4 Ways yucca can make your hair more gorgeous

Like most Dominicans, I grew up with plenty of yucca (yuca) in my diet. We'd throw them in our sancochos, serve them steamed with sautéed onions and garlic, eat them like fries with chiptole mayo sauce (my favorite) or spread some fresh avocado on a piece of yucca-derived casabe. As delicious as it is, I always looked at yucca as a yummy but unnecessary carb. Honestly, what kind of health benefits could it really have? Well one thing is for sure–yucca can do wonders on the beauty front!

Read more ¿Qué más?: 10 Ways to use salt in your beauty routine

If it wasn't for SheaMoisture's Yucca & Baobab Thickening Shampoo ($11) I would have never known yucca even had beauty benefits. This stuff works wonders! Not only did it leave my hair squeaky clean but it also boosted volume. My strands looked fuller, healthier, smoother and shinier. Why? Because apparently yucca naturally works to thicken hair. Who would have thought, right? And that's not the only thing it does either. Here are four ways yucca can make you more beautiful!

It treats dandruff: Native American tribes in Northern Mexico and South America used  yucca roots extract to help treat dandruff and dry scalp. It's packed with anti-fungal and anti-inflammatory properties.

It helps cleanse hair: Because of it's anti-fungal properties, yucca helps cleanse hair as well as remove dirt, oil and product buildup from the scalp.

It helps with hair loss: There's still no actual proof to this, but I know a lot of Latinas who swear by yucca when it comes to hair loss. They just massage some of its extracts onto their scalp for a few minutes before washing their hair.

It helps strengthen and thicken hair: I don't know how, but this stuff really does boost volume. I experienced it myself with SheaMoisture Yucca & Baobab Thickening Shampoo.