Frugal Hair Care: Do It Yourself, Naturally!

Ever suffer from a severe Bad Hair Day?

A day soooo bad, it drove you straight to your friendly neighborhood salon, supermarket or drug store in search of a cure? And did you walk out of said establishment with your head held high, and your paycheck laid low?

Read On ...

Here's just a sampling of handy, down-to-earth items you may already have in stock. If not, just buy a slightly larger amount on your next grocery trip.

• Lemons
• Eggs
• Olive Oil
• Beer (Get the cheapest you can find. Stale's OK, too. Really!)
• Mayonnaise
• Avocado (Not guacamole!)
• Chamomile Tea
• Honey
• Baking Soda

You might find these at your pharmacy or health-food store:

• Jojoba Oil
• Glycerin

Just a few to get you started. These ingredients are safe ... feel free to experiment!

Hair Lighteners: To spark up highlights or to even up the color for light or blonde hair, apply lemon juice applied directly to the hair, followed by an hour or two of bright, hot sunlight. Do not tie up your hair before sunning, unless you're going for a subtle tie-dye effect. For a gentler treatment, add a (strong, lukewarm) cup of chamomile tea.

Pre-Shampoo Treatments: Slice open an avocado (save the pit, they make cool houseplants), and scoop out the creamy green goodness (compost the shell). Add 1 egg yolk (save the white for meringue or something) and a dash of olive oil. If your hair color is light or you want extra sparkle, add a dash of fresh lemon juice as well (compost any lemon bits you don't otherwise use). Mash into a paste, then paste the mash into your hair. Leave on for 1/2-hour, then shampoo, rinse and condition as usual. Your hair will glisten and feel terrific!

You might also want to try straight mayonnaise. For damaged hair, leave on and go about your day. Then, use a gentle, natural shampoo and conditioner in cool water -- believe me, you do NOT want to cook that mayonnaise in a steamy rinse. (NOTE: Use only if you do not plan to color or perm your hair for a month or so, especially if your hair is damaged or thinning.)

Hair Rinse: Stale beer (trust me!) can be used before shampooing, or after shampooing and before conditioning. For more shine, add olive oil or jojoba oil. Beer super-cleanses your hair and gives it body. Choose the cheapest lager-type beer in the store.

Shampoo: Avocado (see "Hair Treatments," above) and baking soda. Mash into paste. Rinse hair in warm water, then use paste like a regular shampoo. Rinse. Repeat if needed.

Conditioner: Honey and olive oil. Leave on for 1/2-hour, then rinse.