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A wide range
of herbal ingredients has been used through the ages to improve and enchance
what nature provided.
Usually producers of hair care products operates four hair types: dry,
greasy, normal or "problem" hair, but herbal trichologists state
that all hair is normal for that person and problems should first be dealt
with by looking holistically at a person: that is, looking at his or her
lifestyle. Too many spicy foods, fats and sugars can be responsible for
greasy hair and synthetic shampoos can create dry hair. There is also
concern about the effects that medicated shampoos can have on the hair
and scalp if used routinely. Streets, hormonal changes, lack of sleep,
too much sun, chemical hair treatments, rinses and dyes all cause hair
problems too.
Hair treatments
Dry
hair and any hair lacking luster will benefit from a warm oil treatment
before a shampoo. Make a herbal oil using one of the above herbs and a
polyunsaturated vegetable oil such as peach kernel, almond or sunflower.
Alternatively, add 6 drops of essential oil to 2 tbsp (30 ml) of almond
oil or any vegetable oil. Warm the oil, pour a small amount into your
palm and rub your hands together. Massage well into the scalp and along
the hair strands. Repeat as necessary. Cover the head with foil and a
plastic shower cap and wrap in a hot towel when it cools. Try to leave
on for 20 to 30 minutes for greatest penetration, then wash off with a
mild shampoo.
HERBAL
SHAMPOOS
A
quick herbal shampoo
Pour one application of a mild baby shampoo in to a cap and add 2tbsp
(30 ml) of a strong decoction of your selected herb, or 4 drops of essential
oil. Mix together and use in the normal manner.
Henna
& Egg Shampoo
5 tbsp. natural henna powder
1 egg
1 cup warm water
juice of 1/2 lemon
Prepare a thick paste by mixing the egg and the henna into the warm water.
Leave the mixture to set for one hour, then add the lemon juice to fix
the colour. Apply gently and thoroughly to hair and scalp. For best results,
wait for at least two hours or until completely dry before rinsing out
hair with warm water. Note: some people prefer to leave the mixture in
overnight, in a hair pack.
This shampoo, used for centuries in India and the Middle East, has now
found its way to the West. Natural henna will leave your hair strengthened
and shinier, adding a light brown tinge to it. It also acts as a natural
coolant for the scalp.
HERBAL
HAIR RINSES
Apple
Vinegar Rinse
1 litre cold water
1 tsp. apple vinegar
Mix together water and apple vinegar and rinse through hair.
This blend of apple vinegar and water is used as a conditioner to add
shine, or just as a treatment for the hair itself.
Herbs for skin disorders:
Thyme,
Mayweed,
Burdock leaf,
Psyllium leaf,
Nettles common leaf,
Saint-john`s-wort,
Marigold flower,
Horse tail,
Sage, Yarrow
Greater celandine
More
antiseptic herbs
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Several
fixes for flakes
If
you are plagued with dandruff, follow one or more of these natural remedies:
*
Spike your shampoo. Add 3-4 drops of tea tree oil (Melaleuca
alternifolia), an antiseptic herb, to a palm-size amount of gentle shampoo
just before washing your hair.
* Massage your scalp while shampooing to loosen flakes, but
avoid scratching, which will create sores.
*
Rinse with antiseptic herbs. Boil 2 rounded tablespoons of
dried herb
(or herbs mixture) in 1 cup of water for 5 to 7 minutes. Cool, strain,
and massage tea through shampooed hair and into your scalp. Do not rinse
out.
* Get you biotin. This vitamin like nutrient may prevent and
treat dandruff. Good sources include brewer's yeast, cheese, and rice
bran.
* Reduce stress. Dandruff (and other skin conditions such as
eczema) can be worsened by high levels of stress. Practice yoga or tai
chi, take natural antidepressants
and meditate.
Massage-oil
(mixed essential-oils)
Herbs used in hair care:
To condition dry
hair burdock root, comfrey, elderflowers, marsh mallow, parsley,
sage, stinging nettle.
To
condition greasy hair calendula, horsetail, lemon juice, lemon
balm, lavender, mints, rosemary, southernwood, witch hazel and yarrow.
To
prevent dandruff burdock root, chamomile, garlic and onion bulbs
(powerful but unpleasantly scented), goosegrass, parsley, rosemary,
southernwood, stinging, nettle and thyme.
To
soothe scalp irritation catmint (leaves and flowering tops),
chamomile, comfrey.
To
provide a hair tonic (giving body and luster) calendula, goosergrass,
horsetail, lime flowers, nasturtium, parsley, rosemary, sage, southernwood,
stinging nettles and watercress.
To
dispel lice an infusion of quassia chips, poke root, or juniper
berries with a tablespoon of cider vinegar. Apply at two-week intervals,
three times.
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1 tsp. rosemary
oil
1 tsp. basil oil
1 tsp. lavender oil
1 tbsp.
burdock oil
1 tbsp. aloe vera gel
In a dark glass bottle, combine 1 teaspoon each of rosemary, basil and
lavender essential oils. Mix 5 drops of this mixture with 1 tablespoon
of burdock oil and 1 tablespoon of aloe vera gel. Massage it into your
scalp a few hours before shampooing your hair.
Burdock oil is used to improve hair strength, shine and body, and combat
hair loss. It was also used as a herbal remedy to get rid of dandruff
and scalp itching, and to promote healing of skin and scalp conditions.
Modern studies indicate that burdock-root oil extract is rich in phytosterols
and essential fatty acids, nutrients required for a healthy scalp and
natural hair growth. Massaging your scalp with essential oils can stimulate
hair growth.
Variants
of massage-oil
1 egg yolk
1 tbsp. cognac
1 tbsp. burdock oil
1 tbsp. castor oil
1 tbsp. onion juice
More
about causes of Hair Loss read here
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BPH
and pumpkin-seed oil
REVALID