Is there no time to shampoo your hair? Try putting an old, clean nylon stocking over your brush and run it through your hair to remove dust and oil. Rub along partings all over the scalp with cotton wool soaked in witch hazel, cologne or skin tonic to help clean greasy roots.
When you run out of your favourite conditioner, try one of these alternatives.
- Use corn or olive oil warmed up in a cup standing in hot water. Comb it through your hair, and cover your hair with a plastic bath cap for half an hour. Rinse, shampoo and rinse again.
- Or, beat 2 egg yolks, add 1 tablespoon rum, leave the mixture on your hair for half an hour, then rinse.
- Or, try mayonnaise or natural yogurt as a conditioner.
For instant shampoos, try bubble bath or a delicate detergent.
In the absence of hair-setting lotion, beer gives body and champagne gives crispness. Try tonic water; also, red wine for dark hair or white wine for blondes.
A tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice in the last rinse is good for greasy hair.
Prevent sun and saltwater damage by applying a small amount of coconut oil, wheat-germ oil or petroleum jelly to hair ends.
Make an aromatic hair spray from a lemon or, if you have dry hair, an orange. Boil 1 piece of fruit (quartered) in 1 pint/570ml of water until ½ pint/285ml remains; cool and strain. Keep in a spray bottle in the refrigerator.
To clean hairbrushes (and combs, too), soak them in warm water with a little detergent added to it. Rinse thoroughly, then leave to dry face-down on a towel. Comb through brush bristles to remove hair trapped in them.
