Hair's the Scoop

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Five basic household products that can fix everything from flyaways to grays:

Dryer Sheets
Tame frizzy hair and flyaways with a sheet of your favorite fabric softener. The conditioning ingredients in the product will calm your locks and give them a nice sheen.

Expired Sunscreen
Though expired sunscreen can no longer protect against UV rays, it does make for a surprisingly smooth shave.

Permanent Pen
Find your first few grays? Resist the urge to pluck, and simply shade each individual strand with a Sharpie closest to your hair color. It's quick and easy, and won't rub off.

Toothbrush
Spritz hairspray on a (clean) toothbrush and use it to groom your brows, tame flyaways, and lift your roots. You can use this versatile little tool to apply baby powder (as dry shampoo) and eyeshadow (as root-concealer), too.

Aspirin
Have a few flakes on your shoulder? Aspirin can help. Its main (active) ingredient is acetylsalicylic acid, which is also found in over-the-counter dandruff shampoos. Simply crush two tablets and mix the powder with shampoo, apply and let sit for 2 minutes, then rinse thoroughly.

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I’ve tried a lot of random and wacky hair care tips/tricks over the years, with some failing miserably (at the worst possible times, of course) and others becoming my go-to solutions for everything from grey hair to

fighting frizz.

Below are a few of my favorites:

3-Ways to Banish Grease

If you need to transform unwashed hair into a fresh new do, you can A) Spray a light hold hairspray all-over then brush through or blow-out (The alcohol content in the product will help lift your roots and reduce any oily residue); B) Dust a little baby powder onto your scalp, pause, then shake it out of your hair and brush through (The powder particles will help lift excess oil and take it with as the product is removed); C) Use a facial blotting tissue on your scalp to freshen up and cut the grease.

Powder Your Roots
When a trip to the salon isn’t in your cards, but a major event is, just powder your roots with an eye shadow in the shade closest to your colored hair. This will help blend the two tones, so your regrowth will be less visible. Goodbye hair-scare!

Dark Hair, Grey Strays? Stock-Up on Sharpies
If you have the odd stray grey and don’t have time to color your hair, skip the messy mascara and powders, and paint your strands back to your ‘natural’ color with a permanent marker in a shade closest to yours. Why not just pluck it? Five more won’t come to its funeral (contrary to popular belief), but when that one hair does grows back it’ll be sticking out and much more obvious than when it’s longer and able to lay flat against your head.

Lighten Your Locks with Chamomile Tea

Crave sun-kissed highlights? Brew a strong cup of chamomile tea, allow it to cool, and then comb the liquid through your hair. Afterwards, sit under the sun (with SPF of course) instead of a hot salon-style heating lamp.

Fight Frizzy Hair with Fabric Softener Sheets

Tame frizzy hair and fly-aways with a sheet of your favorite fabric softener. The conditioning ingredients in the product will calm your hair and give it a nice sheen.

Use Your Favorite Body Oil as Shine Serum
Lightweight body oils, hand creams, and body lotions can instantly texturize your hair and amplify shine. Just be sure to apply sparingly, and focus on the lower-half of your locks.

Bathe Your Hair in Beer
Give your hair a boost (and a buzz) in body and shine by rinsing it with beer. The (unnoticeable) residue also acts as a natural setting lotion, so your locks will be more manageable as well. No worries, there’s no such thing as a hair hangover.

Have any of your own over-the-top tips/techniques that work? Please share!