5 Homemade Vegan Hair Masks For a Cruelty-Free Pamper Day

These vegan hair mask recipes will moisturise your hair and add shine – and they are great for dyed hair care, too!

Banana, Coconut Oil and Agave Syrup vegan hair mask

Benefits:

• Banana – Banana is a natural hair conditioner. It contains loads of potassium and vitamin A, E, and C which is essential for maintaining healthy, beautiful hair.
• Coconut Oil – Ah, the moisturising magic of coconut oil. It can repair split ends and deep condition your tresses, giving them a gorgeous glow. Another great benefit of coconut oil is that it helps maintain coloured hair, keeping it vibrant and preventing it from fading too quickly (as a pink-haired queen, I can confirm this.)
• Agave Syrup – This is an excellent vegan alternative to honey. It’s a soothing hair humectant, which moisturises the hair and gives it a lustrous shine.

Directions:

• Take one super ripe banana and mash it into a bowl with a fork. The darker the peel, the riper your ‘nana is.
• Take another bowl and add a generous amount of coconut oil. Put the bowl over a pot of water and put on the hob (just like you would melt chocolate.) Alternatively, you can microwave the coconut oil or heat it in a clean pan.
• Mix 2 tablespoons of your melted coconut oil into your mashed banana.
• Add 1 tablespoon of agave syrup to the mixture and stir well.
• If you prefer, you can just chuck all the ingredients into a blender.
• Rub the mask into towel-dried hair, cover with a shower cap (or anything you can get your hands on) and leave for 30-45 mins. While you’re waiting, I recommend sticking the kettle on and relaxing with a cup of herbal tea – pamper yourself!
• Wash out with warm water and shampoo.

Avocado, Banana and Olive Oil Vegan Hair Mask

Benefits:

• Avocado – Avocado promotes growth, prevents your hair from falling out and treats dull, dry, damaged hair. This fab fruit is also hypoallergenic, meaning you can enjoy its gorgeous green benefits even if you suffer from a sensitive scalp. Avocado contains awesome omega 3 fatty acids and vitamins that are vital for shiny, smooth hair.
• Olive Oil – Full of vitamin A and E, olive oil protects the keratin present in your locks. It’s also extremely hydrating! It’s perfect for folks who use a lot of heat on their hair (guilty as charged) as it will nourish thirsty, brittle hair, giving it a healthy glow.

Directions:

• Take one perfectly ripe avocado and mash it up in a bowl.
• Do the same with a ripe banana. Mix the two together.
• Pour 2 Tablespoons of olive oil into the mask.
• Stir all the ingredients together to make a funky looking green gloop.
• Apply the mask to brushed, dry hair and cover with a shower cap.
• Leave in for 30 minutes to an hour and rinse with shampoo and conditioner when you’re finished.

Apple Cider Vinegar, Agave Syrup and Lemon Juice Vegan Hair Mask

Benefits:

• Apple cider vinegar – Benefit no. 1: It smells like Autumn in a bottle. Apart from that, it is a natural cleanser and detangler. It prevents nasty split ends and balances the pH level of the scalp. This is wonderful if you suffer from itchy scalp/dandruff. It’s a fantastic eliminator of grease, making it perfect for those of us with oily hair.
• Lemon Juice – Lemon juice is a natural hair brightener, it works well on people with blond tones in their mane. Even just adding lemon juice on its own to your hair can visibly lighten it after just one use. Lemon juice closes the pores in the scalp, getting rid of nasty excess sebum.

Directions:

• Mix the juice of one lemon with a tablespoon of agave syrup.
• Pour in about half a cup of apple cider vinegar and stir together.
• Cover your hair thoroughly with the wash, leave in for up to an hour and wash out with warm water.

Beer and Strawberries Vegan Hair Mask

Benefits:

• Beer – I know what you’re thinking. ‘Wash my hair with beer? What a ludicrous, preposterous thing to suggest, wild internet wench!’ However, beer is incredible for rejuvenating brittle, sad hair. If you’re feeling a bit dodgy about possibly smelling like a brewery for half an hour, try adding a couple drops of essential lavender oil to the mask. Not only does it smell beautiful, but it’s also an effective remedy for treating dandruff.
• Beer contains maltose to keep your hair strong, sucrose to make it shine and wheat to make your hair appear thicker. If you’re of legal age, pour yourself a pint with the leftovers while you wait for it to work its magic on your head.
• Strawberries – These fruity lovelies act as a natural conditioner, making for velvety soft hair that looks shinier and healthier.

Directions:

• Mash strawberries with a fork and add to a bowl. The mashed strawberries should measure to about one cup.
• Slowly pour in 1 cup of beer (check that you’re using vegan beer. Surprisingly some beer can include things like gelatine in their formulae. Visit barnivore.com/beer to check if your favourite beer brand is cruelty free.)
• Continue pouring until you create a paste-like texture. Apply to dry hair and leave for about 20-30 mins.
• Rinse using shampoo and conditioner.

Oats, Coconut Milk and Coconut Oil Vegan Hair Mask

Benefits:

• Oats – Oats allows hair to become more elastic, making it less prone to breakage. This will help your hair to grow quicker and without split ends. Oats contain vitamin B which helps it to retain moisture, naturally softening your hair and preventing dryness. It’s also great at removing excess dirt and sebum accumulated in your scalp.
• Coconut Milk – This awesome vegan alternative to cow milk nourishes hair by giving natural moisture from the roots to the tips.

Directions:

• Melt a tablespoon of coconut oil, like in the first recipe, and add to a bowl.
• Pour in a half cup of coconut milk.
• Add the wet mixture to another bowl of about a half cup of oats. Don’t worry too much about precise measurements, as long as the mixture looks thick enough that you can massage it into your hair, you’re fine.
• Rub the mask through tangle free, dry hair and leave for about a half hour.
• Rinse as usual with warm water and shampoo

Extra tips on the recipes above

1. If you have longer, thicker hair, feel free to double the amounts all of the recipes above. Create enough that it will cover all your hair – the measurements I’ve given should just act as a guideline.
2. I recommend doing one hair mask every week at most, or every second week. If you use them too often they will stop working and may even further damage your hair by stripping too much of your hair’s natural oils.
3. Experiment! Mix and match the above recipes and have fun. Because all these ingredients are natural, you can incorporate any of them to make your very own homemade hair mask.

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