Did you know there are natural hair care products that you can make yourself? It isn’t difficult, and often the results are just as good as costly, commercially produced “natural” hair care products.

The Secret Recipes

First, a recipe for your basic shampoo, for all hair types and colors. Take just a few ingredients - 1/4 cup water, 1/4 cup liquid Castile Soap, and 1/2 teaspoon sunflower or other light vegetable oil. Mix these all together and store it in a bottle. Use as ordinary shampoo, rinsing well.

If you have blonde hair, a variation of that natural hair care product recipe will work even better. Take the ¼ water and 1/4 cup liquid Castile Soap, but instead of the vegetable oil, use 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice and 1 teaspoon lemon zest. Mix them together and heat them in the microwave until it is hot but not boiling, which is 1-2 minutes. Cool completely, then strain to remove the lemon zest. Store and shampoo as usual, and rinse well with cool water.

You can do a deep conditioning treatment with just two ingredients: a small jar of mayonnaise and 1/2 an avocado. Peel the avocado and use the meat to mix with the mayonnaise in a medium bowl – mixing with your hands is perfect. It should be a consistent shade of green. Work it into your hair smoothly; being sure it goes all the way to the ends. Use plastic wrap or a bag or shower cap to keep the body heat in and leave on your hair for 20 minutes. If you want an even deeper conditioning, wrap a hot, damp towel around your head (over the plastic) or use a hair dryer set on low to medium. This natural hair care product can’t be beat for conditioning deep into the hair.

So you want a recipe for dying your hair? Brunettes can dye their hair using triple strength black coffee! After you wash your hair, rinse it with the cooled coffee. Repeat several times, just using the same coffee over and over. Finally, leave the last rinse on the hair for at least 15 minutes, allowing hair to soak in coffee. Rinse with cool water.

Those with red hair can enhance the color by using this simple natural hair care product: mixing 1/2 cup beet juice and 1/2 cup carrot juice, pour it over clean, damp hair. Wrap your head in plastic and apply a hot towel around it. It will feel nice! Alternately, you can use a dryer on medium heat to “cure” the color, or just sit in the sun, relaxing, for an hour. Shampoo afterwards.

Did you know there is even a recipe for hairspray – a natural hair care product, once again! To make the natural hairspray, chop into small pieces 1/2 orange and 1/2 lemon. Put into a pot with 2 cups of water, and boil until it has reduced to half its former amount. Cool this mixture, strain it, and put it into a spray bottle. Store it in the refrigerator. If you add one ounce of rubbing alcohol, it can last at room temperature for a period of up to two weeks. You can add more water if it is too sticky for your taste.

There are many natural hair care product recipes. Check books or online for others you can try!