Have you ever heard of the old fashioned home beauty tip involving mayonnaise? For generations, ladies and gents have slathered their heads in sandwhich spread for softer, bouncier, and stronger locks. This might sound like just another kooky old wive's tale, but there is actually a lot of sense behind the practice.
Egg yolk, the base of mayonnaise, contains a boatload of cholesterol, which can help to reinforce damaged hair, making it shinier and easier to manage. Vinegar, the second ingredient in mayo, can soften, balance ph, and cleanse hair of the heavy residues that build up from everyday styling products. The final ingredient in mayo is a clear winner for hair care, vegetable oil! Those three basic ingredients create a hair mask that when properly doctored up, can rival the effectiveness of almost any store-bought conditioning treatment.
Today's commercially produced mayonnaise is unlikely to be as pure and natural as what your grandmother was putting on her own head. That's one good reason to make your own hair mayo. Another is that by going homemade, you can adjust the ingredients used in your treatment, customizing it with your favorite oils and ingredients for hair care. Try swapping out the Carrier Oils and Essential Oils in this recipe for your own favorites. As long as the base ingredients (egg and vinegar), ratio, and technique stay the same, you should be able to create an almost endless variety of luscious homemade hair treatments.
A note on egg yolk: For safety's sake, it is best to use pasteurized egg yolks for your beauty recipes. You can find pasteurized eggs in select grocery stores, or you can sterilize eggs at home using this method.
Rosemary Hair Whip
Makes a little more than four ounces
Ingredients
Directions
Combine the carrier oils and essential oil in a beaker or a mixung cup with a spout and stir well. Combine the egg yolk, lemon juice, and vinegar in a medium sized mixing bowl and whisk together. Continue whisking vigorously as you add the oil mixture into the bowl in a very slow, steady stream. Adding the oil very slowly as you continuously whisk is key to creating a stable emulsion, so don't give in to the temptation to add the oil more quickly. After all the oil has been added, beat the mixture a little more, then quickly transfer it to a container. Refrigerate the mixture for at least an hour to solidify the oils.
Note: This mixture doesn't produce a super fluffy mayo. It has a fairly thin consistency, even after being chilled in the fridge. If you'd prefer it to be a little bit thicker, try mixing it with a dollop of store bought mayonnaise.
Usage & Packaging
This recipe should be refrigerated at all times, and used up within about a week. You'll have enough hair mayo for at least one treatment, or up to three or four for those with short hair. Apply the mixture generously to your hair, and cover with a shower cap. Allow the mask to set for about thirty minutes before rinsing. Follow with your regular shampoo and conditioner.
