Cardi B Credits Boiled Onion Water for Her Healthy Hair

“It’s been giving a shine to my hair.”

cardi b hair
(Image credit: Rich Fury/Getty)

If you’ve been following Cardi B’s “healthy hair journey” for the past few years, you’re well aware that she’s a big DIY-er. She’ll whip up hair masks for daughter Kulture, use at-home conditioners to enhance her curl pattern, and, apparently, wash her hair with boiled onion water. Now before you start scratching your head about the boiled onion of it all, hear the “W.A.P.” singer out. 

“My last two washes I been boiling onions and using the water to wash my hair. I used to do this six years ago when I started my healthy hair growth journey,” she captioned an Instagram post this past weekend. “I stopped cause I got really lazy. It's odorless and I notice that it’s been giving a shine to my hair.” Doubt the onion water technique as you may, but the proof is in the picture. Cardi’s hair is seriously shiny—and super healthy. 

And as it turns out, there’s actually science to back up the at-home onion solution. “When used regularly, onion paste or juice will not only nourish the hair, it will also create a natural shine for the hair,” explains trichologist and hairstylist Gregorio Ruggeri. “Onions are natural and powerful antioxidants that can also battle premature greying of hair.” While the benefits are hard to deny, Ruggeri adds that this DIY concoction isn’t for everyone–onion water can irritate a sensitive scalp. 

With so many DIY hair solutions, Cardi’s fans have been calling for her to launch her own haircare brand. “DROP A HAIR LINE SIS! The growth is crazy,” one follower wrote, while another said, “Go ahead and drop a haircare line Cardi! Or a hair book or something! The results are thereeeee.” While the singer has yet to make any formal announcement in regards to a haircare line, our fingers are crossed and our hair is hopeful. 

Samantha Holender
Beauty Editor

Samantha Holender is the Beauty Editor at Marie Claire, where she reports on the best new launches, dives into the science behind skincare, and shares the breakdown on the latest and greatest trends in the beauty space. She's studied up on every ingredient you'll find on INCI list and is constantly in search of the world's glowiest makeup products. Prior to joining the team, she worked as Us Weekly’s Beauty and Style Editor, where she stayed on the pulse of pop culture and broke down celebrity beauty routines, hair transformations, and red carpet looks. Her words have also appeared on Popsugar, Makeup.com, Skincare.com, Delish.com, and Philadelphia Wedding. Samantha also serves as a board member for the American Society of Magazine Editors (ASME). She first joined the organization in 2018, when she worked as an editorial intern at Food Network Magazine and Pioneer Woman Magazine. Samantha has a degree in Journalism and Mass Communications from The George Washington University’s School of Media and Public Affairs. While at GWU, she was a founding member of the school’s HerCampus chapter and served as its President for four years. When she’s not deep in the beauty closet or swatching eyeshadows, you can find her obsessing over Real Housewives and all things Bravo. Keep up with her on Instagram @samholender.