A simple and inexpensive remedy like laundry soap helps to quickly restore weakened and injured hair. Every girl dreams of having long, beautiful and well-groomed curls that radiate health and shine. Luxurious hair can give its owner not only additional attractiveness, but, of course, a sense of self-confidence. However, nature did not give such a gift to everyone, besides, the environment negatively affects the condition of the hair, making it weakened, dull and lifeless.
How to use laundry soap for hair?
Women often use a wide variety of hair care products. As a rule, their action is aimed directly at restoring the injured structure of the strands, it turns out to be a strengthening effect, helping to improve the condition of the scalp. Some of these tools are effective, and some are simple advertising.
Regular hair care is primarily about cleansing it. For this, a wide variety of shampoos are used, which today are available in both liquid and solid form (not to be confused with soap).
Quite often, simple washing is not enough, so a variety of gels, masks, oils and lotions are additionally used to strengthen and nourish the hair. It is not always possible to purchase such expensive cosmetics that do not always give the desired effect. But a simple laundry soap comes to the rescue, which helps to significantly improve the condition of the hair and has a low cost.
Laundry soap composition
It is the composition of the cosmetic product that determines its effect. Laundry soap is a cooked mixture of fats, this product has an alkaline reaction (pH 11–12).
Fats - synthetic, vegetable and animal
This is the basis of laundry soap, added from organic raw materials. Fats are included in almost all cosmetics for hair care. It is they who cover the surface of each hair with a thin film, providing a kind of protection from the aggressive effects of negative environmental factors.
Also, the oily coating gives the curls extra shine. In the event that the hair is damaged, dry and thin, it is recommended to use laundry soap for care.
Kaolin
This mineral can also be called white clay. Its presence in the composition of laundry soap has more benefits on the condition of the hair, thanks to the valuable trace elements it contains - calcium, potassium, magnesium, zinc.
Kaolin also has a regenerating effect, due to which damaged and weakened hair is restored much faster, and the problem of split ends is eliminated. Also, white clay normalizes the work of the salt glands, as a result of which there is a stimulating effect on the process of hair growth, the problem of hair loss is solved.
Fatty acid
Laundry soap also contains fatty acids (about 64–72%) - palmitic, lauric, stearic. It is thanks to these components that laundry soap becomes hard and provides the ability to form foam, including detergent properties.
Alkali
This is the most aggressive ingredient in laundry soap. During the manufacture of this product, sodium hydroxide is used, which leaves characteristic "traces" in it. This substance compromises the feasibility and safety of using laundry soap for hair care.
As a result of exposure to alkali strands, curls become dull. However, in the case of a lack of sodium, the hair loses its strength, and intense hair loss begins. To prevent excess of this trace element, it is not recommended to wash your hair with laundry soap if it has been in sea water shortly before.
How to properly wash your hair with laundry soap?
Due to the individual characteristics of the structure of the scalp and hair, the use of laundry soap is most effective. According to various indicators, this product has a positive effect on the condition of the strands, but some women remain unhappy with the result. It is worth remembering that the final effect is directly influenced by additional factors - for example, the hair cleaning technique.
In order for laundry soap to bring only benefits for the health and beauty of hair, you must adhere to a few simple rules:
- It is not recommended to use laundry soap too often. You can treat your hair with this tool no more than 2-3 times every 30 days.
- Apply to the hair only the soap solution that was previously prepared. Thanks to this, the agent will have a less aggressive effect.
- It is not recommended to wash your hair immediately with soap.
- If laundry soap is to be used as a hair cleanser, care must be taken to further protect the strands. After using this product, wash off the foam with water mixed with vinegar in the following proportions - 1 tbsp is taken for 1 liter of liquid. l. vinegar 9%. This neutralizes the negative effects of alkali. If vinegar is not available, it can be replaced with plain lemon juice. In this case, the following solution is prepared - 1 citrus juice is taken for 1 liter of liquid.
- An excellent healing effect on the scalp is provided by herbal infusions. With these formulations, it is recommended to rinse your hair after each use of laundry soap. For example, you can brew sage, string, or chamomile.
- Laundry soap is washed off the hair very simply - you need to use a large amount of clean water. It is important to thoroughly rinse the strands, removing soap residues, otherwise there is a risk of overdrying the scalp, which should not be allowed.
Contraindications for using laundry soap for hair
Laundry soap contains not only useful, but also aggressive substances, so it is not surprising that today there are quite a few disputes about the safety of using this product in hair care.
Like any other cosmetic product, the use of laundry soap has certain contraindications:
- It is worth abandoning this product if the scalp is very sensitive, as this may result in severe irritation.
- The presence of damaged areas on the surface of the scalp - for example, dermatitis or wounds. If soap gets on them, there will be not only discomfort and a burning sensation, but also severe irritation.
- If the hair is weakened, injured or severely dry. Curls can be even more damaged as a result of exposure to alkaline substances that make up the soap. Even subsequent treatment with nourishing masks and natural oils will not help restore the injured hair structure.
- It is not recommended to use laundry soap for colored hair. The fact is that the chemicals contained in the dye also severely dry out the hair and the skin of the hair.
Laundry soap: benefits for hair
Thanks to the active ingredients contained in the laundry soap, the use of this product has a positive effect on the condition of the hair:
- The soap has a completely natural composition, thereby minimizing the likelihood of an allergic reaction.
- Laundry soap contains fats that create a thin protective film on the surface of the hair, restoring smoothness and elasticity to it. It turns out that intensive nourishment of the hair follicles, as a result of which the strands look "alive", returns a healthy shine and elasticity.
- Soap also contains such a valuable component as water. It is she who gives the hair a healthy and beautiful shine, prevents brittleness and dryness of the strands.
- White clay and fatty acids can help you quickly get rid of the annoying problem of dandruff. The injured and split ends are restored, hair growth is accelerated, the weakened structure of the strands is strengthened. These components become indispensable for hair loss problems.
Using laundry soap for hair
It is not recommended to wash your hair directly with laundry soap, otherwise you can seriously harm it, because the product contains rather aggressive components. When using soap for hair care, follow these tips.
Soap solution
- Need to take? bar of laundry soap.
- The soap is crushed on a grater.
- Prepared soap is poured with warm water (1 liter) and mixed well.
- The hair is thoroughly washed with the resulting solution.
- After using such a product, it is necessary to neutralize the alkali. To do this, the strands must be washed with an acidic solution.
Oil mask
A soapy solution prepared according to the scheme described above can be added to the composition of masks designed to strengthen hair:
- A soapy solution is being prepared (detailed step-by-step instructions are described above).
- The soap solution is mixed with milk or cream, eggs, honey or vegetable oil - you can add two components at the same time.
- The ready-made composition is applied to the hair and washed off after 10-12 minutes.
- This mask can be done 2-5 times a month.
Dry hair remedy
In the event that the curls become very dry and the problem of brittleness has appeared, in order to restore their beauty and vitality, it is necessary to properly and regularly care for your hair:
- first you need to prepare a simple soapy solution, then treat the hair with it along the entire length;
- strands are thoroughly washed with any baby shampoo;
- the hair is rinsed with a pre-prepared nettle decoction;
- the strands are dried, but only naturally, without using a hair dryer;
- after 3-5 procedures, a positive result will be noticeable - the hair becomes stronger, more elastic, a healthy shine appears.
Laundry soap for lightening hair
- First, you need to thoroughly wash your hair to remove dirt, dust and styling residues from the surface of the strands and scalp.
- A ready-made soap solution is applied to the curls - a light massage is done within a few minutes.
- Hair is thoroughly rinsed with warm water.
- To enhance the brightening effect, it is recommended to rinse the strands with a solution of chamomile or water mixed with lemon juice.
- At the end, a balm or a nourishing mask must be applied to the hair.
Of course, just using laundry soap alone won't be enough. Therefore, in order to improve the condition of the hair, return it to its former beauty and health, this remedy must be applied regularly and correctly, taking into account the above tips and recommendations.
For more on the benefits of laundry soap for hair, see this video:
