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After reading enough "healthy eating" guides to become an expert, you may have added mayo to your enemies list. Time to rethink your relationship with the condiment. Sure, your fridge may think you've fallen off the wagon if you buy some, but what's bad for your hips may offer nourishing relief for your hair -- particularly if you're sick and tired of trying every pricey new moisturizing product on the market. Be a good girl. No sneaking more than a taste when you bring out the jar, and your hair (and hips) will both look delicious.
Go for Generic
Buy a large jar of generic mayonnaise. It matters not whether you're a brand-conscious consumer chick; the cheap stuff really does have all of the same ingredients found in jars with fancy labels -- eggs, oil, vinegar and/or lemon -- so proceed to the store brand and buy a nice, big jar for your mayo hair treatment. Here's a little more incentive to walk the straight and narrow: If you generally dislike generic products, you won't be tempted to eat the mayo!
Dress Your Hair
Comb out your hair to remove tangles and then thoroughly wet it. No shampoo necessary at this point; you want to prep your hair for the mayo application, and the dressing will go on more evenly if your hair is wet. Experiment with a cup of mayonnaise for your first treatment. If your hair is exceptionally long, adjust the amount of mayo accordingly.
Make a Turban
Dip a hand or hair towel into water, wring it out thoroughly and place it in your microwave oven on high for 15 seconds. If the towel isn't steamy when the timer rings, nuke it again. Immediately wrap the hot towel over your mayonnaise-laced hair once it's hot. Now comes the hard part: Sit your fine self down and grab the latest issue of "Vogue" or "InStyle" -- better yet, indulge in a tabloid to get the skinny on who's cheating on whom in Hollywood while your hair absorbs the mayo for about 15 minutes.
Substitute Plastic
Substitute plastic wrap or a large plastic bag for the hot towel if you prefer. Plastic traps the heat emitted by your head, so it will push the absorption of the mayonnaise just as fast as the hot, wet towel. That said, if you're dead-set against using plastics due to environmental concerns, stick to the towel. Important: Wash that towel as soon as possible. Like potato salad at a summer picnic, leaving mayo residue to fend for itself amid your other laundry could produce some seriously bad smells in a short amount of time.
Finish the Job
Rinse out the mayo with a nourishing shampoo. Castile shampoo is particularly gentle, and since you purchased cheap mayo, you can afford to pay a little more for a good shampoo at your favorite bath and body or health-food store. If you use a conditioner, check the label before pouring it on. Many conditioner formulations include alcohol, which could undo the therapeutic benefits of the mayo; so no pouring until you've scoured the conditioner's ingredients.
