Adriana Lima Gave Me Her Secret To Shiny Hair... And It Costs Less Than $2

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If Victoria’s Secret models swear by it, we probably want to try it. You know, given their glowing skin, we’re inclined to trust their beauty secrets! So when Adriana Lima told me a few years ago she used avocados to make her hair super shiny and smooth, I had to try it… and it really works! It’s been a firm favorite of mine ever since!

Avocados are packed with all our favorite skincare buzzwords: they’re full of nutrients, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fatty acids – all of which are essential for healthy skin and body! These ahhhmazing properties make avocados an insanely good moisturizer, a kick-ass wrinkle softener (they’re packed with Vitamin A, a type of retinol that boosts new skin cell growth and collagen production), and their antioxidants fight free radicals (which cause skin discoloration).

As well as nourishing your skin and hair, they’re a damn tasty treat for your body too: avocados are rich in healthy fats that can lower cholesterol levels, reduce high blood pressure, improve digestion and help your body to absorb nutrients more effectively.

But, if you can resist the urge to make guacamole, then slather avocados on your body instead. Here’re our FAV ways to use avocados (other than on toast):

Hair Mask for Super Shiny Hair: Mash one ripe avocado, mix with one egg yolk and two tablespoons of coconut oil. Massage onto hair and scalp and leave for 20 minutes before washing as usual. This also works wonders for balancing the appearance of frizz.

Face Mask for Revitalizing Tired Skin: Add equal amounts of ripe avocado and cucumber in a blender and apply the combined mixture to your face and neck for 10 minutes. Rinse with warm water and enjoy noticeably soft and glowing skin! Or do it like Jessica Biel and simply use an avocado instead.

Hand Exfoliator for Seriously Soft Hands: Mix mashed avocado with oats and/or brown sugar and rub the mixture into your hands for a few minutes. Either leave on hands for 5 minutes or wrap in cling wrap for 15 minutes, before washing.

Facial Cleanser to Clear Pores: Remove dirt and grime with a combo of smashed avocado, 1 teaspoon of honey, and 1 tablespoon of cow’s milk. Mix or combine in a blender to form a paste then use as a nourishing cleanser. Rinse with water. The amino acids in avocados will penetrate deep into your skin and draw out dead skin cells, while the lactic acid in milk will help to exfoliate the top layer of your skin (AKA epidermis).

*Image courtesy of Instyle.com