If you’re here for the first time today, this post is part of a week long spa feature. Check here for more info, and don’t forget to enter to win some great spa products!
I mentioned in my facials post that I came across some pretty nasty stuff when researching what people like to use for homemade beauty treatments. There are a few things that I refused to smear on my face, no matter the promised results. Eggs and mayonnaise are on that list. When it came to hair, however, the same main ingredients are used over and over and I realized I just couldn’t hide from them anymore. Too bad cinnamon, sugar, and strawberries don’t make the best hair treatments. The stuff that apparently does?
If these are my best options then I figured what the heck. But if I’m going to rub this stinky stuff on my head, I may as well do it all at once! So behold, my Hair Superfood.
Avocado (a superfood on it’s own) is well known for it’s ability to moisturize hair and add shine and body. It’s high in B vitamins and good for you fats. Eggs add essential protein to strengthen hair and mayo and oil condition and shine.
I honestly expected this to be a disaster, even after shampooing it out. My hair felt weird, but I went ahead and dried it anyway (without any added product). And WOW. It was outrageously soft, dangled, and shiny. I’m a believer and I think I’ll do this once a month now.
Just don’t keep this unlabeled in the fridge or you might have some angry men and a lot of extra tortilla chips.
Sara’s Hair Superfood
I have medium length hair. If yours is long, double this recipe.
1/2 avocado
1 T mayo (not light)
1 t extra virgin olive oil
1 egg yolk
I suggest using a mini food processor if you have one so you end up with a smooth, creamy mixture as opposed to a lumpy chunky one. Because putting avocado, egg, oil and mayo is gross enough, let alone lumpy chunky avocado, egg, oil and mayo. If you’re doing it by hand, just make sure to mash the avocado thoroughly.
Directions: Mixed pureed avocado, mayo, oil and egg yolk until smooth and creamy. You can put it on dry or damp hair. Either way, massage into scalp and comb through hair with fingers or a wide-toothed comb. Put on a shower cap, or use a plastic grocery bag. For extra conditioning, warm with a hair dryer for about 5 minutes. Leave on hair for 20 minutes or longer and then shampoo and condition as normal. This makes enough for one use.
You’ll notice I haven’t mentioned the vinegar yet. Vinegar is great at stripping out residue. Think about how well it works as a natural cleaning product- it does the same thing for your hair. It will work especially well for all you product junkies. You won’t want to over use it, but an occasional rinse will do wonders for your hair. Mine is so much smoother and shinier since I started using it. I’m sure a hair stylist will tell you not to use this on color treated hair, which makes sense. But (good thing my hair stylist doesn’t read my blog*) I use it all the time and it hasn’t affected my color at all. But don’t blame me if yours turns green or something…
*okay, update- see comment in the comment section below from my old hairdresser- she approves! Whew! I feel totally confident now in my superfood creation, lol. She noted the vinegar trick is especially great for swimmers in the summer time. (Thanks Erin!)
Directions: Combine 1/4 C vinegar with 1 C water. I shampoo and rinse my hair first and then pour on the vinegar mixture. I let it sit for a few minutes (while you shave, soap off, use a sugar scrub…) and then condition as usual. Combined with the Superfood above you won’t be able to keep your hands from combing through it all day.
* I should note that my hair is very normal. Not oily, not dry, not thick, not thin, not super curly, not super straight. Just normal. This all works great on my hair, but every treatment will work differently depending on your hair type so I can’t make any promises. In other words, don’t be mad at me if you try this and just end up bothered that you wasted a perfectly good avocado. I swear it worked wonders on my hair!
Other Spa in the Kitchen Features:
Facials
Sugar Scrubs
That sounds gross, but I just may try it after swimming
that stuff kinda freaks me out!
I would definitely try this stinky hair stuff. . . but I’d have to do it with a friend 😉
Okay you know me and my issues with mayo. I am not feeling very good about this one but if it will make my hair awesome then I shall try it. I will be sending you a bill in the mail if my hair permanently smells like mayo. 🙂
Great recipe – I had used just mayo in the past as a conditioner but never added its friends like your suggests!! I will have to try this one for sure.
I’ve heard of using them all individually. Good idea to get the stink over with and just do it all at once
I do not like any of these products…well except the olive oil. but I’m a hairdresser…and YES these would all work great for your hair..in moderation. I will have to wear a nose plug in the shower or something because I hate the smell of vinegar and mayo..
This looks so refreshing!
I’m also doing the no shampoo thing right now … they do recommend using apple cider vinegar as an acidic rinse every so often. Makes hair shiny and smooth!
I’ll have to give this a shot sometime. Sounds messy, but worth it!
Ewwww…I can’t stand mayo in any form, but I might be brave and try this to tame my super-frizzy thick locks.
My hair and I are not on the best of terms right now, I think your little concoction is just what the Dr. ordered, all I need is an avacado and 20 minutes to myself!
Wouldn’t it be fun to have a girl’s night out, pampering and primping, and do all of these fun recipes together! I love this!
This looks very interesting. I want to try it sometime.
I’ll have to work on convincing myself on this one.
Ha ha- YOUR OLD HAIRDRESSER READS YOUR BLOG!!!! And I must say- I approve! You certainly did your research and gave perfect directions. Both the conditioning treatment and the vinegar treatment are great- in moderation as you said. The same goes for any hair treatment would you buy from a salon. What a great way to save some cash too!! One other thing I will say is this vinegar treatment is great for your little swimmers this summer- especially those little toe heads… as their hair slowly turns green from chlorine, the vinegar once a week will do wonders- just steer clear of the eye area on little ones!
BTW- I just have to add that my word verification word is: mollestr… I can just see the blogger employee who makes up these words being bored out of his mind and coming up with words like this just to entertain himself at work!
I’ll consider it. I suppose that whatever is left, if you added a squeeze of lemon and some salt, the less discriminating men in your house would finish it off:)
Thanks for the comment on my blog! 🙂
–Victoria
Ewww. This is much more scary than the sugar scrub. Thanks for being the tester though, maybe I’ll try it! But, it is hard for me to give up avacado to something like this 🙂
I really want to try the vinegar, we swim almost everyday and I bet it would help with the chlorine residue!! I think I will try it tonight! Thanks for the tip!
What a fun idea. I have to give it a try! meloniew a t g m a i l d o t c o m
I have done mayo by itself before but never the recipe you mentioned. Sounds good!
I have done straight mayo in my hair before…and I think the combo may actually be less gross 🙂 I’ll definitely try it! (the plain mayo did make my hair feel super-conditioned though!)
I am soooo brave enough to try it, bring on the avacado.
Okay, I’m skeptical, too, but I might give it a try. I like to eat all those ingredients…
My hair could definitely use some help, but I’m just not sure that I can bring myself to put mayo in it. The stuff makes me sick to even think about anywhere near me! Maybe I can get brave….
This would make for a great girl night! My hair could use all it can get. Thanks@ I am loving Spa week….
Ugh… This sounds terrible, but if it makes my hair like you says it does, I will so try it. Everything is lying around anyway!
Thanks for the twitter compliment,
I’m loving your blog!
this looks like fun- my girls and i will have to try it out while the boys are camping next week!
I am currently experimenting with not using shampoo. I have been washing my hair with conditioner for the past week. I think it’s working out fine, maybe I should do the vinegar thing and see how it goes!
Try WEN by Chaz Dean. It is a cleansing conditioner.
Lucky #1–of course I’ll give it a shot.