Herbal Hair Care – 11 Herbs That Work Wonders for your Hair by Aparaitia

[Dept of PMM Artists & things]

When we talk about herbs, we are usually talking about cooking; but that’s just one way of using them.  Owing to the richness in its contents, herbs are known to boost health. When you speak of health you can include your hair health, body health, skin health and so on.

Read below to find out how you can take care of your Lustrous locks using hair care herbs.

Herbal Hair Care:

1. Gooseberry:

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Gooseberry or Amla, a very popular ingredient of the Indian household, is a vitamin C rich herb that claims to add shine and lustre to your dull and lifeless hair. This tiny green ball look alike has anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties, which further helps maintain a healthy scalp, thus promoting hair growth.

Rubbing the scalp with fresh Amla juice or applying the paste of Amla powder mixed with lemon juice on the hair for 10 to 15 minutes prior washing offers positive results.

Amla juice, when mixed with water, helps restore the vitality of hair, while offering strength and shine.  Gooseberry claims to control dandruff, prevents excessive hair fall and pre-mature greying. Addition of some Amla powder to Henna mix offers conditioning and restoring properties.

2. Curry leaves:

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Curry Leaves, a very common and well known herb, claims to prevent premature greying, stimulates hair growth and nourish the roots.

You could boil these little leaves in oil (coconut, olive or sesame) and apply it to your scalp, and leave it overnight for healthy, strong and shiny hair. You also could grind and mix it with buttermilk or yogurt and apply  on regular basis as yogurt is said to help restore hair moisture.

3. Basil:

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Basil or Tulsi as it is commonly known to help rejuvenate hair follicles.

Massaging Basil oil into the scalp not only moisturises the hair, but also helps stimulate blood circulation, which further stimulates hair follicles for hair growth. Basil is said to contain Eugenol and magnesium, which together improve blood flow to the scalp.

Make basil oil at home by drying some basil leaves in the sun, powdering them and mixing it with double the quantity of slightly preheated olive oil. Sieve the oil in muslin cloth and store it in a jar or bottle with a tight cap and place it in the refrigerator. Make sure you don’t use this oil for more than 11 days since the day of creation.

4. Neem:

cc licensed ( BY ) flickr photo shared by Wendy Cutler

Anti- inflammatory, anti-fungal, anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties rich herb, Neem claims to treat and soothe the scalp.

It also boosts hair growth, and prevents and cures many hair problems like itchiness and dandruff. Boiled neem water, when used as last rinse after a hair wash, reduces dandruff and prevents it from coming back.

Dry neem powder can be mixed with water to make a thick paste and this can be massaged on the scalp to exfoliate, cleanse and nourish the scalp. Nearly 30 minutes before shampooing will offer benefits. Note that the core of Neem oil strong, and thus, it should be mixed with lighter oil such as olive, coconut and almond before application.

5. Reetha:

cc licensed ( BY SA ) flickr photo shared by Lisa Brewster

Soap nuts or Reetha is said to contain Saponin, a natural cleanser easily available on the market.

Reetha works to cleanse the hair while offering better shine and lustre. For best results, soak 6-7 balls of reetha with 2 Amla in about 500ml of water overnight.Then heat this water till it just starts to boil. When this mix cools down, mash it to pulp and strain it. Use this liquid to wash your hair. As this herb lacks lather, avoid hair massage. Instead apply and leave it for 5-10 minutes and rinse.

6. Hibiscus Flower:

cc licensed ( BY SA ) flickr photo shared by D.L.

Hibiscus flower is known to add shine to the dull hair while and also fights greying hair.

Heat any oil that you use on your hair with this flower and apply it on your scalp 30 minutes before a hair wash for positive results. You could also make a pulp of this flower and apply it on the hair for 30 minutes.

7. Chamomile:

cc licensed ( BY ) flickr photo shared by Stevie-B

Chamomile is an herb that helps in cleansing and conditioning hair. It is known to remove product build up in the hair while offering softness and fullness.Rinse your hair with it or even add it to the oil you use.

To make a chamomile rinse, add a couple of chamomile flowers to nearly 250ml of boiling water. Once the flowers steep in the water, filter the herbs out. This infusion can be stored in the refrigerator for several days as long as it is tightly covered. Another way to condition dry hair is by using chamomile tea and olive oil. Chamomile tea and olive oil together work to cleanse, purify, and condition your hair. Boil half a cup of water and add a tea bag directly into it. Then add one-fourth cup of olive oil to the freshly brewed chamomile tea. Mix to combine both and once cooled down, pour it on your hair. Follow this by washing your hair with a mild shampoo.

8. Castor Oil:

cc licensed ( BY SA ) flickr photo shared by Pete Markham

Known for germicidal, insecticidal and fungicidal properties, Castor oil is said to clean the scalp of all impurities thereby nourishing and preventing it from drying.

Their high concentration of Omega 9 fatty acids promotes hair thickness, growth and also re-growth in balding areas. Presence of ricinoleic acid in the oil proves to be a great remedy for mild or severe dandruff. Benefit from this oil by mixing 1 part coconut oil to 4 parts castor oil. You can also add 1 part olive oil to the mix for added benefits. Massage this mixture into your hair and scalp, and then shampoo and condition as usual. Repeat this at least twice per week.

9. Aloe Vera gel:

cc licensed ( BY ) flickr photo shared by Rae Allen

Aloe Vera, an important ingredient in the herbal hair salon, is said to promote natural hair growth. Apply fresh pulp and juice on the scalp, hair and leave it for around 30 minutes. This will help hair to grow. This moisture filled herb claims to offer best results when used from freshly cut leaves.

10. Ginger:

cc licensed ( BY SA ) flickr photo shared by floeschie

Ginger is not only healthy for our body but it works great on our hair too. Ginger oil helps in treating and preventing dandruff and is known to stimulate hair growth while boosting circulation. To make ginger oil at home, grate ginger root and place it inside a muslin cloth. Squeeze out the juice and mix 1 teaspoon of the fresh ginger juice into one fourth cup of sesame oil. Mix the oil and juice together and massage it into your scalp and leave it for 30 minutes before rinsing it out with a mild shampoo.

11. Lemon Grass:

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Key ingredient of Thai and Vietnamese cooking, Lemongrass, is well known herb that protects and strengths the hair.

It can be used as a hair rinse, when 2-3 teaspoons of dried lemongrass is boiled with 1 cup of water.Even though using herbs is a better option than using synthetic products, it does not mean that herbs are completely safe.Some herbs might suit some users, but not necessarily the others. Hence forth it is a better to do a patch test first before using any to detect any kind of allergy or adverse reaction.

These herbal care for hair tips are just the tip of the ice berg though! But they are more than sufficient to keep our hair hail and hearty. Do leave us your opinion in the comments.