OKRA AND MY HAIR.

As a typical Nigerian child, okra or rather okro was an easy staple when we had to eat solid food. when I say solid food I mean eba, amala, pounded yam etc. A lot of my African sisters would understand me lolz. We never had enough of it back then, because of the slimy nature of okra, it helped in swallowing food. Wow those were really awesome childhood memories. Then my mum would cut the okra, boil it in water and add the spices, it was always an interesting family experience. chei if only I knew back then its amazing benefits for hair; I would have scooped some for my hair lolz.
       Okra could also be called okro, lady fingers, gombo, etc and it is harvested right on our African soil. Hmmmn in Nigeria it is so cheap we barely value and know its many uses. Okra roots back to many generations ago. The pods were boiled, cooked, fried then the seeds were also toasted, ground, servedas a substitute for coffee and tea, yikes okra tea I think I should try this tea lolz. Okra has amazing hair benefits which a lot of us either ignore or do not know about, if only we knew of this back then. Okra is packed with loads of vitamins, minerals and nutrients. Amongst this include :  vit
C, fibre , vit A, vit B6, vit K, niacin, thiamine, copper, zinc, magnesium, potassium, manganese, calcium, riboflavin, beta carotene, lutein, iron, zeaxanthin, folic acid, protein, carbohydrates etc. It is also low in calories and fat free, amazing for those thinking of shedding fat. The protein and oils in it is found in its seeds and is enriched with amino acids like tryptophan, lysine and various other sulphur amino acids. This nutritious oil has a slightly greenish yellow colour and is high in unsaturated fatty acids such as oleic and linoleic acids, not to forget it has a pleasant fragrance to it though it doesn't have a long shelf life.
     Am sure a lot of us do not know that okra could be used as a shampoo, conditioner, hairgel, setting lotion, leave-in conditioner, or even a final hair rinse. Study also shows that okra can help you rid of lice and scalp problems. I think I would enjoy mine as a leave- in conditioner or just a final rinse lolz.
                                                 MY RECIPE

- Cut about 3-8 pieces of okra horizontally
- Add the okra to boiling water and allow to boil till its frothy and slimy
-Add rosemary and a little bit of ginger to it so as to help with antibacterial properties, then let the mixture boil up for sometime.
-Strain it into a container and let cool as this would make it form a slimy and a very gelatinous paste.
-Add your essential oils (I would recommend tea tree oil or peppermint oil) or you could just use freshly squeezed lime/lemon juice.
-Depending on what you want to use it for, (as leave-in, final rinse etc) allow your hair air dry. Okra adds bounce and extra shine to your hair and also leaves your hair very soft and soooo moisturised for a couple of days. NOTE: if you don't use immediately, let refrigerate or just add a preservative.