Whether onion juice causes you to tear up when you start chopping onions or you leave that weepy work to others, onions are a staple of peoples’ diets worldwide.
For as common as they may be in your kitchen, however, there’s a chance that onion juice could be foreign to your hair care regimen.
While the usage of onions on plates and in salad bowls is secure, should you really rub onion juice into your hair and scalp, and if so, what can you expect from this many-layered vegetable?
In this article, we discuss how to use onion juice for hair growth, hair loss, hair thinning, regrowth, dryness, dandruff, and many other benefits.
Table of Contents
Onion Juice for Hair Growth without the Smell
Here are the steps to make and use onion juice for hair growth:
- Chop up two medium-sized red onions or one large red onion.
- Add the chopped onions into a blender and puree. You can add water, but it's not necessary.
- Strain the mixture through a nut milk bag or pantyhose to extract the juice.
- Transfer the juice into a squeeze bottle for easy application.
- Apply the onion juice to your scalp using the squeeze bottle to saturate your whole scalp.
- Massage the onion juice into your scalp, and let it sit for about 30 minutes.
- Wash the juice off. You can use a do-it-yourself ayurvedic herbal shampoo recipe.
- Use this onion juice treatment at least twice a week for a few months to see results.
Leave the treatment in your hair for at least half an hour and then wash it out. You can also combine onion juice with different oils, such as coconut or tea tree oil, and other ingredients, like fenugreek paste, flaxseed gel, or raw honey.
Josefina Cruz, who goes by Naturally Fina, used onion juice in this video to grow her hair naturally. She prepares onion juice and applies it on her scalp every day for 30 days. In the video, she shares all the details about how she prepared and used it.
After 30 days, Josefina measures her hair length again and discovers that her hair grew significantly by using onion juice every day. She also shows the before and after results of her hair growth. Overall, she is happy with the results and recommends onion juice as an effective remedy for hair growth.
How to Use Onion Juice for Hair Growth
One of the most important things to consider when using onion juice as a hair care product should also be one of its most obvious drawbacks – the smell. Unless you feel like having your hair smell like onions all day, you’ll need to mask the smell by mixing it with other hair care substances.
Onion oil is one of those substances that works best when it is applied repeatedly throughout the week. Ideally, you should apply it three to four times per week.
Take care to mask its odor with something such as apple cider vinegar or lemon juice, which can also lend your hair and scalp some soothing properties as well as a much more pleasing aroma.
DIY Onion Juice Remedies
There are countless recipes on YouTube from ladies with various hair types combing ginger and onion juice, egg and onion juice, olive oil, and other DIY onion treatments.
One of our favorite recipes combines three tablespoons of onion juice with two tablespoons of lemon juice or the carrier oil of your choice (like coconut oil).
Then you apply the natural remedy to your hair and scalp to promote hair growth. Leave it in before rinsing it out. To make sure the onion juice smell is gone, rinse it out with a mild shampoo.
What Are the Benefits of Onion Juice for Hair?
Onion juice has many benefits for hair, including protection against free radicals, hair growth, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, reduction in gray hair, adding shine, and adding moisture.
These benefits are due to vitamins, antioxidants, and other compounds in onion juice. In the following sections, we will explore these benefits in more detail and discuss how onion juice can be used for hair care.
1. Protection against Free Radicals
One more wonderful thing about vitamin C is that it can help guard against free radicals, which are unstable molecules that, when triggered, can cause your skin and hair to age prematurely.
Free radicals can be triggered by a variety of causes, including UV rays and cigarette smoke. Vitamin C is rich in antioxidants, which can stop free radicals in their tracks.
2. Boost Hair Growth
As mentioned, onions have vitamin B, which boosts red cell production. This is good news for your scalp, as boosting red blood cell production and circulation around the roots of your hair follicles can help encourage hair growth (or hair regrowth).
Even if it isn’t the be-all and end-all of this process, every little bit helps. As mentioned in the next section, onion juice can even help regrow hair after certain bacterial infections.
3. Antibacterial Properties for Your Scalp
One of the biggest threats to your scalp’s integrity is bacterial infections. If your scalp becomes too oily or dirty, bacteria can start to make themselves at home.
Once that occurs, the integrity of your hair is in danger. Thankfully, there is a host of evidence demonstrating that onion juice is an effective antibacterial agent.
A 2018 study in the Journal of Food and Drug Analysis found that onions can combat several pernicious bacteria strains, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli (E. coli), and Staphylococcus aureus.
Another 2010 study published in the Journal of Ayub Medical College found that they can combat Vibrio cholerae, another type of bacteria that is especially prevalent throughout the developing world.
Rubbing some onion juice into your scalp can give you a vital layer of protection against bacterial and other microbial infections. In fact, a study from 2002 specifically covering onion juice’s use in this way demonstrates how and why it can be so helpful.
In the study, onion juice was used against alopecia areata. This bacterial infection can cause quarter-sized holes to appear in your hair, leaving you with a distinctly unsettling “Swiss cheese” look.
In the study, those using onion juice experienced some hair growth on areas of their scalp affected by alopecia areata. It can also serve as an antifungal and anti-acne treatment for your scalp.
4. Anti-Inflammatory Properties for Your Scalp
One of the biggest existential threats to your hair is your scalp becoming inflamed. You cannot have a healthy head of hair if the scalp in which your hair’s roots are embedded is reddened and ravished by inflammation.
When your scalp is inflamed, it can start to become dry and scaly, which in turn can impact your hair follicles. You naturally want that to happen, which is why it’s so important to treat your scalp with anti-inflammatory substances.
Thankfully, onions are a natural anti-inflammatory. The quercetin in onion juice can inhibit histamines, leukotrienes, and prostaglandins, all of which can cause inflammation in those suffering from osteoarthritis.
Another study conducted in 2012 and published in the African Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology tested these anti-inflammatory claims on rats.
5. Reduce Gray Hair
No substance can turn gray hairs their former color again, in large part because greying is genetic.
That said, there is evidence suggesting that onion juice may slow the process, in part because of the antioxidants that can help prevent free radicals from making you go gray early.
6. Adds Shine to Your Hair
As important as it is to take care of your hair and fight bacterial infections and soothe inflammation, and all that jazz, you also want to jazz up your hair, and adding shine is a great way to do that. Thankfully, onion juice can help make your hair shinier.
7. Onion Adds Moisture
Granted, “moisture” may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of an onion. That being said, onion juice can indeed help your hair retain moisture.
Strange as it may seem, it can help take care of dry and scraggly hair and leave you with silkier, softer locks.
Does Onion Juice Really Work?
Onion juice has been shown to have potential benefits for skin, hair, and overall health due to its rich nutrient profile. Onions are especially rich in vitamin C, which is important for collagen production, making them great for maintaining healthy skin and hair.
They also contain vitamin B, which can boost red blood cell production and potassium. Onions are also rich in anti-inflammatory properties due to the flavonoid antioxidant quercetin, which can help manage high blood pressure, protect against blood clots, and reduce cholesterol levels.
While more research is needed, some evidence suggests that consuming vegetables, including onions, can lower your risk of cancer. Incorporating onions into your diet and using onion juice for skin and hair care may offer potential benefits.
How Often Should I Use Onion Juice for Hair Growth?
Onion juice is a popular home remedy for hair growth due to its high sulfur content. However, it is important to use onion juice in moderation to avoid any adverse effects. Use once or twice a week and leave the onion juice on the scalp for at least 30 minutes before washing it off with a mild shampoo.
What Can I Mix With Onion Juice for Hair Growth?
Onion juice can be mixed with a variety of natural ingredients to enhance its hair growth benefits like Honey (a natural humectant) and Coconut oil (rich in fatty acids) which nourish and strengthen your hair. You can also use Aloe vera for its moisturizing and anti-inflammatory properties and yogurt that's rich in protein which strengthens your hair and prevents breakage.
Which Onion Juice Is Good for Hair Growth?
Red onion juice is the most effective for hair growth due to its high sulfur content. Sulfur is an essential mineral for hair growth. To prepare onion juice for hair growth, simply peel and chop a red onion, blend it in a food processor, and strain the juice using a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth.
How Can I Use Onion Juice for Hair Growth?
To use onion juice for hair growth, apply the juice directly to the scalp using a cotton ball or applicator brush. Gently massage the scalp with your fingers to ensure that the onion juice is evenly distributed. Leave it for at least 30 minutes before washing it with a mild shampoo. Repeat once or twice a week for best results.
How Can I Use Aloe Vera and Onion Juice and Coconut Oil for Hair Growth?
You can mix these three ingredients and use them once or twice a week to promote hair growth. Aloe vera has moisturizing and anti-inflammatory properties that can help to soothe the scalp, and onion juice is rich in sulfur, which strengthens hair follicles. Coconut oil is rich in fatty acids, making it a great addition to this hair growth mixture.
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Onion juice can be a tricky hair care product. On the one hand, you probably don’t want to go around smelling like onions. This is why it is essential to make sure you don’t drown your scalp in onion juice or use it without a masking agent with a stronger, more pleasant scent.
On the other hand, there is no denying that there are definite upsides to incorporating onion juice into your hair care regimen. It is a fantastic natural antibacterial, antifungal, and antimicrobial agent.
Also, the vitamin C contained in onions can be of great help in combating free radicals, thereby helping you keep your hair looking younger longer.
Throw in some potential for hair growth, and it’s no wonder why more people believe onion juice is a vital ingredient for hair care.
