The onion has been used for centuries to treat headaches, coughs, and snaks, and is now being recognised as a beauty product, according to beautician Alice Robinson.
The Test: For thinning hair, make an onion hair masque by combining one onion juice with 2tsp of honey and leaving it overnight. Use twice or three times a week.
Alice’s Verdict: ‘My hair is thinning a little but I’m not sure I’d opt for this as a solution. I don’t even need to spell out how anti-social wearing eau d’onion juice is. Add in sticky honey and it’s completely off-putting. I dutifully apply the foul mixture, wrap my head in a towel, and try to sleep as best I can.
Onions have been the subject of dermatological interest for many years, as it has been suggested they have both anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory effects. A recent survey showed that onion juice had some effect on reducing skin scarring following caesareans, and further studies have suggested it may help with scar healing in both adults and children.
Alice’s Verdict: Extracting onion juice can be challenging, especially without a juicer. Despite tears streaming down my cheeks, I grated two onions and pressed them through a sieve into a bowl. The resulting paste smelt like bread dough and took ten minutes to make. I dabbed it all over my face, trying to breathe as little as possible.
It feels cool and pleasant, but I’ve been really glad to remove a face mask, which comes off in large gooey chunks. After scraping off the final bits, my skin feels nice and smooth, and it doesn’t smell like onions.
