Ever wondered whether you can put lotion in your hair to moisturize it? I am guilty of doing it. I did it when I was on a vacation at the beach and forgot my favorite hair care products for my dry hair and needed something to tame my frizzy hair.
But is it a good idea to put lotion in your hair or will it lead to major hair problems in the long run?
Well, I will be spilling all the beans as to what happens if you put lotion in your hair and on your scalp and some quick alternatives that may come in handy especially when you don’t have your favorite products by your side.
Let us begin the discussion.
Can You Put Lotion In Your Hair?
Yes, you can put lotion in your hair occasionally but using lotion on your precious manes and your delicate scalp frequently is a bad idea. Lotion can temporarily moisturize your hair and soothe your scalp but it might lead to major hair problems in the future.
Your hair and your skin have different textures which need different sets of products to keep them nourished, moisturized, and healthy. There is a reason why there are different hair products and different skin products on the market.
What Happens If You Put Lotion In Your Hair?
When you put lotion in your hair it immediately tames your frizzy hair and flyaways and makes your hair more manageable and soft to touch. It also makes your hair smell good for a day and won’t weigh your hair down as much as a hair gel would.
But regular lotion be it hand lotion or body lotion has probably added fragrance, silicones, and some harsh chemicals which when come in contact with your hair shafts and scalp they tend to disrupt the natural ph of your scalp, make your hair greasy by attracting a lot of dirt and dust, creating a barrier so your hair and scalp cant absorb the moisture and leave a layer of build-up.
All these in the long run can damage your hair and scalp health to a great extent. You might notice you are losing more than 100 strands per day, your scalp is itchy and irritated and your hair just feels thick and greasy to touch. You might also notice premature greying of hair.
You can check out this study on the effects of different products on your hair shafts and scalp for better understanding.
Ingredients In Lotion That Are Bad For Your Hair
- Mineral oil: Mineral oils are often added to body lotions or hand lotions which work as an aid to soothe your dry skin but when you put lotion in your hair that contains mineral oils it might lead to clogged pores and product build-up.
- Added Fragrance: Most lotions have added fragrance to make you smell good but when this added fragrance comes in contact with your hair shafts and scalp, it leads to irritation and itchiness and disturbs your scalp’s natural pH. You need to avoid putting lotion in your hair especially if you are someone with a sensitive scalp and irritated scalp or have a scalp concern like severe dandruff, dermatitis, or others.
- Parabens and Silicones: These increase the shelf life of products and leave a layer of nourishment across your skin cells but these ingredients are a big no-no for your hair. They leave a layer of build-up and hamper your overall health in the long run.
- DMDM hydantoin: This is one of the most controversial ingredients that has led to lawsuits against different brands. This is a carcinogenic ingredient that you need to avoid.
- Lanolin: It is an ingredient that works fantastically to nourish your skin but it isn’t the ideal choice for your hair and scalp health. It makes your hair greasy and leaves a layer of product build-up which you might need to treat with ACV rinse, clarifying shampoo, or hair detox treatment.
Benefits Of Putting Lotion In Your Hair
- It does the job of taming frizzy hair and flyways
- Your hair appears nourished
- Creates a temporary illusion of moisturized hair
- Makes hair soft to touch and manageable
- Soothes dry scalp
Side Effects Of Putting Lotion In Your Hair
- Makes hair greasy in a day
- Leaves a layer of build-up
- Disrupts the scalp’s natural pH and causes scalp irritation
- Hair discoloration
- Creates a barrier so your hair can’t absorb moisture
- Attracts dirt, dust, and pollution leading to hair damage
- Causes hair breakage and hair fall in the long run
- Not curly girl method-friendly hack
- Might result in premature greying of hair
What Is Good To Put In Hair Instead Of Lotion?
If you are in a desperate situation and out of your favorite hair products like hair conditioner, leave-ins, and deep conditioning masks then here are some quick tips or hair hacks that might come in handy.
Use A Hair Lotion
This is a product that is specifically meant for nourishing your hair and scalp. It is a lotion that is created keeping in mind the needs and texture of your hair, scalp, and entire body care needs.
Some of the hair lotions that you can give a try are:
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Last update on 2024-07-23 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Dilute Your Body Lotion Before Use
If you don’t have hair lotion or your favorite hair products then try this hair hack. Dilute your body lotion or hair lotion with equal parts of water and then spray it onto your hair and scalp. This way if your lotion has a lot of harsh chemicals you will minimize its ill effects on your precious manes and scalp.
Use Water
This is a cliche but it works well. Use water to saturate your hair strands with the lacking nourishment and in most cases it does the trick. After all the wet hair look never goes out of style.
Hair Oils Work Great
I can’t preach hair oils and Indian hair oiling treatment enough on this beauty blog. The simplest trick to moisturize your frizzy hair and tame those flyaways is using hair oils as serum and my personal favorite is using argan oil for the same. Or you can use any sealing oils or penetrating hair oils or a combination of both to do the job for you.
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You can also use Mielle rosemary hair oil. It is one of the best hair oils that I have tried to date. (Not sponsored, I just love the effects of the hair oil on my hair.)
Last update on 2024-07-24 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
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If you have curly hair then try using almond oil and thank me later!
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Hair Rinses
I love using hair rinses in my routine. If you have no choice but to put lotion in your hair to moisturize it, I would recommend you give hair rinses a try instead. Do a green tea hair rinse or a fenugreek hair rinse or a rosemary hair rinse works within minutes to moisturize your hair and brighten your dull hair.
Diluting Your Deep Conditioning Hair Masks
This depends on if you have them handy or not but using deep conditioning hair masks is the best way to deeply moisturize your extremely dry hair. If you are short on time, then just take a coin-sized deep conditioning hair mask and dilute it with a cup of water and spray it on your hair strands, and style as usual. It will give the results of leave-in conditioners.
My favorite deep-conditioning hair masks for dry hair are:
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Last update on 2024-07-23 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
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Last update on 2024-07-23 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
DIYs
If you are in a place where you have access to some of these ingredients that you can easily find in your kitchen then these hair masks work extremely well to moisturize your dry hair:
- Coconut oil and aloe vera hair mask
- Egg and banana hair mask
- Banana hair mask
- Avocado hair mask
- Coconut milk hair mask for dry hair
- Yogurt hair mask
FAQs
Is Putting Lotion On Your Scalp Bad?
Yes, putting lotion on your scalp is bad because the lotions probably have added fragrance or silicones which might irritate your scalp, lead to dandruff in the long run and clog your pores which will lead to damage and an itchy scalp.
But if you must use lotion on your scalp, then read the labels carefully and avoid the ingredients like added fragrance, silicones, and mineral oils, and always do a patch test beforehand to avoid any long-term problems.
Can You Put Vaseline Lotion In Your Hair?
Yes, you can put Vaseline lotion in your hair occasionally but make sure to dilute it in water and then apply, and don’t make it a habit to use it in the long run. Otherwise, it will lead to hair damage and hair fall.
How To Minimize The Side Effects Of Using Lotion In Your Hair And Scalp?
Start by using a good clarifying shampoo and follow up with a hydrating hair conditioner and deep-conditioning hair masks. You can check out the hair care routine for dry hair that I followed after using lotion in my hair. Invest in a good wooden comb that will distribute the excessive sebum to your hair lengths promoting hair health.
Over To You: Can You Put Lotion In Your Hair?
I tried to sum up the benefits and side effects of putting lotion in your hair. I hope you found it helpful.
Let’s recap:
Yes, you can occasionally put lotion in hair and it will provide temporary nourishment and moisture to your hair and scalp but in the long run, it might lead to product build-up, premature greying of hair, scalp irritation, hair breakage, and in some cases excessive hair fall.
To avoid it you can use hair lotions or other hair products that I’ve shared above. If you have any more queries, feel free to reach out via comments. Before you leave, don’t forget to check out:
- Why Does My Hair Curl At The End? 12 Reasons & Solutions
- Can You Wash Your Hair With Just Water & No Shampoo?
- Why Does My Hair Tangle So Easily? 19 Reasons & Solutions
- Can You Really Grow 2 Inches Of Hair In A Month? Exclusive Tips That Might Help
Have a lovely day.