Avocado is having a moment—and it’s not just in terms of delicious salads. It’s also being lauded as a magical haircare ingredient, able to treat dryness and damage naturally and effectively.
Bringing avocado into your haircare routine can help out with many common haircare complaints. Whether you opt for a DIY mask, incorporate the natural oils of the fruit, or look out for commercial products with an avocado base, you’ll never go far wrong with an avocado hair mask…
The Science Behind Avocado Haircare
The NCBI draws attention to a wide variety of different oils that offer haircare benefits, with avocado proving a popular option. Natural oils have a long history of helping out with common hair problems like dryness, damage, split ends, and even scalp issues.
According to a 2015 NCBI study, using some kinds of vegetable oils near the scalp can coat the hair follicles to prevent damage at the base of the hair and to prevent hair from breaking later, as it grows out. It’s fairly obvious that avocados will contain a high concentration of moisturizing and nourishing avocado oil.
Oils are good natural emollients, meaning they can form a coating over the hair shaft, sealing the cuticle and trapping moisture inside. They also offer lubricating properties to the hair, increasing slippage between strands to help with detangling, which flattens the surface of the hair’s cuticles, giving a smoother and shinier appearance to hair strands.
Natural oils can also help to treat hair protein loss. Oils with a low molecular weight can successfully penetrate the hair’s shaft and prevent protein from leaving the hair. This helps hair feel strong and healthier over time.
It’s not just that avocado oil is filled with natural, healthy fats. The fruit itself also contains high concentrations of B vitamins that can be otherwise lacking in your locks. Avocado isn’t just a delicious snack – it’s almost as fabulous mashed up into a hair mask as it is mashed up into guacamole!
Uses For Avocado Hair Masks
Now we know the humble avocado is backed by science as a haircare superstar, let’s take a look at the different ways the fruit can help out with prevalent haircare issues.
Scalp Treatment
Hydrating the skin of the scalp can help with a whole host of different scalp problems. Drier skin can flake and is more likely to become irritated and inflamed. The NHS draws attention to oils as a great method for treating a flakier scalp.
Minimizing Breakage
Hair strands break when they become too dry and brittle, but a coating of oil can add flexibility to each individual hair. This oil can also act as a protectant against common hair stressors, like brushing it or tying it up too tightly.
While avocado oil can’t totally repair the hair’s follicle (particularly if it has been heat-treated, coloured, or bleached) it can offer some relief and protection against snapping.
Detangling Locks
Anyone with hair that’s difficult to brush knows the importance of an effective detangling agent. Not only will this make the hair brushing experience more pleasant and less painful, but it can help to prevent excessive hair loss by adding lubrication to the strands.
Hair Protection
Hair can be subject to all sorts of environmental damage, like UV rays, heat, pollution, chlorine, and salt.
All of the above can dry out hair strands, causing damage and potentially breakage down the line. An application of avocado oil can act as a barrier between your hair and the world, keeping it safe from damage and adding extra nourishment at the same time.
Hydration and Nourishment
Avocado oil and the fats and nutrients in the flesh of the fruit can also be a great way to pack some extra moisture into your hair. The fruit is notoriously nutrient-rich, with hair-loving minerals like potassium and magnesium, strengthening amino acids, and damage-reducing antioxidants.
How To Use An Avocado Hair Mask
There are a variety of different ways to incorporate avocado into your haircare routine to help reap the benefits of this magical fruit.
How you use an avocado hair mask can depend both on what hair concern you’re trying to treat, but also on your hair type and personal mask-based preferences.
Hot Oil Treatment
Using avocado oil as a hot treatment on the hair can be a fast and effective way to nourish hair while adding softness and shine. First, wash your hair with a gentle shampoo, then apply avocado oil through the lengths and ends of your locks.
You can then put your hair inside a shower cap, and gently apply heat with a hair dryer for a few minutes. This heat will help the oil to properly penetrate the hair shafts. Once your treatment is complete, rinse clean for a glossy, moisturized mane.
Scalp Massage
If your main hair concern is dandruff, flakes, or a dry and irritated scalp, applying avocado oil neat to your hair’s roots can be extremely beneficial. Evenly part the hair to ensure a uniform application, then use either your fingers or a specific scalp massager to work the oil into your head.
Once you’re satisfied you’ve reached all the affected areas of your scalp, you can rinse out and wash your hair as normal.
Leave In Treatment
Avocado oil can also be used post-hair-washing to help imbue locks with radiance, strength, and hydration. Warm a couple of drops of the oil between your palms, then apply to damp hair ends after washing.
Make sure to only use a small amount of the oil, as it can feel greasy and weigh hair down. Using avocado oil as a leave-in treatment may also not be suitable for thin or fine hair types.
DIY Mask
If you have an extra avocado lying around in your kitchen, you can also use the whole fruit (and not just the oil) as a gorgeous hair treatment. A mashed avocado takes on the consistency of a conventional hair mask and can be applied as one.
Use it in place of your usual conditioner or mask to enjoy the benefits of avocado in your hair.
DIY Avocado Hair Mask Recipes
While avocado can be mashed up and applied neat as a hair mask, you can also incorporate other hair-loving ingredients to tailor your perfect DIY hair mask cocktail…
Coconut Oil
Adding a spoonful of coconut oil to your mashed avocado mask doesn’t just make it smell fantastic – it also adds some extra nourishment and hydration to your concoction.
Lemon Juice
Lemon juice is a great antifungal ingredient, meaning it can help to treat dandruff and other scalp issues. Combined with avocado, it helps to deeply cleanse the scalp without overdrying the hair.
Egg Yolk
Eggs are a wonderful source of protein for the hair, which can help to repair individual strands for a stronger and healthier look. Mixing an egg yolk into your avocado hair mask offers an extra dose of protection against split ends and hair damage.
Aloe Vera
Along with being deeply moisturising, aloe vera is also extremely soothing and protective, particularly to the scalp and skin. Combining it with an avocado hair mask can help calm the scalp while simultaneously introducing a dose of hydration to the locks.
Yogurt
Full-fat natural yogurt can help to balance out hair that feels greasy at the roots and dry at the ends. Its lactic acid helps to gently exfoliate and remove build-up, while the milk fats offer moisture and nourishment to hair ends.
When combined with avocado, it creates a mask that’s perfect for hair that needs a reset.
Honey
Honey is another nutrient-dense ingredient that is ideal for hair masks. It has antimicrobial properties, which can help reduce scalp inflammation, and it leaves hair with a gorgeously glossy finish.
Mixing honey into your avocado mask can also help to create a more substantial mask that properly adheres to your locks.
Other Avocado Hair Mask Options
If DIY haircare isn’t for you, but you want to enjoy the benefits of incorporating avocado into your haircare routine, don’t fear.
There are many commercial hair products on the market which also harness the power of the super fruit.
Briogeo Superfoods Avocado And Kiwi Mega Moisture Hair Mask
This hair mask is inspired by a green smoothie and boasts the same high levels of nutrients. Alongside the fatty acids present in avocado, the mask also contains phytonutrients courtesy of spirulina and chia seeds, plus vitamin C courtesy of kiwi.
Herbal Essences Avocado Hair Mask For Dry Hair And Scalp
This bargainous drugstore option also uses avocado to deliver a healthy hit of moisture to dried-out locks. The mask is designed to penetrate the hair’s strands, revealing softer and smoother locks after every use. It can also be used as a conditioner for a two-in-one treat.
Cantu Avocado Hydrating Hair Masque
This mask harnesses the power of nature to fortify hair strands and protect your locks against premature breakage. Avocado oil, baobab oil, pure honey and vitamins E & B make it a great conditioning treatment to maintain healthy hair that feels super soft and looks super shiny.