All of us would like to have good hair days with silky, strong and glossy hair all year round, wouldn’t we? But unfortunately, all of us have a lot of hair woes. Frizzy hair, dry hair, dull hair are all pretty common problems. If there’s one product most women use after washing their hair, it’s a hair serum. Unfortunately, this tiny little bottle that claims to give you silky soft and shiny hair can cost a lot of money. Good quality hair serums are known to run in the thousands for a mere 15-30 ml of product. This made us think about all the money we’ve spent on buying bottle after bottle and being disappointed with the results. That’s where homemade serums come into play.
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What Is A Hair Serum?
Hair serum is a protective layer that coats your hair cuticle and protects it from damage while making your hair smooth, shiny and more manageable. Depending on the type of serum it is, it can be used on either the length of your hair or on both your ends and on your scalp.
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Benefits Of Using A Hair Serum
Every day, our hair is subjected to multiple aggressors like heat styling, chemical treatments, dust and pollution. Add to this, things like washing our hair daily and your hair is bound to be a little damaged. This is where a hair serum comes into play. It’s got multiple benefits for your hair.
- Hair serum helps get rid of frizziness and makes your hair more manageable
- It helps detangle your hair and prevents breakage
- It adds moisture and shine to your hair
- It makes your hair softer, smoother and silkier
- It acts as a heat protectant and protects your hair during any heat styling induced damage and other environmental aggressors
Also Read: Best Hair Serums for Smooth Hair
Homemade Hair Serums
If you don’t want to buy ready hair serums from the market, you can make your very own serums at home using a few ingredients. These homemade hair serums can be used on your scalp and on your ends. Homemade hair serums don’t have any chemicals and you can make a fresh batch every few weeks. You can make them using a mix of hair oils and essential oils. Depending on your hair type and your concerns, you can customize the recipe to suit your needs.
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Homemade Hair Serum For Straightening
Did you know that your hair can appear straighter by just using a hair serum? A few ingredients make your hair look smoother and silkier and as a result, straighter! Here’s everything you need:
- Coconut Oil (3 tablespoons)
- Soy Oil (3 tablespoons)
- Jojoba Oil (3 tablespoons)
- Olive Oil (3 tablespoons)
Mix up all of the oils into a dark glass container and mix it up well. Before application, place the bottle into a glass of warm water, this will warm up the oils. Apply this warm oil from root to ends and comb your hair with a good hairbrush. Ensure that your hair is falling straight upon your shoulders and that there are no waves forming. Apply some more heat using a hair dryer to your hair. After some time, rinse it off using a mild shampoo. Your hair will be significantly straighter and shinier! If you want to use this as a post-wash hair serum, use a few drops and distribute them evenly onto damp hair. Blow dry your hair after with a paddle brush to evenly distribute the hair serum.
Homemade Hair Serum For Shiny Hair
Is your hair lacklustre? This homemade hair serum will serve as a quick-fix for dull hair. You can use it on your scalp and lengths and it’s going to leave you with silky, shiny hair. If you want to use it as a pre-wash oil you can apply it from root to ends and let it sink in for about an hour before washing. Steaming your hair will help the oils penetrate deeper. And since it’s a blend of a few natural oils, it’s going to help take away any scalp issues and boost hair growth. Here’s everything you’ll need:
- Grapeseed Oil (2 tablespoons)
- Argan Oil (1 tablespoon)
- Avocado Oil (1 tablespoon)
- Jojoba Oil (1 tablespoon)
Mix all of the oils together in a dark glass bottle and stir until they blend. Store this hair serum it in a cool dry area. Shake the bottle well before use, you can customise the recipe depending on the length of your hair. While this hair serum is most effective when used pre-shower, you can also use it after a shower. If you use the serum on damp hair, make sure to use very little or it might weigh your hair down.
Homemade Hair Serum For Frizzy Hair
Frizzy hair is the worst, add to that humidity and bad weather and your hair can look like a hot mess. This homemade hair serum can be used pre or post hair wash and it’s ideal for any weather. It’s light and not greasy so it’s not going to wear your hair down. Here’s everything you need:
- Aloe Vera Gel (10 tablespoons)
- Rose Water (2 tablespoons)
- Coconut Oil (2 tablespoons)
- Vitamin E Oil (1 tsp or 2 capsules)
- Jasmine or Rose Essential Oil (10 drops for fragrance)
If you’re using fresh aloe vera gel, use a blender to mix all of the ingredients – this will get rid of any clumps and make the serum easy to apply. Once you’ve mixed all the ingredients well, transfer them into a glass jar. Use a few drops of this serum on the lengths of your damp hair and let your hair dry naturally. You’ll see a visible difference in the frizziness from the very first use. You can also use a generous amount of this the night before you plan to wash your hair, this will allow the serum to penetrate overnight and leave you with silky, frizz-free hair the next morning.
Homemade Hair Serum For Dry and Damaged Hair
If your hair is extremely dry, brittle and damaged from heat styling, this hair serum will prove to be a blessing in disguise. Over time, this will reduce the effect of damage on your hair and transform your mane into a long, lustrous head of hair! Here’s what you need:
- Grapeseed Oil (4 tablespoons)
- Vitamin E Oil Or Vitamin E Capsules (1 tablespoon or 1 capsule)
- Lavender Oil (5 drops)
Grapeseed oil and Vitamin E oil are deeply nourishing. They will make your dry, brittle hair lustrous and voluminous in no time. Lavender essential oil promotes hair growth while getting rid of any scalp issues. Mix all of the ingredients well in a small bowl and transfer them into a dark glass bottle. Shake the bottle well before use, apply it on your scalp and lengths. Leave this mixture on overnight to boost effectiveness. Rinse it off with a mild shampoo and apply a few drops on the lengths and ends of your damp hair. In a few uses, you will see your limp hair become thicker, stronger and more resilient.
Homemade Hair Serum For Oily Hair
Aloe Vera Gel is one of the best ingredients you can use to boost hair growth and add nourishment to your hair. It makes your hair smooth, silky and shiny and nourishes your scalp and lengths. It gets rid of dandruff while lightly hydrating your dry and flaky scalp. The best part about an aloe vera gel serum is that it’s not as heavy as a mixture of hair oils, thus making it very very easy to wash off in one single shampoo. So if you have a combination of dry hair and an oily scalp – this is the perfect pre-hair wash serum for you. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Aloe Vera Gel (6 tablespoons)
- Argan Oil (2 tablespoons)
- Almond Oil (2 tablespoons)
- Tea Tree Essential Oil or Peppermint Essential Oil (5-7 drops)
- Lavender Essential Oil (5-7 drops)
You can use fresh aloe vera gel for this recipe and if you don’t have access to fresh aloe, you can use store-bought aloe vera gel too. Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl, use a blender if you are using fresh aloe – it will get rid of all the clumps and make the serum easier to apply. A combination of Argan oil and Almond oil is perfect for this recipe because Argan is deeply hydrating while Almond oil is light in texture. This hair serum is super easy to wash off and it’s a great alternative to oiling your hair. Apply it an hour or two before a shower or leave it on overnight for best results.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. How And When Should You Use A Hair Serum?
Ideally, you should use a serum every time you wash your hair. When you get out of the shower, towel dry your hair. Squeeze out a coin-sized amount of hair serum on the palm of your hands and rub them together. Apply this serum only to the ends of your hair. You want to ensure that you only apply serum to the ends and the mid-lengths of your hair. You want to keep the serum away from your roots – hair serum is quite thick and oily in texture and it will make your hair oily if you apply it too close to your roots. If your ends are feeling dry and frizzy in-between hair washes, you can apply a little bit of serum to tame split ends and flyaways.
2. Is Hair Serum Good For Your Hair?
Yes, it is very good for your hair. It protects your hair from damage and helps strengthen it and makes it more manageable. With hair serum, you only need a little bit and only on the mid-lengths of your hair. Applying too much hair serum can make your hair too oily, too soon.
3. Can I Use Hair Serum Every Day?
Ideally, you should use hair serum every time you wash your hair. If you wash your hair every day, then you can go ahead and use serum every day. Even if you don’t wash your hair and your hair feels a little frizzy and dry, applying a few drops of serum onto the ends will help you
4. Can Coconut Oil Be Used As Hair Serum?
Coconut oil can be used as a deep conditioning hair treatment for your hair and scalp. It can’t be used as a post-wash hair serum because it’s quite thick and might weigh your hair down. You can use a few drops of coconut oil to tame flyaways and create slick hairdo’s.
5. Which Serum Is Best For Dry Hair?
Any serum with deeply nourishing ingredients like Avocado oil, castor oil and argan oil are great for people with dry hair. These oils are thicker and penetrate through the hair cuticle better than others. With regular use these oils will turn your fine and dry hair into stronger, thicker hair. If you want to boost the absorption of these oils onto your hair, apply gentle heat using your blow dryer on the length of your hair and on your scalp. You can even take a very mild steam if you like – don’t spend too much time under the steamer though or it can further dry out your hair!
6. How Is A Hair Serum Better / Different From Hair Oil?
Serum and hair oil are two completely different things. Hair serum is used on the ends and mid-lengths of your hair while a hair oil can be used on your scalp and lengths. A serum only helps your hair superficially – until your next hair wash. A hair oil penetrates through the hair cuticle and scalp, strengthening, thickening and improving the quality of your hair over time. If you use
7. Does Hair Serum Help With Hair Growth?
Store bought hair serums are meant only for the ends of your hair, so they won’t really help with hair growth. But if you’re using a homemade hair serum, you can apply it to your scalp and to your ends, those can boost hair growth.
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