Home Remedy for Dry Hair Using Avocado
The avocado is a wonderful, complete food full of nutrients: vitamins A, b-complex, C, E, H, and K; essential minerals; more potassium than a banana; folic acid; Omega fatty acids; and every essential amino acid. With all this nutrition packed into one fruit, it's not surprising that avocados can benefit the outside of your body as well as the inside. The vitamins and creamy oil of the avocado make a super-moisturizing hair treatment that will leave your locks silky and naturally repaired.
Preparation
With a sharp knife, slice open the avocado lengthwise. Remove the pit by sticking it with the knife and twisting it out (be careful of your hands), or scoop it out with a spoon. Squeeze or spoon the green, fleshy part of the avocado into a clean bowl. Mash with a fork. Avocados go brown and spoil very quickly, so don't cut open the avocado unless you plan on using it immediately.
Basic Masque
A plain, mashed avocado makes a wonderful hair masque, without any additions. Separate your hair into easily manageable sections. Using your hands, massage the avocado into your scalp and work down the length of your hair, concentrating especially on the drier ends. Cover hair with a plastic shower cap or a towel. Heat will help the masque to penetrate the hair; you can apply heat with a hair drier for up to 20 minutes, or sit in the sun for an hour. If you're not using heat, leave the masque on for as long as possible before rinsing in the shower.
Avocado, Olive Oil, & Egg
Mix the mashed flesh of an avocado with one egg yolk and a small amount of olive oil (try 1/2 tsp. for normal hair, and increase to 1 tbsp. for damaged hair). Apply to hair just as in the basic masque, wrap in a shower cap or towel, apply heat, and leave on for 20 to 30 minutes. In the shower, you'll need to use shampoo to get the olive oil completely washed out. Follow with your regular conditioner.
Other Additions
Create a different hair masque by adding one or more of these hydrating ingredients to your mashed avocado mixture: plain yogurt, a different oil (try almond, jojoba, or coconut), honey, mashed banana, lemon or lime juice, and aloe gel.
Avocado Oil Deep Conditioner
For extra-powerful conditioning, especially useful if your hair is fried, pick up a bottle of cold-pressed avocado oil at the grocery store. Warm the oil between your hands and massage into scalp. Then rub oil down the length of your entire head of hair (again, concentrate on the ends). Put your hair in a ponytail, towel, or shower cap, and leave on as long as possible -- if you don't have to leave the house, keep the oil on all day! This deep conditioning treatment will leave your hair incredibly soft and shiny when you shampoo it out.
Benefits
The proteins, vitamins, and natural oil in the avocado will soften and moisturize your hair, while adding nutrients and repairing old damage. Hair will be hydrated, shiny, and more elastic.
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