By Choya Randolph
As a natural, you should know how important deep conditioning is. Deep conditioners go into our hair shaft to restore our hair and give it a natural shine. They soften and nourish the hair which minimizes breakage and promotes hair growth while making the hair more manageable. After shampooing, our hair is sometimes stripped of its natural oils which leaves our hair in need of some hydration. Deep conditioners bring back that moisture, making our hair look and feel healthy.
Though deep conditioners are great, they can sometimes be expensive. And if you do go for a cheaper conditioner, it could have a bunch of ingredients that you don’t want in your hair. For my naturals who want to go the organic route for their deep conditioners, I have the recipe for you.
You’ll need a banana, oil, plain greek yogurt, and honey. I’ve said this many times and I will continue to say it, I do not measure. I listen to my ancestors and whenever they whisper “stop” I stop. This may sound crazy but it’s effective and I encourage you to do the same. The important part of this recipe is making sure the texture has the familiar consistency of a deep conditioner. It shouldn’t be too oily or too sticky from the honey. Just like Goldilocks wanted her soup, you want your homemade deep conditioner to be just right.
Having a blender will make this recipe a lot easier but if you don’t, use a fork. It may be an arm workout but would you rather spend some coins or burn some calories? Make sure your banana is ripe. If you don’t have a banana, you can use an avocado as an alternative. Slice it up in small pieces so it’s easier to mix. Make sure your bananas are smushed completely. If it isn’t serving baby food, then you need to smush some more.
Once your bananas are done, add in about a ¼ cup of plain greek yogurt. I know some of yall like to live on the wild side but use plain greek yogurt. Do not have strawberry yogurt all throughout your deep conditioner. Mix in about a tablespoon of honey and two tablespoons of oil. You can use any oil of your choice. I suggest extra virgin olive oil. Mix everything up until it has a smooth consistency that could easily be lathered onto your hair. Don’t be afraid to play with the measurements. If you need more yogurt, then so be it. Consistency is key.
Bananas are rich in nutrients and vitamins that will soften and protect your hair. It also gently moisturizes the scalp and fights against dandruff. Yogurt is a natural hair conditioner that nourishes the hair and maintains its texture. Honey does a great job at making the hair smooth and getting rid of frizz to amplify your curl definition. Oil helps seal in all those ingredients so your hair can benefit from all the nutrients.
Making your own conditioner can save you money and save you from ingredients that simply aren’t the best for your hair. It embodies one of the best parts of being natural, making your own products. It’s so easy to make that you may not even need to take a trip to the store to buy all the ingredients. So next wash day, put that store-bought deep conditioner down and give a homemade deep conditioner a try.