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Hamdard Rogan Badam Shirin {Product Review}

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Okay, so I love this product. I came to know about this product through my friend. She advised me to use this oil for my hair when I was going through one of the worst phases of hair fall. My hair had thinned to an extent of alarm. Still it is not as thick as I want to be but, definitely, my hair quality is better. And, since I have started using this oil, it has stayed on my ‘must buy’ list. I am sure many of you would already be aware of this oil and its benefits. I do have certain complaints like I am not sure if the oil is cold pressed or organic. But, still, I can not get rid of it. I thought of writing about this product after reading about its review somewhere else. This has become so part of my life that I forgot about this completely.

The product does claim to do wonders to your brain and intellect along with relieving the muscle cramps and other pains in the body if taken internally. Well, I did take it internally (just two drops in milk every night). But, I was not very diligent in it so did not see the results. I shall try it again this Diwali and report back if I really see any difference. But, let me tell you, it tastes real bad. That was one of the main reasons I discontinued it. Anyways, regular application (twice a week) on hair made my hair soft and long. I also use it as body moisturizer too sometimes. It does feel raw in your hands (the oil is not soft to touch like the refined oils are soft to touch, if you know what I mean) so my guess is that it can be cold pressed or not completely refined. I am not even sure if they do have preservatives in the oil because it has a long shelf life (I forgot how exact and if it is just a year, I’ll edit this line). It is a great makeup remover. I am not a makeup user but I do use almond oil to remove the sunscreen (if you remember I had mentioned that you need to use a makeup remover for removing sunscreen too). It does not sting much if it gets into your eyes accidentally. You can also use it to smooth out your wrinkles or to make your own lip balm at home.
Cost: 25ml of bottle costs 75 INR which makes it pretty costly but it is the best almond oil I have come across and a small bottle does last long enough.

How to wash your hair with soapnuts (reetha)?

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I had bought soapnuts (they are environment friendly and natural detergents) and shikakai a year back with the resolution that I would use only these things to wash my hair. Well, as you might have guessed, it never happened!! (till now) But, yes, I was successful in making homemade shampoo with soap nuts and shikakai and other ingredients.
A few days back one of my friends informed me that she has bought soap nuts to wash her hair regularly. And, I remembered my long forgotten lot of soap nuts and shikakai. Now, the reason I could never use soap nuts was because I never knew how to use them. I had asked a lot of people and they told me correct procedure but still I could not bring myself to use them. So, there was no harm in asking one other person, right? I asked my friend how to use soap nuts to wash hair. And, she told me. Strangely, you have some people in your life who assure you of things without really doing so. She is one of them and I decided to follow here advice to the letter.
So, what did she advice me? Quite simple: Soak soap nuts and then use the liquid to wash your hair. When the liquid gets finished, use the soap nuts to lather a batch of water again and use it again and again as many times as you want. No details, nothing. But, still, I decided to go with it. So, what did I do?
  • I put 3 soap nuts and 2 shikakai fruits (vary according of the length and thickness of your hair, my friend said it is very less, she has shoulder length hair – shorter than mine and she used 10 soap nuts so you can go for 15 too if you have waist length hair) in a cup and covered them with boiling water and left them overnight. I deseeded the soap nuts before soaking them. You can throw away the seeds or grow your own soap nut tree.
  • In the morning, during my shower, I shook the soap nuts in the water and then put them in little water in another mug. (Do not throw away the soap nuts.)
  • Now, I took the liquid (it has very less foam in it) and applied on my scalp and started massaging. It does not lather at all in the starting. So, you have to just work your way through your hair very thoroughly. Then, I dipped my hair strands into the liquid and shampooed them as well as I could. Yes, the whole procedure is a lot more messier than using a shampoo. And, it might tangle your hair. (There is a surprise there!!) Then, I rinsed it off.
  • Now, I took the other mug in which the soap nuts were transferred and used that liquid for the second round and simultaneously, transfer the soap nuts into the first cup in some water. Shake the soap buts a bit to bring out the lather. Again follow the same routine. This time your hair might lather. Mine did not because I had oil in my hair. The time soap nuts will take to lather depends on the oiliness if your hair so it might lather for you int he first time also if your hair is not very dirty and free of oil.
  • So, this way, I followed the shampooing of my hair six times though I could have probably stopped at third or fourth. Well, that would come with experience.I would aim for less times the next time I shampoo.
  • I did not condition my hair. I wanted to see the results without the effect of any conditioners and such.
The results:
  • Soap nuts are also washing agents. Though they are natural, they also clean your scalp. So, excessive washing is not recommended. If you do try this, stick to three. That is enough to clean the oil from your hair also. I overdid in my naivety.
  • My hair was shinier and softer without using any conditioner.
  • Now comes the surprise!! There was minimal tangling of the hair which was easily resolved in a minute which is really less as compared to ones I get while using a normal shampoo.
  • There is no frizz in the hair even though I overdid my shampooing.
  • Manageable hair.
  • There was less hair fall in the bathroom as compared to using shampoos.
Advantages:
  • Completely natural and non-toxic.
  • Soap nuts and shikakai condition the hair very well and promote hair growth. They also help stop hair loss and treat scalp infections and dandruff.
  • If you use organic soap nuts, I think the results would be even better.
  • Do not throw away the soap nuts after your hair wash is over. There is a lot of lather left in them. So, use them to wash your utensils or put them in a cotton bag and throw in a cycle of laundry. You can give your detergent a miss. Clothes come out really clean and bright if you use soap nuts.
So, I have decided that I would use soap nuts whenever I do not have to rush anywhere. I will keep a bottle of shampoo for emergencies. You really need time to wash your hair with soap nuts. Be careful not to get the liquid into your eyes or it stings the eyes pretty bad. I’ll give an update the next time I’ll wash my hair.

Look fabulous this Karwachauth naturally

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I know its going to be a very rigorous day for you all married ladies and ladies who are keeping the fast without the mercy of even a drop of water. Ok, I do not want to sound cruel. I find it to be a great tradition and a beautiful day for a married woman. And, since it is the day dedicated to your husbands, it is the day you should look your best and make sure your husbands do not get time to look anywhere else 🙂 So, how do you accomplish looking fabulous when you are starving and dehydrated????? Well, take care of yourself the days before. I know my post is a lot late and I am really sorry but you can still make up to it. (I meant posting this at least a week earlier but it completely slipped from my mind.)
Dedicate your three days starting from today to yourself completely. Relax, enjoy, pamper. Well, yes, I know it is hell for working ladies and with families. But, you can always steal an hour for yourself somewhere in your schedule. Even if you can not, I do have tips for you.
  • Make sure you follow this routine to look fabulous during occasions.
  • In the evening, wash off your face with this makeup remover even if you are not wearing makeup.
  • Wash your body (yes complete body not only face) with either besan or ‘sunnipindi’ (as called in Telugu) mixed with raw milk (real cow or goat if you can get).
  • Every night you can pamper yourself with a face mask according to your skin type. A clay mask would be best as it detoxes your skin well. Mix it with honey for dry skin and with rose water for normal, oily and combination skin. Sensitive skin can go with either.
  • Do not venture out in sun for three days. Wear SPF 15 sunscreen even when inside.
  • You can massage your body before bath as it makes your skin extra soft.
  • Drink as much water as you can. Literally fill yourself with water.
  • Drink a lot of vegetable juices and fruit juices. Make smoothies of different veggies and fruits but avoid mixing both. Do not make a combined smoothie of fruit and veggies. It would not provide any nutritional benefits as the enzymes of both nullify the benefits.
  • Eat a lot of sesame seeds in these days. You could also ingest a table spoon of sesame oil, coconut oil or olive oil, whichever you prefer. I would go for sesame. It would give the much needed fatty acids.
  • After showering at night, massage your skin with any oil. For people with oily skin, you can go with aloevera and rose water mixture.
  • Make your diet as regular and nutritious as possible. Eat a lot of fruits. Mix a whole lot of nuts (almonds, walnuts, raisins, raw cashews and raw pistachios) and snack on them. Do not add salt or roast them. They lose their nutrition.
  • Moisturize your hair with natural aloevera in these three days. If you can use yogurt or egg on your hair, use them. Or, simply apply rose water. That does a lot of good to your hair.
  • Sleep well in these days. Take complete 8-9 hours sleep whichever makes you feel more refreshed. And, take a 10-20 minute walk early in the morning in fresh air. It would make you look fabulous.
This list can go on and on. So, my advice would be to think of beauty and health in everything you do. If you are stepping out of the house, do not forget sunscreen. After coming back, wipe your exposed areas with cotton pads dipped in chilled rose water or with ice cubes. Use gloves while doing the washing. Take baths with either honey, milk or salt in your baths as they soften your skin. Literally make beauty a part of every aspect. Not only for Karwachauth, but for life 🙂
[Do share what you are planning for Karwachauth]