Over the years, I have been reading about the dangerous chemicals that have been used in hair care and beauty products, and this has left me searching for natural ways to cleanse and condition my hair, as well as other ways to incorporate natural products into my life ( i.e. products that I could find in my pantry, which are ostensibly more natural than the parabens in my products from the beauty counters/drugstore). So I began experimenting with various foodstuffs in my kitchen, which yielded mostly great results. This was also a result of the fact that I, as a student and unpaid intern, had a limited budget.

1) Olive Oil

Olive Oil, straight from the bottle, has made an excellent conditioner for my hair and moisturizer for my skin. This has been especially true when I am in the middle of winter or my hair is particularly dry due to overexposure to heat. I have applied this straight to my hair via my palms, and left it in for anywhere from 45 minutes to overnight. I have found this to be one of the best treatments found in the kitchen for me personally, and I have only used extra virgin olive oil.

2) Coconut Oil

Coconut oil did not work as well on my hair as it worked on my skin, but it did work rather well when the weather was particularly dry. It also made my hair a little shinier than normal, but it has a very strong smell, even after you have washed it out with normal shampoo. This might work well on other hair types, but olive oil worked much better on my hair. I also used this straight from the jar, as per the type that could be used for cooking.

3) Oatmeal

I have put oatmeal in my hair and on my skin, after cooking it with either milk or water. While it was good for my hair, it was a particularly good face mask. I still use this on my face for a mask when I am trying to avoid chemicals or paying a lot of money for a facial.

4) Orange juice/orange peel

I have put orange juice on my hair, and it has worked well. Moreover, the peel of an orange has a lot of oil in it that is good for the skin, though it is a little sticky.

5) Beer

Yes, I have poured beer all over my hair. It is a good conditioner, and it is good for making your hair shiny. It has a strong smell, however, so it is best to wash it out thoroughly.

6) Egg (yolks) and mayonnaise

I have found egg yolks and mayonnaise to be an excellent mask for my hair. I keep the egg whites in the mask, but I think that the egg yolk itself is excellent as well.

7) Black Tea

I have used black tea for hair rinses, and have also found this to be a good way to condition hair.

8) Cucumber slices

This is always a good remedy for puffiness under the eyes.