For those of us who suffer from damaged hair – whether this originates from frequent coloring, having a perm, the use of rollers and hair dryers – it is not easy to find remedies to take care of this hair. Most products we buy over the counter at the pharmacist or in the drugstore are rather expensive – and don’t always help out. And still, we want to look our best and keep on damaging our hair!

So why not try some home proved remedies? First of all, we have to know that sometimes there is only one solution for heavily damaged hair beyond help: be radical and shave it off! Well, I admit, a bald skull is no sight for a lady – but it really helps. Otherwise, you can also try a new haircut that suits the form of your face. And have the hair cut every six weeks, this way the hair grows better and becomes healthier. If you can stand the smell, you can also try to burn off the ends of the hair. This will open up the canals and guarantees that the hair will grow better.

Once your hair is cut and the bad ends have disappeared you can start treating it. Please avoid hair dryers or any other appliance and use gentle shampoos and conditioners.

Underneath are a couple of recipes for damaged hair, which you can make at home:

• Castile shampoo: a shampoo made with castile soap (very gently soap made from olive and coconut oils). Mix one part soap with two parts herbal infusion. Up to your own choice you can add essential oils to the shampoo, for their scent and their qualities (rosemary, lemongrass, lavender, …)
• Honey shampoo: two cups of liquid castile soap, half a cup of honey, one quarter cup of olive oil and one teaspoon of vitamin B liquid. Blend and mix all these ingredients and massage them gently into the scalp.
• Nettle hair lotion: using one cup of nettle tops, you simmer them in three cups of water. Rub this lotion into your hair and scalp for soft and shiny hair. Keep the solution in the refrigerator.
• Apple cider vinegar conditioner: after a gentle herbal shampoo this is the best conditioner you can use. You add a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to one liter of water and use it to rinse your hair. It restores the PH-balance of your hair and keeps it soft and shining.
• Hot oil treatment: you’ll need half a cup of soybean oil, eight drops of sandalwood, eight drops of lavender and eight drops of geranium. Mix the ingredients and warm the oil to a temperature which feels comfortable. Then apply the mixture on damp hair. Wrap the hair in plastic and add a hot towel for warmth. Leave this for twenty minutes and then shampoo and rinse the hair well.

The oil can be changed for olive oil or coconut oil, and you can also add some vitamin E.