When the salons and spas are closed due to the pandemic you have to get creative to find ways to keep up with your beauty regime at home. If you have been lucky enough to work from home or are just spending more time at home now; why not capitalize on this abundance of free time by experimenting with a round of DIY beauty treatments?! You can pamper yourself and save money at the same time ;) Another upside is that you can let your skin breathe from not wearing makeup all the time, and give your hair and lashes a chance to grow (especially if you have been getting hair and lash extensions pre-lockdowns). This can be a restorative time to let your natural beauty shine and we are all about it!
Taking care of your hair at home
Try giving your hair a break from the heat of styling by air drying it or only drying the top of your head for a few minutes and let the rest air dry. You can also get creative with styles like a bun or braid to help hide your ends until you can get a cut. If you can’t get a haircut you can still take care of your ends at home with these DIY hair mask recipes for growth, repair, frizz, dandruff and more.
Whether it's damage, dryness, flakes, frizz, or fading, we all run into hair issues. The change in seasons, indoor heat, outdoor elements, and hot hair tools are only some of the culprits that can cause these changes. Luckily, you don't have to hit the store to buy a new product, you can head straight to your pantry for everyday ingredients that you can whip into a DIY hair mask to fix your mane.
We have compiled the best 4 DIY masks for all of your biggest hair woes, from an irritated scalp, to dull hair, to damage and dryness. Shiny, lustrous hair is only a mask away — and you never even have to leave the house.
1 - The Culprit: Frizzy and Damaged Hair
Rejuvenating Mask
Your hair can get damaged from a variety of sources: the use of styling tools and pollution in the environment, hair dye and more. The good news: it can be rejuvenated!
If your hair is feeling and looking a little parched, an olive oil and avocado mask is packed full of omega-3 fatty acids, this hair treatment provides the ultimate strength and shine for your hair. It’s also full of antioxidants which help fight off free radicals, which is especially great for city dwellers. It helps to rejuvenate and moisturize the scalp.
RALPH SMITH GETTY IMAGES
Ingredients: Half an avocado, 1 banana, 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice.
Directions: Blend all ingredients together (you can use your blender!). Apply to damp hair in sections with your fingertips, starting at the bottom and working your way up. Wrap your hair into a bun and cover with a shower cap. Let sit for 30 minutes while you work or listen to an audio book. Wash out in the shower. Let hair air dry for best results.
2 - The Culprit: Flakes
Scalp Exfoliating Mask
If flakes start to appear on your scalp when the temperature is dropping, it may be because the heat in your home is higher and is drying out your skin. Your scalp is no exception. This exfoliating treatment helps remove and reduce flakes and also doubles as a great facial scrub.
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons of raw unrefined coconut oil, 4 teaspoons of raw sugar, 4 drops peppermint oil, 1 drops tea tree oil.
Directions: In a small bowl, mix ingredients together. Using your fingers or a hair color brush, apply mixture directly to two inch sections of clean, damp hair in the shower. Once evenly applied, gently massage for 1-3 minutes and then clip your hair up and let it sit for the duration of your shower.
The sugar in this DIY scrub breaks down to glycolic acid which dissolves dead skin cells. The coconut oil is rich in fatty acids and has anti-inflammatory benefits, the peppermint oil helps promote circulation to the scalp, and tea tree oil is anti-fungal, antimicrobial, and antibacterial.
3 - The Culprit: Dullness
Deep Detox Mask
Keeping hair moisturized and healthy always makes your hair look better. When strands start to lose their luster, use an apple cider vinegar mask to enhance glossiness.
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Ingredients: 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, 2 tablespoons agave nectar and 1 tablespoon coconut oil.
Directions: Apply the blend to damp hair and leave on for at 10-20 minutes, then shampoo out. It’s great for all hair types and helps lock in colour as well.
4 - The Culprit: Hair That Won't Grow
Growth Mask:
Try a cinnamon-based mask — the anti-microbial spice is known to stimulate blood circulation and promote hair growth and strength.
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Ingredients: Equal parts cinnamon and coconut oil.
Directions: Blend ingredients together well. Apply the mask onto your roots and part, and massage into your scalp. Let it sit for 30 to 45 minutes and rinse. Aim to do this mask at least once a week.
Hair colour at home
If you are hesitant to colour your hair at home with permanent dye, there is a safer option. You can try casting semi-permanent dyes like L’Oreal Paris Casting Crème Gloss or Clairol Natural Instincts from any drugstore and they come out in 28 washes. I find that they fade quicker than that but it gives you a beautiful shiny, natural colour that is a lot more gentle and less damaging than permanent dye. Casting still covers grays and also does not smell as bad when you are applying it. This way you can still experiment with different colours without the risk of doing something permanent that you might not like. I have been using casting dye for years and I save a lot of money too since my hair is very long and it is costly to get dyed at a salon.
Let’s talk about eyebrows
I have not had my eyebrows threaded or waxed in over a year. I’m sure a lot of you ladies are missing having those appointments! I’ve been okay with just tweezing myself and I have lighter brows so I like to get them tinted. This is my cost saving beauty hack to tint your own eyebrows at home while the salons are closed. At any drugstore or Walmart you can get a box of “Just for Men” mustache and beard dye for between $10-$12. I like the dark brown colour and they have a good selection of shades. This box will last around 6 months. I usually tint my brows every 2-3 weeks. It comes with two tubes with screw caps, one with the dye colour and one with the white developer. There is a plastic tray you can use to mix the dye. Use a pea sized amount from each tube and mix together with a Qtip. Use a fresh Qtip to apply the dye to your brows and leave on for 5-8 minutes. Wash off gently and usually over the next few hours the colour will get a bit darker. I love how my brows look and I’m saving so much money and time now doing it myself. You can also use a brow pencil to define your arch or fill in areas with less hair. If you want to get your eyebrow hair to grow, you can use castor oil. Use your finger to spread a small amount of castor oil onto your brows and let sit while you are relaxing at home.
Zoom Meeting Makeup Hacks
A quick natural one product makeup tip. If you are working from home and need to get ready quickly for a Zoom work video call, try this: Use your Spoil Me Beautiful lip gloss as a highlighter (try GOOD GIRL or BILLIONS) and for a cheek stain (FLING makes a great blush) and of course apply to your lips to complete your look. That's all you need when you want to look put-together onscreen.
Soft Smooth Lips
To keep your lips soft and kissable all year long try Spoil Me Beautiful's ''In the Buff Lip Scrub''. Formulated with organic plant butters and oils and fine castor sugar for the softest smoothest lips! Perfect to be used as a primer prior to lip colour application or to help take lip colour off at the end of the day. How To Use: Use provided scoop to apply to your finger. Gently rub onto lips in circular motion, then wipe, wash or lick off the excess for soft and smooth kisses! Includes: Glass jar with metal scoop for to limit product contamination.
Sea Salt & Epsom Salt Bath
If you’re looking for a way to relieve stress, ease achy muscles, and treat irritated skin, you may want to consider taking a sea salt bath. While soaking in a tub is a nice way to pamper yourself after a hard day, adding sea salts is said to also extend the benefits to your skin, muscles, and joints. Taking a sea salt bath also cleanses your emotional body and releases toxins. That’s why you feel so amazing after swimming in the ocean.
Directions: Add 1/4 cup of sea salt to a standard size bathtub filled to your comfort. Aim for a water temperature of two degrees warmer than your body temperature to experience the healing benefits of the sea salt bath. Soak in the tub for at least 15 to 20 minutes or your desired time. You can also add drops of essential oils or your favourite bubble bath.
If you enjoyed the beauty tips in this article, share it with your friends and colleagues! Stay tuned each week for new topics here on our BLOG: The Spoiled Truth.
By Valerie Maltman • March 23, 2021