Growing up, my sister had terrible table manners. Our family suppers suffered constant interruptions from my sister opening her mouth filled with food and casually emptying it out onto the table. Cue my dad's blatant fury and my mother's slow shake of her head. "Stop playing with your food or NO ONE EATS AGAIN," my father would threaten. 5-year-old me was less fearful of his sudden change in temperament and more fearful that I would suffer the worst punishment of all: Not being able to sneak into the fridge for my nightly snacks or have my evening banana. I would shoot my sister a desperate look to behave and she would simply show me her food. Thus, starting the cycle once again; a typical family dinner could last up to four hours sometimes.
As an adult, she still plays with her food, but oddly enough, not nearly as much as I am this summer. With the humidity outside and the severe AC temperatures inside, my hair is getting super thirsty. In fact, the recent drizzle that stuck around all last week has me sneaking outside to give my thirsty hair a proper drink. The humidity is not only drying out my locks, but it's also causing some major shrinkage that has had my hair tucked into a stylish hats and wraps; and it's bumming me out royally! Thankfully, the way I play with food is by putting it in my hair to get some serious conditioning for my strands.
Eating healthy is one of the best ways to get healthy hair, but you can also apply some of these tasty treats directly in your strands to get the fullest benefits. Here are a few old-time faves that will have you playing with your food for your locks in a heartbeat. These are cheap, effective ways to keep that mane moisturized this summer. Trust, if you use these treatments on the weekly, you will be sayin' humidity ain't no thang by August.
Eggs
I cook breakfast once a week and once a week, I begrudgingly purchase 6 eggs knowing I will only need one. Rather than selling off those eggs before they go bad, you can put one in your hair and get some surious hair protein benefits. Eggs have about 70% keratin protein, which is known to restore moisture and reform damaged hair. In fact, there are a plethora of products on the market with keratin that can run you up to $20-40; getting this treatment at a salon is wayyyy out of my budget. Applying an egg directly on your hair is super cheap and you get the bonus benefits of vitamins A, D, and E.
Try this on for size:
- 1 raw egg
- 1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil
Mix in a bowl and apply directly on freshly washed hair, massaging into your scalp and locks evenly. I recommend leaving on for about 5 - 10 minutes before rinsing out. Be sure to purchase organic cage free eggs — you only want the healthiest and happiest chicks because their eggs are going to be boomin' with natural nutrients.
Bananas
The fruit guy by my old job sold bananas three for a dollar and by noon, I had eaten them all and was ready to have three more for the afternoon. Turns out, that bananas actually stimulate your mind and body making this delicious treat not only known for healthy digestion, but also to enhance your mood. Check this out: you can enhance your hair's mood by putting a mashed up banana in your hair! Containing vitamins A, B, C, and E, banana's are also high in potassium, zinc, and iron. If you apply directly on your hair, it will answer most of your hair prayers by softening, adding shine, and increasing elasticity — this is going to mean strong, healthy locks with less breakage.
Here's one mask for serious shine and moisture: Use equal parts of aloe and raw liquefied honey and add one raw banana. If you are a fellow kinky friend, let me caution you with a tale of the time that I once missed my bus out of town trying to remove a banana from my hair. I would advise to either purchasing the banana baby food or using a food processor/blender to mash the fruit into a soupy pulp. If you have straight locks, you can mash up your banana pretty easily with a mallet. Apply your mixture on freshly washed hair and let it sit for about 15-20 minutes. Rinse well and then rinse again! You don't want to risk any lingering banana buildup once your hair dries.
Avocado
Avocados are my very best friend; I keep one in my kitchen and one in my bathroom 365 days a year. For centuries, Egyptians have used avocados to promote hair growth because of its rich protein and vitamins A, K, B6 and C. This is one snack that is good for ALL hair types; it has natural fatty acids that soften your hair and make it excellent to detangle with.
Here is just one of my many favorite deep conditioning recipes w/ avocado:
- 1 avocado
- 2 tablespoons of mango butter
- 2 tablespoons of coconut oil
- Several dashes of lavender oil or sweet almond oil (optional)
Mash a ripened avocado with your coconut oil and mango butter until you have a smooth consistency, then add your optional essential oil. Apply on freshly washed hair and leave on for at least 20 minutes; for a super duper deep condition, you can keep it on for up to 40 minutes. This is a great weekly treatment that will restore your hair's natural oil, relieve scalp itchiness and promote hair growth.
