Homemade hair masks: harm or benefit?

Anna Golub , art director of Long&Short beauty salon, teacher at Long&Short hair academy

It is advisable to start with the fact that everyone’s cosmetic preferences are individual. Some people use hair cosmetics from the mass market, while others prefer high-quality products recommended by a stylist in a beauty salon. However, despite the many jars and tubes that are in the bathroom, over time the desire comes to experiment with one of the many recipes for masks at home.

Of course, most of the products that you find in your refrigerator or purchase at your nearest pharmacy are completely natural. And they cost several times less than professional care products. It seems like there are only advantages. But are these miracle cures actually beneficial? What is behind the use of “beauty recipes” that are easy to find on the Internet or borrowed from your friends?

Honey and citrus

At best, such a recipe will not bring results, and at worst, it will harm the hair and scalp. Masks containing honey, citrus fruits and extracts of various fruits very often cause an allergic reaction. But redness and itching in this situation are not the biggest problem: allergies can occur in a more severe form, which can subsequently lead to anaphylactic shock.

Of course, professional cosmetics can also cause allergies, but it must be recalled that all professional products are tested, which reduces the risk of the problem to a minimum. In addition, many professional products are hypoallergenic.

Essential oils

Essential oils are another ingredient that poses a threat. It is known that essential oils are very active and affect humans both through the skin and through the respiratory tract. Incorrect application, incorrect dosage, and especially applying them to the skin in its pure form can lead to burns. At the same time, professional cosmetics, which also contain essential oils, contain a strict dose and are tested in laboratories before being sent to store shelves.

Kefir, sour cream, mayonnaise

It is important to carefully use the so-called “grandmother’s recipes”, which include, for example, kefir, sour cream or mayonnaise. Now this no longer works, since we dye our hair, do various procedures, but on the contrary, it can cause harm. These ingredients on the scalp can create a favorable environment for the development of fungal diseases that lead to seborrhea, or even worse, alopecia.

Egg white

I don’t recommend using our grandmothers’ favorite egg white. Its “feature” is as follows: if you add too warm water to the mask, the protein will coagulate. And it will be extremely difficult to comb it out of your hair. Also remember: onions, garlic, and bread crumbs leave a persistent unpleasant odor on your hair that lasts for a couple of weeks. And during washing or just on wet hair, the smell also intensifies.

Mustard and red pepper

You should use mustard or red pepper tincture with extreme caution for better hair growth. Indeed, with the right dosage, they can promote active growth, but if you overdo it by 1 ml, this can lead to serious burns, which will subsequently lead to severe dry scalp and dandruff.

I also do not recommend using a gelatin mask, as the hair becomes brittle due to the fact that gelatin does not even out or smooth the hair cuticle.

About nicotinic acid

The same “no” applies to nicotinic acid: it very often gives the opposite result. The hair not only does not become thicker, but begins to fall out even more actively. It's up to the clients, but I am for beautiful healthy hair and professional care for it.

About the use of products for the care of oily scalp at home, which include medical alcohol, hydrogen peroxide and chlorhexidine. Regular use may lead to more intense sebum production. In this case, the scalp will not look aesthetically pleasing.

What's the result?

I can summarize: homemade masks at times not only aggravate the condition of the hair, but also lead to a pathological problem, the solution of which will take more than one week. Each person is individual and the beauty industry does not stand still: what manufacturers produced 50 years ago is radically different now. The presence of natural products in a mask sounds more convincing, but more often than not, natural ingredients do a worse job than synthetic ones. Synthetic products penetrate the hair structure faster and work more efficiently. However, the choice is yours.