Mayonnaise On Your Hair - Yes Or No?

 

I have friends who refuse to buy hair masks because they have always used mayonnaise on their hair.  If you look around, you'll find so many sites that praise the use of it but I've wondered how much of it is hype and how much is truth.  I've done a bit of research to see if using mayo is truly good for your hair or if it is just an urban myth. 

According to the internet, mayonnaise is supposed to leave your hair both shine and soft.  It is especially recommended for curly or wavy hair but is good for all types and it is cheap.  

A hair mask made of mayonnaise is supposed to increase the amount of moisture in your hair.  Generally, mayo is classified as an oil because it contains lots of oil such as canola or soybean with eggs, lemon juice, or vinegar.   Theoretically, because it is made mostly of oil, the oil can make your hair oilier with is good for curly or wavy hair because they lack oil in the lower part of the hair and the ends.  Straight hair doesn't really need that extra oil.

If mayonnaise keeps hair moister, it will also cut down on the amount of frizz but it's important to cut back on using heat to dry it, curl it, or style. However, it may not be able to counter the extra humidity in the air which increases frizz.  

It is also claimed that using mayonnaise will strengthen your hair and help protect the color.  Unfortunately, there is no evidence to support these claims. There is also the claim that it will help your hair grow better due to an amino acid called L-cysteine. According to one study, L-cysteine is important in building Keratin which is a protein used to make hair but there is no scientific data to support this claim using mayonnaise.  There was one study done in regard to L-cysteine in your diet but not as applied to your hair.

When a village I worked in had an infestation of lice, I looked up natural ways to get rid of lice and mayonnaise was listed because it's full of oil and when applied to the hair, it is supposed to suffocate the little creatures. According to the American Academy of Dermatology and the CDC, mayo only makes the lice inactive, it does not kill them so it is not a good lice treatment.  

So all in all, it won't hurt your hair but don't use it if you are allergic to any of the ingredients.  Let me know what you think, I'd love to hear.  Have a great day.