Prepare an oatmeal hair softener at home (and a dry shampoo)

With only two ingredients and in a very short time you can prepare a Vegan hair smoothing cream. But this is not the only thing… With this recipe, in addition to softening your hair at the time of application, you will be treating it, since oats have multiple properties, both for the hair fiber and for the scalp.

Oats have beneficial properties for hair

From a nutritional point of view, oats are a cereal that stands out for its richness in fiber, slow-absorbing carbohydrates, protein and glutamic acid.

Once ingested, with a rich muesli, for example, glutamic acid is transformed by the body into the amino acid glutamine, very beneficial for hair because promotes the formation of keratin and collagen, two essential elements for the formation and growth of hair and body tissues.

It also contains minerals (such as calcium, sulfur, zinc, iron, magnesium), vitamin E and group B vitamins, They are also involved in hair development.

Its mucilages are natural softeners

But for hair care we are interested above all in its mucilages. What are mucilages? and what do they do to your hair?

The mucilages are a type of fiber which is present in some vegetables (flax, chia, agar agar seaweed, oats) and which works as a natural thickener. In the case of oats, the mucilages also have softening properties.

The essential difference between flax or chia mucilages compared to those of oats is that in the first two, when hydrated, they acquire a more gelatinous consistency, while in the case of oats, when mixed with starch, they They offer a creamy texture.

It’s easy to filter the oat mucilage and get a substance similar to commercial softeners and masks, but without the long list of petroleum-derived ingredients, many of them harmful.

Your recipe for fabric softener with oatmeal water

Oatmeal water is the liquid resulting from cooking oat flakes in water. It is rich in mucilages and starches that soothe the scalp and soften the hair. To make it at home you need:

3 tablespoons of oats 3 glasses of water A fine strainer or a stocking A glass jar with a lid

Elaboration

First, soak the oats for a couple of minutes. You will see that it releases a kind of mousse, composed largely of saponins that drag dirt from the hair. Therefore, if we made a homemade shampoo, we would not rinse the oats so as not to lose this component. Put the oats and the three glasses of water in a saucepan, bring to a boil and cook for approximately 10 minutes or until the water acquires a creamy texture. With the help of a strainer (or stocking) filter the cream obtained, let it temper and… voila! your smoothing cream is ready to use. You can add a few drops (3 maximum) of lavender essential oil (Lavandula angustifolia) to give it regenerative, anti-inflammatory, antiparasitic, bactericidal and soothing properties. Lavender is suitable for all skin types and leaves a soft aroma.

The cost of this effective, natural and homemade softener does not reach 1 euro. Does it seem extremely cheap? Me too!

How to make your own oatmeal dry shampoo

If you liked the softener, you will also like to prepare a dry shampoo. It has happened to all of us at some point we don’t have time or possibility to wash our hair when we need it. On these occasions it is very useful to have a dry shampoo on hand. You will need to:

2 tablespoons rolled oats 2 tablespoons baking soda A blender, blender, or coffee grinder A container with a lid

Elaboration

Put the oats in the blender and beat until pulverized. Once you have achieved a flour texture, pour it into the jar where you are going to store it, add the two tablespoons of bicarbonate of soda and shake well. You already have your dry shampoo. To use it, you just have to apply it to the scalp, massage gently for a couple of minutes and then brush to make it fall. You will see your hair lighter, less greasy, clean.

baking soda absorbs excess grease and bad odors (it is also antimicrobial), while the oatmeal will prevent the hair fiber from drying out and will soothe scalp irritation.