Another day, another beauty hack tried by me so that you don't end up in dire need of a nap after trying it yourself, read on!
Whether it’s viral relationship theories or DIY beauty trends that seem too good to be true, the internet has always given us something to marvel over. The most recent instance of this is a hair trend that has engulfed the beauty community – glossing but for your hair. The trend began gaining popularity once Hollywood celebrity Madison Beer’s secret to shiny hair was discussed. It seems the American singer and songwriter glosses her hair every week to have it look as shiny as it is. This led to many influencers trying out the Redken Shades EQ Gloss to achieve ‘glass hair.’
The concept and trend of wanting glass-like hair was what kick started the hair glossing trend (which became popular in 2023), which in turn led to a gradual curiosity from the beauty community’s end towards treatments that can boost hair shine. Somewhere along the line, we began seeing natural, at-home treatments such as using flax-seed gel, and aloevera gel emerge as a way to boost hair shine.
The most recent addition to this is using okra water to condition one’s hair, post a shampoo or hair cleanse. This hack is believed to help achieve smoother, shinier hair. And like the last time, where I tried a viral dry shampoo hack, I’ve tried the okra-water-to-boost-hair-health-and-shine hack as well! Read on to see what I discovered on this journey.
Okra consists of vitamins A, C and K and also some amount of Biotin and Protein, which is said to help nourish the hair and moisturise it. The mucilage in the okra can act as a conditioner and help the hair hold onto moisture and lead to a shinier appearance of the hair.
“Okra mucilage is an affordable source of protein, carbohydrate, minerals and vitamins. Okra mucilage can be used for enhancement of the hair…” says this 2019 study by the International Journal of Research in Engineering, Science and Management.
Step 1: Cut 125 grams of okra and leave it to soak in 750 ml water overnight.
Step 2: Rinse hair with the strained okra water post using a shampoo and conditioner.
Step 3: Let the okra water sit in your hair for 10 minutes while you shower.
Step 4 (optional): Use a wide comb to detangle your hair.
Step 5: Rinse the okra water out.
I thought I was about to experience the smoothest, silkiest hair I’ve had in a while. Because, though my hair is usually difficult to detangle, the texture of the okra water really helped me comb through it. So, when my hair was wet, it felt silky, looked shinier than usual, and I thought that was going to continue as my hair dried. But, alas, the final effect was quite disappointing. As someone who has high porosity hair (which means that my hair is prone to absorbing and losing moisture easily and quickly, due to there being gaps in my hair strands’ cuticle layer), this hack did not hydrate and nourish my hair as much as it needed.
Don’t get me wrong, it did feel relatively smoother, just not as smooth as when it was wet. I was left wondering whether I should have rinsed out the okra water at all (as gross as that sounds). Maybe if I had left it in, my hair would have retained some moisture and the protective layer it provided.
I would not try this little experiment again. Instead, I now feel inspired to find DIY glossing treatments to help achieve that glass-like shine. Which is why I spoke to Sahib Mongia, a hair stylist at Noir Salon, The Chanakya, Delhi to find out which products one can use to gloss their hair at home. While sharing the kind of products to use, he also explained that glossing treatments were traditionally designed to accompany hair colouring treatments, as a way to neutralise the damage caused from the chemicals. But now, there are clear hair glosses that can be used alone, and they usually help in balancing the pH levels of the hair to achieve better results. Here are some products he has recommended:
Harshita Singh is a Digital Writer at Manifest and besides obsessing over aesthetic ‘IT Girl’ Sunday reset reels on Instagram, she finds joy in going down the rabbit hole of conspiracy theories, exploring new wellness practices and being mildly addicted to oat-milk coffees. View Profile
