Can You Put Lotion In Your Hair? The Benefits and Risks

If your hair is often dry, but you do not have any hair moisturizer on hand, you have definitely thought about other choices. Body lotion is one of them.

This lotion is a product that can help hydrate and nourish the skin, but how well will the body lotion work on your hair?

In this article, we will answer that question and provide you with a lot of relevant information about this topic.

Can You Put Body Lotion in Your Hair?

If you want to moisturize your brittle, dry hair, using body lotion for your hair is not a good idea, regardless of the type of lotion or your hair type.

Although the components are relatively similar, hair lotions contain particular substances in a form appropriate for the hair rather than the skin.

Specifically, no or very little oil is present in hair lotion. Hair lotion contains less oil than body lotion and does not leave you greasy. Too much oil will leave your hair oily, and lotion will do the same.

So, only if your hair type is dry, you can use body lotion as an alternative.

Using a body lotion as a hair care product is not advisable

Can You Use Hand Lotion On Your Hair?

Some people believe that hand lotion might be a safe cosmetic substitute for hair lotion to achieve tamer, sleeker, and even better-smelling hair. It is because hand lotions are pretty similar to leave-in conditioners.

Although both hand lotions and leave-in conditioners are emulsions made up of water, long-chain alcohols, and dimethicones, the two products serve different purposes.

Leave-in conditioners are typically lighter in weight than hand lotions and include film formers, which enable them to seal in hydration and create shine over time.

Lotion, though hydrating, will likely offer moisture but certainly, reduce the follicles or create a greasy residue.

Besides, polyquats are commonly found in leave-in conditioners, which are not commonly found in lotions and offer non-greasy styling and conditioning aid to your hair.

For these reasons, using hand lotion instead of hair lotion should only be a short-term fix since it provides less benefit than harm.

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Can You Put Baby Lotion In Your Hair?

We do not recommend applying any kind of lotion on your hair if it is not specifically designed for hair care. And the baby lotion is no different.

You should not use baby lotion on your hair because the purpose of baby lotion is not to care for your hair.

Even putting baby lotion on children’s hair is not recommended because it will lead them to get sticky.

What Happens If You Put Body Lotion In Your Hair Instead Of Hair Lotion?

As previously said, body lotions are meant to provide your body with what you want. Nobody likes a hairy body; thus, body lotion is unlikely to meet your hair’s needs.

Furthermore, using body lotion on your hair will lead to hair damage.

Hair greasing

Body lotions contain more hydrating components than hair lotions because they are designed specifically for the skin. If such materials are applied to the hair roots, they cause the hair to become oily.

Irritation

Several lotions include artificial fragrances that might irritate the scalp. Some manufacturers also utilize artificial scents to hide the odor of potentially dangerous chemicals.

Hair color greying

The aromatic ingredients in body lotions benefit the skin, but when they come into contact with hair, they may cause hair discoloration.

Hair breakage

Some silicones, specifically non-water-soluble silicones, must be avoided by anyone with natural hair. The issue with these silicones is that they are challenging to remove and readily form a film on your hair.

This makes it more challenging to nourish your hair, which can contribute to hair weakening and breakage.

Using lotion in your hair may cause hair breakage

Excessive hair loss

Prolonged application of body lotion to hair may cause strands to weaken and eventually break, resulting in severe hair fall.

Additionally, poor nutritional supply to the hair may cause inadequate nutrition, and improper formula can damage the hair structure, which will both result in hair loss.

For these reasons, avoid using it in a daily routine, or you will be removing more hair than you expect.

What Are Some Lotion Alternatives To A Hair Lotion?

It is obvious that body and hand lotions are not the best options for your hair. Rather, you should consider the following alternatives:

Water

You’d be surprised to know that if you have frizzy hair, you can smooth it out using water and your fingertips.

This is especially effective if you have moisturizer or gel in your hair since the water will work to reactivate the substance.

If your hair is feeling dry, spray it with water to moisten it until you get your hands on some hydrating products.

Olive oil

The primary chemical constituents of olive oil are palmitic acid, oleic acid, and squalene. These are all emollients, which indicates they soften the skin.

Olive oil can strengthen and soften your hair by permeating the hair shaft and retaining moisture. The shine attributed to olive oil may be similar to the oil that softens your hair’s outer cuticle.

To give moisture to your thirsty strands, spray the hair with water, distribute the oil into your palms, rub them together, and then put the oil on the hair. The oil will add moisture to your hair.

Aloe vera gel

It is high in proteins and vitamins, which are essential for healthy hair growth. Fresh aloe vera gel can aid in the retention of moisture in the hair roots. Hence, it can help condition your hair, restore damage, and nourish it from within.

What you need to do is to take two teaspoons of fresh aloe vera gel, rub it between your palms, and gently massage it into your scalp and hair tips.

Next, leave it on for 30 minutes to an hour, then rinse your hair.

If you want more detailed instructions on how to use aloe vera in your hair, this video is for you:

How To Properly Apply Lotion To Hair?

If you must use lotion on your hair, you should know some tips to apply it correctly. This will assist you in avoiding creating new problems rather than solutions.

First, only use a very small amount of lotion, regardless of the type. The amount should be around the size of a pea and properly dabbed on the dehydrated region. Each affected area of the scalp is given its pea-sized amount of lotion.
Begin softly brushing your hair upwards and away from your face. After that, start applying it in small parts throughout your hair. Then, fluff out the ends of your hair using your fingers.
After applying the lotion, lightly massage it in circular motions before putting on the cap and leaving it on overnight.
A shower and/or sleeping cap may prevent stains or product dispersion if you leave it overnight.
In the morning, rinse the lotion out of your hair using the same method you use for shampoo and conditioner. If your scalp remains a little dry, you might try applying a little extra the following time.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know if I should use a hair moisturizer?

If you have dry, frizzy, or greasy hair in the winter, they are some warning signals to apply moisturizer. Below are some situations telling you that you need to moisturize your hair:

Your hair has become extremely dry and unruly

Obviously, if your frontal hair feels like a straw when you touch it, you need a deep hydrating treatment.

If you observe that your hair is breaking a lot, try a leave-in treatment to help seal the ends.

A decent leave-in hair lotion or conditioner will provide the nutrients your hair requires to be strong, lustrous, and silky. You may also apply your favorite hair balm.

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Your scalp is really flaky

One of the main causes of frizzy and dry hair is an itchy scalp. A good moisturizer should assist you in getting rid of your flakes.

However, avoid using a lot of beauty products on your scalp since this might cause your hair to look greasy.

Your ends begin to split

A good moisturizer will aid in the restoration of broken ends. It will prevent them from seeming greasy or nasty.

You need to moisturize your hair if noticing split ends

Your hair is oily

If your hair becomes quite oily, employ a hydrating treatment. The method aids in the reduction of excess oils produced by your scalp.

So, use a leave-in conditioner to seal the ends and keep them from becoming overly oily.

Your hair is frequently breaking

If you have a lot of hair breakage, it could be due to a lack of iron. Then, to help repair damaged hair, apply a moisturizing treatment and a leave-in conditioner.

Can I use body lotion as a hair conditioner?

We do not suggest using body lotion as a substitute for hair conditioners, despite the fact that the ingredients are fairly similar.

The first reason is that cationic quaternary compounds, which are particular conditioning agents, are found in far higher concentrations in conditioners than in lotion

Second, the conditioner is positively charged, which is beneficial to the hair. Whereas, body or hand lotion may or may not be.

Third, since hair is more acidic than the skin, hair conditioner is usually more acidic than lotion.

Following that, the conditioner has no or very little oil. Indeed, oil simply makes your hair oily, which lotion will also do.

So, unless you can find a hair conditioner, the best answer is to refrain from shampooing until you do.

Can you put body/hand lotion in your hair to treat dandruff?

Using these kinds of lotions to treat both dry scalp and dandruff is not recommended since they are not designed to be used on your hair.

Instead, hair lotion, especially anti-dandruff lotion, is an excellent moisturizer for dry, flaky scalps.

The anti-dandruff lotion contains dandruff-controlling active ingredients that keep dandruff at bay. Not to mention that it eliminates dandruff without drying out the scalp.

However, bear in mind that not all lotions are the same. Some are too thick for the scalp, leaving your hair highly oily, while others are too light, leaving dry scalp treatment ineffectual.

Final Words

You now know that unless you have no other option, you should not use body lotion as a hair care product. If you still want to go with lotion, use as little as possible since too much lotion will almost certainly cause hair problems. However, for the best effects, we still recommend that you use hair lotion, olive oil, or aloe vera gel instead.