Hair masks with microgreens: two recipes to make at home

This article belongs to our natural cosmetics series and turns to hair health. An earlier post set out what the evidence does and does not say about microgreens and hair health. This one is the practical companion: two mask recipes.

We like experimenting with microgreens beyond the kitchen: we have used them in face masks and homemade skincare, and here we have tried two microgreen based hair masks. One word before the recipes, though. These are homemade cosmetics, not treatments. They are cheap, pleasant to use and made from something you can grow on a windowsill, and that is the honest case for them.

So, why use microgreens in hair care?

Honestly? Mostly because they make a pleasant, cheap mask out of something you already grow. We used to say the vitamins and minerals in microgreens “promote hair growth”, “repair the fibre” and “strengthen hair follicles” when applied to the head. Those nutrients matter to hair when you eat them — and even then mainly if you are deficient, as we set out in our page on microgreens and hair health. Rubbing them on your scalp is not how they get in. The antioxidants do not change that: fighting oxidative stress happens inside a body that has eaten them, not on a hair shaft you have just rinsed a mask out of. So we are not going to tell you these masks leave hair shinier, stronger or healthier. What they are is a cheap, pleasant oil-and-honey mask made from ingredients you already have, with microgreens along for the ride.

Nourishing microgreen & coconut oil mask

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of fresh microgreens (broccoli, sunflower, or radish work well)
• 2 tablespoons of virgin coconut oil
• 1 tablespoon of honey (optional, for extra hydration)

Preparation:

1. Wash the microgreens and blend them in a food processor until you get a smooth paste.
2. Mix with coconut oil and honey until you have a uniform mask.

Application:

• Apply from mid-length to ends on damp hair.
• Gently massage it into the scalp so the mask is spread evenly.
• Leave on for 20–30 minutes, then rinse with lukewarm water.

Light microgreen & aloe vera mask

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of microgreens (broccoli or mustard work well here)
• 3 tablespoons of natural aloe vera gel
• 1 teaspoon of lemon juice (optional, for oily scalps)

Preparation and use:

Follow the same steps as for the previous mask.
It is a lighter mix than the coconut oil version, with no heavy oil in it, so it is the one to reach for if your hair is oily.

Tips for best results

• Always use fresh, well washed microgreens to avoid impurities.
• Apply once a week if your hair is dry or damaged, or every two weeks if it’s normal or oily.
• If you have a sensitive scalp, do a patch test first to rule out any allergies.

So: two masks, both cheap, both made from things you can grow on a windowsill, both pleasant to use on a Sunday afternoon. That is the whole claim, and we are content with it. The part of hair health that microgreens genuinely bear on is the dietary part, and it is covered in our page on microgreens and hair health.