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Foods for hair? . . . I don’t think so!

Foods for hair . . . yogurt, mayonnaise, beer, olive oil, raw eggs, vinegar rinses, chamomile tea, bananas, avocado, honey etc.: I’ve heard it all . . . have properties that can affect the appearance of your hair in some way. For instance: Yogurt is a natural conditioner, as is mayonnaise, olive oil and raw eggs. Vinegar can help you rinse away hard water dulling residue (and lower the Ph of your hair). Beer can coat fine hair if allowed to dry into it and add a boost to texture to a wet set.

Chamomile tea rinses can enhance blonde high lights. If you’re really into saving money you can find all sorts of foods for hair that can double as cleaners, deodorizers, stain lifters etc. (sort of) These household remedies work, and some work better than others. But none work as well as a hair care product, which is designed by a chemist for a specific job. Don’t be fooled.

“One thing that formulated product always does better than foods for hair is to rinse cleanly.”

Just because a substance occurs naturally in a fruit, vegetable or leaf it doesn’t mean that it is better for your hair. Hair is a dead fiber, hair does not eat. So no matter how yummy the ingredients sound to you, the net benefit is still a simple oil, fat or protein to your hair! I remember a girl friend in junior high who used mayonnaise in her baby fine hair . . . it took her several days to wash it out, in the meantime she looked like a wet dog.

One thing that formulated hair care product always does better than foods for hair is to rinse cleanly. This is because a lot of science goes into how to get a product to adhere, do its job and then be rinsed away. (Any one who has tried an olive oil hair wrap has already learned this!) In any case, if you try these household concoctions remember to rinse completely to assure that you’ll never be seen in public with specks of dried egg yolk in your hair!

I ran across this article in the San Jose Mercury News who did a piece on the Jonathan Product hair-care collection — for reviving sun-damaged hair. You won’t find me running right out and buying any of this product, as buried half way through the press release I found this bit of nonsense.