Egg and Olive Oil Hair Conditioner

What do you do when your hair is so frazzled that it's starting to resemble a haystack on your head? What if the only apparent solution is to hack the whole lot off - but you really don't want to do that?

You give it some TLC with a deep conditioning treatment is what you do!

WHY SO SERIOUSLY DRY?

There's a number of reasons why your hair can become parched and really tired looking:

WHY DEEP CONDITIONING?

Think of all the things you put your hair through: blow drying, straightening, curling, dying, bleaching, shampooing, styling - if your poor strands could speak, can you imagine what they'd be saying after being put through all that torture just so that they could rival Jennifer Anistons' or David Beckham's barnets? A deep conditioning treatment really is an important step in hair care because you're being kind to your hair and putting a lot of much-needed moisture and nutrition back into it, making it stronger, healthier and shinier. Hair that is regularly deep conditioned is less prone to breakage and frizz, softer, and more manageable. It makes your hair look and feel fantastic.

WHAT'S OLIVE GOT TO DO WITH IT?

Delicious when you dip your bread into it, olive oil can make your hair pretty lush too! Although there is little scientific evidence to support the belief that olive oil is beneficial to hair, it has been widely used in hair-care for thousands of years, and this use is believed to have originated in ancient Egypt (it was also a little known queen from Ancient Egypt who taught us about the use of milk in skincare but we'll leave that for another day. Cheers Cleo!) Olive oil contains the emolients that have softening properties - oleic acid, palmitic acid, and squalene. It also contains vitamin A (anti-aging) and vitamin E (antioxdant, combats dryness and scalp circulation) as well as Vitamin K (hairfall.) Olive oil is said to be especially good for those with extremely dry, thick, coarse, curly or processed hair. And while people with finer, oilier hair may find olive oil unsuitable due it weighing down the hair and making it greasier, it can still be used as a scalp treatment.

Opt for extra-virgin olive oil (oh OK - EVOO!) when it comes to your hair as it's the highest-quality olive oil you can get. It's an unrefined (not treated with chemicals or heat) and is made in a way that allows the oil to retain more of the olives' nutrients.

EGGS? YOU'RE YOLKING, RIGHT?

Actually no. Like olive oil, nutrient-laden eggs have been used in home-made beauty treatments for yonks for sleek, shiny, strong hair. It's amazing to think that one little egg can be a powerhouse of essential vitamins, minerals and proteins, and that's why adding eggs as part of your hair care treatments - as well as including them in your diet - can revitalize the most frazzled of barnets, repairing and revitalizing those delicate strands, keeping your hair thick, healthy, and lush. The healthy fats in the yolk can help condition your hair, giving it a much needed moisture boost.

It’s not just hair that benefits from eggs, as they're great for your cleansing and detoxing your scalp too. It's also believed that applying eggs to the roots of your hair can help to strengthen them, nourishing the follicles with vital nutrients, encouraging the new hair growth to be much stronger and less prone to breakage or shedding. And although it has not been put to the test by Frengellica, it's been said that regularly applying eggs to the ends of your hair reduces split ends. So if you've tried this, let us know the results!

WHICH PART DO I USE?

When deciding whether to use just the yolk or the whites, or both of them together, you need to take your hair type into account and what it is you are trying to achieve with regards to the condition of your hair:

Egg & Olive Oil Hair Masks: 3 Ways For 3 Hair Types

1. Egg and Olive Oil Mask

For: Normal/Combination Hair

What it does:

• Conditions your hair and improves texture

• Maintains your scalp's oil balance

• Nourishes roots and hair shafts

• Promotes healthy hair growth.

Frequency: Once a week

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 whole egg

• 1 tablespoon olive oil (optional)

THIS IS HOW WE DO IT:

1. Place egg and olive oil in a bowl.

2. Whisk together until well combined.

3. Apply olive oil/egg mask to your hair, covering your hair completely.

4. Leave it on for about 20 minutes.

5. Wash your hair with cool water. Hot water will scramble the egg! Shampoo optional.

6. Condition your hair and let it dry naturally.

2. Egg Yolk and Olive Oil Hair Mask

For: Dry Hair

What it does:

• Gives hair a moisture boost

• Softens hair

• Makes strands sleek and smooth

• Nourishes scalp

• Aids hair regrowth

Frequency: 1-2 times a week

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 egg yolks

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

THIS IS HOW WE DO IT:

1. Place egg yolks and olive oil in a bowl.

2. Whisk until well combined.

3. Apply mask to your hair, making sure your hair is completely covered.

4. Leave it on for about 20 minutes.

5. Wash your hair thoroughly with cool water. Shampoo optional.

6. Condition your hair and rinse.

7. Allow your hair to dry naturally.

3. Egg White and Olive Oil Hair Mask

For: Oily Hair

What it does:

• Conditions hair without weighing it down

• Maintains the oil balance.

• Improves your hair’s texture and volume

Frequency: 1-2 times a week

INGREDIENTS

• 2 egg whites

• 1 tsp. Olive oil

THIS IS HOW WE DO IT:

1. Place egg whites in a bowl with the olive oil.

2. Whisk until you get a smooth mixture.

3. Apply the egg white mask to your hair, making sure that your hair is completely covered.

4. Leave on for 20 minutes.

5. Wash your hair with cool water. Shampoo optional.

6. Condition your hair and rinse.

7. Allow your hair to dry naturally.

If you want, you could...

• Warm up the olive oil a little - but just a little so that its warm to the touch. Remember you're going to add an egg to it in order to make a mask - not an omelette!

• Increase/reduce the amount of ingredients used. This all depends on how long, short, thick etc. your hair is. The quantities listed above are suitable for more shoulder-length hair, so you'd need to use your judgement here.

• Wrap your hair in cling film and a towel for the twenty minutes before you have to wash the mask off, for a more intense deep-condition.

• Use shampoo when washing the mask out of your hair. Generally just cool water is used and your hair is thoroughly rinsed through. But a small amount of a mild shampoo (preferably one as natural and organic as possible) is fine, especially if you're worried about not rinsing the oil out completely.

• Add a few drops of your fave essential oil, if you're worried about smelling like a quiche! And if it's one that's beneficial to hair that's even better.

• Add other ingredients. The egg and olive oil make a great base for other hair masks where you could add other ingredients such as aloe, yogurt, or honey for their moisturizing or softening properties.

Voila! Great looking hair!

Photos: Pixabay

Blog graphics and word cloud: Angel Noire