Do-it-yourself hair care routines often get a bad rap on social media. Some think they are messy, while others are not sold on their numerous benefits. But despite the common consensus, dermatologists highly recommend incorporating a few natural and organic ingredients to your hair care routine every once in a while. DIY hair masks can actually help you treat a variety of your hair concerns and there are rarely any side effects to these homemade concoctions, as compared to their drugstore counterparts.

Having said all that, here’s a nourishing hair mask recipe, as instructed by Upasana Kamineni Konidela, Vice Chairman of CSR Apollo Hospitals Group and Managing Director of URLife. This hair mask is one of her personal favourites and she swears by this recipe for healthy and glossy hair.

 

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Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons Coconut Oil
• 3 tablespoons Organic Honey

Process

• Step 1: Depending on the length of your hair, take a few spoonfuls of warm coconut oil and stir it with a proportionate amount of organic honey to make a smooth paste.
• Step 2: Cover your mane and scalp with this mixture, making sure you reach all the nooks and crannies, and wash off after 20-30 minutes for shiny, glossy hair.
• Additional note: The rich consistency of both of these ingredients makes this hair mask slightly harder to remove. Make sure that you rinse your hair with a chemical-free organic shampoo and lukewarm water to wash it off effectively. Use it once a week for best results.

 

The science behind it

According to research by Dr Maria Fernanda Dias, Department of Dermatology, Fluminense Federal University, Brazil, the lauric acid present in coconut oil helps deliver nutrients more efficiently to each hair strand. The paper also mentions that coconut oil’s chemical structure is behind its superior ability to protect hair from damage.

A 2013 study by Dr Reza Yaghoobi, Department of Dermatology, Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Iran, states that the scalp is full of skin cells that are important for hair growth. And research suggests that honey has been shown to promote the growth of these cells. Honey is also an excellent emollient and humectant. Emollients smoothen the hair follicles, adding shine to dull hair, while humectants bond with water molecules, adding moisture to dry strands.

 

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