Mayonnaise for Natural Hair: Does It Really Work?

Mayonnaise hair treatment is an age-old recommendation for stronger hair.

When I was transitioning, I applied mayonnaise to my hair as a strengthening treatment like a fiend.

It appeared to be making my line of demarcation stronger but this was probably due to other things I was doing and not the mayonnaise.

How come? Isn’t mayonnaise supposed to be the greatest thing ever since coconut oil and juices and berries?

Does The Mayonnaise Hair Treatment Actually Work?

The primary ingredient in mayonnaise is eggs and eggs are made up of protein.

However, the protein in eggs is too large to penetrate the hair shaft and make any real difference.

This is because protein needs to be hydrolyzed in order to get the job done effectively.

Additionally, mayonnaise hair treatments cannot lead to faster hair growth irrespective of how long you leave it on your hair.

Does this mean the mayonnaise hair treatment is useless? On the contrary, the treatment does make hair smoother and shinier.

This is especially true when combined with different things. It also helps seal in moisture more effectively.

Mayonnaise is made up of some great ingredients such as soybean oil, eggs, vinegar, and lemon juice.

For the kitchen chemist, it’s a good addition to your hair care stash when used with the right goals in mind.

Primal Kitchen Mayo

Can Mayonnaise Help Damaged Hair?

A good mayonnaise treatment can help smoothen frazzled cuticles and improve the appearance of damaged hair.

However, for a real difference in hair health, it’s better to use a proper protein treatment formulated for dry and damaged hair.

Mayonnaise for Hair Side Effects

If you’re allergic to eggs, soybeans or any of the ingredients used to make mayonnaise, you should definitely avoid it.

Some people also find mayonnaise causes breakouts on the scalp and hairline areas. Always good practice to patch test.

Mayonnaise Hair Treatment Recipe

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup of mayonnaise such as Primal Kitchen Mayo or Hellmann’s Organic Mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
• 1 tablespoon of either grape seed oil, sweet almond oil or avocado oil
• 1 teaspoon of vitamin E oil such as Sundown Naturals 70,000 IU Vitamin E Oil

Directions

• Whip the mayonnaise up real nice then add the olive oil and whip some more.
• Add the grapeseed, sweet almond, or avocado oil and the vitamin E oil and whip some more with a fork.
• Shampoo your hair then apply the mix to damp hair.
• Massage it into your hair thoroughly, smoothing through your strands.
• Pin up and sit under a hair steamer for 15 minutes.
• Wash out with diluted mild shampoos like Rahua Shampoo or Castile Soap. You may need to shampoo twice to get it all out then apply your leave-in conditioner and style.
• If you feel your hair needs something after the shampoo, you can apply a daily conditioner, leave in for 20 minutes then rinse out.

Which Mayonnaise is Good for Hair?

Any standard mayonnaise brand available in the grocery store should be fine to try out on the hair.

Just check that it contains standard mayonnaise ingredients and nothing else like special flavors or other exotic ingredients.

Final Word on Mayonnaise for Natural Hair

As I mentioned previously, if your aim is softer and shinier hair then, by all means, include mayonnaise hair treatments in your regimen.

However, if you want a more serious protein treatment, take a look at the recommendations at When To Use Protein Deep Conditioners & 17 Best Protein Deep Conditioners for Natural Hair.

Curly Abi

Abi is a curly hair expert, researcher, product tester, and author of the highly-rated Healthy Hair Care Series. She is also the founder of Ade Ori Hair Care, Healthy Natural Hair Products, and Natural Oils for Hair & Beauty. HNHP has strict editorial standards and ensures all the information on Healthy Natural Hair Products is the best for natural hair care. Learn more about our Editorial Policies