Home Remedies to Brighten Dull, Dry Hair

Brutal winter weather and the forced air that comes from central heating systems can result in hair looking lifeless and dull. To help combat the wintertime effects, make sure you're shampooing your hair with a product that is rich in linseed oil, safflower oil, Vitamin E and other natural moisturizers. Avoid any products that contain lanolin or silicone. After shampooing, rinse hair in cool water to seal the cuticle and protect it from frizzing when you blow dry later. When you step out of the shower, pat hair dry with a towel rather than rubbing at it vigorously. If your blow dryer has a cold air blast on it, be sure to use that to help seal the cuticle. Here are some additional home remedies you can try to infuse your hair with new life.

Beer is a great natural remedy for dull, dry hair. Unfortunately, you can't drink it--you have to pour it on. There is a protein in beer that fills in any spaces that are lagging between damaged cuticles. Cuticle repair makes hair smoother and shinier.

How to use: Arm yourself with a bottle of beer (I prefer Guinness) and step into the shower. Douse hair in beer, from roots to ends, and let it sit for a minute or two. Rinse thoroughly with cool water afterwards to get rid of the smell.

Rinsing hair with apple-cider vinegar is a great way to reduce product build-up near the scalp and along the hair shaft. It's acidic nature removes any traces of product residue without causing further damage.

How to use: Douse hair in apple-cider while in the shower and rinse with cool water. Afterwards, apply a deep-conditioning treatment. The hair will take better to deep conditioning now that it is clean and fresh.

Baking soda is another effective way of removing all product build-up from your hair by removing chemicals and washing away water impurities.

How to use: Mix ¼ cup water with 1 tablespoon of baking soda until you have a thin paste. In the shower, smooth the mixture onto wet hair and use a wide-toothed comb to spread it through. Rinse with cool water and shampoo as usual. Another option is to just add 1 tablespoon of baking soda to your normal shampoo treatment, lather them together and wash as usual.

Eggs are great for cleaning your hair of any build-up and giving it a shine. Eggs are very nutritious. They contain 11 essential nutrients including Vitamins A and D.

How to use: Whip one egg into tepid water and then lather it into your hair. Rinse afterwards with tepid water. You want to keep the water temperatures cool to keep the egg from actually cooking on your head. Another option is to mix together 3 eggs, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and 1 teaspoon of vinegar. This creates a hair treatment that can left on for 30 minutes, rinse out, and then shampooed as usual.

Coconut oil with avocado is great for restoring luster to dry hair and eliminating flaking. It also protects the hair from harmful UV rays caused by exposure to the sun.

How to use: Mix 1 tablespoon coconut oil with 1 mashed avocado. Place coconut oil by itself in the microwave for 10 seconds, then massage into hair from roots to ends. Take the mashed avocado and apply it to the ends of hair only. After 10-15 minutes, rinse with cool water and then shampoo as usual.