With exposure to things like the weather, less than great water, hair care products, and heat tools, your hair can take a beating. I use plenty of homemade hair care products to keep my locks healthy, like this herbal hair rinse. But this strengthening DIY hair mask is a great addition to any natural hair care regimen.
Why Use a DIY Hair Mask?
Shampoo and conditioner may not be enough to counteract everything we put our hair through. Even those who regularly consume nutrient-dense foods like collagen and bone broth might notice their hair needs some extra love. A natural shampoo and conditioner keeps hair clean and moisturized, but a protein-rich hair mask adds strength and shine.
While you can buy a hair mask, the kitchen is full of ingredients with properties that nourish and strengthen hair. Why not just mix a little up when needed? Bonus: You’ll know exactly what’s in your (100% natural) DIY hair mask!
How a Hair Mask Works
Before I delve into what’s in this hair mask to strengthen hair, it helps to know why I’m recommending these ingredients. The hair follicle and root are composed primarily of collagen. This is why consuming collagen-rich foods and a high quality collagen powder helps so much with hair growth and health. The hair itself is 91% protein, so coating it in protein gives it what it needs to rebuild.
Hair Mask Ingredients
Here’s what’s in my hair mask and why I use each ingredient. Use this hair mask right after you wash your hair all-natural products (like my Wellnesse shampoo and conditioner!) as usual.
Raw Free-Range Egg
The iconic egg shampoo was popular for a reason. While the proteins found in an egg are too large to effectively bind with hair, they’re chock full of other vitamins and minerals that nourish hair and scalp. Eggs from less than healthy animals won’t have as good of a nutritional profile, so free-range eggs are best.
Raw eggs contain:
- Vitamins A, B-complex, D and E
- Folate
- Pantothenic acid
- Calcium
- Iron
- Phosphorous
- Selenium
- Zinc
- Potassium
- Cholesterol, healthy fats and omega-3s
Gelatin
This ingredient is really the star of the show here. I love using gelatin for so many things, from homemade healthy marshmallows to vitamin-rich fruit snacks. However, it’s also fabulous for hair. The proteins in gelatin readily bind to hair to repair damage and really help this hair mask to strengthen hair. Twelve of the top thirteen amino acids that comprise our hair shafts are also found in gelatin.
Raw Honey
Raw honey is another ingredient that goes into much of our food, DIY beauty tutorials, and natural health recipes. This unique ingredient does everything from clearing blemished skin to soothing a sore throat. While protein adds strength to the hair, too much can make it brittle. Adding honey helps keep the hair soft and flexible.
Essential Oils
These are optional, but really help to amplify the benefits. Plus they help hair smell amazing! Lavender, rosemary, cedarwood, and ylang ylang are all good choices. I give more details about my top essential oils for a healthy scalp and hair in this post.
Horsetail Herb
This plant is also known as scouring rush, or shavegrass. Because of its rigid nature, it used to be used as a scrubbing tool. It’s high in silica and other hair-healthy minerals like magnesium, potassium, and bioflavonoids that are best extracted in a water infusion. The silica not only makes the plant strong but hair, teeth, and nails as well.

DIY Hair Mask Recipe
Notes
If you want to try a different type of mask for your hair, this one is a great alternative that uses molasses.
Do you use hair masks for healthier hair? Do you have a favorite DIY hair treatment? Please share!
What does this mask do to white hair?
Here’s another option that I’ve had great success with:
You need:
– ½ an avocado;
– 2 egg yolks;
– mix it together;
– apply the mask to wet or dry hair;
– let it for 15-20 minutes;
– rinse off the mask;
– wash your hair as usual.
Enjoy!
Thank you for confirming that grass fed gelatin should be used. However I have one more question please – Can I please substitute with agar agar as I am a vegetarian
Thank you for your reply.I’ll give this a try
Can I use any gelatin or does it need to be grass fed gelatin please – I saw one at Target which I assume is for cooking but just asking
I would always recommend grass fed…
Can I use horsetail tincture?
Hi!
By gelatin you mean the gelatin that is used for cakes? And cup = mug or a cup is smaller than a mug? Sorry, I am not American, so I just want to make sure I understand the recipe correctly. Thanks!
Hi,
Should this be applied to wet or dry hair?
Thanks!
Wet 🙂
Hi, Great tips and helpful as well
Do you have an alternative that contains no gelatine? That product is an issue for me as a vegetarian. Thank you.
Omg I can’t believe how similar this post is to my routine! I usually use an egg, manuka honey and olive oil and my hair has never been smoother! Olive oil isn’t necessary if it makes the hair greasy for thin hair types.
Washing out with apple cider is such is so good at clarifying the hair and getting rid of all the built up products that make my roots feel greasy!
Thank you for posting.
Do you use colllagen peptides or gelatin? Is there a difference? Peptides theoretically are easier to apply. Thanks
Do you have DIY hair mask with no animal products that will make hair stronger???
Nice hair mask. Would be helpful if you could post a before and after pics .
Does the egg make the hair smell?
No, not really. And you’ll wash the mask out anyway 🙂