Contents
People knew about the healing properties of cognac several centuries ago. Nowadays, this noble drink not only decorates the feast, but also serves as the main ingredient in many therapeutic hair masks. In combination with other safe ingredients, such as honey, salt, mustard powder, coffee, yolk, this is a powerful folk remedy.
Meaning of masks. Hair is constantly exposed to the harsh environment in which we live. Wrong lifestyle, unbalanced diet, blow-drying, coloring, curling or straightening do not affect the condition of the hair in the best way: they lose their elasticity, follicles (bulbs) suffer, and the sebaceous glands are disturbed. These disorders can slow down growth, provoke increased hair loss and even alopecia (baldness).
Aggressive chemicals that make up the paints: hydrogen peroxide, ammonia and oxidizers – deprive the hair of its natural shine and smoothness. They become thinner and lose volume due to contact with hot metal objects during curling and styling. Therefore, it is periodically necessary to apply nourishing, moisturizing, peeling (remove dead skin particles, increase blood circulation), cleansing and regenerating masks to the hair and scalp.
Cognac as an ingredient in hair masks
Cognac, which includes alcohol, tannins (including tannins), carbohydrates and microelements, has a beneficial effect on the hair and their roots, increasing the effectiveness of other components of the healing mixture: oils, herbal decoctions, honey, egg yolk. A hair mask with cognac will bring more benefits than a similar one without it.
Alcohol disinfects, dries and degreases the hair, warms the skin and hair follicles, increases blood circulation, which improves the supply of oxygen to cells. Cognac alcohol cleans hair well: dissolves limescale from hard water, completely removes a thin film remaining from gel, varnish and other styling products, gives hair shine and elasticity.
For people with increased secretion of sebaceous glands, degreasing is useful. But if the hair is dry and thinned, then to protect against overdrying and irritation of the scalp, additional ingredients must be added to the mask to soften the effect of alcohol. For a long time, various vegetable oils, honey, chicken eggs, natural cream, ground coffee, mustard, salt and other products that are useful for hair skin have been used for this.
The tannins contained in cognac, like alcohol, have antiseptic properties, promote the absorption of vitamin C. Of the microelements that make up cognac, calcium is especially important, which is necessary to restore the damaged structure and stimulate hair growth.
Brandy masks are suitable for any type of scalp and hair. With their help, you can get rid of the following problems:
- dandruff, dry hair and skin;
- excessive oiliness of hair and skin;
- weakening and depletion of hair due to exposure to aggressive chemicals that make up colorful compositions;
- massive hair loss caused by beriberi or stress;
- slow hair growth.
Contraindications to the use of cognac hair masks:
- irritated scalp – alcohol can cause serious discomfort;
- rashes of various origins, scratches, wounds on the scalp;
- individual intolerance to cognac, the possibility of an allergic reaction;
- for extremely sensitive skin and thinning hair, masks without impurities are contraindicated, only with pure cognac.
How to mix and apply cognac hair masks
There are a few simple rules that must be followed in the process of preparing and using brandy masks:
- The drink must be of high quality. Cheap cognacs are often unnatural, they contain too much alcohol, coloring and flavoring additives, which will not bring any benefit to either the hair or the scalp.
- All ingredients of the masks should be heated in a water bath. To do this, a wide metal dish is filled halfway with water and constantly heated to a temperature of 80-90 ° C (it is not necessary to bring to a boil). A container with the components of the mask is placed in it, warming up the honey and oils before combining them with other substances. Cognac is added last.
- All masks are applied to the head, previously washed with shampoo, drying the hair a little in a natural way. The main mass is rubbed with massage circular movements into the scalp, the rest is evenly distributed along the entire length of the hair. You need to put on a shower cap and wrap it with a towel so that the inside of the mask remains warm. So it is better absorbed into the hair roots.
- Wash off the mask with warm water, preferably without the use of detergents. If the treatment mixture contains honey or oil, then you still have to use a mild shampoo, and to rinse your hair – herbal decoction (burdock, chamomile, nettle), heated mineral water, boiled water with the addition of vinegar (half a teaspoon per liter of water ) or lemon juice.
- If the composition contains a component that can cause an allergic reaction, it is necessary to make a test on a sensitive area of uXNUMXbuXNUMXbthe skin behind the ear or on the wrist before cooking. If redness or other unpleasant sensations do not appear within half an hour, the mask can be safely applied.
- The course of using masks for restoring, nourishing and growing hair should be at least 10 procedures, for prevention purposes 4-6 are enough. If a different amount is required, it is indicated in the recipe.
Hair restoration masks
There are many recipes for cognac masks to eliminate problems with the hair and scalp. Let’s take a look at some of them.
For oily hair. For those who are worried about oily skin, hair and dandruff, a simple and effective mask made from pure cognac will help. Two teaspoons of cognac should be rubbed into the scalp, the rest should be distributed over the entire length, especially if the ends of the hair are split. Keep the mask for no more than half an hour, then rinse with warm water, and rinse your hair with a pre-prepared herbal decoction.
For dry hair. To normalize the fat content and moisture of dry hair, use masks with the addition of honey, various vegetable oils, yolks or whole chicken eggs. The composition of the egg yolk includes a biologically active substance – lecithin, which is very useful for hair and skin. It softens the effect of cognac alcohol and promotes the absorption of the healing components of the mask.
Cognac mask with yolk and jojoba oil
Composition:
- cognac – 1 dessert spoon;
- jojoba oil (can be replaced with extra virgin olive oil) – 1 tablespoon;
- yolk – 1 pcs .;
- juice of half a medium lemon.
Recipe: pour the yolk into the heated oil and mix until a homogeneous mass is obtained. Add juice and cognac to the oil mixture. Apply the finished mask on the head, keep warm and wash off after half an hour with warm water and shampoo. Hair will become shiny and obedient.
Olive oil mask
Composition:
- cognac – 1 st. l .;
- extra virgin olive oil – 1 tbsp. l.;
- honey – 1 tsp
Recipe: mix all the ingredients while heating in a water bath, apply warm in the usual way to the hair. Wash off with a neutral shampoo after half an hour. Dry naturally without using a hair dryer. Hair will become elastic, there will be no dandruff.
Masks for weakened and damaged hair
Nourishing mask with egg and cognac
The mask restores the structure of the hair, making it smooth and treats weakened roots.
Composition:
- cognac – 3 st. l .;
- chicken egg – 1 pcs.
Recipe: beat an egg with a whisk or a blender, add cognac and mix. Apply the mixture on the scalp and hair, rinse after 40 minutes. The procedure can be repeated 2 times a week.
Mask with cognac, honey and yolk
Able to stop hair loss and strengthen hair roots.
Composition:
- cognac – 1 st. l .;
- honey – 1 tsp;
- yolk – 1 pcs.
Recipe: melt honey in a water bath, grind it with yolk and pour in cognac. Apply the mixture to wet hair, warm and rinse after 30 minutes with warm water.
Mustard Powder Mask
Useful for thin, slow-growing and prone to hair loss.
Composition:
- cognac – 100 ml;
- water – 50 ml;
- mustard (in powder form) – 1 tbsp. l.;
- cream (low fat) – 1 dec. l .;
- aloe (juice) – 1 dess. l.;
- yolk – 2 pcs.
Recipe: grind mustard in warm water and mix with yolks, add cream, mix. Pour aloe juice into the resulting gruel, heat to 40 degrees and add cognac. Apply the resulting mixture to the scalp, the rest – to the hair. The duration of action depends on the sensations: if the burning sensation does not bother you, you can keep it for up to 40 minutes, if it is impossible to endure longer, wash it off earlier.
Coffee-cognac mask
In cases where you need to tint dark or light brown hair without the use of dyes, use a mask with the addition of natural ground coffee.
Composition:
- cognac – 2 st. l .;
- ground coffee – 1 tbsp. l .;
- hot water (boiling water) – half a glass;
- egg – 1 pcs.
Recipe: Brew coffee with boiling water, stirring constantly, add a beaten egg, then cognac. The mixture, applied to the roots and hair, acts for 30-40 minutes, after which the mask is washed off with warm water.
With repeated use, you can achieve a rich chocolate shade and completely abandon chemical staining.
Blondes should not use this recipe, blond hair gets an ugly shade.
Mask with salt and cognac
This mask promotes deep cleansing of the epidermis of the head from keratinized skin particles (peeling) and stimulates the bulbs to grow new hair.
Composition:
- cognac – 1 dess. l.;
- flower honey – 1 tbsp. l.;
- table salt – 1 tsp.
Recipe: melt honey in a water bath, add salt and mix thoroughly, then pour in cognac. Apply the finished warm mask on the head, carefully rubbing it into the skin, distribute the remainder over the mass of the hair. The duration of the mixture is half an hour, then rinse with warm water.
Gelatin mask with cognac
Now in beauty salons they are doing a useful procedure – hair lamination, the so-called sealing. Cognac mask with gelatin has the same effect, protects hair from the harmful effects of the environment.
Composition:
- cognac – 1 st. l .;
- gelatin – 1 tbsp. l .;
- yolk – 1 pcs .;
- hot water – 3 tbsp. l. (if the hair is dry, you can replace it with milk or add 1 tablespoon of heavy cream).
Recipe: pour gelatin with hot water or milk, let it swell. For complete dissolution, stir in a water bath, in no case bringing to a boil. Enter the yolk into the gelatin, which has cooled to 40 degrees (at a higher temperature, the yolk may curl). If hair is very dry, add 1 tbsp. l. cream. At the last moment, add cognac and mix well.
Apply the mask only on the hair and insulate. It is necessary to warm up with a hair dryer for 10 minutes, then leave for 15-20 minutes. After that, rinse the mixture with warm water and rinse with herbal decoction.
As a result, the hair becomes shiny and elastic, restored from the inside, and under the influence of heating, a protective film forms on the surface. It is useful to do such a mask 2 times a week, in total it will take from four to six procedures. Then you can repeat up to two times a month.
Attention! Self-medication can be hazardous to health, before using any of the masks, consult your doctor.