Think of a hair mask (also known as a hair paste) as a heavy-duty conditioning treatment, intended to make your hair smooth, shiny and soft. You can make your own avocado mask for a fraction of what purchasing the store-bought product would cost, with ingredients you probably have on hand already. Because this product is perishable, you should only make it in amounts that you can use immediately or, at the very outside, within a day or two.
Step 1
Slice the avocado in half with a sharp knife, working around the tough seed in the middle. Pull the two halves apart. Pry the seed out with a fork or butter knife. Discard.
Step 2
Score the avocado flesh with a knife. Invert the tough outer skin, forcing the scored flesh out into a stainless steel bowl. You may need to use your fingers or a fork to help separate the flesh from the peel, but the scoring will make the chunks come away from the peel easily.
Step 3
Mash the avocado into a smooth, guacamole-like texture with a fork or potato masher.
Step 4
Add 1 tbsp. lemon juice and 1 tsp. sea salt or honey to the avocado. Stir well. If the honey you want to use has crystallized, either set the jar in a bowl of hot water or microwave it briefly to liquefy the honey so that it mixes more easily.
Step 5
Add one egg yolk or 1 tbsp. aloe gel if you desire. You can also add any other hair-nourishing ingredients, such as rosemary extract, at this time.
Step 6
Combine the ingredients thoroughly until they form a thick, regular paste. Use directly from the bowl if possible. Apply to moist hair, leave in for up to 30 minutes and then rinse. You can also store the mixture in a tightly covered, opaque airtight container, in the refrigerator, until ready for use. If the avocado paste looks or smells strange when you retrieve it, you have waited too long and should mix up a fresh batch. If it does not look edible, do not put it in your hair.
Tips and Warnings
- The lemon juice isn't strictly necessary to create a pleasant hair mask, but it will help keep the avocado from turning brown.
Things You'll Need
- Sharp knife
- 1 whole, ripe avocado
- Stainless steel bowl
- Butter knife or fork
- Potato masher or fork
- 1 tbsp. lemon juice
- 1 tsp. sea salt or honey
- 1 egg yolk (optional)
- 1 tbsp. aloe gel (optional)
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