Home hydration: tips and recipes for flawless hair

Sometimes the hair calls for help. Hairdryer, flat iron, swimming pool, chemical procedures and even products used in everyday life leave their marks on the wires. Dry, lifeless hair, with a lot of frizz, little shine or tangling very easily can be a sign that it’s time to moisturize.

However, hydration, responsible for replacing water in the wire, is not the only way to treat your hair – and you may need another treatment. To know what your hair really needs, the ideal is to do a quick porosity test. For this, you will need a strand of hair and a pot of water, preferably a light-colored pot, to make it easier to see. Then, just put the wire in the water and see what happens: if the wire sinks, you need to rebuild it; if it stays in the middle, it needs nourishment; if it floats, the need is for hydration.

If what you need is hydration, good news: doing the treatment at home is simple and not expensive. In addition to being able to find several ready-made products on the market with affordable price ranges for all budgets, many natural ingredients can help with the task. Regardless of the means chosen to do the treatment, to keep the hair hydrated, the ideal is that the process is part of the hair routine and repeated with some frequency.

“It is recommended to maintain a certain hydration routine – it can be performed once a week, in the most critical cases, or every 15 days. But whenever the hair goes through a chemical process, this hydration becomes even more necessary. When the strands are exposed to sea or pool water, it is also important”, recommends Simone Andrade, hairstylist at Walter’s Coiffeur Centro, in Rio de Janeiro.

All hair types can (and need) receive hydration: straight, curly, frizzy, oily, dry, dyed. In this article you will find tips on how to make hydration at home, both with ready-made masks and homemade recipes. Check out!

Hydration with masks

The most common way to moisturize your hair at home is using ready-made masks. The products, usually a thicker cream, are capable of restoring the beauty and health of the hair on their own and are affordable – both in terms of cost and in terms of finding it.

The application is not out of this world either; you can do it at home without headaches and without the need to go to the salon every time your hair needs to be hydrated. Normally, each mask comes with the specification on the packaging of how it should be used and it is important to follow the instructions – especially the “rest” time of the product on the wires.

In general, the step-by-step procedure for applying a hydration mask is as follows:

1. Wash your hair with shampoo;
2. Rinse well;
3. Apply the mask on wet hair;
4. Let the product act for the time indicated on the package;
5. Rinse and finish as usual.

There are numerous options for moisturizing masks on the market. You can find products for all types of hair, at very different prices. When buying, it is worth keeping an eye on the manufacturer’s indication and choosing the one that best suits your hair type.

“The products have identifications on the labels, but asking for help from a professional will also help, even for those who have difficulty recognizing their own hair type in a more technical way”, suggests Simone.

12 hydrating masks that are worth the investment

Check out the following gallery for the most recommended hydration masks, which can be found in pharmacies, supermarkets, cosmetics stores or online stores.

It is important to point out that several masks have more than one function besides hydration and that they react in different ways according to each hair type. The best way to find the product that works best for you is to test it.

Hydration with homemade recipes

In addition to commercialized masks, several natural products can help with hair hydration. In this case, the advantage is to achieve a great effect, with more hydrated and beautiful hair, and spend even less (or nothing!) using only what you already have at home.

Homemade hydration recipes are plentiful and have the most different types of ingredients. Before testing, always check the quality of the product to be applied. “Among the most natural ingredients, I recommend honey, mashed avocado and olive oil”, highlights Simone.

Many of the homemade recipes extrapolate the hydration action and also have nutritive action. In this case, in addition to restoring the hair’s moisture, the application of the mask will help to restore the lipids, keeping the hair beautiful and aligned. Recipes that take oils, for example, have this double action.

Check out 20 homemade hydration recipes made with natural ingredients:

1. Hydration with yogurt: mix a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar and a teaspoon of honey in half a pot of yogurt. Apply to the hair extension, let it act for 15 minutes and rinse with warm water. The mask can also be made with just yogurt. In that case, let it act for 30 minutes.

2. Hydration with olive oil: separate a sufficient amount of oil for the entire length of your hair and heat it in the microwave. Apply from root to tip, massaging the scalp for a few minutes. Cover your hair with a heated towel and let it sit overnight or at least 30 minutes. Finish by washing with shampoo and conditioner.

3. Hydration with egg: mix three eggs with two tablespoons of olive oil and a spoon of honey. Apply to all hair, including the scalp, and cover with a shower cap. Let it act for 30 minutes before rinsing.

4. Hydration with vinegar: separate enough apple cider vinegar to apply all over your hair. With the help of a cotton, apply the vinegar from the roots to the ends. Rinse hair five to ten minutes after application.

5. Moisturizing with mayonnaise: apply a cup of mayonnaise to damp hair, massaging well from the scalp to the ends. Cover your hair with a shower cap and let the mayonnaise sit for an hour. Rinse and wash with shampoo as normal.

6. Hydration with milk: using a cotton ball, apply milk (without boiling) to the entire length of the hair, including the root. Leave it on for an hour and wash your hair as usual.

7. Hydration with avocado: beat three tablespoons of avocado, 1 of cream and 1 of sugar in a blender. Sift the mixture and add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. Apply carefully to washed hair, make a bun and let it act for 30 to 60 minutes. Then just rinse well!.

8. Hydration with avocado and olive oil: Peel a ripe avocado and mash it well. Add two tablespoons of olive oil and mix until it forms a thick and homogeneous liquid. Apply to damp hair, after shampooing. Let it act for 30 minutes and rinse.

9. Hydration with honey: mix half a cup of honey and three tablespoons of olive oil. Apply to hair, starting from the scalp to the ends. Wrap your head with a warm towel and let it act for 30 minutes. Finish by washing with shampoo.

10. Hydration with gelatin: heat a glass of water and add a packet of unflavored gelatin. Stir well until it forms a kind of gel. After shampooing your hair, apply the gelatin to your hair and scalp. Let it act for a few minutes before rinsing it off with warm water.

11. Hydration with aloe: make a juice with the brain part of an aloe leaf and a glass of water, mixing it in a blender. Apply aloe vera juice to shampooed hair using a cotton ball or brush. Let it act for a few minutes, rinse and finish washing with conditioner.

12. Hydration with beer: spray beer on shampooed hair and let it dry naturally or blow-dry it. The beer smell disappears with dry hair.

13. Hydration with banana: beat one ripe banana, 6 tablespoons of milk and 1 tablespoon of sugar in a blender. Then add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil and the amount of mask you normally use. Mix well and apply to washed hair, strand by strand. Leave on for 20 minutes, rinse and apply conditioner again.

14. Hydration with banana, honey and almond oil: mix a mashed ripe banana, a spoon of almond oil and two spoons of honey until smooth. Apply the mixture to the entire length of the hair and let it act for 30 minutes. Rinse well with warm water.

15. Hydration with papaya: separate a cup of chopped papaya, a cup of chopped banana, a cup of natural yogurt, a spoon of honey and a spoon of coconut oil. Blend in a blender until it forms a paste. Apply to hair and cover with a shower cap. Let it act for 30 minutes and wash your hair normally.

16. Hydration with oil, honey and glycerin: mix two spoons of honey, two spoons of glycerin and two spoons of olive oil. Apply the mixture to the hair at the time of washing, after having already shampooed.

17. Hydration with egg white: separate egg whites, in sufficient quantity to cover your hair. Apply to hair and let it act for 20 minutes. Finish by washing normally.

18. Hydration with coconut oil: apply coconut oil to the entire length of the hair and scalp, massaging well. Let it act overnight. Rinse in the morning.

19. Hydration with powdered milk: add water to 1/4 of powdered milk until it forms a homogeneous paste. Apply the mixture all over the hair, massaging. Wrap your head with a warm towel and let it act for a few minutes. Rinse and finish by washing with shampoo.

20. Moisturizing with Mayonnaise and Avocado: Mash a ripe avocado and mix well with a cup of mayonnaise. Apply the mixture to the strands, from root to tip. Let it act for 20 minutes and wash your hair with shampoo.

21. Hydration with chamomile: prepare half a cup of chamomile tea, leaving it to rest. Add 1/4 cup of olive oil and mix. Apply all over the hair and let it act for a few minutes.

22. Pumpkin Hydration: Cook a sliced ​​pumpkin for about 20 minutes. Then, mash it well until it forms a puree and add plain unflavored yogurt, mixing until smooth. Apply to hair and let it act for 15 to 20 minutes. Rinse and wash with shampoo.

How bloggers do hydration at home

To inspire your moment of homemade hydration, check out some tips and recipes for hydrating masks from bloggers and how they apply them to their hair.

Rayza Nicácio

Rayza shows you how to make a homemade hydration using a hydration mask, liquid bepantol and sugar. The blogger shows how to mix, apply the mask to the hair and indicate how to finish.

Julia Doorman

In this video, the blogger from Cabelos de Rainha shows how she applies a ready-made hydration mask, applying it to locks and starting a foot away from the root. In addition to applying the mask, Júlia also includes a hair dryer and silicone oil.

Mari Morena

Maria Morena teaches…