10 Best Ingredients for Steaming Hair in Nigeria: Including Hair Steaming with Egg

There are many natural ingredients for steaming hair in Nigeria.

Whether you want to add to the ones you already know or you’re starting out as a newbie, I’ve got you!

This post contains 10 effective ingredients for steaming hair in Nigeria!

Natural Ingredients for Steaming Hair in Nigeria

The best natural ingredients for steaming hair in Nigeria are:

• Banana
• Avocado
• Shea butter
• Honey
• Aloe vera
• Lemon juice
• Yoghurt 
• Apple cider vinegar (ACV)
• Natural oils
• Egg 

These are all simple ingredients that work for steaming both relaxed and virgin hair.

Let’s dig into the benefits of each ingredient and how to use them!

1. Banana

Rich in potassium, vitamins, and natural oils, bananas nourish and moisturize the scalp.

As a source of silica, they also improve the hair’s strength and thickness.

And their antimicrobial properties make them effective for improving scalp health.

Here’s how to use banana for hair steaming.

What you’ll need

• 1 fully ripe banana
• 2 teaspoons of glycerine
• 3 teaspoons of olive oil
• 2 teaspoons of honey

Steps

• Blend the banana and add all other ingredients
• Mix thoroughly until there are no lumps.
• Wash and softly towel-dry your hair
• Apply the prepared paste to your hair, starting from the roots to the ends.
• Cover with a shower cap for 15-20 minutes (using the dryer method) or 30-40 minutes (using the hot towel method).
• Rinse out using cold water.

Vela Tip: When buying bananas for your hair, look out for the big, long ones, commonly referred to as Igbo bananas. People say the small species leaves residue in the hair for a long time. However, they both provide the same benefits for hair.

2. Avocado

Avocado contains potassium, magnesium, vitamins, and proteins – essential nutrients for healthy hair.

It also adds shine, moisturizes, and prevents hair from breaking.

Here’s how you use it for your hair.

What you’ll need

• 1 fully ripe (preferably overripe) avocado
• 4 teaspoons of coconut oil
• 2 teaspoons of honey
• ½ cup of coconut milk

Steps

• Mix all ingredients in a blender to make a smooth paste.
• Apply to hair as described above.

Vela Tip: You may also make an Avocado-banana hair mask by including a banana in this mix.

3. Shea Butter

Shea butter (ori) is an excellent moisturizer.

Many naturalistas count on it for easy detangling and styling.

But that’s not its only benefit for the hair.

Apart from its high fatty acid content, which makes it an excellent moisturizer, Shea butter also contains vitamin A, vitamin E, and catechins.

These make it effective for soothing scalp irritation, nourishing the hair, and providing other benefits.

Here’s how to use Shea butter for hair steaming.

What you’ll need

• 3 scoops of Shea butter
• 3 teaspoons of olive oil
• 3 teaspoons of coconut oil
• 1 cup of coconut milk
• 3 teaspoons of glycerine

Steps

• Melt Shea butter by placing it in a double boiler or a pot over boiling water.
• Add other ingredients and whip.
• Apply to hair as above.

4. Honey

You might have noticed that most of the recipes for steaming hair above include honey.

This is because honey contains humectant and emollient properties.

As a humectant, it bonds with water molecules, providing moisture to the hair.

And as an emollient, it provides and seals shine in the hair.

For moisturized and lustered hair, use honey for hair steaming.

What you’ll need

• ½ cup of honey
• ¼ cup of olive oil

Steps

• Mix ingredients in a small bowl.
• Microwave for about 20 seconds.
• Apply to hair as above.