There is no denying that caring for your hair can be a costly expense. Not only do you have to pay a stylist for a cut every five weeks or so, if you color or highlight your hair, or request any other special treatments, the cost goes up even more. Add that to all of your haircare products (shampoo, conditioner, gel, mousse, hairspray, and such), and you wind up spending a small fortune on making your hair look its best. Over time, this can really put a strain on your bank account, especially if you’re like most people and living paycheck to paycheck.
Fortunately, there are some things you can do at home that can leave you looking as if you just received expert salon treatment from a celebrity stylist, but without the hefty price tag. Here are just a few suggestions for you do-it-yourselfers who aren’t afraid to take matters into your own hands (both literally and figuratively speaking).
Make Your Own Low-Cost Shampoo and Conditioner
With some salon-quality haircare products costing $20 per bottle or more, making your own can save you a tremendous amount of cash annually. Does the idea scare you? Don’t let it. As Lesley Kennedy points out in her article titled “How to make your own all-natural shampoo (for under a dollar!) and more haircare recipes”, it really isn’t hard at all.
To make shampoo, all you need is distilled water and unscented liquid castile soap (which you can usually get for under $15 for a 32 ounce bottle). Mix them in equal amounts, add a couple drops of lavender, mint, or rosemary essential oils and you have a bottle of wonderful smelling, homemade shampoo that costs much less than one that you’d buy at the store.
Conditioner is just as simple as your base can be anything from plain yogurt to milk to mayo. Add a dash of olive or coconut oil and you’ve got a super-moisturizing treatment that isn’t going to break the bank.
Just imagine how much money you will save. Of course, you could also make these types of products for your family and friends and make even more cash that way. They’d actually make good gifts too if you want to give your loved ones something that you’ve made with love.
Help Your Color Last Longer With Ingredients from Your Fridge and Pantry
It isn’t uncommon to spend close to $100 or more on a color treatment, which means that you can save a ton of money if you can make your color last longer. The home remedy for this, according to Julie Gabriel, author of The Green Beauty Guide, involves mixing a few ingredients that you likely already have in your fridge and pantry.
For instance, if you’re blonde, all you need is juice from a lemon, a potato (grated), and ½ cup of chamomile tea. Mix them together and you’ve got a blonde-enhancing paste that you can use once a week to keep your color intact. Brunettes’ concoction is slightly different in that you will use ½ cup each of cocoa powder and plain yogurt, and a teaspoon each of honey and apple cider vinegar. If you’re a redhead, then you want to take three carrots, three tablespoons yogurt, two tablespoons honey, and ½ cup of cranberries to make your color promoting paste.
Cut Your Own Hair
Admittedly, this suggestion is probably the one that is most frightening to the do-it-yourselfer. After all, if you’ve ever picked up a pair of scissors and trimmed your own hair, then you likely know what it feels like the moment you realize that you either a) trimmed too much off, or b) made a cut so crooked that you had no choice but to lie and say that your child got the scissors and snipped before you could stop him or her.
How-To Hair Girl is a website that sells 10-15 minute downloadable videos that teach you how to cut your own (or someone else’s) hair for $10 each. And they have a section for women as well as one for men, allowing you to provide haircare for your entire family if you so wish. So, if you really want to save yourself money on your cuts, this is certainly an option.
DIY Hairstyles
One of the best things about going to a hair stylist is that you always leave the salon feeling as if you should be on the cover of a magazine with your new hairdo. Then you wake up the next morning and try to do it yourself, only to discover that you aren’t as proficient when it comes to styling, making you wonder how to get it looking as good as it did the day before.
To learn how to create some amazing hairdos, Pinterest can be your best friend. HairsbyChristineFrank has some great options on her Do It Yourself Updos board, as does Terina Shaw, on her board titled d.i.y. hair styles. And if you want something quick and easy, Peggy Wang shares some options in her article titled “23 Five-Minute Hairstyles For Busy Mornings” that will get you out the door in no time—with beautiful hair to boot.
Try one or all of these options and you’re sure to save yourself some cash. Now the only question is what you’ll do with it.
