Friday, July 12, 2013

DIY Protein/Moisture Conditioner


Healthy hair = Happy Shanaz!

I love my hair and when my hair is healthy I feel like all is right in the world. Come one ladies (and gents) I know you feel the same way about your hair. When your hair feels and looks good so do you.

That being said I have been very neglectful when it comes to hair care. I've been lazy with styling and because it's so hot in L.A. I just throw it in a bun. To be honest, I probably haven't combed through my hair in over a week. I've just been brushing over the naps! ha!

I decided to do a DIY Protein/Moisture Conditioner. It contains ingredients that are great for damaged, dry and brittle hair that needs an extreme pick up me. I will get into the science of it all a little later. For now, we'll go over the ingredients and method for applying.

What You'll Need:
-Organic Virgin Coconut Oil
-Half of an Avocado
-Agave Nectar or Honey
-1 Egg Yolk

1. In a small bowl mix 2tbsp of coconut oil and half the avocado and mash them together to form a paste.
*Note: Use a ripe avocado, it's easier to mash. You want the texture to be smooth. My avocado could have been a little more ripe

2. Add 2tbsp of agave nectar or honey and the egg yolk and mix everything together until well blended.
*Note: Agave nectar and honey have the same nutritional properties, the nectar is just a lot easier to work with because it's less sticky.

Now, I have extremely thick dry and brittle hair so in order to apply this I needed to do it in sections. I parted my hair in four then combed each section and sprayed it with a little water to dampen my hair and help the mixture go on easier. I then applied the mixture to each section liberally. I combed through for even distribution and twisted the section into a bantu knot. Easy as pie! (mmmm pie!)

Depending on the thickness and texture of your hair the measurements above may be too little or not enough. Adjust the mixture to your liking. If you have some left over refrigerate it and use it for you next treatment.

I put a plastic bag on my head to help seal everything in and left it on for an hour and a half. You'll also need to gauge how long to keep it on your hair. Thinner hair should use less time. But I got that REAL hair so I would have left mine on for hours if I had the time. Once done, rinse, shampoo, all that good stuff and you'll notice a difference instantly. You hair will be soft and shiny. I recommend doing this treatment once a week.
*If your hair doesn't respond well to a lot of protein, skip the egg every other week.

Now let's get in to a science a little, I don't want to bore you though so here are some general facts about the benefits on the ingredients used in this conditioner.

-Agave Nectar contains humectants that naturally draw moisture from the hair strand.

-Coconut oil softens the hair and helps seal in the moisture extracted by the nectar.

-Avocado is great for restoring dry, brittle, damaged hair (hello! that's me). It contains nutrients that are great for hair growth and adds amazing shine.

-The egg yolk is very high in protein which hair needs to stay healthy.

That's it! What I love most about this conditioner is that it contains ingredients that you already have in your home. Doing this once a week is amazing for healthy strong hair.

Alright, I've got to go wash mine out now. I will post another photo of the results one I've washed it out. Stay tuned.

Love,
Shanaz



1 comment: