You eat with your eyes first, right? So why not start your day or have a mid-afternoon pick-me-up that’s beautiful and packed full of ingredients that are good for you and your hair?

This smoothie has two layers and both are packed full of nutrients and taste like the tropics in a glass. Don’t let the two-part nature of this recipe turn you off; it’s a snap to make.

The first layer consists mainly of creamy coconut milk. To get the most out of it, use canned full-fat coconut milk instead of the refrigerated kind. Coconut milk is a good source of manganese, which helps your body process and use tons of other vitamins and minerals like vitamin C you’ll get in the second layer of the smoothie. When your body is able to use nutrients efficiently, everything works better, including your scalp and hair follicles. More nutrients equal healthier hair!

The second layer is a sweet blend of more coconut milk, mixed berries, and banana. The mixed berries provide a good dose of vitamin C, a powerful antioxidant that helps protect your body and cells from oxidative stress, which could lead to a variety of health problems, including dull, lackluster, slow-growing hair.

Bananas have even more vitamin C, along with folate and riboflavin, both of which are crucial to the growth and development of your cells. If your cells can grow and divide at a healthy rate, your hair can grow longer and stronger, and this smoothie is the perfect way to start the process!

Summer-in-a-smoothie

Layer one ingredients: 

1 teaspoon coconut oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup ice

1 cup coconut milk

Layer two ingredients:

1 cup mixed berries, frozen

1 cup coconut milk

1 cup ice

1 banana, chopped

Directions: 

Start with layer one. Blend all ingredients until frosty and smooth, then pour into a glass.

Blend the ingredients of layer two until smooth, then carefully pour on top of layer one, keeping the two layers separate.

Enjoy!

Tips!

No need to clean the blender in between layers! Any leftovers from the white layer will simply blend into the berry one.

Feel free to adjust the amounts of fruit and ice to fit your taste and texture preferences.

No time for two layers? Blend everything together for an equally delicious smoothie with all of the health benefits!