Today I want to talk about budget-friendly hair care.
If you had told me a year ago that I would be writing a post about hair care, budget-friendly or otherwise, I probably would have chuckled good-naturedly and patted you on the head like a little pet that I’m fond of. I had no hair care routine to speak of, and no real interest in starting one. The sum total of my hair care involved a weekly wash, followed by a drip dry. In my defense, it’s tough to commit to self-care for your appearance when your self-image is low. It all feels a bit pointless.
Anyway, that was then. This year has been a new year for me, and the more changes I implement, the better I feel about myself. One of those changes has been a hair care routine, and it’s so easy that even a #lazygirl like me can keep it up!
Previously, I have shared my thoughts and tips on embracing your natural hair colour. Though I’ve implemented this budget-friendly hair care routine with my natural, uncoloured hair in mind, I think it would work in most hair situations – just adjust your leave-in conditioner to something more suited to coloured hair.
PS if you’re being plagued by split ends, you should also check out my 6 genius tricks for preventing split ends.
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My Cheap, Easy, Budget-Friendly Hair Care Tips for Happy, Healthy Hair
Only wash your hair twice a week
Some weeks when I’m crazy-busy I only wash it once, but twice a week is ideal. You don’t want to wash it too often or you’ll strip it of its natural oils and cause it to dry out too much. I have recently started swimming for fitness, and I hold out between full washes by alternating with a conditioner-only wash to avoid using shampoo more than twice in a week.
Treat your hair with coconut oil once a week
Coconut oil is the be-all-and-end-all of cheap DIY beauty at the moment! (though I haven’t tried it yet, this one by COCO&CO is beauty grade)
On Saturday nights before I go to bed, I lather up my hair with coconut oil. I put in enough oil so that all my hair feels slick and almost wet. Then I tie it up in a tight bun, cover my pillow with a towel, and sleep on it.
A lot of people complain about the difficulty of washing coconut oil out of their hair – but that’s probably because they’re doing it wrong! When you add water to oil, it can seize up and become waxy, so you just need to break down the oil before wetting it. I simply rub shampoo through my hair without any water first. Then as the shampoo soaks in, I gradually begin to add handfuls of water until it works up into a nice lather. Then I rinse it all out, do a second shampoo, rinse, and follow up with a condition and a rinse. Easy!
Dry hair with an old shirt, not a towel
Towels can be pretty rough on hair, so I have started drying my hair with Chris’s T-shirts (he hasn’t worked that one out yet, but I think it would offend him a little. He’s pretty precious about his T-shirt collection). The cloth is much softer and gentler on my fragile locks!
Use a Leave-In Conditioner
I swear by Schwarzkopf BC Bonacure Repair Rescue Sealed Ends for my super dry hair. After T-shirt drying my hair, I rub a small blob of it between my fingers and apply it all through my ends (avoid rubbing it into your scalp!), then finish with a quick brush-through with my paddle brush (purchased from Woolworths. Hey there, big spender!)
I do all of the above with a grocery store brand shampoo and conditioner, and my hair is already so much healthier than it was before I started this routine. I’d imagine if you had the means, a salon-brand shampoo and conditioner would further enhance things!
What are some budget-friendly hair care tips that you swear by?
I am always on the look-out for ways to take better care of my hair without breaking the bank!
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Your article on easy, budget-friendly hair care tips for healthy, happy hair is ideal for providing women with advice on caring for their hair whilst staying within their budgets. The points you have made are definitely appropriate for all women that would like hair care advice, especially your point about not over-washing your hair. As a lot of women may not understand how over-washing their hair is likely to have a negative impact on their hairs appearance, and your article explains it perfectly.
Thank you! I’m so glad you liked the piece 🙂
This article is really for lazy girls like me especially toward beauty routines..
One day i decided to start a night routine for my face, i use a cleanser then i put some coconut oil on my face before i go to bed.. you completed my night routine by including my hair too by applying coconut oil on both my face and my hair and follow your steps.. really it is perfect for me cause i feel the coconut is part of my life nowadays 🙂
Yes! You will not regret adding that coconut oil to your hair. And I agree… coconut is life! Ha!
Really, this is an amazing post. How to care you hair budget-friendly. I really liked your suggestion to dry hair with old cloths. Looking forward to more amazing hair tips.
So glad you picked up some good tips! I absolutely swear by drying my hair with my husband’s old shirts.
Perfect timing for this post! Appreciating the time and effort you put into your website and in-depth information you offer. You’ve really covered up almost all the possible info that every female should follow. Worth sharing! Please do continue sharing updates! Thanks!
This is an amazing post, and the products are profitable and applicable to those lazy girls. Thank you so much!