How to Use Mayonnaise as a Hair Conditioner for Beautiful Tresses

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Get luscious, shiny locks with a mayonnaise mask

Reviewed by Jasmin Todd

Last Updated: July 3, 2023 Approved

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Using Plain Mayonnaise

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Making a Custom Mayonnaise Mask

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Q&A

Is your hair dry, brittle, or frizzy? A deep conditioning treatment using mayonnaise might be just the way to restore its health. Mayonnaise contains oils, eggs, and other ingredients that nourish hair. It's an inexpensive alternative to pricey conditioning products that offer similar results. Applying mayonnaise as a conditioning treatment will leave your hair soft, silky, and shiny.

Things You Should Know

Massage ½ cup (15ml) of room-temperature mayonnaise to damp hair. Then, cover your hair with a plastic cap and let it sit for 1 hour.
After 1 hour, shampoo the mayonnaise out of your hair. No need to apply conditioner; the mayonnaise already did that for you!
Mix mayonnaise, an egg yolk, vinegar, and lemon juice in a bowl to make a custom mayonnaise hair mask.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Using Plain Mayonnaise

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1
Use full-fat mayonnaise.Regular, full-fat mayonnaise has the ingredients that nourish your hair and make it soft and silky. Low-fat or fat-free mayonnaise is full of fillers that probably do your hair more harm than good. Choose regular mayonnaise for best results.^{[1]
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- Avoid mayonnaise that contains extra flavoring, such as herbs or spices. Besides smelling funny, these extra components may not be good for your hair.
- If you're concerned about using the best possible product for your hair, go for an all-natural, organic mayonnaise. This type of mayonnaise usually contains olive oil and other nutritious ingredients that are great for your hair.
Use approximately 1/2 cup of mayonnaise, more or less depending on the length of your hair. You want to use enough mayonnaise to entirely coat your hair from the roots to the tips. Don't use more than you need, though, since it can be tricky to wash it all out.

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Take the mayonnaise out of the refrigerator half an hour to one hour before using it and allow it to warm a little. The fats and oils from the mayonnaise enter the follicles of your hair more readily if the mayonnaise is warm.
This makes it easier to smooth the mayonnaise into your hair. Don't shampoo or condition your hair; just get it wet with warm water. When your hair is heated the follicles open, allowing the mayonnaise to enter the strands and condition your hair.
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Massage the mayonnaise into your hair and scalp. Take care to coat each strand well, and concentrate on working mayonnaise into the tips. You may want to use a wide-tooth comb to help distribute it throughout your hair.
- If you don't seem to have enough mayonnaise to coat your hair, apply an extra teaspoon or two.
- Apply a little warm water to loosen the mayonnaise if it clumps in your hair.
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Cover your hair with a plastic shower cap for one hour. You can also use plastic wrap or a plastic bag. This will trap your body heat against your head and help the mayonnaise get to work deep conditioning your hair.^{[2]
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Research source} Leave the mayonnaise in your hair for at least a 1/2 hour and up to 1 hour, depending on the level of conditioning your hair needs.
- If you don't have time to do the full conditioning treatment, you can use mayonnaise as a pre-conditioner in the shower. Wet your hair, apply the mayonnaise, and let it sit for five minutes while you go about your shower routine. At the end of your shower, shampoo it out.
- For maximum conditioning benefits, you can leave the mayonnaise in overnight and wash it out in the morning.
^{[3]
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Research source} Remove the towel and plastic covering and rinse the mayonnaise from your hair with warm water. Use just enough shampoo to remove the mayonnaise. Your hair should feel soft, but not oily.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Making a Custom Mayonnaise Mask

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1
Make your own mayonnaise. Using store bought mayonnaise is a convenient option, but you can also make your own using all-natural ingredients. That way you'll know exactly what you're putting on your hair. An all-natural mayonnaise mask contains ingredients that nourish your hair, with none of the preservatives. Here's how to make it:
- Combine an egg yolk, 1 teaspoon vinegar, and 1 teaspoon lemon juice in a bowl.^{[4]
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  Research source} Keep in mind that vinegar and lemon juice can cause hair dye to fade or cause hair pigment to lighten.
- Whisk in 1/2 cup of canola oil in a slow, steady stream. Keep whisking until the mixture takes on the texture of mayonnaise.
- Apply it to your hair, cover your hair with a shower cap, and let it sit for an hour before shampooing.
2
Make a nourishing mayonnaise mask with milk and honey. Mayonnaise alone does a great job conditioning hair, but adding milk and honey makes it even better. Milk and honey are both natural conditioners that leave hair incredibly soft and silky. Use this mask if your hair is in need of major rehydration. Here's how to make it:
- Combine 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon (14.8 ml) honey and 1 tablespoon milk.
- Apply it to your hair, cover your hair with a shower cap, and let it sit for an hour before shampooing.
- Be forewarned that vinegar and lemon juice can lighten your hair pigment or cause your existing hair dye to fade.
3
Make a clarifying mayonnaise mask with vinegar or lemon juice. If your hair has been looking rather dull lately, you might want to use a few extra ingredients that will cleanse your hair and bring back its shine. Vinegar and lemon juice can both be used to clarify hair. Here's how to make this mask:
- Mix 1/2 cup mayonnaise with 1 tablespoon (14.8 ml) vinegar (distilled or apple cider) or 1 tablespoon (14.8 ml) lemon juice.
- Apply it to your hair, cover your hair with a shower cap, and let it sit for an hour before shampooing.
4
Make a frizz-reducing mayonnaise mask by adding an egg white. Egg white helps to reduce frizz and dryness, leaving your hair shiny and healthy. Mayonnaise often contains egg yolks, but in this case you want to combine it with an egg white for maximum frizz-reducing benefits. Here's how to make it:
- Separate an egg white from the yolk. Save the yolk for a later use.
- Mix the egg white with 1/2 cup mayonnaise.
- Apply the mixture to your hair, cover your hair with a shower cap, and let it sit for an hour before shampooing.

Community Q&A

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Question

Can I use home made mayonnaise?

Community Answer

Certainly. If you are making your own mayonnaise, you could even customize it by adding the special oils and vitamins that your hair needs.

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How often can this be used?

Community Answer

If your hair is dry, use this method once a week.

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Can I do this every day?

Community Answer

It is not recommended that you do so. Think of these methods as a deep-conditioner that you use every once in a while. If you use mayonnaise every day, your hair will get too much protein, and might end up too dry.

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Tips

If you don't have a shower cap, you can just put a plastic bag over your hair ONLY and tie it.

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For extremely dry and damaged hair, leave the mayonnaise on overnight. Protect your pillow from oil stains with a plastic cover in case the plastic covering over your hair leaks while you sleep. Or, cover the plastic shower cap with a tighter-fitting over cap to be sure it stays in place.

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Store any unused conditioner in the refrigerator and warm it to room temperature before use.

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Tips from our Readers

The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.

When you're ready to rinse the mayonnaise out, add a heaping handful of shampoo and let it sit for a bit before adding any water. This will help you wash out all the oils from the mayonnaise.
I heat my mayonnaise up in a bowl in the microwave to make sure it’s warm enough to put on my hair, then leave it on for about a half hour before washing it out. It works really well!
Adding coconut oil to mayonnaise makes a perfect hair mask! It's my favorite, especially with some tea tree oils.

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