The Dove Healthy Hair Boot Camp

Everyone covets beautiful, lustrous, glorious hair but who has the time to actually make efforts to achieve enviable tresses? Add to that pollution, stress and unhealthy habits and you have got a ticking time bomb waiting to explode and ruin your hair.Worried? Don't be because in reality having healthy hair is easier than you think.Don't believe me? Well then just try the month long healthy hair boot camp and you'll become a believer.

I have experimented with my hair more times than I can care to count and have dearly paid the price for it (translation crazy unmanageable hay for hair.)I got it all chopped a couple of months back and have since  religiously followed the 4 week long boot camp along with the Dove Nourishing Oil Care Range. And that was the end of my hair problems!

It's really amazing what miracles just a month of caring for your hair can do.Try it and feel the change yourself.

Weekend 1: Mending Ends

Split ends, the bane of healthy hair.But if you have hair you are bound to have split ends.Some are fine but a lot of split ends can spell doom for your gorgeous mane since they wreak havoc on the texture and overall appearance of your hair by contributing to frizz and flyaways making hair unmanageable and prone to breakage.

Split ends cannot be prevented entirely because of everyday wear and tear, so the best thing to do is to get regular trims to avoid the split end from travelling higher up on the hair shaft.

With that in mind its time to kick off the boot camp with a moisturising and rejuvenating oil therapy for keeping the hair ends healthy and happy.

Quick Fix Recipe:

2 tbsp Olive Oil
2 tbsp Jojoba Oil 
2 tbsp Coconut Oil
3 Vitamin E Capsules

• Mix the oils together and heat till its warm to touch.
• Add the contents of the vitamin e capsules and mix.
• Friday night apply the oil mix to the ends of the hair, about a couple of inches from the bottom.Tie hair in a low bun and sleep.
• In the morning apply the remaining mix from the middle of the hair to the ends avoiding the scalp and wrap hair in a hot towel for a couple of hours.
• Shampoo, condition as usual and let the hair air dry.You can use a leave-in for added moisture. 

Weekend 2: Extreme Deep Conditioning

There are tons of hair packs/masks available in the market and chances are you have tried a few but without long lasting results.That is because applying masks superficially only helps tame the hair surface without penetrating into the hair shaft: the core of your hair.Which is exactly why salon deep conditioning always turns out better than at home deep conditioning.

No worries.Your second weekend on the healthy hair boot camp will address all your deep conditioning woes without you shelling out big bucks.

Quick Fix Recipe:

Your favourite Dove Hair Mask (Use the Dove Hair Aware App to find one suitable for your hair)
An old flat iron
Aluminium foil

• Shampoo your hair as usual but skip conditioning.Let the hair dry naturally till it is 60% dry.
• Wrap the plates of your flat iron with aluminium foil making sure there are no gaps.You can double wrap just to be on the safer side.
• Section hair into an inch and a half sections and apply the hair mask liberally.
• Next flat iron the section on medium to high setting (don't worry the foil will prevent your hair from frying).Go over the section not more than twice.
• Repeat the process till you've covered your whole head.
• Cover your hair with a shower cap and let it sit for 10 minutes.
• Rinse thoroughly with cold water to seal moisture and close cuticles.

The Flat Iron Deep Conditioning method might seem a bit radical but you have to try it to see the results.The steam created by the flat iron and damp hair opens up the hair cuticles to allow the mask to penetrate deep into the hair shaft and the cold rinse helps lock in moisture.Plus it reduces deep conditioning time.Just a word of caution though: don't do this treatment too often(once every month is adequate) or you'll end up with overmoisturized hair.

Weekend 3: Protein Treatment

You've heard me say it (Protein Hair Pack), you've heard the experts say it but I'm sure the importance of protein for your hair has not really sunk in yet.Ok I'll give it another shot.
Hair is entirely made of Keratin which is a kind of protein.Damage caused by heat and chemicals deplete the hair of protein resulting in loss of hair elasticity and making hair weak and prone to breakage.Which makes replenishing protein imperative.And that's what weekend 3 is all about.

Quick Fix Recipe:

1 tbsp non-flavoured gelatin 
1/2 cup boiling water
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp plain yogurt

• Dissolve gelatin in boiling water until it is completely dissolved.After it cools slightly blend in the yogurt and vinegar.The yogurt is an additional source of protein plus acts as a conditioner and will prevent the mixture from drying out and tangling your hair while the vinegar will help the protein bond to the hair.Whip the mixture to get a smooth paste.
• Wash hair with a clarifying shampoo to get rid of all product build-up (You can try the no-poo organic shampoo if you don't have a clarifying shampoo.) It is important for hair to be super clean in order to absorb the protein.
• Wrap hair in an old t-shirt to remove excess moisture and apply the mixture to your hair from root to tip.Use a wide tooth comb to ensure that each and every strand is coated.
• Wrap hair in cling film and let it sit for about an hour.Alternatively you could use a blow drier to reduce waiting time.
• Wash off hair with plenty of warm water until hair feels soft to touch.Immediately follow up with a moisturising conditioner.

Gelatin is a form of hydrolyzed protein which bonds especially well to the damaged parts of hair because it is already in broken down form and hence the molecules penetrate better.Protein treatments are considered to be reconstructing treatments so always end a protein treatment with a moisturising conditioner.

Weekend 4: Restoring Hair Gloss

By the time you are into the fourth week of the boot camp your hair has been restored to it's virgin (almost) glory but despite the exhaustive treatments your hair might still be lacking that celebrity hair glitz.Not a problem with this homemade hair gloss that will add the finishing touches to your hair.

Quick Fix Recipe:

1 ripe banana
1/4 cup honey
1 cup flat beer
1/2 cup cold water

• Mash banana into a smooth paste and mix with honey.
• Apply into freshly washed hair and let it sit for 20 minutes.
• Rinse off with cold water.
• Mix the beer and water and use it as a last rinse.

And that concludes the boot camp.If you have adhered to the plan then by the end of the month your hair will be magically transformed from it's former neglected state to a luminous thing of beauty.

Using the correct products for your hair type goes a really long way in keeping your hair healthy and the Dove Hair Aware App is all you need to find out your perfect Dove Hair Care match.

Healthy hair rocks so bring back the healthy with the Dove Healthy Hair Boot Camp!

This post is written for the Indiblogger & Dove  ... and that was the end of my hair problems! contest. Show some love and vote for my post here.