First published March 2011
As Africans we tend to be unaware of the damage that we do to our hair. Damage through the chemical processes, relaxers, permanent hair colors, heating tools, on and on and on. Sometimes however, the damage is due to the environment, and external conditions. There is damage from the sun, the wind, chlorine when we swim. Dry weather especially dries out our hair shafts and weakens our hair. Normally that’s when we pile on the grease, and hope for the best.
If I have not already made it clear, I am not a fan of “hair oil” as we understan
d it. While the grease is great in creating a barrier against the elements, that same barrier suffocates your hair and keeps if from being able to breathe. I’m not saying all hair oil is bad, almost everything is good in moderation. But hair oil slathered on is not enough to protect from the elements. Condition. Condition. Condition. Putting the damage at bay by protecting your hair will go a long way in promoting healthy hair.
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ULTIMATE HAIR CONDITIONER
In Southern Africa, we have two dry seasons; the cold and dry (April/May to August) and the hot and dry (September to November/December). So, this basically means most of the year, especially as we do our best to run away from water during the rainy/wet season. Use this conditioner once a week (or every two weeks), during the dry season to keep your hair soft, radiant and flexible. It contains three natural oils that are effective in treating dry hair
Ingredients
1 teaspoon almond oil
1 teaspoon avocado oil
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Directions
Mix all the ingredients together and stir thoroughly. Massage into your hair and scalp. Wrap your hair in plastic wrap or use a shower cap and leave the conditioner on for 15 minutes. Shampoo
your hair as usual and rinse well.
Note: If you don’t have all the “three natural oils,” you can substitute 1 ripe avocado mashed for the avocado oil, and add another spoon of olive oil instead of the almond oil.
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Source: stylelist.com with a few edits. Photo courtesy of inky@zedhair.com
Did you try this? Let us know how it worked for you in the comments section.
