hair

KITCHEN BEAUTICIAN: SCALP REMEDY

Photos: Kristin Ess, Written by: Sarah St. Lifer, Graphic Design: Eunice Chun

Lately, the lyric “momma told me there’d be days like this” has been on repeat. Between the sun’s rays giving our scalp a royally red glow and the chlorine from our BFF’s pool, our strands have taken a serious beating this summer — and it’s not even August yet! We really should’ve followed our mother’s advice — it’s important to wear many hats (literally).

So, in an effort to revive our manes + scalp, we’ve created a tea tree mask that not only helps eliminate dandruff, dryness, and other warm-weather hair woes, but also helps us stay cool. The refreshing scent is a great way to beat the summer heat: just apply this mixture after shampooing and let it penetrate for 10 minutes (feel free to spend that time in front of the A/C or drinking a tall glass of lemonade!). Comb through and rise, and get ready for a more moisturized head of hair. If you’ve chemically treated your hair or happen to be around a group of children (a.k.a. potential lice carriers), the treatments are perfect for preventing damage and keeping bugs at bay.

Ready to whip up your very own tea tree hair mask? We’ll meet you in the kitchen!

1. Choose a base — one cup of plain yogurt or one whole avocado mashed up. Both are thick enough to act as a paste and will also moisturize with their abundance of healthy fats. Here, we chose avocados.

2. Add 10 drops of argan oil.

3. Add 2 tablespoons of honey. The sweet ingredient will aid in hydration and act as the “glue” for this recipe. It is always best to use raw honey for the enzymes (and even better to use a cute little bear for prop styling purposes at a photoshoot!).

4. Now add some drops of tea tree oil (we added this last to keep it the most potent). Though tempting to pour in the entire lot, add a few drops at a time. Trust us, the scent is strong!

5. Stir the mixture until smooth and creamy.

6. Using gloves, apply the mask directly on to the scalp. Press in and massage gently using your finger tips. Since there’s avocado and argan oil in it, you can pull the extra through your ends for moisture like we did for this mask!