Homemade Hair Mask for Detoxification
Everything you need to know to make a homemade hair mask! Made with clay to detoxify and draw out impurities that can build up over time. This hair mask is the perfect way to give your hair a reset, or a must-try if transitioning from conventional to natural hair care products.
What is a hair mask?
A hair mask is a hair treatment that’s essentially applying a thicker and more concentrated version of conditioner on your hair. The effect is that by leaving it in for several minutes, it’s able to penetrate the hair and scalp and provide nourishment to your hair. Yes, we need to eat food that’s nourishing, but your hair needs it too!
Using a hair mask can help to improve hair that is feeling dry, damaged, or dull.
Do I need to detoxify my hair?
If you’ve been feeling like your hair could use a reset, it would be a great time to try a homemade hair mask!
Also, we always recommend using a hair mask to detoxify hair if you are transitioning from conventional hair products to natural ones, like our tallow shampoo bar.
Conventional shampoos tend to cause silicone and product build up over time, so using a hair mask can help to give your hair a fresh start to work with and make that transition go more smoothly.
The goal is to remove the residue that could be weighing your hair down and allow your scalp to begin rebuilding its natural oils. Detoxifying your hair first can really help avoid that greasy hair feeling when you switch to natural shampoo.
This homemade hair mask is made with bentonite clay and is particularly powerful. The negative ions in the clay attract positively charged impurities, toxins, and heavy metals pulling them out of the hair and scalp. Bentonite clay is also what we use in our drawing salve for pulling out toxins from tick bites or bee stings.
It’s also highly effective at eliminating dandruff, eliminating built-up product residue, depositing minerals to strengthen and repair hair, adding natural shine, and promoting hair growth.
Making and applying this homemade hair mask only requires 2-3 ingredients and less than an hour of time.
Bentonite hair mask ingredients:
Bentonite Clay – This is a staple in our medicine cabinet! Anytime we want to draw out toxins or impurities from the body we use it, which makes it the key ingredient in this recipe. In this hair mask, Rhassoul clay, Kaolin clay, or French Green Clay could be substituted. They all have somewhat different properties and I’d recommend looking into them before using.
Apple Cider Vinegar – The main role of apple cider vinegar in this hair mask is to balance the pH to match the natural acidity of hair, prevent dryness, and help to seal the cuticles. It can also help to enhance the clay’s detoxification in hair and add shine and reduce frizz.
(Optional) Oil – Adding an oil like coconut oil, castor oil, olive oil, or jojoba oil can be beneficial in this mask to provide additional hair moisturizing. I like to add castor oil to this mask.
How To Apply a Hair Mask
After mixing the ingredients together, you are all ready to apply your hair mask.
Pro Tip: Avoid using a metal bowl or spoon when working with bentonite clay, as it can react with the clay and deactivate its negative charge. This can reduce its ability to remove toxins.
It is typically recommended to apply a hair mask to clean, towel-dried, damp hair. You don’t want your hair to be dry, but also not soaking wet.
Note: I’ve also experimented using this homemade hair mask on dry hair, and that worked well too.
After shampooing your hair and drying it until damp and combed, apply the mask (it should be similar to yogurt consistency).
Begin with the roots, covering until you reach the end of your hair as much as you are able. I like to drape a towel around my shoulders for this.
Once the mask is fully applied, let it sit for 15-30 minutes before fully rinsing it out.
Because the clay can be drying, it’s best to use a moisturizing conditioner after applying the mask. I like to do this by rinsing with a diluted apple cider vinegar, mixing 2 tbsp of ACV in 2 cups of water.
How often should I use a hair mask?
This is completely up to you. When transitioning shampoos, you may need to use it a few times as your hair adjusts.
If you are already using natural shampoos free of silicones, you may find that you don’t need this anymore or as often.
There are also other hair masks that you can use that aren’t used as much for detoxifying but more to give your hair a deep conditioning and extra shine. See the bottom of this post for ideas!
Homemade Hair Mask for Detoxification
Ingredients:
– ¼ cup bentonite clay
– ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
– (optional) 1 tbsp oil (castor oil, coconut oil, avocado oil, or jojoba oil are great options)
Directions:
1. Mix bentonite clay, apple cider vinegar, and oil together in a glass bowl (avoid using metal when working with clay). The goal is to have a mask that’s the consistency of yogurt, so feel free to add more or less liquid as needed.
2. Once mixed. Apply mask to clean, damp, combed hair.
3. Begin with the scalp and roots and bringing down through the rest of your hair.
4. Leave the mask on for 15-30 minutes (you don’t want the mask to dry on your hair).
5. Rinse thoroughly with water and then rinse with a conditioner like diluted apple cider vinegar once the hair mask is rinsed out.
Other homemade hair masks for natural conditioning:
Yogurt & Honey: Mix 2 tbsp plain yogurt with 1 tbsp honey; apply, leave for 15-30 minutes, rinse.
Banana & Olive Oil: Blend 1 ripe banana with 1 tbsp olive oil until it’s free of lumps; apply, leave for 15-30 mins, rinse.
Aloe Vera & Coconut Oil: Mix equal parts aloe vera gel and coconut oil; apply to damp hair, leave for 30+ mins, rinse.
Egg, Yogurt, & Oil: Whisk 1 egg with 2 tbsp yogurt and 2 tbsp melted coconut oil (or olive oil, castor oil or jojoba oil); apply, leave for 30 mins, rinse.
More Homemade Skin & Hair Care:
- Tallow Shampoo Bar (That Actually Works!)
- DIY Tallow Balm (Our Favorite Moisturizer)
- Simple Homemade Sunscreen with Tallow
Homemade Hair Mask for Detoxification
Everything you need to know to make a homemade hair mask! Made with clay to detoxify and draw out impurities that can build up over time. This hair mask is the perfect way to give your hair a reset, or a must-try if transitioning from conventional to natural hair care products.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup bentonite clay
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- (optional) 1 tbsp oil (castor oil, coconut oil, avocado oil, or jojoba oil are great options)
Instructions
- Mix bentonite clay, apple cider vinegar, and oil together in a glass bowl (avoid using metal when working with clay). The goal is to have a mask that’s the consistency of yogurt, so feel free to add more or less liquid as needed.
- Once mixed. Apply mask to clean, damp, combed hair.
- Begin with the scalp and roots and bringing down through the rest of your hair.
- Leave the mask on for 15-30 minutes (you don’t want the mask to dry on your hair).
- Rinse thoroughly with water and then rinse with a conditioner like diluted apple cider vinegar once the hair mask is rinsed out.
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