PLUS
I just made the best hair mask ever! My locks get seriously dry in the summer (moreso because I’m a swimming fiend, in and out of salt water, pools, lakes– basically anything deeper than my knees qualifies for swimming in) and my usual extra-strength conditioner is not doing the trick at all.
I had half an old avocado browning away in the fridge and instead of composting it, I scraped it into a bowl, added about a tablespoon of honey and mushed it all up together. I left it on my hair for about a half an hour (while I was blogging away) and rinsed it off in the shower, shampooed, and conditioned as usual. Warning: you may have to pick avocado out of the drain unless you have smoothified it in the mixing step.
My hair is so happy! Way softer, smoother, and generally feeling all happy and not-so-parched. So easy, cheap, and since I used an organic avocado, pretty darn Earth-friendly.
Great idea and earth friendly too. Have an old bottle/can of beer? Its great to use as a rinse after shampoo. Leaves your hair very shiny and silky. Just make sure to rinse well or it may leave a smell, especially in hot humid weather. Unless you like smelling like a drunk. LOL
07/03/07 » 1:50 pm »
I thought this was a great idea, and as I too had an avocado past the point of yumminess. I thought I’d give try it out this morning with the honey as mentioned. For some reason it did the complete opposite for me! My hair became very dry and tangled and an absolute mess! I had to wash it and condition it repeatedly to get it back to how it was before this ordeal. It still felt nasty even after applying a leave in conditioner. So I used a masque with a deep shine treatment I use every so often and now it’s finally feeling silky. Strange stuff.
07/09/07 » 5:07 am »
Hey Julie,
Sorry to hear about your “drying” experience! You know, I’ve had the same problem with henna…it’s supposed to be really conditioning, especially if you add olive oil to it (which I have) but every time I’ve used it, my hair has gotten extremely dried out and tangled and it takes a lot of conditioner to get it back to normal. I guess the moral of the story is that different types of hair probably need different conditioners (natural or no).
What type of hair do you have Julie? I have a lot of fine-to-medium thick, very curly, long locks that have been colored a lot. If you find a natural conditioning treatment that works for you, let us know!
07/09/07 » 9:13 am »
I haven’t tried Henna. My hair is pretty straight, a lot of hair that is thin to medium coarse and long. Over the last few months I’ve been trying to replace a lot of my household cleaning and beauty products to more natural animal friendly products which is why that avocado recipe caught my eye. For day to day shampoo and conditioner I’ve had a lot of success with Giovanni products. I tried using Nature’s Gate for awhile but found it made my hair a bit greasy. I have yet to find a good natural deep conditioner treatment but I think I’ll see if Giovanni makes one next time I’m at my natural food market.
I love your blog by the way! Great reading!
07/09/07 » 11:30 pm »
skincarenaturals.com » Blog Archive » Eco Chic
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08/09/07 » 5:30 am »
This sounds great. Now I know what to do next time I have an avocado to spare….thanks for sharing.
Marie
08/09/07 » 8:35 am »
Seriously sweet site, mind you, this makes for a good facial mask too.
08/21/08 » 1:59 pm »
Hey Starre,
Jaya here …remember me?…use to be at E a while back. Simply love what you do!!!
Anyway, I wanted to comment on henna conditioning. Since I’m from India, we do this a LOT…and the one thing people skip out when talking about this conditioner is what else to add to it. Typically, I mix the henna powder with water from beetroot(yes! not plain water- boil 1-2 beets in water, let water cool completely and use this water as a base for your paste) and 1 tablespoon of coffee powder, then I let this sit for a few hours. When I’m ready to apply it(on dry hair), I add 1 egg and mix it in.The beet water, enhances the henna color and hence it helps not only condition but also color your hair at the same time. Egg can be optional but its a terrific conditioner. Sure it stinks but henna is so overpowering, so its a weird mix. Anyway, put this mixture on your hair -let it dry, I keep it for 3-4 hours and then just rinse it out. No shampoo at all. Once your hair is dry, it will feel pretty rough, but that’s ok, now take any hair oil you prefer and massage it into your hair and roots. Keep this overnight if possible and next day shampoo and condition as usual.You will see the difference. As for the smell, it will disappear, slowly:)….Hope this helps. I’m thinking of other beauty secrets mum shared with me while I was in India. As and when I remember, I’ll post!…
08/23/08 » 3:53 pm »