Banana-Avocado Hair Mask!

I was in the mood to experiment with a shampoothie or hair mask. So I decided to try this one out since I had spotted it a few days ago during a random Google search for DIY skin/hair stuff that involved simple recipes and fruity goodness! I've been Shampoo free for almost 6 months now and I'm loving it. My scalp does tend to get a bit dry so I figured the avo would help with that.

First things first! Gather your ingredients! A Nice ripe spotty banana, organic preferably. You could also use a banana that is slightly off or overripe. A quarter avocado, don't use more than this or else your hair will have a oily look to it. I also used about a teaspoon Almond oil, which is an extra to ad if you have it, but if you don't, no need to purchase.

Bland away! Alternatively you can use a fork to mush it all up, only you'll probably have chunks and it may be harder to rinse out afterwards.

Green mushy goodness!

Apply all over. 

This is an optional step. I wrapped my hair in a plastic grocery bag to seal in heat so that the mask penetrates deeply into the hair. It's a great way to recycle, seems like there's always one around even though our household uses the reusable ones for actual groceries...

Don't forget to clean up your mess! Although the reaction to this one might be hilarious. Hahahaha!

Make sure that you rinse it all out very well after 10-15 minutes.

Results!

My hair was too shiny for the camera! Pictures kept coming out with blurry/shiny areas. This mask was great, gave me awesome volume and brought out my natural curl. I would definitely go without the almond oil next time though, too much fat cause me to have to tie up my hair the next day. But it was uber soft and just felt great! (Notice my lovely gradation of color in the pictures, growing out hair takes some commitment). With all the cold wind outside and dryness caused by central heating, my hair really welcomed this mask and I would definitely do it again! It also helped tons with my dry scalp issue, it feels much softer and less itchy. :) 

Avocado Bliss

Well now that was a much too long break from blogging. I really must make it a priority that it doesn't happen again!

Last week, I experimented a bit with the many uses of avocado. Not only is a delicious fruit, it packs some pretty powerful properties that help skin and hair look and feel amazing. In the past, I've used creams and masks and special oils, etc to make my hair look vibrant and beautiful as well as oh-so soft to the touch. I've used harsh shampoos and "conditionners" to maintain that look and keep it clean. I've now been 4 weeks without the use of any shampoo or product in my hair other than organic cold-pressed extra-virgin coconut oil and the occasional argan oil application. I'll write more about my experience with that in another post (soon :) ) Noww I want to share with you the experience I had with an avocado and lemon hair mask.

The process is extremely simple, if a little messy. But hey, that makes it fun :P I simply mashed (way tooo much) avo with a generous squeeze of lemon juice and a generous splash of water. The exact amount doesnt really matter, go by feel and also with the length and thickness of your hair, just don't use a ton of avo, you shouldnt need more than half of one. I then wrapped my hair in a plastic bag (yay re-using) and then in a towel, the first to retain moisture and the second to keep it warm. Then I sat out in the sun for about 20-25 min. Off to the showet to rinse annnnnnnd I wasnt sure about the results. My hair was absolutely softer and shinier, but still felt greasy. So I think that a second rinse (or if you use shampoo it should be fine from the first wash) was needed and after I did so, my hair felt amazing. Softer than any expensive chemical filled treatment I had ever used before as well.


Next up in this line of experimentation will be a papaya mask, on both hair and face. Mmmmm papaya is one of my all time favorite fruit!

I think the best thing to be taken from this is that 1. avo is awesome. and 2. There is NO need to spend a ton of money on treatments and products with extract of this or that. Simply use the sources of these and you'll get much better results, and your wallet, your skin/hair/body and the planet will love you for it. :)