How to get super soft and silky smooth hair? You don’t always have to run to the nearest salon or buy expensive hair care products. Go for all-natural and inexpensive solutions instead. To help you get started, here are effective tips and recipes for soft and smooth hair.
How To Get Super Soft And Silky Smooth Hair Naturally
Coconut Milk and Oil
Coconut oil and milk have always been favorite natural ingredients by many people, including me. It’s toxic-free, easy to use, and works well to solve different hair and scalp problems, like hair damage, split ends, and dandruff.
What makes coconut oil and milk so effective?
It contains vitamins E and K and fatty acids (lauric acid, caprylic acid, and capric acid) that are powerful enough to make your hair soft, healthy, and glossy.
The fatty acids in coconut oil are the straight-chain types that closely resemble your hair proteins. [1] This means that it’s able to truly nourish and treat the damaged hair.
Coconut Oil Hair Rescuer
Ingredients:
- 1 to 6 tablespoons of virgin coconut oil (the amount will depend on your hair length.)
- 2 ½ tablespoons of coconut milk
- 3 drops of rosemary essential oil
- 3 tablespoons of watery honey
Additional Equipment:
- Food processor or blender
- Tinted glass jar
Procedure:
- Pour all the ingredients in the food processor or blender. Process until it becomes smooth.
- Transfer the mixture to a tinted glass jar.
- After shampooing, coat your hair with the mixture and comb through it to ensure even coverage. Let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes. Rinse everything off with warm water.
- Refrigerate and use within 72 hours.
Pure Honey
Depending on the variety, pure honey contains high levels of antioxidants, amino acids, and traces of vitamins that can nourish your hair follicles and support hair growth. It’s known as a humectant, thus it’s able to trap water to ensure your hair stays moisturized, shiny, and soft.
When using honey for hair, use it sparingly. Never heat it to avoid losing its beneficial properties.
Honey and Sesame Oil Conditioner
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons of light sesame oil (this vegetable oil contains sunscreen properties and helps to condition, moisturize, and toughen your hair.)
- 3 ½ tablespoons of pure honey
- 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar (to make your hair shinier)
Procedure:
- Combine the light sesame oil and pure honey.
- Next, massage the mixture into your hair then wrap a hot and slightly damp towel around it.
- Let it sit for 30 minutes to 1 hour before shampooing the hair. Wash you hair off thoroughly with water containing 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar.
Other Quick Home Remedies for Soft Hair
Egg Whites
Prepare an egg mask. Mix couple drops of lemon juice into egg whites. Mix the ingredients together and apply this paste to your hair as a conditioner. Leave the paste into your hair for 15 minutes before rinsing it off. This remedy will leave the hair softer and stronger.
Olive Oil
Massage your hair with olive oil before using a shampoo. This treatment will leave the hair healthier and smoother. Olive oil contains vitamin E and other nourishing properties that make the hair soft and smooth.
Aloe Vera
Aloe vera moisturizes the hair. It has many antioxidants that repairs and conditions the hair. Apply aloe vera gel onto your hair and leave it there for 10 minutes before washing it off with lukewarm water. Check out our detailed article on how to use aloe vera for hair.
Yogurt
Add several drops of lemon juice into plain yogurt. Mix the ingredients well and apply this paste onto your hair. Wait for 30 minutes before rinsing it off. Lemon drops will help to clean the hair from dirt and dandruff. Yogurt will moisturize the hair deeply, leaving the hair silky smooth.
Diet Modification
Nutrition plays a big role in hair health. A poor diet could quickly manifest itself through the hair, although there aren’t really solid scientific studies to back up this claim. Before you purchase another “revolutionary” hair care product or pay your favorite hairstylist a visit, make sure your diet is rich in the following nutrients:
Protein
Thin, dry, and lifeless hair may be a sign of protein deficiency. Protein is an important nutrient for the formation of keratin. Keratin is a family of sulfur-containing fibrous proteins that form the outer layer of your hair, skin, and nails. Some examples of protein-rich foods are beans, nuts, red meat, chicken, eggs, milk, and yogurt.
Beta Carotene
Beta carotene is processed by the body into vitamin A, which prevents hair dryness and dullness. This antioxidant is generally found in orange-yellow and green leafy veggies and fruits. Foods that contain high amounts of beta carotene are red hot chili peppers, kale, lettuce, carrots, spinach, cabbage, sweet potatoes, and pumpkin.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Omega-3 fatty acids are not produced by the body, so we have to get them from the foods we eat. Are supplements okay? If you don’t eat fish, yes. It’s still better to get them from foods than dietary supplements, though.
Omega-3 fatty acids are usually found in fish, such as herring, tuna, mackerel, and wild salmon (best choice). Since the fish (except for wild salmon) is high in calories and mercury (which can cause hair loss), try to eat it in moderation.
Implement Healthy Hair Care Practices
There are a lot of things we do or not do to our hair that can actually damage it. To help you get soft and silky smooth hair all the time, remember the following tips:
- Wash your hair at least once a week to avoid stripping important oils, unless you have fine or excessively greasy hair. If you do, everyday washing using an acidic shampoo is recommended.
- Always let a professional hairstylist do treatments on your hair.
- Don’t forget to use the right conditioner or natural oils (e.g. virgin coconut oil) to coat the tips of your hair.
- Before you style the hair, be sure to apply a heat-protecting product to minimize damage.
- According to an article published in the Daily Mail UK online, using mineral water instead of tap water for rinsing is the key to a truly shinier and healthier hair. [2]
- If you like to straighten your hair using heat, use a ceramic iron or comb once in a week only.
- Don’t wash your hair with hot water. Hot water will remove the natural moisturizing oils from the hair which is necessary for keeping hair soft and shiny. It’s better to use lukewarm water when washing the hair.
We all know that using a hair blower and iron can cause dry, rough, and dull hair. But, do you know there’s a best way to use these heat-based styling tools without totally damaging your hair?
Researchers of a study published in the Annals of Dermatology found out that if you use a hair dryer at a distance of 6 inches with constant movement, your hair is going to be less damaged compared to drying the hair naturally. But, as the temperature increases, the risk for damaging the surface of your hair also increases. [3]
Can you add more tips and home remedies to this list? If yes, I’d like to hear your thoughts and advice.
You may also like our article on how to make your hair grow longer and faster naturally.
References:
[1] PubMed
[2] DailyMail
[3] PubMed
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