Taking care of the luscious locks that God gave ya is almost sure to eat into your beauty bank account — when you factor in the cost of a good shampoo, conditioner, dry shampoo, gel, mousse, hairspray and more. And if you happen to have a more “high-maintenance” hair type, like springy curls or course hair that may require some extra TLC, those beauty product costs are going to add up.
While we’re not so quick to mess with a good thing, i.e., your basic hair care routine, we are big believers in the workaround. Using a few helpful tips to care for and strengthen your hair will make your products last much longer. And when you’re not gooping on the products anymore, your true, healthy hair texture is bound to shine through.
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The average woman spends an hour and 53 minutes washing, drying and styling her hair each week, so it’s about time we got to the bottom of this hair care conundrum. What are we doing wrong, and how can we get our hair healthy without blowing all our cash? We’ve asked our favorite beauty experts to weigh in.
1. Swap out your shampoo for the day
You’ve probably seen this on Pinterest before, and it’s something that natural living and hair care experts swear by. To remedy that gunky buildup left by your daily shampoo and conditioner, use a baking soda and water paste as your shampoo and apple cider vinegar as your conditioner a few times a week, Lindsay Robin Christianson, conscious living coach, says. After one morning rinse, you’ll notice a big difference in both clarity and shine.
Stephanie Brown, a New York City colorist at Nunzio Saviano Salon, also recommends spraying down hair after a shower with a mixture of apple cider vinegar and water in a spray bottle. This quickie spray treatment can be used on the days you don’t shampoo with baking soda and ACV to moisturize, strip buildup and leave hair extra-shiny.
2. Massage in baking soda
If you don’t feel comfortable skipping your ‘poo and conditioner completely, you can still incorporate baking soda into your morning routine. To remove chlorine from the hair and prevent further damage, Gina Layland, spa manager at the Pechanga Resort & Casino in Temecula, California, recommends sprinkling baking soda as a natural neutralizer into the hair and massaging well before washing as normal.
3. Use baking soda as dry shampoo
When it comes to promoting healthy hair, what can’t baking soda do? Brown suggests skipping the expensive dry shampoos altogether and swapping out baking soda or baby powder instead. “This will absorb extra oils and add volume and is great because you aren't shampooing as often,” she says.
4. Skip the daily blow-dry
And while you’re at it, try to mix up how you style your hair whenever possible, Vincent Sideli, hairstylist at the high-end Yves Durif Salon located in the Carlyle Hotel in New York City, says. “High heat damages your hair easily. By blow-drying less often, your hair will be healthier. Let your hair air dry from time to time. This is an easy no-cost solution.”
5. Stay away from hairspray, gel and mousse
“Well, not exactly stay away — but you are probably overusing these products,” Sideli says. Instead of automatically piling on the product in the morning, Sideli suggests using half the usual amount of what you would put in your hair. “This will prevent product buildup, and at the same time, you'll be making those products last twice as long, cutting down on costs,” he explains.
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6. Don’t rub your hair after the shower
No matter what you’ve seen on the shampoo commercials, rubbing wet hair vigorously after stepping out of the shower does not healthy hair make. “After washing your hair, let your towel do the absorbing, instead of rubbing. This will help prevent damage and split ends,” Sideli says.
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7. Use two ponytail holders while you work out
Exercise may be great for your body, but it certainly isn’t doing your hair any favors — especially if your locks are long, curly, thick or all of the above. To prevent wear and tear on your hair at the gym, Christianson suggests, “When you're working out, put a second band down at the bottom of the ponytail to keep your hair from getting tangled.”
8. Try a coconut oil treatment
Here’s one at-home remedy that Layland swears by to revive tired hair that has seen better days — use a coconut oil hair mask, applying the very same coconut oil you keep for cooking in your kitchen. Leave the mask on for a minimum of an hour, or overnight with a cap, to moisturize the hair and scalp.
Though Erica Aker, 20-year beauty industry veteran and trichologist who focuses on hair loss and scalp disorders, is a proponent of coconut oil’s health and beauty benefits, she cautions, “Be careful not to overuse coconut oil. Too much oil can cause an extreme buildup on the hair. Alternating this treatment with other moisturizing treatments will yield the best results.”
9. Try a mayonnaise treatment
Mayonnaise may not be the most nutritionally sound food choice, but you still have full permission to use it on your hair. Like coconut oil, mayonnaise is another great moisturizer for dry and brittle hair, Aker explains. “The oil in mayo leaves hair feeling soft and more manageable,” she says. “One tablespoon goes a long way. Let sit on hair 30 to 45 minutes with a plastic cap.”
10. Try an egg treatment
As a source of protein in the diet, eggs can help to strengthen the hair, and when used as a beauty treatment, your favorite breakfast food may help to prevent breakage after the fact. But Aker says, “Beware, too much protein can have adverse effects and cause breakage when used too often. This treatment works best by using it sparingly and in conjunction with moisturizing conditioners.” As a treatment, Aker recommends, “Crack an egg, beat it until yolk and whites are mixed. Put egg on hair with a plastic cap for 15 to 20 minutes.”
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11. Try a sugar treatment
No matter how sparse your cupboards may be, at the very least, sugar is likely to be the one natural beauty ingredient you have lying around the house. Aker says sugar works amazingly well as a scalp exfoliation treatment. “Just like your skin needs to be exfoliated, so does your scalp. The sugar crystals deeply cleanse the scalp, promoting a healthy environment for hair growth,” she says. Aker recommends mixing 2 tablespoons of sugar with a gentle shampoo, parting the hair in 1/4-inch sections and gently scrubbing with the mixture and a new toothbrush until you’ve covered the entire scalp.
Originally published Jan. 2014. Updated Aug. 2016.