Home-made hair-care products

We've all had bad hair days. Or, at a pinch, bad hair months.

In an age of hi-tech complicated beauty regimes, what is the point of spending a million bucks on your hair when you only end up looking like ten, eh?

It's time to raid your kitchen for natural home-made hair-care products which actually WORK, dammit!

Healthy hair with egg and vinegar

We'll give you the strangest recipe first. Beer, egg and mayonnaise are an old favourite for luscious locks. Massaging two raw eggs into your hair is cheap as hell and worth it. It feels gloopy, but if you rinse with (eck) white wine vinegar afterwards then dry your hair you will find the egg has made your hair gloriously soft, shiny and supple. You will get compliments aplenty.

I tried this on a camping trip (in fact, wash with eggs, rinse with beer) as did my other companions, and we looked super-great. Try it, especially if your hair is unhealthy, and tell us the results...

Natural hair conditioners: Apple cider vinegar

natural: rinse hair with white wine or apple cider vinegar

In place of white wine vinegar, you can also try rinsing your hair in apple cider vinegar once a week. Use approximately 1/2 to 3/4 cup of apple cider vinegar diluted with half a cup of water. Shampoo and rinse first, then pour on the vinegar - let it sit about a minute and then rinse out the vinegar and then shampoo again and rinse very well so there is no odor of vinegar. Beauticians swear by it. The vinegar also removes all the old shampoo, conditioner, hair spray, etc. build-up in the hair - this create hard minerals which stick to your hair, and apple cider vinegar will clean them from your hair completely.

Tips: Don't let it get in your eyes (it stings) and watch out in the shower because it makes the floor slippery.

Natural hair conditioners: Coconut oil
Coconut oil will make your hair very shiny and silky. Use the end of a paint brush to apply it (okay, your hands) and work it through. Leave it on overnight (okay, a couple of hours) with a wrap over it. Wash thoroughly the next morning, but don't use conditioner or any other additive. You won't need to for a few days - your coconut hair will look and feel great. And it won't smell coconutty, either.

Hot-oil treatment for dry hair with olive oil (good for a dry scalp)

Olive oil helps repair split ends, heals dandruff, and makes your hair shiny, silky, and lustrous. Massage a few tablespoons of olive oil into scalp and hair. You can heat it first but putting it in a cup sitting in a saucepan of hot water, if you like. Cover your hair with a kitsch plastic bathing cap and leave on for 30 minutes or more, then shampoo as usual. Mamma mia!
Natural organic hairspray

To make a natural organic hairspray, combine 2 cups of water with the juice of one lemon (or an orange if you have dry hair) in a saucepan. Simmer until it comes to a boil. Cool and strain the mixture. Pour into a spray bottle. It can be used on wet hair to add body or applied to dry hair. The lemon will not significantly lighten hair.

Cleansing rinses

natural: rinse hair with white wine or apple cider vinegar

1. To remove shampoo residue, combine 1 cup of white wine or apple cider vinegar and a couple of tablespoons of dried rosemary. Simmer the mixture and stir, crushing the rosemary on the side of pan to release the fragrance. Strain and cool the mixture, then apply the vinegar/rosemary mix to your hair after shampooing. Voila! Gorgeous silky-soft tresses!

2. For light or blonde hair, combine 2 cups water with the juice of a lemon. Apply to hair for 10 minutes, then rinse.

3. For dark hair, combine 2 cups of water with 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar and 1 teaspoon oil of cloves.
Treat oily hair with carrots

Massage finely grated carrots into wet hair for 15 minutes before rinsing.
Treat dry hair with avocado

Massage mashed avocado into wet hair for 15 minutes before rinsing.