Starch is not only an affordable and excellent analogue of modern shampoos, which is absolutely not inferior to them in quality. It is also used during the preparation of various cosmetic masks. Starch is a white powder that is widely used in cooking to make jelly, sauces and dressings. But it also has an amazing effect on the hair. For hair care, you can use not only potato, but also corn starch, which has a lot of positive qualities.
The benefits and harms of starch for hair
Starch is of great benefit to hair precisely because of its rich and varied composition, as it contains nutritious and valuable elements. The greatest benefit for the hair of starch lies precisely in the fact that when combined with other components, a certain reaction occurs, which has an effect on the strands.
Starch has the following effect on hair:
- After contact with the scalp, starch reacts with sebum. This leads to the beginning of the production of glucose, which is a valuable element that provides adequate nutrition to the hair roots, and the hair follicles are strengthened.
- The starch contains potassium, phosphorus, sodium and calcium, which have a positive effect on the condition of the scalp. As a result, all metabolic processes are accelerated.
- The reactions that occur when starch gets in not only on the scalp, but also on the hair, are accompanied by the production of energy. It is this energy that has a positive effect on the condition and beauty of the hair.
- The starch contains a certain amount of niacin, which has a healing effect on the hair follicles. It is as a result of the influence of this vitamin that the dormant bulbs awaken. Thanks to this reaction, the problem of hair loss is eliminated and the strands become stronger and stronger.
- A certain part of glucose, as a result of exposure to air, breaks down into water and carbon dioxide. Hair is perfectly moisturized with water, while carbon dioxide naturally removes dirt and dust from the hair surface.
Starch is an affordable and budgetary product that can compete with modern and expensive shampoos. If there is no time to wash and dry your hair, while there is no dry shampoo at hand, starch comes to the rescue, which is available in almost every home.
With the help of a small amount of starch, excess sebum is removed from the hair roots. As a result, the strands acquire a fresher and more well-groomed appearance. Today, you can hear a large number of negative reviews of the use of starch. The fact is that after being applied to the scalp, the starch turns into hard and fairly dense lumps, which are very difficult to wash.
Such an unpleasant effect may be directly related to the fact that the rules for applying starch to the hair were not followed. In the case when everything is done carefully, following simple recommendations, you can achieve an amazing result and significantly improve not only the appearance, but also the general condition of the hair.
Rules for using hair starch
To use starch for hair to bring maximum benefit, you must adhere to a few simple but important rules. This will help avoid many of the mistakes that girls often make when using hair starch.
It is worth considering the fact that starch has a rather interesting consistency, which is why it can quickly turn into insoluble and very dense lumps that are difficult to remove from the hair. That is why, before using starch for cosmetic purposes, you must carefully read the rules for its application:
- The most common indication for the use of starch for hair care is the increased fat content of the strands. Especially if your hair is prone to frequent staining and needs to be washed almost every day.
- Avoid getting starch on heavily damaged strands. Especially if the hair is very dry. In this case, only corn starch is allowed, and the potato product must be completely abandoned. The fact is that cornstarch has a similar, but softer effect on the strands.
- It is extremely rare that starch provokes an allergic reaction. To avoid this, a sensitivity test is performed first. If there are no negative reactions, starch can be used for cosmetic purposes. To determine the presence or absence of allergies, a small amount of starch should be applied to the wrist or skin behind the ear. If redness or itching does not appear, there is no individual intolerance to starch.
- The main function of starch is protection. It is not necessary to use this product on clean hair, as no result will be noticeable.
- It is not recommended to apply starch to damp or nearly dry strands. The fact is that even a minimal amount of moisture can turn starch into dense lumps. And in order to comb your hair, you will have to try hard, since it will be very difficult to get rid of the starch.
- Do not use starch regularly. This remedy should be considered an emergency aid for oily hair. The fact is that starch has too active an effect on the sebaceous glands of the scalp.
- You can use starch no more than twice a week.
When using starch for hair care, you need to follow these few simple guidelines. Starch rarely harms hair, but at the same time helps to restore beautiful and healthy shine, freshness and well-groomed appearance to it. This tool makes the strands friable and returns their beauty.
How to apply hair starch?
For many years, starch has been actively used for hair care. And this is not surprising, because our grandmothers did not have so many different hair styling products that are available today. That is why various tricks have been invented to help you always look perfect.
One of the most popular products has been a simple hair starch. Starch is widely used for starching pillowcases, collars and sheets. It soon became clear that it has a similar effect on the hair.
To give lifeless and thin curls extra volume, you should use the following tips:
- Comb your hair thoroughly before styling.
- Then a simple starch solution is prepared - starch dissolves in water.
- To make the solution more convenient to use, it is recommended to pour it into a container with a spray bottle.
- A small amount of the solution is applied to the strands at the roots themselves, after which styling is done.
The effect will be visible instantly. This styling method is used even by professional and world famous stylists. Of course, today there is just a huge number of the most diverse and improved products designed to add volume to thin hair. But such funds tend to be absent at the right time, and besides, they have a rather high cost. And then simple starch comes to the rescue.
How to wash your hair with starch?
Starch can be a great alternative to modern dry shampoos. This method will appeal to girls whose hair gets dirty quickly and they are constantly looking for methods to quickly give their hair a fresh and well-groomed look.
No one is immune from such a situation when you need to quickly leave the house, but there is absolutely no time to wash your hair. In this case, you can use the following method:
- comb the strands thoroughly;
- a small amount of corn or potato starch is taken and applied to the parting;
- a new parting is made and starch is poured again;
- according to this scheme, the hair roots are processed throughout the head;
- take a comb and comb the strands thoroughly, removing starch residues from the hair;
- the remaining starch crumbs can be removed with a hair dryer, but in this case only cold air should be used.
Hair conditioner and starch have a similar effect on strands, and after using them, hair becomes thicker, more voluminous and manageable. You can use starch instead of hair conditioner. In this case, hair roots are sprinkled on them, as described above, after which you need to wait 10 minutes. After the specified time, the starch residues are removed and the hair is washed with shampoo. This tool has a mild straightening effect.
The best recipes for starch hair masks at home
Hair starch is often used not only as a dry shampoo and to cleanse the strands, but also to solve some problems with the help of cosmetic caring masks.
Depending on the type of hair, the composition of the masks should be selected, which also contain starch. Only in this case it will be possible to achieve the desired result. The most important thing is that only natural and fresh ingredients are used for the preparation of masks. These masks cannot be stored, so they should be applied immediately after preparation.
Anti-dandruff mask with starch and cream
Each girl can prepare a simple but effective cosmetic hair mask at home in a few minutes on her own, which will help to quickly get rid of dandruff. Of course, just one use of such a mask will not be enough to completely remove dandruff. For a complete cure, you will have to undergo a full course, which consists of 5-8 procedures, depending on the severity of the problem.
- To prepare the mask, you will need to take cream (2 tablespoons), potato or corn starch (2 tablespoons).
- To enhance the positive effect of the mask, you can add crushed currant leaves (1 tsp) and raspberry leaves (1 tsp) to its composition, since they have pronounced anti-inflammatory properties.
- This composition has a calming effect on the scalp, thereby relieving itching and irritation that often occurs with dandruff.
- All components are thoroughly mixed, after which the composition is applied to the hair roots and rubbed into the skin with light movements.
- The mask is left on the hair for 30–35 minutes, after which it is washed off with plenty of water and shampoo.
Mask with starch and tomatoes for oily hair
This mask recipe is just perfect for very oily hair. The composition is prepared in the following way:
- The mask contains olive oil (1 tablespoon), corn or potato starch (2 tablespoons) and ripe tomato (1 pc.).
- First, the tomato is peeled - a cross-shaped incision is made on the peel and dipped in boiling water for a few seconds. Then the peel is easily removed.
- The tomato is kneaded with a fork or chopped with a blender until a uniform consistency of vegetable puree is obtained.
- Then the remaining components are added, and the resulting gruel is evenly distributed over the entire length of the hair.
- After one hour, you need to wash your hair with warm water and shampoo.
Mask with starch and cabbage to strengthen hair
Very rarely, cabbage is included in hair masks, as everyone is afraid of the unpleasant smell that this vegetable can leave. You can get rid of this scent with a simple shampoo, which is used to remove the mask.
To prepare an effective hair strengthening mask, you must use the following recipe:
- The mask contains chopped and boiled white cabbage (4 tablespoons), starch (2 tablespoons), olive oil (1 tablespoon).
- First, a few cabbage leaves are taken, which must be boiled and chopped.
- Then the cabbage gruel is mixed with the rest of the ingredients, and the resulting composition is applied to the scalp.
- A light massage is done within a few minutes.
- The mask is left on for 30-40 minutes, after which it is washed off with plenty of water and shampoo.
Mask with starch and kefir to make hair shine
Kefir is one of the best ingredients used to make homemade hair care masks. Fermented milk products are of great benefit to hair, returning it silkiness, softness and shine.
This mask is prepared according to the following scheme:
- You will need to take kefir (1 tbsp.), Brown bread (a small slice), egg white (1 pc.) And starch (1 tbsp. L.).
- First, whisk the protein until it turns into a stable foam.
- The whipped protein is gradually introduced into the kefir, and the rest of the components are added.
- The resulting composition is applied to the entire length of the hair and evenly distributed.
- The mask is left on the strands for about 40–45 minutes, after which it is washed off with running water and shampoo.
Anti-dandruff mask with starch and honey
Honey has a lot of medicinal properties, so it benefits not only the hair, but also the scalp. But to prepare such a mask, you will have to tinker a lot.
You will need to use the following recipe:
- Take liquid honey (3 tbsp. L.), Starch (1 tbsp. L.) And a small amount of lemon juice.
- If candied honey is used, it must first be melted in a steam bath.
- All components are mixed, and the composition is applied to the hair roots, then evenly spreads along the entire length of the strands.
- After 30 minutes, the remnants of the product are washed off with warm running water and shampoo.
- It is necessary to wash off such a mask several times, since honey has a very viscous consistency and is difficult to remove from the hair.
Mask with starch and milk against split ends
If you have to constantly face the problem of split ends, it is recommended to use simple nourishing masks several times a week. Of course, you won't be able to glue the damaged ends together, but you can prevent them from appearing in the future.
The mask is prepared as follows:
- Take warm milk (125 ml), corn or potato starch (50 g), mint leaves, which are pre-crushed.
- All components are mixed until the mixture acquires a uniform consistency.
- The composition is applied to the hair, paying special attention to the ends.
- The mask is washed off after 40–45 minutes with warm water, but without shampoo.
Starch is not only completely natural, but also completely harmless for hair care. This product becomes a real lifesaver when you need to quickly freshen your hair, moreover, it will look neat for a long time.
