How To Remove Egg Smell From Hair

Tuesday, March 24, 2020, 18:23

For most ladies, hair is almost like a prized possession. It reflects so much about you. Women cut and colour their hair to suit the current phase of their lives. And so, we also ensure that our hair stays healthy. In your search for natural ways to make your hair bouncy, shiny and voluminous, many of you might have come across egg hair packs.

Eggs are a dose of nourishment for the hair. They contain proteins that enrich the hair, stimulates hair follicles to boost hair growth and prevent hair fall [1]. An egg hair pack, therefore, is a great way to tackle many of our hair woes like hairfall, hair breakage and thin hair. Unfortunately, using an egg hair pack also means struggling with the nasty egg smell.

Bad smelling hair makes you conscious. It can be embarrassing and may lead you to avoid public places or meeting your friends. So, before it makes your life difficult, why not try some remedies to get rid of it. You will be surprised to know how many of the natural ingredients available in your kitchen can help you to remove egg smell from hair. Before we move on to the remedies, let's learn what causes your hair to smell.

Why Does Your Hair Smell Like Eggs?

While using an egg hair pack may seem like the obvious reason for your hair smelling like eggs, it is not always the case. Sometimes, your hair can smell like eggs without using an egg hair mask. And that confuses us. You might use different ways and products to mask this smell and ignore the reason. But it is important to know the reason behind the smell to actually tackle this issue. If you have not used an egg hair mask, then why does your hair smell like eggs? Let's find out!

The moisture locked in your tresses can be the reason. A moist environment is a great place for bacteria to flourish and that can lead to that stinky odour. Tying your wet tresses can trap the moisture in, lead to bacterial infestation and cause your hair to smell bad, precisely like rotten eggs.
Your shampoo might be responsible. In few shampoos, especially anti-dandruff shampoos, we find a compound named selenium sulphide. This compound has antifungal properties that help cleanse the scalp. But it also has a residual Sulphur odour, which is the typical smell of rotten eggs. So, if you are using a shampoo with selenium sulphide as an ingredient, it might be the reason for your smelling hair.
The high concentration of sulfur in your bathing water can be the reason. Sulphur is the compound responsible for the pungent smell of rotten eggs. And washing your hair with water with high Sulphur can leave that smell in your tresses.
A medical reason. If you feel that your hair smells particularly bad as you sweat, there might be a medical condition responsible for it. It is better to go get an expert opinion of a doctor to know how exactly to tackle this issue.

How To Remove Egg Smell From Hair

1. Lemon juice

Lemon is a great antibacterial agent that also helps to cleanse your hair off that nasty smell. This is also a great remedy to get rid of dandruff and itchy scalp.[2]

Ingredients you need

2 lemons
1 cup of water

Method of use

In a bowl, squeeze and collect lemon juice.
Add this to the lemon juice and mix well.
Shampoo your hair and squeeze out the excess water.
Apply the lemon solution to your scalp and hair.
Leave it on for 15-20 minutes.
Rinse it off later.
Use this remedy once a week for the desired results.

2. Tomato juice

Tomato juice is a natural way to mask the stinky odour. The acidic nature of the tomato juice is quite effective in warding off the bacteria in your scalp and neutralising the odour.[3]

Ingredients you need

3-4 tbsp tomato juice

Method of use

Apply the tomato juice to your scalp and hair.
Leave it on for 15-20 minutes.
Rinse it off thoroughly later.
Use this remedy twice a week for the best results.

3. Cinnamon and honey

Both cinnamon and honey have great antibacterial properties that help to cleanse your scalp and get rid of that foul odour.[4] This mixture is also helpful in removing all the build-up from the scalp and boost hair growth.

Ingredients you need

1 cup hot water
½ tsp cinnamon powder
1 tsp honey

Method of use

In the cup of hot water, add cinnamon powder and give it a good stir.
Next, add honey to it and mix well.
Apply the mixture to your scalp and hair.
Leave it on for 45 minutes.
Rinse it off thoroughly before shampooing your hair.
Use this remedy once a week for best results.

4. Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar has powerful antibacterial properties to keep your scalp clean and get rid of any odour.[5] In fact, rinsing the hair with diluted apple cider vinegar is a one-stop solution to many of your hair issues.

Ingredients you need

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
4 tbsp water

Method of use

Dilute the apple cider vinegar by adding it to the water.
Shampoo your hair as usual.
Rinse your scalp and hair with the apple cider vinegar solution.
Leave it on for about a minute.
Lastly, give your hair a final rinse using normal water.
Use this remedy 1-2 times in a week for the best results.

5. Baking soda

Loaded with antibacterial properties, baking soda is a great and affordable way to nourish the scalp and neutralise the odour.[6]

Ingredients you need

1 tbsp baking soda
3 tbsp water

Method of use

In a bowl, take the baking soda.
Add water to it and mix well.
Dampen your tresses a bit.
Apply the mixture to your scalp and hair.
Leave it on for 5 minutes.
Rinse it off thoroughly later.
Use this remedy once a week for the best results.

6. Orange juice

Apart from getting rid of the nasty odour, orange juice is a great source of vitamin C that helps to prevent hair fall and improve hair health.[7]

Ingredients you need

Orange juice (as needed)

Method of use

Apply the orange juice on the scalp and hair.
Leave it on for about 5 minutes.
Rinse it off thoroughly later.
Use this remedy 1-2 times in a week for best results.

7. Leave-in conditioner

Leave-in conditioners have a beautiful and pleasant smell that can neutralise the obnoxious odour. It also helps to make your hair smooth and bouncy.

Ingredients you need

Shampoo
Leave-in conditioner

Method of use

Shampoo your hair as you would normally do.
Squeeze the extra water from your hair.
Apply the leave-in conditioner to your hair.
Let it sit on your hair for a couple of minutes before combing or styling the hair.
Use the conditioner for a few hair washes until you see the change.

How To Prevent Your Hair From Smelling Like Eggs

Healthy, fresh-smelling hair adds to our charm and boost our confidence. Hair that smells like eggs can dampen our mood and confidence. Luckily, with certain measures, you can get rid of this smell. But that doesn't mean you don't need to be precautious. While you use the above-mentioned methods to remove the foul smell from your hair, there are preventive measures to ascertain that your hair always smells the best. What you need here is patience and perseverance. While many of these remedies and preventive measures might work instantly, some of these need time to show results. So, give the method you choose enough time to give you results.

Let's now look at how you can prevent your hair from smelling like eggs.

If you ever use eggs on your scalp or hair, make sure to rinse it off thoroughly. The residue left on your scalp and hair might be the reason for the odour.
Whenever you apply any egg mask to your hair, make sure you rinse it off using cold water.
Do not apply the egg mask to your hair for more than 20 minutes. The longer you keep it in the hair, the more are the chances of your hair smelling.
Do not tie wet hair. The moist scalp is a breeding ground for bacteria that can make your hair smell. Let your hair dry completely before you style it.
Shampoo your hair thoroughly.
Make sure the water you wash your hair with is clean and does not smell.
If you have been using the same shampoo for a while now and are facing this issue, it is probably time to switch things up and change your shampoo. Go for an organic one with natural ingredients, if possible.
If the issue persists, consult a dermatologist.