Who said food was just for eating? For all the resident beauty foodies with dry and damaged hair, the Banana & Coconut Milk Hair Smoothie may be just the remedy you need.
First you have bananas, which are rich in natural oils and vitamins that help to deep condition and maintain hair’s elasticity. Elasticity is your hair’s ability to lightly stretch and recoil under tension. Elasticity is something you want to pay very close attention to- especially if you want to grow hair to longer lengths. I thoroughly explain how to maintain hair’s elasticity in my new haircare book.
Next on the ingredients list is coconut milk. Coconut milk is literally a haircare super-nutrient. It’s loaded with things like protein, fatty acids, antioxidants and natural sunscreens. Basically coconut milk is an all in one punch for those who want a raw, all-natural product for moisturizing, deep conditioning, strengthening and minimizing breakage. I’m a huge fan of products containing coconut milk or coconut oil. One, because coconut extracts have this wonderful way of leaving hair soft and deeply conditioned. And two, because I find the smell of coconuts absolutely addictive.
For this hair smoothie recipe you’ll need:
2 or 3 ripe bananas (I typically use 3-4 bananas because of my hair’s thickness and length) *Instead of raw bananas, some women use banana baby food. I’ll explain why later)
Next, you’ll need ½ to 1 can of coconut milk (13.5 fl oz can)
Directions:
1. Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor and puree thoroughly. The consistency of the smoothie should be thick and creamy like a milkshake. You should probably use your finger to test the consistency. Don’t forget to lick your finger before proceeding to the next step. Hmmm, tastes pretty good doesn’t it.
*On a sidenote, it’s very important you thoroughly puree your smoothie. If you don’t, you may end up with hard to rinse bits of banana and white flakes in your hair. This is why some women use baby food. Baby food eliminates the whole banana bits issue.
2. Pour smoothie into a cup or bowl
3. Use cup/bowl to gradually pour smoothie onto hair and scalp. Thoroughly coat your hair and gently massage your scalp.
4. Cover hair with cap, relax and wait 15 minutes.
5.Thoroughly cleanse your hair by co-washing. Or you can shampoo to cleanse (make sure to use a sulfate-free shampoo). If you shampoo, you should also follow up with a regular conditioner
6. Rinse hair, style and enjoy!
Do you make hair smoothies? Have you ever tried this smoothie recipe? How did it work for you?
For more info on how to grow healthy and longer hair, check out my new book If You Love It, It Will Grow: A Guide to Healthy, Beautiful Natural Hair. Available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and iBooks.
Dr. Phoenyx Austin is a physician, author, and creator of the fitness blog, DrPhoenyx.com. Check out Dr. Phoenyx’s awesome natural hair care book If You Love It, It Will Grow – available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and iBooks. And don’t forget to say hello to the Doc on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter!
