
There are many relaxers available in stores, but using homemade hair relaxer is an effective and safe way to straighten hair or reduce the curls. Keep reading further for more information on the topic.
Curly hair is very difficult to manage and is naturally prone to tangles and frizzes. To tackle these frizzes and tangles that affect curly hair, hair relaxers come in handy. They are a kind of hair straightening agents you can buy or make at home, to help manage the tangle-prone hair to some extent. The treatment is also available at any cosmetologist’s clinic or at a hair salon/spa. But these products, though effective, contain chemicals that can harm the scalp and hair, resulting in damage. Thus one needs to take precautions before using the hair relaxers bought from the market. A safe and effective way is using homemade hair relaxers.
Making your Own Hair Relaxer
Straight hair never go out of fashion, and it is the dream of any woman to have straight, smooth and beautiful hair. It’s not that curly hair doesn’t look good, but straight hair will give you a change in look and they also look stunning on any woman. Hair relaxers help in treating dull and frizzy hair, and also keeps the curly hair tangle free by straightening it to a certain extent. This hair treatment should be used once in every 6-8 weeks, as for new hair growth the treatment is required to be done again. As natural hair relaxers are the best, we would be discussing them in detail. What follows next are some easy recipes for homemade hair relaxers, classified as per three major hair types – Caucasian or European hair type, African hair and Asian hair.
Caucasian Hair
White people usually have a straight and silky hair, that is rarely prone to tangles. But some may also have curly and frizzy hair which generally is a result of genetics, among other factors. The hair type of these people is still smooth and sensitive, and thus needs proper care. Here are some homemade remedies using olive oil for Caucasian hair. Olive oil is the best ingredient for Caucasian hair relaxer, because it is very mild on the hair, and causes no side effects.
⇒ Olive Oil:
Olive oil is effective in loosening the curls to a certain extent, though it is not as much effective as the products available in stores. Heat a required amount of olive oil as per your hair length, and then gently massage it on the scalp and hair strands. Now, wet a towel with hot water and wrap it around your hair for about 2 hours. Wash the hair with mild shampoo, and then blow dry or pat dry the hair. You would surely notice a remarkable change in the hair texture.
⇒ Olive Oil and Natural Conditioner:
Another recipe is a combination of olive oil and any mild natural ingredients based hair conditioner. Warm about half a cup of olive oil, and then add about 2 tbsp of any good natural conditioner into it. Mix well both the ingredients, and when the mixture is consistent and cooled apply it on the hair. Let it remain for at least 15 minutes (let it remain for more amount of time if there is great damage) and then rinse it off with lukewarm water and mild shampoo.
⇒ Coconut Milk:
Applying coconut milk on the hair strands and keeping it for around 15 minutes, also works well for Caucasian hair type.
Black Hair
African people usually have black hair and the hair texture of Africans is curly with frizzes. The hair is prone to frizzes due to dryness of hair in these people. The reason for dryness of hair is curls, due to the sharp curls the sebum which is produced fails to spread along the hair fiber. The best relaxer for African hair targets dryness and moisturizes the hair. The following are the best relaxers for dry and black hair.
⇒ Cocoa Butter:
In the ingredients list of most of the hair relaxers you would find a mention of cocoa butter. Cocoa butter relaxes hair and provides a protective coating around the hair which protects it from further damage. And, this butter is easily available at any store. Based on your hair length and thickness, apply cocoa butter on the hair length evenly, and then wet a towel with hot water and wrap it around your hair for about 20 minutes. Rinse off with cold water after the said duration of time.
⇒ Milk for Hair:
Milk is a natural hair relaxer. Apply any milk on the hair liberally like you apply oil, and let it remain for about 10 to 20 minutes. Wash your hair with cold water. Another remedy uses milk cream and honey. In half a cup of milk cream add 2 tbsp of honey and mix it well. Apply this mixture on your hair, and let it remain for about 20 minutes, and then wash your hair with a mild shampoo.
⇒ Honey and Olive Oil:
All you need to prepare this is a cup of honey and half a cup each of olive oil, lemon juice, and caramel. Mix all these ingredients thoroughly to form a consistent mixture and then apply it on the hair strands, covering each and every hair strand. Let the relaxer remain on the hair for about 20 minutes and then rinse the hair with a mild shampoo.
Asian Hair
The hair type of Asians in majority is wavy, thick and strong hair. The following relaxer using coconut milk, lime and yogurt in the second recipe works best for normal and moderately curly hair.
⇒ Coconut Milk with Lime:
All that you need to prepare this is – juice of one lime and half a cup of coconut milk. In a bowl, mix well both these ingredients and allow it to remain still for hours until froth is formed on the top. Using a spoon separate the froth from the lime and coconut milk liquid and apply the froth evenly on your hair. Let it remain on the hair for about 1 to 2 hours and then wash the hair using lukewarm water.
⇒ Yogurt:
Yogurt also has mild hair relaxing properties and is also good for treating dandruff. Apply yogurt liberally to your hair and keep it for 10 minutes before washing the hair.
Apart from relaxers, many people also opt for hair straightening using irons. But the method is not safe and causes damage to hair. Hair straightening using homemade hair relaxers is a slow process but at least it is safe. And, apart from the hair straightening properties, the natural ingredients used also nourish hair. Thus, the recipes mentioned in this article are surely going to help you in getting smooth and tangle free hair, and would thus improve the hair texture to a great extent. So, try them for wonderfully smooth and silky hair.