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Recently I decided to be adventurous and try out the idea of a hair mask. It initially peaked my interest because so many curlies and newly naturals are taking store bought ingredients, mixing them together and then applying it to their hair. I decided to give a couple of the most popular hair masks to the test on my fine loose to medium ong curly hair. Here are my results:

MAYONNAISE MASK

Benefits: Claims to repair damage, enhance shine and length
How to: I bought a jar of Mayo and no, the brand doesn’t matter! I prepped my hair by having it wet and detangled. Scooping some of the mayonnaise out of the jar and I applied from roots to ends; the amount you use depends on the length and density of your hair. When I was done, I clipped my hair up and covered it with a plastic bag to seal in the moisture. You can leave it on as long as you like but at least a minimum of 25-30 minutes. When my 30 minutes were up I thoroughly wash it out of my hair and styled it as normal.

My results: I definitely saw the shine a little more which is a tough thing for us curly girls to achieve without using oils. I do think that to be able to see the full scale of damage repair and hair growth over time, you would have to be consistent with this mask.

HONEY AND BANANA MASK

Benefits: Honey is a natural humectant and emollient (softener), contains antioxidants and overall has healing properties. These benefits often translate to softer, shinier hair and keep our scalp clean and free from bacteria. Bananas are packed full of potassium and vitamins as well which claim to create shine and repairs split ends.
How to: I took one large tablespoon of honey and zapped it in the microwave for a good 35 seconds and blended together with one whole banana into paste, making sure to mix all the lumps out. It doesn’t matter if your hair is wet or dry when you apply this so I decided to apply it to dry hair this time focusing on the root area and my ends. Leave it on for at least 20 to 30 minutes or longer. Honey is no joke to wash out of your hair so like me; you may have to shampoo twice to be sure you remove it all. Then I styled as usual.

My Results: Props to me for smelling like a smoothie! My hair really did feel significantly softer and shinier so I was happy about that. The honey, even though melted, still might have been a bit too thick and heavy for my hair near the root area so I wouldn’t do this mask more than once a month myself. With all the benefits of each ingredient, like the mayonnaise mask, this would have to be done once a week to see any sort of permanent results.

Overall the experience was fun and messy! Keeping in mind that we all have different hair and natural curl patterns and some of us even multi textures; results will vary based on your own texture. I think for the majority of at home hair masks you should apply them to wet hair since the water will aid in distribution of the ingredients evenly. But check out some recipes online and call your crew over and make a fun night of trying different masks!

Expert Advice: For centuries people have applied egg yolk to their hair as treatments to enhance shine. Later mayonnaise replaced egg yolk as it was difficult to remove the hardened sticky smelly egg yolk. The science behind this treatment is an ingredient found in the egg and mayonnaise called Lecithin. Commonly found in grocery stores is very effective to enhance shine. This very important ingredient is used on Curly Hair Solutions products.

If you decide to leave the treatments on the hair for long periods of time, well in his opinion, it doesn’t hurt, or damage hair. Sometimes applying heat helps as well for the ingredients to penetrate deeper within the hair. Although he doesn’t recommend heat when you have egg in your hair and honey can be a challenge to rinse out there are some funky cool natural ingredients lurking in everyone’s kitchen. Lastly, it is common-sense that once a sponge is soaking wet; it is difficult to get it any wetter regardless of how long you try. If you have any that you would like to share, tell us below!