Can mayo and fizzy water make your locks as luscious as Kate’s?
WITH just six weeks to go until the birth of her second child, you’d expect all eyes to be on the royal bump. But it was the Duchess of Cambridge’s gleaming hair that was the star when she went to Westminster Abbey this week.
The secret behind her glossy chestnut locks is said to be an organic vegetablebased salon treatment to boost colour and shine. But can you get the look at home?
From rinsing with fizzy water to a homemade strawberry and mayonnaise mask, we tried the DIY tricks to boost dry locks.
ADD FIZZ TO YOUR RINSE WITH SPARKLING WATER
WHY? Apparently used by Hollywood actress Demi Moore, this is highly recommended by Paolo Lai, at Neville Hair & Beauty in London’s Mayfair.
‘Fizzy water is excellent at creating shine as the low pH level — or high acidity — combats frizz by smoothing the hair’s cuticle. Perrier is one of the most acidic, so I suggest trying that,’ he says.
TEST: I wash my hair as usual before braving the Perrier rinse, which is actually refreshing. I drench my hair thoroughly, but only use a third of the bottle. Though I have few expectations, the finish is almost that of a professional blow dry. EXPERT: ‘This sounds like an urban myth, but the cold, acidic water will flatten the cuticle of the hair, smoothing down the surface and allowing light to bounce off,’ says consultant trichologist Iain Sallis.
GLOSS RATING: 6/10
GOLDEN OIL TO SLICK DOWN FRAZZLED LOCKS
Nuxe Gold multi-purpose dry oil for body and hair, £14, escentual.com WHY? Containing borage, sweet almond, hazelnut, St John’s wort, camellia and macadamia plus vitamin E, this dry oil leaves skin feeling soft, supple and hydrated, but, according to the blurb on the bottle, works just as well on hair. TEST: It looks as though a child has mixed olive oil with glitter and shaken it up. I use sparingly on washed and dried hair, nervous I’ll look greasy rather than groomed. The slightly cloying sweet- smelling oil smooths on well and the golden particles really catch the light and make my hair look expensively shiny. EXPERT: ‘A dry oil forms very small molecules, which are better absorbed by the hair than a wetter product,’ says Iain.
GLOSS RATING: 7/10
MASK MADE IN YOUR KITCHEN
Strawberry and mayonnaise mask WHY? Home-made hair treatments using strawberries are the talk of many beauty websites.
The soft fruit is acidic and good at regulating oil production in the scalp, say converts. The best and simplest recipes involve mashing a few fruit with a moisturising ingredient like mayonnaise. TEST: The smell of mayonnaise and strawberries makes me feel faintly nauseous. I’ll be honest, keeping mayo- coated lumps of strawberry on your head for ten minutes isn’t pleasant. Thankfully, it’s not too hard to wash off. There are chunks of strawberry in the shower, but the mayonnaise doesn’t leave my locks greasy. My hair is a bit softer, but it’s a lot of effort for little gain.
EXPERT: ‘The acidity of the strawberries will seal the cuticle, but you’d be better off just using a professional product,’ says Iain.
GLOSS RATING: 5/10
WAKE UP HAIR WITH A CAFFEINE SHOT
Recoffee range, from £17.25 for the shampoo, 0-right.co.uk WHY? It’s claimed the coffee oil in this haircare range — each bottle of shampoo contains oil extracted from 16 cups of recycled coffee grounds — treats dry ends.
The caffeine is said to stimulate hair growth. There’s also organic silicone for a glossy finish. The bottle, made of recycled coffee waste, can be planted as there’s a coffee bean in the base. TEST: I’m all for a latte, but using a shampoo and conditioner smell- ing of coffee beans is a first. Afterwards, I apply the transparent oil. It’s a leave-in treatment, applied before drying. I use the oil sparingly but after a rapid blow dry, my hair looks almost polished. It holds this sleek look all day, without greasiness (though my hair is flatter than usual) and friends say how groomed I look.
EXPERT: ‘ This range could be great for dull, frizzy hair as coffee is mildly acidic, which means it will smooth the hair cuticle,’ says Iain Sallis. ‘But the effects will be temporary.’
GLOSS RATING: 9/10
BRILLIANT BOAR BRISTLE BLOW DRY
Rock & Ruddle boar-bristle brush, £20, rockandruddle.co.uk WHY? ‘Boar bristles are strong and resilient, with microscopic scales running along them,’ says Rock & Ruddle co- founder Alexandra Rock.
‘These drag the hair’s natural sebum [oil] down the shaft so that it looks shiny and healthy.’
WHY? I blow dry my hair with my usual ceramic brush until almost dry, then use the boar bristle brush to smooth it down. I never thought I’d feel strongly about a hairbrush, but this is excellent. It cuts through tangles with ease and leaves my hair shiny. A blow dry in a brush. EXPERT: ‘Boar bristles are similar in structure to our own hair, and the cuticles will interlock with our own cuticles and push them down into place,’ says Iain.
GLOSS RATING: 9/10
HOME-MADE GLITTER GODDESS
Papermania embossing powder in tinsel gold, £4, hobbycraft. co.uk and hairspray WHY? The rumour is that Lovelace star Amanda Seyfried’s shiny hair is down to her hairdresser using a ultra-fine glitter powder mixed with hairspray. TEST: A stylist friend suggests mixing gold glitter (the sort used for Christmas cards) with hairspray. I sprinkle some on my hair, follow with a blast of Elnett spray then add another sprinkle of glitter. The resulting effect catches the light pretty well (quite a lot falls off onto the kitchen floor too).
A good party look and it washes out pretty well.
EXPERT: ‘More fancy dress than enhancing hair health,’ says Iain.
GLOSS RATING: 5/10
ICE YOUR DO
Home-made glycerine spray, Wilton Glycerine, £2.59, lakeland.co.uk WHY? I am told about making your own glycerine and water spray by a friend who swears blind that it will make my hair Photoshop shiny. TEST: Glycerine, added to hair products to add moisture, is also used in royal icing, and I have some in the cupboard.
I shake up four parts water to one part glycerine then spray it on my hair.
Here’s the surprising thing — it gives a groomed finish. A bit more and the final look is overgreasy for everyday glamour, but I can see it would work well for photos. EXPERT: ‘Be very wary — hair can go from shiny to greasy in the blink of an eye if this is over-used,’ says Iain.
GLOSS RATING: 5/10