These days, I find myself more than a little upset with Mother Nature. Her indecisiveness as to whether or not she wishes it to be winter or summer is not only causing me difficulty in choosing outfits every morning, but it’s wreaking havoc on my skin and hair. My confused, irritated scalp is dry and itchy and as I scratch at it relentlessly, it has begun to flake. Furthermore, my strands have turned dull and lifeless in the bewilderment of whether to produce oil or go into lockdown mode. I recently dragged my mother to our nearest ULTA store, where I spent twenty minutes contemplating which hair mask to spend $$$ on. Mom finally just leaned over and said, “Seriously, just put dahi (yogurt) in your hair.” When I inquired further, she informed me that when she was younger, everyone she knew would apply a plain yogurt mask to their hair, resulting in soft, silky, dandruff-free tresses.
Now, as a product of the eighties, I tend to doubt anything natural. My first inclination was to tease my mother and say “ewwww, mom, like, we have companies to MAKE that stuff for us now.” A lot of magazines will also tell you there are no proven benefits to 
using natural ingredients versus manufactured products. But the truth is, the advice of our mothers and grandmothers do hold a lot of merit. They didn’t have the luxury of free Kérastase treatments and blowouts – their techniques evolved from generations before them and were based on traditional and Ayurvedic medicine and/or an innate understanding of the human anatomy. Upon researching the effectiveness/science behind using yogurt in one’s hair, I realized our mothers were really onto something.
Yogurt (or yoghurt for our lovely ladies in the UK) is high in lactic acid, and has natural antifungal and antibacterial properties. The yogurt works to stimulate hair growth and fight dandruff by acting as a natural cleanser that tightens and clarifies the pores on your scalp. The protein properties help to strengthen and moisturize your hair and to tame persistent, pesky fly-aways by smoothing your strands. The creamy consistency and antibacterial ingredients help to soothe your scalp and reduce any itchiness. Finally, for those living in tropical areas – yogurt masks are incredibly cooling! Even if the Revlon mask that you picked up from CVS promises to accomplish the same, isn’t it better to try something completely produced in nature first, rather than with ingredients you can barely even pronounce?
There are several techniques used to make a yogurt mask – they usually vary in the ingredients added. The three listed below are the most basic methods used in South Asia as relayed by my mother and her friends:
1) Simple Yogurt
This is the easiest and least messy/time consuming method. Simply whip some plain yogurt in a bowl with a fork (this helps with ease in application) for use on dry hair before showering. The amount depends on how long your hair is. Starting on the left side near your ear, part your hair and rub the yogurt into the exposed scalp. Part your hair again an inch higher and apply the yogurt to this area. Continue the process until the yogurt has been massaged into your entire scalp. Brush on the remaining yogurt to the rest of your hair from roots to ends. Leave the yogurt in for at least an hour but no more than two – make sure to do this on a day you don’t need to be out and about. You may then rinse the yogurt out with lukewarm water and a mild shampoo. Conditioner is optional.
2) Yogurt and Egg
Perform the same method as #1, but this time when whipping yogurt, add an egg (the white part helps with strength and the yolk increases the shininess of the hair). This method also requires you to wear the mask for at least an hour, but no more than two. Make sure to wash your hair out with tepid water – you don’t want to end up with scrambled eggs in your hair from heat! Use a mild shampoo – by mild I mean a basic shampoo for normal hair that is not specifically clarifying, moisturizing or a dandruff shampoo – you’ll be negating the effects of the yogurt mask.
3) Yogurt and Mustard Oil/Olive Oil
This method is slightly different than that of the ones above in that it can be applied either before or after shampooing, but is recommended more as a conditioner rather than a mask. Whip some yogurt and add one or two tablespoons of either mustard oil or olive oil, whichever is more readily available. After washing hair with a mild shampoo, apply this conditioner and leave in for about 15 minutes. Make sure to have more parts yogurt than oil so you don’t need to reapply shampoo to get this mask out of your hair. If you feel you have used too much oil, you may shampoo again, but the idea is to have a little oil that is indiscernible remaining your hair to condition your strands.
Finally, there is the Western version of the yogurt mask that has appeared in magazines in the U.S. and U.K.. This technique asks you to blend yogurt along with pulp from fruits containing natural oils that soften your hair. These include avocados, mangoes, cantaloupe and most frequently used, bananas. If any one of you uses this method, we’d love to hear your techniques and results.
One last note: All the ladies I have asked about yogurt masks have advised that this is a beauty technique only to be used in the warm summer months. Yogurt has intense cooling properties and brings down the temperature of the body when applied on the head for long periods of time. This may sound like an old wives’ tale, but trust me, there really is something to the idea of “cooling” and “heating” foods. Therefore, pull out this mask when the weather turns warm (like now) and try to avoid using it in the winter.
Photo Credits:
http://www.merrittsforhair.co.uk/
http://stanford.wellsphere.com/healthy-living-article/herbal-remedy-ayurvedic-treatment/462331
http://www.diwinetaste.com/dwt/en2004107.php
http://www.carspace.com/guides/How-to-remove-Egg-from-your-Car
http://www.recipetips.com/glossary-term/t–33531/mustard-oil.asp
http://uk.fashion.popsugar.com/2125586
I’ve used yoghurt and egg, mixed with a few drops of lemon juice (no idea why, followed whatever the elders told me) and totally vouch for its effectiveness
I’ve heard henna is an awesome hair conditioner for summer months as well
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An equivalent winter solution is coconut oil, although it’s probably not great for the breakout-prone. I hadn’t tried it in years, but the number of compliments I got after one treatment was well worth the effort to wash the oil out of my hair.
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I’ve used warm coconut oil on its own and it tends to dry my scalp, making it itchy. Almon oil I find is fantastic and makes my hair really soft.
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Lipstick Masala Reply:
May 26th, 2009 at 10:57 pm
Hi Maria
Henna is definitely great for the hair in the summer – just be sure to never apply henna to both your hair and hands/feet at the same time, you will become an icebox – the henna sucks all the warmth out of your body and can be dangerous!
I’m curious about the lemon juice, I’ve heard about it being used to lighten hair for when you go out in the summer, but am not familiar with its use in a mask. Let me know if you find out the reason behind it!
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Egg and mustard seed oil are amazing for the hair. The only problem with egg is that it takes a few washes to get the smell to completely go away. So, you may not want to test this mixture out when you have a romantic evening planned!
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Michelle Reply:
July 20th, 2009 at 10:42 pm
I think lemon is used to add extra shine to the hair. At least L’Occitane includes lemon in their shampoos and conditioners for that reason… I have the Honey & Lemon Foaming Jelly (hair and body shower gel), and it really makes my hair shinier.
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I’ve also used coconut oil but didn’t like it much. I would end up using alot of shampoo just trying to get rid of the smell! Not brave enough for the yogurt and egg but will try the plain yogurt. Thanks for the tip!
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Might sound funny..but nothing smoothens the hair like beer…the texture also feels great later…and no dandruff either…
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I’ve used the yoghurt and oil concoction many a times upon the insistence of my grandmother.. and it definitely clears the dandruff and makes hair smoother..
i’m intrigued by the beer concept rakhi, please do elaborate on that if u can!
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agree with eman. the smells lingers for a while if you add the egg. but am all for it. keep these home remedies coming, please.
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Thanks for letting me know about this natural mask.I just want to know does it work for oily hair?
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I would recommend that you try using a moisturizing Shampoo and conditioner and even using a moisture hair mask once a week. Alessandro Natural
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Ive tried using lemon in my hair masks (it’s apparently meant to add shine to your hair) but it just dried my hair out REALLY badly. and oh, please dont try the lemon hair bleaching method either. you might as well put some clorox in your hair and walk out in the sun.
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Lipstick Masala Reply:
May 29th, 2009 at 11:57 am
what beer method do you use? please tell!
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marssss cant wait to try this….thanks for the trips everybody!!
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LM, egg and lemon tend to dry the skin. I had one of those Moms who was always trying everything under the sun and I was the scape goat at times….Yikes, did I say that. Sorry, sorry. Moreover, lemon can bring out the red highlights which most of the desis have. I tried that with dd one time and I don’t think she has ever trusted me to touch her hair since, especially as I had only used it at the very top in a cap like manner. Just my two bits. Are the exams over yet???
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This is really cool tip, will definitely consider trying this out.
I remember I went through a phase where I wanted to use all my body butters up which were stacked up, hardly used – at the risk of going off. I used them all as hair masks, really slathered them on my hair every weekend, wrapped a towel round, slept like that, when i washed my hair the next morning it was gorgeous! There’s another tip. A stupid one, but it’s there, haha!
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Lipstick Masala Reply:
May 29th, 2009 at 11:58 am
thanks for the tip – i have extremely dry hair already so will be staying away from the lemon this summer!
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My sister swears by putting mustard oil in her hair. I’ve tried an egg mask, but never yogurt. I’ll try it out tomorrow!
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Mustard oil really IS the best! I wish it were more readily available in the states, unfortunately it isn’t so I use coconut oil which is a very close second.
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Wow. Nice information you have here.
In my opinion, for a healthy, natural, inexpensive way to experience hair re-growth, put aside potentially dangerous synthesized medications. Instead, focus on the natural, anciently-used herbs for the healthiest and the best hair loss treatment.
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LM,
How about a post on homemade ubtan?
Thanks
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Hi DL, thanks for your comment and for reading the site! I am definitely looking into ubtan, have been getting a lot of interest on the product from all the ladies. There seem to be many recipes available so I’m trying to weed out the nonsense ones. I hope to have a post on ubtan by next week at the latest, fingers crossed!
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Thank you for the tip, Michelle. The product sounds really interesting, I may try it out and do a review on it soon!
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I use only one conditioner – the Peppermint Herbal Conditioner from Made from Earth. I dont need to use anything else – I apply the conditioner and let it sit on my hair while I shower. After that I comb out my hair and rinse, voila I’m done and my hair is soft and moisterized. You can find the company at http://www.madefromearth.com/
I am concerned about parabens and chemicals so I use the Made from Earth Peppermint conditioner as a substitute for many things in the shower. I use this instead of shaving creams always, my legs, and arm pits are grateful. I am big on exfoliating and in winter after I shower, I add baking soda to the Made from Earth conditioner and apply it all over my body in a circular motion (paying attention to elbows, knees, hands, and feet) then do my final rinse. I do this once a week and I follow with shea butter or Extra Virgin Olive oil and this keeps my extra dry winter skin super soft, without chemicals and parabens. And it smells great, so no need for body sprays afterwards.
Hope this helps.
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Hi there, Maria!
Thank so much for the tip. I completely understand what you mean about not wanting to use chemicals, I’m always on the lookout for natural products that work. The Peppermint conditioner sounds fabulous, and the exfoliating with baking soda is a great idea! Will try it out as soon as possible.
Thanks again!
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Yogurt Banana Mask :
Soooo.. I have tried every single product in the market from cheap to very expenses … unfortunatly nothing worked for me … I have midium/longish lenght hair dark brown … 2 years ago I just needed a change so decided to make my straight soft hair curly ….worst thing I have ever done
…..after I have done that I relaised how much I hated curls … a year and half with frizzy curl ball head I came across a salon in Amsterdam who was able to stright my hair with YOKO treatment … it worked very well .. I am very happy with my straight hair , however , my hair after that felt so dry with lost of split ends …I have tried every product in the market but no result…. since i had no option in hand … I started making my own hair oils and hair masks…so far the best thing I have done ( only twise so thou ) is Yugurt Banana …
Banana (1 )
Yogurt (6 tbs)
Honey (1tbs)
Castor Oil ( 1tbs )
and Henna ( 1tbs)
Just mixed around 6 spoons of Yogurt with 1 banana in a blender and added all the rest… it will look like a green curry past.. please don’t eat that
…..now all you have to do is to put this past in your hair section by section ….
I left it in my hair the first time for almost 3 hours and the secound time over night …. to be honest I prefert the result of 2-3 hours better … much softer ..
Let me know if its works for you .. I have alot of other tips too
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