The 7 Best Hair Mask Recipes For Every Hair Type

We all want lustrous, silky locks, no matter what the length, style, or texture of our hair. But considering the torture we put out hair through with heat styling, harsh chemicals, and even the heat of the sun, can we even hope for healthy hair? Of course you can, and we’re here to help by giving you a better understanding of the difference between conditioners and masks we’ve also collected some of the best DIY hair mask recipes to restore the vibrancy and manageability of your tresses.

The Difference Between Hair Masks and Conditioners

Most people believe using a conditioner every day or every other day is enough to keep their hair in good shape. Not true. Daily conditioners only work on the surface of the hair, while deep conditioning treatments such as hair masks and protein treatments are designed to go to work on the internal structure of the hair.

Deep conditioning is essential to good scalp and hair health, especially dry, damaged, or chemically processed (relaxed or dyed) hair. A hair mask delivers powerful nourishment to your follicles scalp and hair. However, a hair mask alone is not enough to maintain healthy hydrated hair.

Use a Hair Mask Once a Week

For best results, you should use a hair mask weekly. However, if your hair is particularly dry or damaged, or if you are suffering from dandruff or itchy scalp you may want to use a mask twice a week until your hair returns to good health.

Use the Best Mask for Your Hair Type and Condition

Hair masks are not one-size-fits-all. Thin, fine hair will not need the same kind of treatment as thick, curly hair. Likewise, hair that is extremely dry and brittle may require a more intense moisturizing mask or the mask may need to be left on for a longer time. Before you use a mask, make sure you choose one designed for your hair type and needs.

Best Hair Mask for Dry Hair

Olive Oil, Honey, and Banana Smoothie Hair Mask

This hair mask recipe sounds as good to eat as it is for your hair! If your hair is very dry, you can apply this mask twice a week until it has been restored to its natural shine and health.

With an all-star line up of moisturizing ingredients, it won’t be long before your hair is soft to touch and gorgeous to look at. Olive Oil has been an essential ingredient in hair health since ancient times. This wonderful oil is rich in vitamin E and healthy fat. Honey is an emollient which means it is a natural softener and it also improves the health of the hair follicles which are responsible for hair growth. Honey’s high sugar content also helps your hair retain moisture. And you’ll go bananas over the potassium in this super fruit—banana is great for strengthening and thickening hair. Bananas nourish the scalp and hair follicles and help maintain natural hair elasticity. Milk contains several nutrients such as Vitamin A & B, phosphorous, calcium, magnesium, zinc and protein that have the ability to strengthen and fortify cells, and this includes hair cells. Finally, eggs are rich in protein, vitamins and fat—perfect for nursing dry hair back to health. Eggs nourish, moisturize, and lubricate dry damaged hair.

Ingredients:

1 ripe banana
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons honey
5 tablespoons olive oil

Directions:

Mix banana, egg, milk, honey, and olive oil in a bowl.

Apply mixture to hair, coating right to the ends. Leave on 15-30 minutes.

Rinse thoroughly. Shampoo and condition as normal.

Best Hair Mask for Shine

This is actually a two part recipe, starting with a rinse and finishing with a mask. An apple cider rinse will clean and clarify your hair, and then the avocado mask will add moisture and body.

Step 1 – Apple Cider Vinegar Rinse

Apple cider vinegar removes scaly buildup and residue from hair shafts and closes the cuticles. Since residue coats the hair causing it to look dull, removing residue gives your hair more shine. Vinegar also closes the cuticles, allowing your locks to lay flat for hair that’s easy to style. It also acts as an astringent that clears your skin as well.

Ingredients:

1 part apple cider vinegar (amount will vary depending on length and thickness of your hair
1 part warm water

Directions:

Combine water and vinegar well. Wash hair as usual, then coat hair with vinegar and water mixture. Let sit 2-3 minutes.

Rinse thoroughly.

Step 2 – Avocado Mask

Once you’ve rinsed the vinegar mixture from your hair, it’s time to towel dry and apply the avocado mask.

You’re going to love the avocado in this mask because it helps to moisturize and rejuvenate your hair. Supercharged with vitamins A, D, E and B6, avocado is also high in proteins, amino acids, magnesium, folic acid, copper and iron. The oils in avocados are one of the few that can penetrate the cuticle and actually moisturize hair

Ingredients:

1 ripe banana
1 ripe avocado
1 tsp olive oil

Directions:

Blend all the ingredients together and massage into your hair from roots to ends, covering thoroughly. Let sit for 30 minutes.

Rinse thoroughly. Shampoo and condition as normal.

Best Hair Mask for Increased Volume

The next time you reach for a cold one why not use that beer to plump up your hair? Yes, beer can help add volume and “oomph” to limp locks. This mask will have you saying cheers to healthy hair!

Beer Hair Mask

Did you know the malt and hops found in your beer are loaded with protein, which nourishes and strengthens hair? It’s true but more than that, the nutrients found in beer can even help repair dried out damaged hair. The protein binds to dehydrated hair and restores strength and body to it. Plus, the alcohol in the beer contains B vitamins that tighten the hair’s cuticles, sealing the layers and making light reflect off the strands. Voila, instant shimmer and shine!

Ingredients:

½ cup flat beer (open beer 24 hours prior to the mask to get rid of the carbonation)
1 teaspoon sunflower oil
1 raw egg

Directions:

In a bowl, mix beer, oil and egg well.

Apply mixture to clean, damp hair and leave it to sit for 15 minutes.

Rinse thoroughly. Shampoo and condition as normal.

Best Mask for Oily Hair

Limp, stringy, greasy, no matter how you describe it, oily hair is hard to control and can be a styling nightmare. No matter what the cause, oily hair is a result of the overproduction of sebum, a waxy type of substance naturally occurring in the body. Normal levels of sebum keep hair supple, soft and waterproof but too much will leave hair greasy and limp.

Egg White and Lemon Hair Mask

Egg whites control sebum secretion in the scalp by tightening the hair follicles. This will reduce the amount of sebum secreted through the hair follicles and remove excess oils from your scalp and hair. What’s more, egg whites are filled with bacteria hindering enzymes to keep your scalp clean and healthy.

Lemons are the egg’s natural companion when it comes to oily hair. Excess oil can cause your hair to feel heavy, but the astringent and toning effect of lemon balances your scalp’s natural oil production and removes any excess oil. Lemon juice also works to restore your scalp’s pH balance, and adds body and sheen to your hair.

For lighter hair, free from dirt, toxins and unwanted oil you should use an egg white and lemon juice mask once a week.

Ingredients:

1 egg white
1 tablespoon salt
Juice of 1 lemon

Directions:

Beat one egg white until it forms stiff peaks (this will make your mask easier to apply), then add salt and lemon.

Mix everything well, apply mixture to scalp, and wait 30 minutes.

Rinse out hair mask. Shampoo and condition as normal.

Best Hair Mask for Combination Hair

Dry hair. Oily Hair. Dry AND oily hair! If your hair is greasy at the top and dry at the bottom, you have combination hair. Treating combination hair can be tricky. Too much moisture and you’ll weigh down the parts of your hair that are already oily. Too much clarifying and you can strip the dry parts of your hair and do even more damage.

Don’t fret! This yogurt and tea tree oil mask will tackle your hair from top to bottom and leave it, as Goldilocks would say, “just right”.

Yogurt and Tea Tree Oil Mask

Along with other benefits for strong, healthy hair, yogurt can accelerate growth in slow growing hair. The protein content in yogurt provides ample nourishment and strengthening to the hair without making it dull or dry. And yogurt further aids growth by stimulating blood circulation, thanks to its zinc and lactic acid properties.

Tea tree oil has been used for thousands of years to treat everything from cold sores to sunburn. Its healing properties are well documented. Tea tree oil is an antiseptic, antibiotic and antifungal treatment, and it’s a natural alternative for treating scalp problems.

Ingredients:

½ cup pureed beans (use baby food pureed beans to save time)
¼ cup of yogurt
1 teaspoon tea-tree oil
1 teaspoon honey

Directions:

In a bowl, mix all ingredients well.

Apply to clean hair. Rinse thoroughly with cold water.

For extra shine, rinse with apple-cider vinegar. (1 Teaspoon vinegar: 1 cup water). This step is optional, but keep in mind that the vinegar adds shine and balances hair’s Ph.

Shampoo and condition as usual.

Best Hair Mask for Dandruff and Itchy Scalp

Men and women of all ages can experience dandruff. Dandruff is caused by massive flaking of dead skin tissues, when dead skin is shed from a dry, extremely oily or microbe-infected scalp. The result is redness, itching, flaking and irritation. In an attempt to restore moisture, the scalp produces excess sebum, which then blocks the hair follicles and leads to bacterial and fungal infections.

In this scalp-saving hair mask recipe, we combine the power of avocado with two of the best healing and moisturizing oils out there.

Argan oil has been shown to make hair silkier, softer, and shinier. It is the ideal hair conditioner, and it can even help to tame frizzy hair and treat split ends. Known as “liquid gold”, argan oil is extracted from the kernels of the argan tree, which is native to Morocco. It is extremely rich in beneficial nutrients including fatty acids and vitamin E

Avocado, Tea Tree Oil, and Argan Oil Scalp Rescue Hair Mask

Ingredients:

1 ripe avocado
10 drops argan oil
2 tablespoons honey
1-3 drops tea tree oil

Directions:

In a bowl, mash the avocado until there are no large chunks.

Add argan oil, honey, and tea tree oil. (Add tea tree oil one drop at a time—the oil and its fragrance are very powerful so don’t overdo it). Stir until the mixture is smooth and creamy.

Using gloves, apply the mask directly on to the scalp. Press in and massage gently using your fingertips. You can also work the mixture down to coat the ends of your hair.

Let sit on hair for 10-20 minutes, then rinse thoroughly.

Shampoo and condition as usual.

Best Hair Mask for Normal Hair

Even healthy hair will benefit from a weekly hair mask. Damage and dryness can creep up slowly so we recommend a regular deep conditioning routine to stop problems before they start.

Because of its unique cleaning properties, baking soda can be used occasionally to clarify hair and eliminate buildup from commercial shampoos and conditioners. However, baking soda has a very high Ph, so it’s best followed with an apple cider vinegar rinse. (See the shine recipe above).

Ingredients:

1 egg
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon baking soda
5 fresh tea leaves
½ ripe banana

Directions:

In a bowl, mix all ingredients well. Apply to clean hair.

Let sit for 30-60 minutes.

Rinse thoroughly. Follow with apple cider vinegar rinse (1 Teaspoon vinegar: 1 cup water). This step is optional, but keep in mind that the vinegar adds shine and balances hair’s Ph.

Shampoo and condition as normal.

There you have it! As you can see, you don’t have to go far or spend a fortune when it comes to hair masks. By simply utilizing key ingredients in your kitchen and understanding each ingredient’s benefit to your hair, you can mix and match them as you see fit to solve your hair problems. Now go ahead and schedule that night of pampering for yourself – you deserve it.