While we’re no strangers to a bottled hair treatment when your hair is in distress, sometimes it’d be great to just whip up something fresh and simple with nourishing ingredients that are right in your kitchen. Of course, we’re talking about do-it-yourself hair masks made right at home!

Homemade DIY hair masks can be just the right thing for soothing scalps, smoothing cuticles, and imparting hydration to dry ends. Plus, they're customizable to your specific hair type, whether it’s coarse, frizzy, dry, oily, fine, or dull. You can make endless variations of botanical concoctions and consistencies. Let’s look at some of our favorite combinations below.

Types of masks

Warm coconut oil for all hair types

Coconut oil is a natural beauty powerhouse due to its fatty acids and vitamin E that promote hair sheen and its emollient properties that nourish dry hair. There are several ways to use coconut oil, such as blending it with other mask ingredients or on its own as a hot oil treatment.

♦ Carefully warm the oil to better absorb it into the hair. You can try a pre-shampoo application for 10 minutes to replenish the hair.
♦ You can add a few drops of tea tree or rosemary oil, and when rubbed directly on the scalp, the mixture has an antimicrobial effect, which clarifies and helps with circulation.

Apple cider vinegar clarifying mask for oily hair

Apple cider vinegar can have benefits such as sealing the hair cuticle and neutralizing the hair and scalp pH. It can clarify excess oils, clear exfoliation, and help reduce occasional flakiness. If you have dry hair, be careful to dilute ACV, as it can cause further dryness.

♦ For a lightweight mask, ½ cup of water and ½ cup of apple cider vinegar with a tablespoon of honey as a humectant and binding agent to maintain moisture.
♦ Put the mixture into a spray bottle and mist onto the hair.
♦ Leave in for 10 minutes before rinsing with warm water or shampooing out.

Lemon and egg mask for shiny hair

If your hair is dull from buildup, this mask can help nourish and add lustrous shine. The eggs are high in protein and vitamins that can strengthen fragile, dull hair. The lemon is great for exfoliation and as a brightener, making this a shiny hair super duo.

Mix 1 egg white and the juice of 1 lemon and apply to clean, dry hair and scalp.
Leave on for one hour before rinsing out.

Yogurt and macadamia nut oil mask for frizzy hair

The protein, fat content, and lactic acid in yogurt exfoliates the scalp, softens the hair, smooths the cuticle, and keeps frizz at bay, making it an incredible conditioner and hair treatment mask. We love mixing it with macadamia nut oil for extra moisture and nutrients.

♦ We recommend mixing 1 cup of yogurt with 1 tablespoon of oil into the strands.
♦ Apply the mixture to the hair for 10 minutes and rinse with warm water.

Avocado and egg mask for dry and split ends

While you’ll need a trim to mend split ends in the long term, a hair mask can make them look healthy in the meantime. Avocados and egg yolks have emollient oils, biotin, and proteins to moisturize and add extra shine and hydration to dry ends.

♦ Use half of an avocado and a ½ cup of olive oil. Mash together in a bowl with a fork and apply to the split ends only.
♦ This one is best when left on for a half-hour or so; the longer, the better.

Black tea, milk, and honey volumizing mask for thin, fragile hair

Black tea has caffeine and antioxidants, which are great support for the follicles. Use raw organic honey as a base, and when combined with milk, which is chock-full of protein, amino acids, and vitamin B12, this combo can help lightly soften the hair and support the hair's density and volume.

♦ We recommend mixing ⅓ cup of milk in ⅔ cup of black Assam tea, with 1 tablespoon of honey, in a spray bottle and misting it onto the hair.
♦ Leave in for 10 to 20 minutes after shampooing.
♦ Rinse out with warm water for volumizing and visibly-thicker results.

Brown sugar and argan oil mask for dry flakiness

This sweet combo can offer relief from an occasional dry, itchy scalp. The oil and water-soluble granules in the brown sugar will help exfoliate the scalp without being too harsh, and this will clear the scalp of any everyday flakiness. What's more, Pure Argan Oil moisturizes the hair, adds shine, and helps to minimize visible hair breakage.

♦ Mix 2 tablespoons of brown sugar and 2 tablespoons of coconut oil.
♦ Work into the hair after shampooing, focusing on the scalp. Rinse and continue with conditioner.

Banana and olive oil mask for chemically treated or colored hair

Potassium-rich bananas are a nutrient-dense superfood that replenishes damaged, porous hair. This combined with healthy fats like vitamin E in olive oil, can make damaged hair appear healthier, softer, and stronger.

♦ To make the homemade hair mask, use 1 ripe banana and blend or mash the banana until it is a smooth purée.
♦ Add 1 or 2 tablespoons of olive oil and continue blending. The result should be a creamy, frothy hair mask.
♦ Apply the mask throughout the hair and scalp. Leave on for 10 to 15 minutes before shampoo and conditioner. 

Final thoughts

Get your hair back into its best condition for spring! With 10 minutes and a few pantry and produce items, you can be a creative DIY hair mask connoisseur. These DIY masks are the ultimate hair hack, so try a few to find out which combinations are best for your hair’s different needs.