Garlic in hair care routine – is it a yes or no?

Natural ingredients in hair care – a great trend.

I have heard about a lot of natural ingredients to use in hair care, but garlic wasn’t mentioned so often. Moreover, when I first heard about garlic for hair, I had doubts. I certainly know about all those benefits of garlic for health, but I thought it too strong to put it on the scalp or hair. For some level, it is true. If you have sensitive skin, there is some risk if you use garlic in your beauty care routine. It may cause burns when applied directly to the skin, so being careful is very important. I wanted to find out more about how can you use garlic in hair care? What can make it effective?

The benefits of garlic.

• Raw garlic is rich in vitamin C, what is great for overall health and hair, too. It is said to boost collagen production and promote hair growth.
• Garlic has anti-microbial properties. If you have some skin problems (on your scalp) caused by them, garlic can help. Healthy skin is essential to grow healthy hair.
• The selenium in garlic can help blood circulation.
• It is rich in vitamin B-6, C and also magnesium. They are all essential to create the best conditions or healthy hair growth.
• Garlic contains sulfur. It’s essential to create keratin, a protective protein, that helps to prevent breakage and heat damage.
• Its antifungal properties help to fight against dandruff.
• Garlic is also said to protect against UV damage, because it protects the cells that produce keratin.

How can you use garlic in your hair care routine?

There are more ways to enjoy the benefits of garlic. All the nutrients and vitamins it contains, support your health even if garlic itself doesn’t touch your scalp or hair. But let’s see how can you apply it externally.

• Shampoo: I don’t mean a garlic shampoo you buy at the shop, but something that’s made by you. To do so, you will need 4 tablespoon organic shampoo (or try to use one with no parabens or sulfates). Mix this base with 10 fresh, ground garlic cloves, 5 drops of tea tree oil, 5 drops of peppermint oil and one tablespoon of olive oil. Mix it well to have a smooth, creamy shampoo. You can use it as normal shampoo, but massage it into the roots longer, for minimum 10 minutes.
• Scalp massage with garlic oil: The amount you need can vary, so you have to try and find what’s best for you. Before applying garlic oil, make a test on your skin and be careful for the first time, you use. Massage the oil into the scalp only for a few minutes. Do it for a shorter time and when you use it later again and again, you can leave it on your hair and massage it into the scalp longer and longer. When you have the experience and you feel safe you can leave it for 10 minutes.
• Hair mask with other ingredients: As far as I see, using garlic as a hair mask, mixed with other ingredients is the most popular way. What can you mix garlic with?

Popular hair masks with garlic:

• Garlic and honey: Simply mix well these two ingredients. 1 tablespoon of honey and 6-8 cloves of garlic (depending on the size). Apply to scalp and hair and leave it for 10-20 minutes. The amounts can vary. For longer or thicker hair you may need more from both.
• Garlic and coconut oil: Warm coconut oil and mix it with ground garlic. Massage in into the scalp and hair and leave it on for 20 minutes.
• Garlic and ginger: It may help to get rid of dandruff. Put a half cup of coconut oil into a pan and heat it a little, then add 10 cloves of ground garlic and a bit of ginger. Let it turn a little brown, turn off the heat and let it cool down. Use it on your scalp and your hair. Leave it for a few minutes and wash your hair with gentle, organic or a sulfate free shampoo.

Are there any benefits of adding some garlic juice to your normal shampoo?

Some say yes. Others say there’s no real benefits of doing so, and it may even cause irritation to some. Garlic itself can also do that. If you want a garlic shampoo quick, but with fresh garlic, mix it with some organic shampoo. Try to choose paraben-free, sulfate-free products. First, always apply the mixture on a small part of your skin to be sure, there’s no irritation.

Is there any garlic shampoo?

Yes, you can find ready to use garlic products on the market. Shampoo, too.

Read more about garlic benefits in general.

People with sensitive skin must be careful when trying a new remedy, it’s true also about garlic. It may cause burns.

There are some studies to show that those, who have bald spots because of alopecia areata, may experience hair regrowth after applying garlic gel on these bald spots.