Alternative Beauty: Make a Condiment into a Conditioner

Sometimes the best beauty products aren't in the aisles of Sephora, but in your kitchen. Welcome to a new TGIBD feature I am calling Alternative Beauty, where I will subject myself to a variety of homemade beauty treatments and remedies and report back. This week, a favorite sandwich ingredient doubles as a deep conditioning treatment.

Mayonnaise, which, in its purest form, is simply a combination of egg yolks, oil and vinegar, has long been rumored to be a highly effective conditioner. And while there are beauty versions of the remedy-Sally Beauty sells something called Silk Elements Hair Mayonnaise Treatment-I wanted the real stuff. So I bought a jar-I opted for Trader Joes organic variety, versus Hellmans to avoid any extra additives-and gave it a go.

After scooping the mayo out of the jar and combing it through my dry hair, all the while resisting the urge to add salt and pepper, I covered my head with a plastic shower cap (saran wrap will also work) I swiped from a hotel and let my condiment conditioner do its stuff for about fifteen minutes. The smell, I will admit, is a bit nauseating. Then, I washed out my mayonnaisey hair with shampoo, which eliminated the smell and got rid of any oily residue on my scalp. Drying my hair, I immediately noticed a difference-my ends didn't feel as parched as they usually are, and my hair was shinier all over. While you will definitely get the same result after a fancy deep conditioning treatment at the salon, a jar of mayo costs a lot less than a jar of Kerastase.

For all you mayo-phobes out there, check out this new overnight treatment from salon-favorite, Kerastase.

image via daylesfordorganic.com

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