Skip to content
Simple Home Remedies to Detox Your Hair
Hair detox aids the removal of unwanted toxins and other harmful residues from your hair and scalp. Regular hair detoxing (like how you detox your body) can promote hair and scalp health. It also may treat certain hair issues. Here, we further elaborate the benefits of a hair detox and how you can perform the same. Read on.
Why Should You Detox Your Hair?
As discussed, use of hair care products may lead to the build-up of dirt and oils in your hair. This may lead to hair thinning and hair loss, and may also cause your hair to smell. Detoxifying your hair can help minimize these effects. It also may have these other benefits:
- May help reduce dandruff and itchiness by cleaning the scalp.
- May boost absorption of hair care products, like oils, shampoos, conditioners, and hair packs.
- May promote healthy hair growth by removing the gunk and toxin build- up, as these may hinder the effective absorption of nutrients from hair care products/treatments.
This is how a hair detox can benefit your hair if followed regularly. But how do you do a detox? The following recipes can help.
Benefits
Bentonite clay is used in many therapeutic applications for its detox and antibacterial properties (2013819/' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' >1), (2). It may slow down the growth of any harmful bacteria on the scalp. However, more scientific research is warranted in this regard.
How Often?
Once in two weeks
Benefits
The warm water may lift your cuticles and allow some deep cleaning action. Anecdotal evidence suggests that baking soda can remove oil build-up and dandruff.
How Often?
Once a week
Caution: Do a patch test before you try this remedy. Baking soda may cause scalp irritation.
Benefits
Anecdotal evidence suggests that apple cider vinegar is a mild cleanser. It may help detox your hair. Diluted ACV ensures you do not develop any reaction to the otherwise acidic nature of concentrated ACV.
How Often?
Once a week
Benefits
Sea salt is an effective exfoliant. It also improves skin hydration (3). This exfoliating salt and shampoo mix may help reduce dead skin cells and cleanses your hair.
Benefits
Honey is a humectant that keeps your hair soft and moisturized (4). It may also help cleanse hair deeply and promote detoxification. However, more research is warranted in this regard.
How Often?
Benefits
The castile soap exhibits an antimicrobial action (6699/' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' >5). The essential oils used are also antimicrobial in nature (6). This shampoo may detox your hair deeply by reducing any infectious microbes on the scalp.
How Often?
Benefits
Lemon is a rich source of citric acid (7). Anecdotal evidence suggests that citric acid may clean your scalp. The cucumber in this recipe may soothe your scalp.
How Often?
Benefits
Shikakai can relieve scalp scaling, itching, dryness, and greasiness (8). It may help cleanse your scalp if used regularly.
How Often?
Benefits
Cinnamon exhibits antifungal properties. It can effectively slow down the growth of Malassezia, a fungus that causes dandruff (9).
Benefits
Coconut oil promotes hair strength by reducing protein loss (10). It also may cleanse hair, though more research is warranted in this regard.
How Often?
Once a week
In addition to the remedies list above, you may also include certain foods in your diet that are believed to detoxify your hair and scalp.
Foods That May Help Detox Your Hair
Topical applications can generate visible results if followed regularly. However, detoxifying your body promotes overall hair health too. Anecdotal evidence suggests that the following foods can help.
- Cucumber
- Ginger
- Lemon Mint
- Watermelon
- Oranges
- Curry leaves
- Leafy vegetables
- Avocados
- Lean protein-rich foods
Additionally, hydration keeps the skin and scalp from drying. Maintain optimum hydration levels in the body by taking adequate amounts of fluids, including water.
Conclusion
We often load our hair with numerous hair care products to achieve a presentable look. However, this may negatively affect our hair if toxins get built up. Hence, detoxification is necessary. It helps you achieve silky smooth hair. Try any of these detox methods and see the results for yourself.
Read more on: hair