Herbs For the Hair

source

What herbs do I need or could my hair benefit from?  There are so many herbs out there that serve what seems like a never ending purpose.  Here are some herbs that are great for the hair!

Enjoy!

Lavender- scent, stimulate hair growth
Lemon- hair lightener, shiny hair, scalp refresher, oily hair
Lemon Balm- scent and stimulate hair Growth
Lemongrass- scent, dandruff, oily hair, dandruff, hair volume
Clary S
age- dandruff and hair growth
Thyme- darken hair, dandruff and silky hair
Ylang-Ylang- scent- hair tonics
Basil- provides scent, improves hair growth and assists in de-tangling
Burdock Root- Add to shampoos, conditioners and rinses for dandruff and hair loss
Calendula- good for blondes in shampoos, conditioners and rinses
Clove Buds- Brunettes and red heads
Cornflower-  blonde gray and white hair rinses
Fennel Seed-  scent shampoos
Rose- dry hair, scent,
Rosemary- hair growth, scent, darken gray hair, hair loss dandruff, remove excess oil
Nettle- antibacterial and anti fungal, astringent, dandruff, add shine, hair loss, grey hair prevention, conditioner
Southernwood- hair loss, hot oil treatment for dry hair with EVOO, brings out highlights
Watercress- Thick hair
Kelp- Oily hair, promotes shine
Patchouli- Dandruff
Plantain- dandruff
Red Clover- dry damaged hair
Frankincense - scent
Peppermint- scalp stimulator and hair growth
Green and Black Tea
Witch Hazel Bark- dandruff, remedy oily hair
Tea Tree- dandruff, prevent head lice, anti septic
Sandalwood- adds shine and scent
Eucalyptus- dandruff
Henna- natural dye, conditioner, hair strengthener, adds body and shine, cleanses scalp
Hibiscus- reddish tint, good for dry hair, conditioner hair growth and treat dandruff
Aloe Vera-  moisturizer and conditioner. Also gel provides hold
Geranium- add to shampoo/conditioners/rinses for oily hair
Ginger root- antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial
Horsetail- strengthen hair, oily hair and dandruff
Marshmallow Root- nourishing for dry hair


Essential Oils:
Chamomile
Juniper
Lemon
Lemongrass
Jasmine
Rose
Rosemary
Ylang-Ylang

DIY Herbal Rinses

source

So, as you know, I have been on a 6 month Ayurvedic Challenge and I must say, I am not really being all that consistent.  That paste is not the business and I am not really feeling the time it takes right now with my busy schedule.  But I have all these Ayurvedic powders, and I don't like to waste. So, I researched Ayurvedic Infusions.

As I have mentioned before, an infusion is steeping your herbs in a oil or water.  There are also decoctions(Bark & Roots), etc.  So  I will be using my left over Ayurvedic powders to create post shampoo rinses, herbal waters for creams, shampoos, etc and oil infusions, thus keeping to my challenge( I'm not a quitter)!

There are three types of rinses that you can create:  Herbal Tea Rinses, Herbal ACV, and Herbal Hair Rinse(Tea and ACV)

Rinses are to be used post conditioner.  They help add shine, smoothout the cutilce, soften hair, remove soap residue, restore hair ph balance and assist with hair managability.

Think about it as making a tea.  You can either just dump the powder straight into the water and strain later(using cheesecloth) or use a tea bag/mesh infuser to make this infusion. 

Herbs For Hair
Ayurvedic  Herbs For Hair

Water Infusion Instruction:

1 cup Distilled Water

1-2 tablespoons of dried herbs(2-4 tbs fresh herbs)
1/2 cup AVC (optional depending on your herbs)

 ( The rule of an infusion/decoction is 1 part herbs to 8 parts water)

• Bring Water to a boil and then add powdered herbs/tea bag
• Reduce heat and let simmer for 10-20 minutes.  (Keep pot covered)
• Remove infusion from the heat and let cool
• After the infusion has cooled strain out the herbs using cheesecloth or remove the tea bag
• Add your ACV and essential oils if desired now and stir.
• Pour into clean glass jar of choice.

Keep refrigerated and it is best to use within the next four days!!

ACV Herbal Rinse

2 cups apple cider vinegar

1 cup chopped fresh herbs or 1/2 cup dried herbs

• Pour ACV into clean glass jar and add herbs of choice.
• Store in refrigerator and shake jar periodically for 2 weeks
• Strain herbs from  ACV and it's ready for use.

Application:

• Take 2 tablespoons of Herbal ACV and add to 1 cup of water. 
• Use as a post shampoo/clarifying rinse

Refrigerate for up to  6 months!!

 Enjoy!!!

Oil Cleansing Method (OCM)

source

I've been on a quest to nail down a facial and hair regime for awhile using all natural products.  I have yet to do this so, here is my most recent test.  I hope to figure this  out soon, because although I love experimenting and learning new things about natural skin and hair care, I'm just want a consistent routine right now and throw in other things occasionally.  Anyhoo, I tried a Castor oil based cleaner this weekend and I was surprised how great my skin felt afterwards.

Ingredients:

60% Castor Oil  (deep cleanser)
20% Grapeseed Oil  (antiseptic)
20% Jojoba Oil  ( waxy oil that is very similar to natural oils produce by skin)

(Adjust the amount of Castor Oil used depending on skin type, i.e. dry skin uses less and oily skin uses more)

Oils by skin type: (courtesy Moptop Maven)
Oily, Acne Prone Skin: Grapeseed Oil, Hazelnut Oil, Jojoba Oil, Flax Seed, Neem Oil, Sunflower Seed Oil
Dry, Mature Skin: Evening Primrose Oil, Olive Oil, Avocado Oil, Apricot Kernel Oil, Sunflower Seed Oil
Sensitive Skin: Meadowfoam Oil, Apricot Kernel, Rosehip Oil, Sunflower Seed Oil

Essential oils by skin type
You can also add essential oils for smell and/or for your skin type or create an infusion, i.e burdock root for sensitive skin, psoriasis and eczema

Instructions and Application:

I mixed these ingredients in a jar and I was done.  Easy Peesey Lemon Squeezey!!!

Massage oil into face and let sit for 1-2 minutes.  Let a clean face towel run under HOT water.  Squeeze out excess water and let sit on your face until the towel cools.  I did this 3x because, I felt 1x wasn't enough and left my face feeling oily and covered.  Wipe face and rinse once with cool water!

After application, I felt a cool feeling in my pores, like they were so fresh and so clean and could feel the breeze.

After washing I sprayed Thayer Witch Hazel and Rose Water Toner on a cotton swab and rubbed that across my face.  This will help clear away any dirt missed, while toning those pores!

Then I applied Jojoba oil and wiped the access oil off with another cotton ball. 

FYI:  I chose the jojoba oil because it is supposed to be very similar to the sebum that our skin produces naturally and is recommended for oily skin.  After two days of using Jojoba oil I switched to Grapeseed oil, because I found the Jojoba oil to be too heavy for me. 

Each oil you use should be according to your skin type ( dry, sensitive,oily)

I am going to try this cleansing method for a while and see how I feel.  It's supposed to help give your skin a great glow, which I would love!  I like to imagine the oil lifting all the dirt out of my pores, while I'm cleaning.

What I must say is different about this method of cleaning, is that my face does not have that traditional stripped dry feeling afterwards, which I know is better for your skin, especially the oilys.

Enjoy!!

Castile Soap and DIY Goodness!!

Article Courtesy of  The Simple Green Frugal Co-op

As you start to research homemade soap or shampoo recipes you are probably going to notice that castille soap is almost always an ingredient. That's because it's so versatile and because its readily available in most health food stores, natural food stores and online.


So what is castille soap? Originally an all-vegetable based soap was made in the Castile region of Spain from local olive oil. Now a days "Castile" refers to any vegetable oil-based soap, versus animal (tallow) fat-based soap. Dr. Bronner's makes a "Pure-Castile" guaranteeing that what they are using is a real ecological and simple soap, not a complex blend of detergents with a higher ecological impact due to the waste stream during manufacture and slower biodegradability.


What can you use it for?

1. Soap you can use it as is as hand soap or body soap. I find the full strength to be a bit much so I dilute mine with water. I save some money and it is just as effective.
2. Shampoo
3. Toothpaste. I have never tried this but supposedly you can use a couple drops and it works. Has anyone tried this? Thoughts?
4. Laundry. 1/3 to 1/4 of a cup in a regular load of laundry.
5. Pet shampoo.
6. Aftershave.
7. Vegetable/fruit rinse.
8. Pest spray. 1/4 oz to 1 Qt water.
9. Massage oil. I got this from Dr. Bronner's site and I have to say I'm not sold on using soap as a massage oil.
10. Cleaning- counters, floors, etc 1 part castille soap to 40 parts water for light cleaning or 1 part castille soap to 20 parts water for heavy duty cleaning.
11. Dish soap.
12. Shaving lather.
13. Bubble bath
14. Carpet Stain remover. A drop or two on a clean damp towel should do the trick.
15. Cleaner/Disinfectant. 1 part white vineger 3 parts water and a squirt of castille soap and off you go.
16. Face Wash.
17. Clean makeup brushes. I imagine you could use it on things like paint brushes as well.
18. Wood cleaner. A drop on a microfiber cloth will do the trick.
19. Foot soak. A capful of soap into a basin of water will ease your tired feet.
20. Backpacking. Because it is so versatile and biodegradable you can take one small bottle with you and use as needed without worrying about what you are putting into the water.

There you go I thought of 20 different uses, are there any I missed? If you use castille soap I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Enjoy!!