By , Kyle White
Published February 17, 2017
From pumpkin-flavored desserts and warm apple cider to sweet potatoes and cranberries, seasonal snacks are everywhere during the holidays. But did you know these tempting treats also have great hair benefits?
Take advantage of their abundance with these tips from Kyle White, lead colorist at Oscar Blandi Salon.
1. Pumpkin
Skip the pie and indulge your locks. Vitamin A is extremely good for the scalp, and when used directly, you get the natural goodness straight from the source. Similar to bananas and avocado, pumpkin is a rich source of potassium — a nutrient that is especially useful in promoting the re-growth of hair. Pumpkin is also especially good for moisturizing dry or damaged hair. Try this “recipe” for a pumpkin conditioner. It’s a delicious indulgence for your hair:
Directions: In a food processor or blender, puree the pumpkin and yogurt. Next, add the coconut oil and honey ensuring that the mixture is smooth. Apply the mixture to damp hair. Cover hair with a plastic cap, and let it sit for fifteen minutes. Wash out thoroughly using your everyday shampoo and conditioner, and style as usual.
2. Apple Cider (Vinegar)
Many women struggle with dull, lifeless hair. Shampoos, conditioners and styling products high in alkaline can build up on hair over time, coating strands and preventing shine. Fortunately, this inexpensive solution is as close as your kitchen cabinet. An apple cider vinegar rinse removes residue and restores hair's pH balance back to its natural state. It also closes the hair's cuticle so that hair lies flat, making it glossy, healthy and more manageable. This natural remedy also adds highlights to brunette hair, and removes excess sebum from the scalp.
3. Cranberry cocktail — red hair color rinse
Whether you are allergic to chemicals commonly found in hair dyes or simply want to create a subtle change with an all-natural product, cranberry juice can be used to add a temporary red tint to your hair. If you are a natural redhead, it can also be used to enhance your natural hair color. Cranberry juice will temporarily tint your hair without damaging your strands, and can easily be done at home. Here’s how:
Repeat the above six steps daily to keep the red tint to your hair for as long as you desire.
4. Carrots for a golden tone (red hair)
Carrots are rich in beta-carotene which gives them their orange coloring. In concentrated form, beta-carotene is an intense blood red shade. To make carrots really work as a hair color rinse, you have to apply a mixture of pureed carrots with a tablespoon of lemon juice to the hair. The lemon juice adds an acidic penetration enhancer, which is why it’s important for this rinse. Cranberries have a built-in acidic penetration enhancer, but they tend to give your hair a vibrant red hue while carrots give a true golden tint.
5. Sweet Potatoes
Battle hair loss. Beta-carotene in foods is converted to vitamin A in the body, and vitamin A is necessary for all cell growth including hair growth. A deficiency can lead to dry, dull, lifeless hair and dry skin, which can flake off into dandruff. If you love sweet potatoes with those little marshmallows as much as I do, now you can indulge with less guilt by thinking of how rich in beta-carotene sweet potatoes are. Butternut squash and pumpkin are also high in beta-carotene. If you stick with it, hopefully you'll see a more gorgeous head of hair by New Year’s.
6. Champagne
Enhance golden tones and boost shine by combing a glass of champagne through damp hair. The champagne color will bring out any golden highlights, while the carbonation adds volume and shine. Cheers to that!
7. Caramel
Using all natural ingredients, a caramel hair treatment softens and hydrates the texture of hair, which promotes easier manageability for those who would like to naturally relax hair slightly. This offers women the ability to extend the time between salon visits if they frequent for a relaxer treatment. It can also reduce the amount of time a woman uses with a hot straightening iron. The homemade caramel treatment can leave hair soft and easier to manage for up to four weeks.
How these ingredients work to make this treatment effective:
https://www.foxnews.com/lifestyle/care-for-your-hair-with-pumpkin-sweet-potatoes-champagne-and-more