I laugh in the faces of people who say things like, “I only got three days out of my wash this week. Why is my hair so oily?” Three days would be a straight-up miracle for me. My hair is so thin that I have to wash it nearly every day, and that’s why I’ve read up on how to make thin hair look thicker, longer, and more voluminous.
The best thing I ever did for myself was live with a small-town Pennsylvania girl in college. My roommate seemed like an unlikely match for me because I was from New York, had never been camping before, and regularly found myself getting attacked by nature. But she ended up introducing me to the art of thickening hair with edible, everyday ingredients. It was my first introduction to clean living, and since then, I’ve cut down on hair chemicals, and it’s seemingly growing thicker every day. These things work wonders because they provide hair with the nutrients and vitamins it needs to look fuller, healthier, and more voluminous — especially when used in the shower because heat and water help things to penetrate further into roots and follicles.
Here’s a list of my all-time favorite natural shower tricks for thicker hair, because you don’t have to spend 60 bucks on a chemical-filled shampoo in order to get there.
Thicken And Cleanse Hair With Rosemary Essential Oil
Avalon Organics Volumizing Rosemary Shampoo, $14, Amazon
Rosemary essential oil is one of the best tricks for promoting thicker growth because it stimulates the scalp, as well as the cellular metabolism that causes hair follicles to grow. This organic rosemary shampoo cleans hair without the chemicals and parabens, as it contains only volume-inducing organic ingredients like rosemary essential oil, aloe, and vitamins. It gently washes away dirt and build-up without drying out your hair, so it looks thicker, cleaner, and healthier — and reviewers say the smell is absolutely incredible.
Hydrate Limp Hair With Coconut Oil
Coconut Oil Hair Mask, $13, Amazon
It’s been scientifically proven that coconut oil is incredible for your hair. Not only does it retain moisture and promote growth with essential fatty acids, but it can even slow the build-up of sebum, so your hair appears less greasy. This coconut oil hair mask is 100 percent natural and combines the healing benefits of cold-pressed coconut oil with damage-reversing characteristics of Moroccan argan oil. It also delivers vitamin E to your scalp and strands with shea butter, which makes it one of the most repairing and volumizing hair masks out there.
Plump Up Moisture With Avocado Oil
La Tourangelle Avocado Oil, $13, Amazon
Avocado is a superfood that’s absolutely packed with proteins, vitamins, monosaturated fats, and minerals. It’s awesome for your body, but it’s also great for your hair — it’s penetrative qualities allow it to sink right into the strands. La Tourangelle's avocado oil nourishes and volumizes hair without leaving behind greasy residue, plus, it's expeller pressed (aka: unrefined), and stored in an opaque tin to keep the nutrients intact. It's an extremely high quality avocado oil (likely why it's currently the No. 1 best seller), and it’s thin hair's best friend because it moisturizes, plumps, fixes damage, and promotes growth. Simply use a teaspoon amount, massage it into wet hair, and let it sit for ten minutes while you do other shower stuff. Then, rinse it out!
Stimulate Growth At The Roots With Olive Oil
Organic Olive Oil Root Stimulator, $6, Amazon
Olive oil is fantastic for hair because it contains oleic acid, palmitic acid, and squalene, which all work to soften hair, add volume, and retain hydration. If hair often looks dry and stringy, this olive oil root stimulator is a great place to start. It’s filled with all the benefits of olive oil, along with hydrating botanicals, which heal hair and add loads of body. A little goes a long way, and reviewers have referred to it as “liquid gold” because of its convenient squeeze bottle, easy-to-apply consistency, and ability to moisturize hair and roots better than any other solution they’ve used.
Preserve Volume By Cleansing With Baking Soda
Abba Detox Shampoo, $25, Amazon
While regular shampoos strip all the natural oils from your hair (prompting your body to produce even more, in order to compensate), baking soda instead resets the pH level of your scalp. It does so without parabens, sodium lauryl sulfate, and other additives, all while strengthening strands, cleaning away residue, and promoting volume. Abba's detox shampoo uses baking soda and molasses to gently cleanse your hair while adding in essential, growth-promoting vitamins and minerals. Reviewers say their hair is silky and smooth again, and that this shampoo keeps hair clean and thick-looking for longer. Go ahead, let your daily washes become obsolete.
Add Bounce With Aloe Vera Spray
Aloe Vera Spray, $15, Amazon
You’ve probably heard of putting aloe on sunburnt skin because its powerful antioxidants moisturize, thicken, and have regenerative properties — and that’s also why aloe is great for hair. This aloe vera spray is entirely organic, though smoother and less sticky than a gel. Instead, it comes in an easy-to-apply and quickly-absorbing spray that can be used on hair and skin without hassle or mess. Use it in the shower while hair is wet to give it extra bounce and sheen. It seems like a pretty good idea, given that the words “great,” “wonderful,” and “phenomenal" have been tossed around by reviewers.
Clean And Nourish Hair With Apple Cider Vinegar
Organic Apple Cider Rinse, $15, Amazon
Rinsing with apple cider vinegar is one of the healthiest things you can do for your hair, as it resets the pH balance of your scalp, seals the hair cuticles, encourages growth, and improves circulation — all of which strengthen and thicken your locks. This organic apple cider rinse does all of the aforementioned in a convenient and easy bottle. It also includes oolong tea, which adds shine and moisture to dry hair, and because this solution removes soap residue, excess oils, and dirt, your hair will be bouncy, voluminous, and beautiful. Reviewers love that it’s all-natural and really helps to promote growth.
Grow Thicker Hair With Castor Oil
Gio Naturals Organic Cold-Pressed Castor Oil, $17, Amazon
Castor oil is one of the most popular methods for hair growth, as it stimulates blood circulation in the scalp with ricinoleic acid and omega-6 essential fatty acids. However, it’s imperative that the oil you use is cold-pressed to preserve all of its nutrient-rich qualities. Gio Naturals castor oil is organic, as well as cold-pressed, and it comes in a convenient press applicator bottle. You can easily squeeze a few drops into the palm of your hand, and then massage into wet hair. Reviewers say it also prevents breakage, adds sheen, works wonderfully for growing eyelashes, too, and is definitely superior quality when compared to other brands.
Replenish Essential Vitamins With Penetrative Argan Oil
Argan Oil Leave In Conditioner, $19, Amazon
Argan oil is used in tons of haircare products because it’s loaded with fatty acids, vitamin E, and nutrients that promote circulation, promote cell regeneration, and protect the follicles from harm. Ninety-eight percent of fatty acids soak straight into the hair follicle, too, so it won’t leave behind an oily residue. This leave-in conditioner is extremely rich and great at controlling frizz, but it does so while promoting style and volume. It’s paraben-free, sulfate-free, SLS-free, and alcohol-free, and it's absolutely packed with the nutrients necessary to thicken and grow hair. Reviewers say that, compared to the other argan oil creams they’ve used, this one’s way at the top.
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Images: Fotolia (1); Amazon (9)
