Easy DIY hair masks & treatments to nourish your hair at home

DIY beauty products have been used as an alternative to big name beauty brands for years. Their effectiveness is powerful and you can get the same results—if not better—from household items. As we continue to quarantine for the foreseeable future, mamas are looking to homemade alternatives to keep their hair healthy. The good news is that you don’t have to be a DIY enthusiast to create hair care products. They are easy to create and inexpensive.

Here are a few DIY hair mask and oil recipes we love—no stove or mixer required:

1. Moisturizing hair mask

Benefits: Adds moisture, antioxidants, reduces breakage and is rich in vitamins.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup of whole milk
• 1 banana
• 2 tbsp of honey
• 3 tsp of avocado oil
• 5 drops of Gotu Kola extract

Directions:

1. Blend all ingredients into a bowl and apply on gently shampooed hair. Work from the ends up the hair shaft and scalp.
2. Leave on for 30 minutes with a plastic cap. Shampoo for a second time and style as usual.

Mask from Ona Diaz-Santin, celebrity hairstylist + salon owner of 5 Salon + Spa

2. No-frizz hair oil treatment

Benefits: Instantly adds shine and prevents frizz and flyaways.

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp argan oil
• 1 tbsp jojoba oil
• 5 drops rosemary essential oil
• 5 drops ylang ylang essential oil
• 2 drops lavender essential oil
• Optional: 1⁄8 teaspoon sea buckthorn oil

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a measuring cup and stir with a spoon.
2. With funnel, pour into a glass bottle and close with an eyedropper.
3. Use on wet or dry hair or as needed.

Oil treatment by Jana Blankenship, author of Wild Beauty.

3. Strengthening hair mask

Benefits: Relieves dry scalp, minimizes frizz and encourages hair growth.

Ingredients:

• 1 banana
• 1 avocado
• 1 cup olive oil

Directions:

1. Crush up a banana, avocado and some olive oil and smash it into an oily cream.
2. Apply to the ends and the mid lengths sparingly to dry or damaged hair. A little goes a long way! The best way to apply is rub through with your fingertips.
3. Wrap your hair in a damp tea towel to stop the goop from drying out.
4. Leave the masque on as long as you can, it looks yucky but does the job.
5. Shampoo out and condition as normal.
6. This is a one every couple weeks mask because it is so concentrated and not as simple as a store-bought mask. Apply now, and your hair will be radiant and soft as you head into the long weeks ahead.

Mask from hair stylist Kevin Murphy, founder of Kevin Murphy.

4. 2 in 1 exfoliating hair mask

Benefits: Repairs dry, brittle hair, helps balance ph level and removes product build up.

Ingredients:

• 2 large eggs
• aloe vera stem
• castor oil
• 1 lemon juice
• 2 tbsp brown sugar

Directions:

Hair repair mask:

1. Crack the 2 large eggs into a blender, add the stem of aloe vera, add 2 tbsps of castor oil.
2. Apply to hair from mid-shaft to ends. Let it sit for 30 minutes.
3. Rinse off and use a fiber towel to limit the frizz and not damage the strands.

Exfoliating scalp mask:

1. Use the same ingredients mentioned above and add the lemon juice and brown sugar.
2. Gently massage into the scalp and let it sit for 15 minutes before rinsing it off.
3. Shampoo and condition as normal.

Mask from Ada Rojas, founder of Botanika Beauty.

5. Rosemary & mint hair oil treatment

Benefits: Antibacterial and helps control dandruff.

Ingredients:

• sterile glass jar
• unrefined cold-pressed coconut oil
• fresh or dried rosemary
• fresh or dried mint

Directions:

1. Sterilize your jar by pouring in boiling water, then letting it air dry completely.
2. Gather your herbs, if they are fresh—make sure that they are fully dry.
3. Fill your container with the herbs and top off to fully cover with the coconut oil.
4. Seal and set in a warm spot for two weeks, shaking often to release the essential oils.
5. Strain out the herbs and reserve your oil to use in hair treatments.

Oil treatment from Ada Rojas, founder of Botanika Beauty.

Now that you’ve created your masks & oil treatments, here are a few additional hair care tips from the pros:

1. Do as little as possible.

“The best way to take care of your hair at a time like this is to do as little as possible. No tension, not too much washing, no styling. We should all take this time to give our hair a breather. It will really help with overall health, in addition to doing deep conditioning treatments and even hot oil treatments for the curly girls with dry hair.”—Celebrity hairstylist Sabrina Porsche.

2. Let hair masks sit.

“After applying a hair mask, allow it to sit for 20 minutes with a processing cap. The heat from your head will help to open your cuticle and maximize the penetration of the treatment. Rinse these with cool water to jump start the sealing of the hair cuticle. Treatments help fill porous portions of your hair shaft.” — Emerald Fox, a stylist at Ian McCabe Studio.

3. Be kind to your body first.

“Whatever you put into your body reflects your outsides. Drinking plenty of water, and eating proper foods such as fish, nuts and eggs helps to keep hair shiny. Biotin is a natural supplement that many people don’t get enough of and that could be a contributing factor to dry, brittle hair. I always tell my clients to take biotin year round to maintain a strong, healthy glow to their hair and it also helps with split ends.” —Lucy Garcia Planck, a stylist at John Barrett Salon at Bergdorf Goodman.

4. Use argan oils, too.

“Argan oil moisturizes the ends of your hair without leaving your hair oily. Use only a very tiny amount (pea-sized). If your hair is fine, use a static guard sprayed in your hairbrush and brush your hair to keep static away. For those with thicker hair, the argan oil will help keep your hair moisturized and reduce flyways.”—Lucy Garcia Planck

Related Stories

Beauty & Style Shopping Guides

The most practical Target collab ever? Meet the limited-edition Bullseye Bogg Bag

Beauty & Style Shopping Guides

Sofia Grainge’s new Amazon Essentials collection is quiet luxury for littles–and it’s all under $37

Beauty & Style Shopping Guides

Lounge sets that slay from home to holiday travel