Avocado oil is a mild but powerful ingredient that can improve your hair's condition from the very first time you use it. It's available in specialty food stores, some grocery stores and online, and it doesn't have to be the main oil in a hair treatment recipe for your hair to reap its benefits. Amounts as small as a teaspoon can nourish and tame hair strands.
Properties of Avocado Oil
In "The Natural Soap Book," soapmaker Susan Miller Cavitch notes that avocado oil is rich in protein, amino acids and vitamins A, D and E, all of which are helpful and restorative to hair. She also calls avocado oil "highly therapeutic" and "healing."
Effects on Hair
The protein in avocado oil strengthens the hair shaft, leading to better manageability and less breakage. Vitamins A, D and E all work to moisturize and soften hair, leaving it silkier, smoother and shinier.
Making the Treatment
In general, avocado oil is one of several oils in hair treatment recipes. Usually olive oil or almond oil join it in the mixture. To make an avocado oil hair treatment, you'll combine roughly-equal parts of the avocado oil and other oils with additions such as lemon juice for enhanced highlights, honey for extra moisturizing or egg yolks for a protein boost. Stir it all together until the mixture is smooth. If you have long hair, you might add an extra dash of one or more of the ingredients to make sure you have enough of the treatment for all of your hair.
Applying the Treatment
Start with dry, brushed hair. Apply the avocado oil treatment to your scalp first, then the length of your hair strands. Massage your scalp as you go. Pile or twist your hair on top of your head and pin it in place, then cover it with a plastic bag or shower cap. Leave the treatment on for about 30 minutes. Rinse it out, then shampoo and condition as usual. You might need to use more shampoo or lather an extra time to make sure you wash away all of the treatment.
Considerations
Avocado oil can be more expensive than more commonly-used oils, so don't be afraid to use more of the other ingredients in your hair treatments to help stretch your supply of avocado oil. Also, if you include eggs or egg yolks in your mixtures, be sure to rinse out the treatment with cool water so you don't cook the egg while it's still in your hair.
Warning
Use caution if you rinse out the avocado oil hair treatment in your shower. The oil will make the shower floor slippery.
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