Getting the Most out of your Avocado and Banana Hair Masks.

I've had a few customers come in to get their hair done - when asked if they'd like to wash and condition their hair, they reply that they've just washed and conditioned so would like to proceed straight to styling. We sit them down, part their hair and stuck deep in the roots of their hair are loads and loads of tiny particles and stringy looking stuff! On further inquiry, it usually turns out that they've just done an avocado or banana hair mask but because it's been done wrongly, they're left with all this residue in their hair.

Bananas and avocados are a great, healthy addition to your home made recipes but to get the most out of them and not look like someone just threw a fistful of dirt in your roots, it is important to incorporate the use of a fine mesh sieve at some point before applying the mask to your hair.

First of all, you need to choose an avocado that is very ripe - this will make the blending process easier and also give you a much smoother final product. Scoop the 'meat' out with a spoon and transfer to your blender ( or use a hand mixer if that's what you have available)

Lush, Ripe, yummy avocado!

When you've blended your avocado/banana with whatever liquid of choice and before you add your oils or whatever goodies you're mixing into the hair mask; pour the blended mix into a tiny mesh sieve with a bowl at the bottom to catch all strings and bits hidden within what looks deceptively like a smooth mix!

I blend, alternating between 2 speeds to get a good smooth texture.

Shake that sieve so the mix can come through into the bowl at the bottom and you'll be surprised at what's left in the sieve given the fact that you just blended on high speed with liquid - but this sieve will trap all the tiny particles that the blender's blades were unable to finely grind.

This is what would otherwise have been stuck in your hair.

Protein rich avocados are a luscious and natural way to condition, strengthen and add moisture to your hair. Brimming with monounsaturated fats ( healthy fat) it is a healthy addition to not just your diet but your hair and skin as well.  Mix it up with some honey,  olive oil, coconut milk and a few essential oils to get a super moisturizing and healthy hair mask that will infuse moisture and restore damaged tresses.

Bananas are rich in potassium and can help keep hair hydrated, frizz free, healthy and also soothe itchy scalps. Because they are not protein rich like avocados, they are a great alternative for people who might be protein sensitive and thus want to stay away from avocados.

So I blended up half of a very ripe avocado and 2 bananas with a bit of water - making sure I added enough (but not too much water) to help with the blending process. I then poured the mixture through my sieve with a bowl at the bottom and all the hidden stuff was caught.

The final product - smooth!

Seeing as I couldn't use this as a mask (my hair is in a protective style) I poured everything into a tall glass and had myself a healthy yet very delicious smoothie!

Tall glass of healthy, delicious smoothness!

 You can add a bit of honey and cinammon to this mixture or blend it with some ice to get an even more delicious drink - yum!!! Healthy for your body and for your skin and hair! What could be better?

Quick tip: If you have any leftover mixture, please don't store it as it will go bad very quickly! Instead, slather it on your face and use as a moisturizing face mask. You really can't go wrong with this.

Have fun mixing!