Okra: Protein Treatment for Hair
Have I heard it all? nope.. I am still listening. Let’s see – Monistat, Ky Jelly, Crisco, and Okra!
I think I will focus on the Okra today … I cant with the KY Jelly. I feel you boo boo, really … I do. I am a “never knock it ’til you try it” kind of girl … but my mind plays tricks on me with that one. Anyway I digress.
What is Okra?
Only the most hated vegetable by Emily CottonTop. In Jamaica, it is generally paired with steam fish, but not on my plate :).
The Wiki says:
Okra – known in many English-speaking countries as lady’s fingers or gumbo, is a flowering plant in the mallow family. It is valued for its edible green seed pods. The geographical origin of okra is disputed, with supporters of South Asian, Ethiopian and West African origins. The plant is cultivated in tropical, subtropical and warm temperate regions around the world.
I hate it! but is it good for our hair?
Saw this on Tumblr:
Okra is a rich in Vitamins A, C and K. It also contains Zinc, Copper, Calcium, Folate, Potassium, Thiamine and many other nutrients. Okra can be used to give volume and body to your hair. It can be used as a hair gel, shampoo and conditioner. Okra is known to promote healthy and quicker hair growth, strength and shine.
- Okra hair treatment: Boil okra until it begins to slime. Allow okra to cool, add essential and carrier oils, and scrub onto hair. Allow mixture to sit for 10-15 min. Rinse, shampoo and condition as usual.
- Okra hair gel: Boil okra until it reaches a slimy consistency. Strain okra to separate slime from okra. Allow slime to cool in a container, add essential or carrier oils, and refrigerate.
Who knew!!? It is great for added protein. For every pound of okra, there is 8.62 grams of protein. I think that means that there is a lot or enough to do something great for our hair.
Would you try Okra?
Em
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I had a bad incident many years ago with frozen okra. I decided to add it to my turkey chili recipe instead of my normal spinach. Not a good look. I am a food preservationist and feel a sense of guilt throwing any away (too many years of hearing about the starving children in Ethiopia, I guess)! But, that mess was so slimy and disgusting, I was gagging trying to choke it down. After one attempt, I threw the entire vile batch in the trash. I’ve never touched okra since.
But, gotta say, I’m intrigued as to okra’s “hairdicinal” qualities. It seems very similar to and as easy to make as flaxseed gel! Now, if I can only get someone to make it for me … need to reduce the likelihood of a flashback!! *lol*
hairscapades 
Great article… Things that make you go Hmmm…. 🙂
FYI, I’m an avid foodie, and love the flavor that okra contributes, but don’t love the slime! If you want to put it in anything, (gumbo and black eyed peas being essential) fry it first! Put it in a hot skillet with a generous drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper, and fry it until you see the slime dissipate, and it becomes crisp, then add it to your pot. Flavor there, but nooo slime! 🙂
Sorry to hijack… Btw, loving your blog so far. Your hair is absolutely drool-worthy! Keep up the great work!
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Girl I cant even do it fried….. haha.. my family loves it.. but I cant…:)
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I actually have eaten breaded and fried okra, in the cafeteria at Princeton of all places! And, it was good (because, as you said, all the slime was cooked away)!! But, anywho, you can batter and deep fry dirt and it would taste good! LOL!! I don’t cook too much anymore anyway and on the rare occasion that I do, I keep it healthy (grill, bake or lightly saute). I’ll stick with my spinach, broccoli and sugar snap snow peas;).
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botticelli botanicals on etsy.com sells an okra based hair gel called the Styling Mudd. It works pretty well. Very similar to flax seed gel
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Awwwww Adrienne, you giving stuff away;). I’ve been working on something with Erin and she has told me about the mudd;).
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Ladies you need to find a West Indian restaurant and order the Koo Koo it’s a west Indian dish which consists of cornmeal and okra and it’s delicious with some steamed fish.
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Thanks for the recommendation Jai, but I don’t like cornmeal (grits … bleh), most fish (I really only like flounder, salmon and tuna) or okra! LOL! But, maybe someone else will:)!!
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Wow Jai you took me back on that one… But that’s another thing I could not eat… Cornmeal… Porridge … Cornmeal porridge… Grits or okra! Lol but I haven’t heard about that dish in years
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If it came out green, and smelled like Okra, at all. No can do lol! Okra is great in gumbo though!
But last week I stumbled upon a successful Flaxseed/marshmallow root combo that I am LOVING. Has the slime factor plus hold factor, but… it’s brown 😦
http://www.itsjusthair.com/2012/03/flaxseed-gel-follow-up.html
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Shescentit has an awesome Okra Reconstructor deep conditioner. I believe she (Sweet Cashew) also had a blog post from years ago about how she discovered okra for hair. I’ll have to see if it’s still around somewhere. It’s interesting to find out it’s in the mallow family. Mallow plants are known for producing great slip. Nice post!
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U remove the seeds first? Also — carrier essential oils- what are they?
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The key to cutting the slime (for edible purposes) is an acid (e.g., canned tomatoes; a splash of apple cider vinegar). Delicious!
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