Coconut Oil, Avocado & Honey Hair Mask

My hair has to put up with a lot of abuse. I use some kind of hot styling tool everyday, color it about once a month, and use the blow dryer often. All of this heat and chemicals can lead to some really dry and fragile hair!

I'm fortunate to have fairly strong hair, but it can get pretty dry. To fix this, I have been experimenting with homemade hair masks. This mask left my hair feeling really soft without weighing it down. My hair also smelled great and my normal frizz was reduced.

Honey is a humectant and emollient making it a good at attracting and retaining water. Coconut oil seals moisture into the hair, making it shinier and stronger. Coconut oil also contains vitamin E and K which nourish the hair and scalp. Avocados contain vitamin E and B, which is essential for hair growth. Avocados are also full of their own oils which are highly humectant and emollient. Bottom line, put these things on your hair!

This recipe was just the right amount for my medium length, medium thickness hair. If you have very long, or thick hair I would recommend doubling the amount of ingredients. Likewise, if you're hair is very short you could probably cut it in half.

Coconut Oil Avocado & Honey Hair Mask
1/2 ripe avocado
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 tablespoon honey

1. Place coconut oil in a microwavable bowl, and microwave for about 15-20 seconds until melted. Add honey and stir until mixture is somewhat combined. If honey is still thick, place mixture back into the microwave for about another 10 seconds. Mixture should be warm, be careful not to get the oil too hot.
2. Add avocado and use a fork to mash and incorporate with the honey and oil. Continue to mash and stir until well combined and smooth (it's okay if they are still some small lumps of avocado).
3. Comb through hair to detangle (hair should be dry). Starting with the ends, saturate hair with mixture. Once the ends of your hair are covered, part hair down the middle and place mask on the scalp, working it through the hair. Cover the hair around your hairline then work the mask all throughout your hair.
4. Once all your hair is covered, pull hair up into a pony tail or bun. Let mask sit for about 30-60 minutes.
5. Once you're ready to wash it out, place shampoo on hair and begin to lather before getting it wet. Water and oil don't mix well and getting it wet first will make it harder to remove. Lather shampoo through hair, then add water and rinse. Shampoo again to ensure all the oil has been removed. Follow with conditioner.