While I might be a land-walker, I’ve nursed an affinity for mermaids ever since I was a three year old aspiring to be Ariel. Who doesn’t like mermaids? Perhaps Odysseus, but he’s long gone anyway.
This morning, I was feeling inspired in that Piscean kind of way, and I headed down to the ocean shore to gather a bag full of fresh seaweed for a hair experiment. It went swimmingly, and I knew I had to share my discovery! Without further ado, here is a simple DIY deep treatment for your hair which I found to be wonderfully strengthening, thickening, moisturizing, and overall beautifying! Do your ‘do mermaid style:
- 3 cups of fresh, cleaned seaweed (I discarded the stalks in favor of the leaves)
- 1 tbsp honey (microwave for 20 seconds to avoid lightening)
- 1 tbsp aloe vera gel
- 1 tsp vegetable glycerine
I used my Vitamix to puree the above ingredients. I think a high speed blender is the way to go in order to get a super creamy and smooth result, but a food processor or standard blender would probably work just fine. I refrigerated my concoction for an hour, then showered and washed my hair with a shampoo bar. I know, I broke my water-only schedule, but I thought it would be worth it for the best penetration of my deep treatment. I applied my seaweed mix to damp hair, and laid it on thick, working it into my scalp and coating the length and ends. This was a bit messy, so I recommend applying it in the shower. I bagged my hair in plastic, and let it sit for almost two hours while I tended to schoolwork. I was a little concerned about how it would rinse, but let me tell you… it was all good! After rinsing well with cool water, I scrunched and air-dried, and noticed well-defined spiral curls. Like the results of a good protein treatment, my wave pattern looked much more defined. Air drying produced a smooth result that I ain’t gonna argue with! I blended the remainder of the seaweed as described above, and put the mixture in a glass jar in the refrigerator for future use.
Seaweed is awesome for your body, and, as it turns out, awesome for your hair, too. There’s a reason it’s found in so many high-end beauty products, but you can take advantage of this gift of nature for, well, almost free! No fish tail required. If you live on the coast, you owe it to yourself to harvest your own, and if not, there are powdered varieties available online.
I hope you get great results too! Ahoy! Best hair days ahead!
