Not just cooking staples, eggs and mayonnaise contain ingredients that improve your hair when you use them together as a hair treatment. Mayonnaise is a protein- and humectant-rich mixture of egg yolk and oil. It gets its protein from the egg, so when you add egg to mayonnaise, you boost hair-healthy protein even more. Eggs also contain lecithin, a natural hair conditioner, which enhances the benefits of the mayonnaise's oil content.
Ingredients
Regular, organic and homemade mayonnaise are all well-suited to a hair treatment. The eggs should be grade A and size large or extra-large. You'll need about a half cup of mayonnaise and one or two eggs, depending on how long your hair is. Set the mayonnaise and eggs out on the counter to come to room temperature before you make the hair treatment.
Applying the Treatment
Stir egg yolks into the mayonnaise until the mixture is creamy and smooth--save the whites for another use. Apply the mixture to the whole length of your dry or damp hair, massaging your scalp as you go. Pile and clip your hair on top of your head, cover with a plastic bag or shower cap, and wrap an old towel over it all. Let it sit for 30 minutes.
Rinse out the hair treatment with cool or tepid water. If you use warm or hot water, the eggs will cook, becoming sticky and difficult to remove. Then shampoo and condition your hair as usual. You may want to use more shampoo or an extra lathering to make sure you've removed all the treatment.
Effects on Hair
In her book "Naturally Healthy Hair," Mary Beth Janssen calls eggs a "hair strengthener, volumizer and thickener." Your hair may also be silkier, shinier and easier to manage, and you may notice it is less prone to stretching or breaking.
Variations
When you combine the egg and mayonnaise, you can also add other ingredients such as half an avocado, mashed, or two or three drops of an essential oil for fragrance. Also, you might want to try combining the whole egg, not just the yolk, with the mayonnaise. Experiment to see which works best for you.
Considerations
An egg-and-mayonnaise hair treatment is messy to apply and likely to drip, so wear old garments. Also, if your hair is naturally oily, the mayonnaise may be too rich for your hair and might leave it heavier or greasier than you would like. You can start with less mayonnaise and more eggs if you're concerned.
Member Comments