Banana Hair Mask

We've all been in that position where those bananas we bought last week (or that turned up in our office fruit delivery!) have seen better days. Some love the super-sugary brown bananas, but others.....let's just say they prefer them a little riper. But don't throw them away! They will make the perfect base for a hair mask, that's guaranteed to help keep your locks luscious.

Why bananas?  Bananas contain potassium, vitamin B6, Folic Acid, and other great things that improve the condition of your hair (and also help with hair loss, bonus!)
Combine bananas with milk, and you have an impressive duo. Milk contains protein to strengthen your hair, and lactic acid helps remove the build up of old skin cells that makes your hair lifeless and limp. Kind of like a clarifying shampoo! There are also rumours that using milk on your hair before washing causes curls to relax, and assists in straightening.

What you will need:

• 1-2 bananas (or 3 if your hair really long, and thick)
• Whole milk or coconut milk (enough to thin out the bananas) 

What you need to do:

1. Take your bananas and blend them. You can do this either in a blender, food processor, with a stick blender, or just mash them and stir them really well. Keep going until you have a slimy paste, and you have removed all chunks. Chunks will stick to the hair, and will be difficult to wash out. 
2. Pour in the milk slowly, keeping an eye on the thickness of the banana. The perfect consistency is one that is almost identical to regular hair conditioner. 
3. Once it has been blended, and is smooth, it should be runny, but still thick enough to stay on your hair. 

 How to apply it to your hair:

1. Start with dry hair, and work over the sink or in the bath.
2. Apply as much of the mask to your hair as you can, making sure it is all over your hair, and give yourself a nice scalp massage while you're at it!
3. If you are not doing this mask in the bath, put on a shower cap, or wrap a towel round your hair, to prevent it dripping. 
4. Leave the mask on your hair for 15-20 minutes.
5. Wash your hair as normal. This may take longer than usual, so give yourself plenty of time to wash the mask our of your hair. Make sure you remove ALL the mask from your hair. You may or may not need to condition your hair depending on how it feels as you wash it.

A word of warning - When trying out a homemade beauty treatment for the first time, make sure it is on a day/evening when you do not have much to do, or nothing too important! You never know how long the treatment will take, how difficult it will be to remove, and the results.

Have you tried out this banana hair mask? Let us know @office_fruit