A variety of ingredients in hair care products work together to get your hair clean and looking its best. While shampoos contain detergents to cleanse your hair strands, conditioners and hair creams supply ingredients that make your hair more manageable. The ingredients in hair creams vary, depending on the type of hair to be treated; however, most of these products contain certain basic ingredients. Homemade recipes and professional products incorporate these ingredients to make the hair more manageable and enhance its appearance.
Fragrance
Manufacturers of professional hair creams add fragrance to products to make them more appealing to consumers. These enticing scents may also help hide the aroma of ingredients that contain unpleasant aromas. When mixing up your own hair cream, use scented oils that appeal to your mood or resemble your signature scent. Favorite scents for homemade shampoos, conditioners and hair creams include lavender, peppermint and citrus scents. Experiment with scented oils to find fragrant blends that appeal to your individual sense of smell.
Moisturizers
Hair care products, including hair creams, include ingredients that moisturize the individual strands of hair, making them suppler and less prone to breakage and splitting. They type and amount of moisturizer varies, depending on the condition of different hair types. For instance, too much oil in products intended for use on fine hair may make the hair limp and lifeless, while products that contain minimal moisturizers do little to improve coarse, brittle hair. Moisturizing ingredients in homemade hair creams include jojoba oil, vitamin E oil and coconut oil.
Proteins
Proteins are basic ingredients in most types of hair care products, including creams and conditioners. Professional products contain this ingredient to help build the strength of the hair, as well as make the hair more manageable. Common sources for this ingredient in recipes for homemade hair creams include animal products, such as eggs, and vegetable products, such as avocados or wheat germ.
Acidifiers
Acidifiers help smooth the cuticle of the hair, the fine, outer layer of the hair shaft. Homemade recipes may include a few drops of lemon juice or vinegar to supply this basic ingredient. In hair creams and leave-in conditioners, this type of ingredient can reduce tangles and help to enhance the hair by making it appear shiny and smooth.
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