage-free hair ties

All you need for this is an old pair of tights/nylons (cleaned, of course!) and a pair of scissors.

Cut both legs off the nylons. Snip the seams on the tips of the feet, and cut 5 in. strips. Tie the ends of your nylon strips together in a nice, tight double knot. There you have damage-free hair ties that slide off easily. They are great for leave-in overnight curls or a cute, casual messy bun.

Get regular trims

The Pros say every 4 weeks. We say every month to two months, if you’re on a budget like us. If you’re feeling adventurous (and confident in yourself) you can try trimming your own hair at home.

Try the “no shampoo” technique

This will give you shinier hair with more vibrant color. Plus, you won’t need to wash your hair for days on days, it won’t build up oil! I wrote a guide on this, check it out here.

How do you keep your hair looking perfect? Leave a comment below telling me how.

Sources:

1. Statista, “Hair care product and shampoo market in the U.S.”, Statista, 2020. https://www.statista.com/topics/4552/hair-care-product-market-in-the-us/