Guavas: Why And How You Should Use Them

What do you know about guavas? Well, word has it that it isn’t just a delicious fruit but it has major powers for battling hair loss and promoting healthy lustrous hair!

You know when it comes to hair care we are strong supporters of natural ingredients because for one, they are potent enough to get us the results we crave and they set us at ease of knowing we have the control over what goes into our skin (no icky toxic substances). It also helps if we can eat them. Guavas are all that and more.

Guavas are tropical fruits from the family of the myrtle tree. What makes it so great for hair? It is rich in B vitamins* that have antioxidant as well as antibiotic properties.Vitamins* such as riboflavin, niacin*, folate, pantothenic acid, and pyridoxine are all naturally present in guavas and they are great for hair health.

Guavas can:

Control hair fall
Remove dandruff
Remove and help prevent lice
Promote hair growth

Ways to Use Guavas in Your Regimen

As a Rinse

The great thing about using natural ingredients is that almost everything can be used so nothing gets wasted;  the leaves, the stem, the seeds are all viable. With the guava, you can use the fresh leaves to make a rinse that will infuse moisture into your strands and add shine to dull hair.

What You’ll Need

20-30 green guava leaves

1 Liter of water

Saucepan with a secure lid

Method

1. Rinse the leaves off then add them and the 1L water to your sauce pan and cover to boil for 20 minutes or until the water reduces to about half the amount.
2. Turn off the heat and let it cool.
3. Strain of the mixture and apply it to the scalp
4. Massage into hair for about 5 minutes
5. Let it sit for 30 minutes then rinse off.

Tip: You may get better results if you leave it in over night in a plastic cap then rinse off in the morning. This can be used three times per week to address excessive hair fall.

As a Hair Mask

What You’ll Need

20-30 guava leaves

1 whole guava fruit or pulp (optional)

4 ounces water

Blender*

Method

1. Combine ingredients and blend to a paste.
2. Massage into hair and spread from scalp to ends.
3. Cover with plastic cap or bag and let it sit for 30 minutes to an hour.
4. Rinse well.

Hint: Using the guava leaves rinse as a final rinse after the mask is said to give you the best results.

As Part of Your Diet

My favorite part :). It’s a fruit so it goes without saying, but there are many opportunities for you to explore and incorporate it into your diet. Remember, the building blocks of good hair start with good nutrition. If you love whipping things up in your kitchen, get the fruit and make your own guava jam, jelly or chutney. You can also get all the goodness of guavas by juicing them or adding to your pies, fruit salads or sauces. Did I mention that you can get the guava seed oil on the market? It’s culinary magic.

Considerations

Applying heat to natural ingredients can deplete the nutritional properties and if you boil in an opened saucepan or container, those properties can evaporate. Basically, if you want to ensure that you get the best from natural ingredients try to use them without adding heat; however, if it is a must based on the recipe you choose, ensure that you boil in a container that is secure enough to prevent steam from escaping. You should also ensure that it cools before opening the lid.

Now that you have all you need to know about using guava in hair care, you are well informed and can add something else to your hair care arsenal. With so many options to incorporate it into a regimen, why not give it a try? Let us know in the comments below if this is something you would be open to trying.