Ketchup in Your Hair: The Cheap and Effective Trick to Save Your Hair This Summer

Saltwater and chlorine are major enemies of hair, but this simple home remedy is a surprising solution.

There's no shortage of home remedies for achieving enviable hair. Some people use onion water to make their hair shinier, others apply mayonnaise for hydration, and some use a mixture of milk and honey to strengthen and speed up hair growth.

But the world of social media is constantly bringing up new hair care tricks. The latest trend? Applying a generous amount of ketchup to your hair to mitigate the damage they endure during summer.

On vacation, we tend to keep our hair tied up for longer periods, exposing it to the sun, saltwater, or chlorine from the pool. This combination can lead to a bleaching effect, especially on lighter hair.

Since professional solutions can be expensive, many people turn to home methods to protect and restore their hair, particularly to prevent blonde highlights from turning green.

Brazilian influencer Karoline Lima was one of the public figures who shared on social media a trick to help restore hair color after a dip in the pool. "I have to confess something. Yesterday, I did something that we blondes shouldn't do, I dove into the pool headfirst and got all my hair wet. First of all, it has such a wonderful texture that it's a shame. Secondly, it turned green," she says in her video.

She then revealed her secret: applying ketchup to her hair and letting it sit for 20 minutes. The sauce acts as a temporary tonic thanks to its red pigment, which effectively neutralizes unwanted tones. This is because the red color helps to counteract the green.

In addition to tomatoes, ketchup contains lycopene, an organic compound that gives it its intense red color and antioxidant effect. The composition also includes acetic acid, which, due to its acidic pH, further contributes to this effect.

The process is quite simple: just apply a generous amount of ketchup to the affected areas and let it sit for 10 to 20 minutes. This is enough time for the red pigments in the product to work on the green color. Finally, it's essential to wash your hair with shampoo and conditioner to remove any residue.