Hair Care

Wheat Grass for anti-aging

Swathy · October 15, 2010 · 1 Comment

Wheat Grass is an extremely useful and beneficial plant. It is rich in so many minerals and nutrients and can fight against so many diseases in our body ranging from acting as anti-inflammatory agent to preventing cancers in the body. Wheat Grass has been a highly prized medicine during the time of Egyptians. Spray wheat grass juice on a burn or inflammation and voila, the skin gets soothed immediately. It is that potent. Why? Because, it acts at cellular level within and outside the body.

What is so special about Wheat Grass?

The green pigment of the plants – chlorophyll – is the real ‘hero’ of the wheat grass. Plants use sun light to make chlorophyll and thus, trap the benefits and energy of direct sunlight in them. Thus, consuming this green pigment will help to release this energy in our system and allow it to make beneficial changes in our body. Not only does this energy give a boost to our health, but it also improves our appearance. “Healthy In, Healthy Out”.

You will ask why not other greens help then? Well, because Wheat Grass is one of the plants containing the highest amount of chlorophyll in it. About 70% of the plant constitutes of chlorophyll. This releases the much needed energy and catalyses the action of healing and regeneration within the body. Thus, comes its contribution in the anti-aging arena.

Our body can absorb as much as 60% of the wheat grass juice. It is an excellent cleanser, toner and also protects the body from harmful radiations from the sun. It can stimulate blood flow in the body so extremely useful for collagen repair and also, rejuvenating the dead hair follicles.

It is also rich in fiber helping in weight loss.

How to consume Wheat Grass?

Juice it or chew it. Juicing is an easier option as chewing might or might not be a pleasant activity. But, it can be included in salads and dishes which requires garnishing along with parsley or coriander. While juicing, you can strain the juice and apply the pulp on your face and leave it on till it dries or for 30 minutes. Wash it off after the stipulated time.

You can also grow your own wheat grass. Buy some organic or non-organic wheat grains from a farmer’s market and lay them in a tray. This is a great resource for instructions on how to grow wheat grass at home. I have to yet give it a try.

How to Deep Condition your Hair?

Swathy · October 12, 2010 · 2 Comments

As I have repeatedly stressed on the point of Hair conditioning, it should come as no surprise if I embark on a really elaborated ritual of homemade deep conditioning treatment. This is a variant of the regular egg or yogurt mask only. Just that there is one more ingredient – Honey. Nothing great about this recipe itself. You are well aware of the properties of egg and honey for the hair.

Dry Hair needs protein treatment so use egg and if you have oily hair, you would do better with yogurt or milk. Apply the conditioner and keep it as long as you can (as long as you can stand the smell of egg) !! Now, before applying the mask, prepare your hair a little just like you would prepare your face for a face mask.

Comb your hair and get rid of all the tangles.
Brush it once or twice to make sure it is free flowing.
Now, steam your hair. Take a bowl of water or the appliance/ saunas available for taking steam for your face. I know its kind of difficult to direct steam to your hair so you have to juggle a little with the appliance. If you are using a bowl of water, juggle with yourself or you would end up burning. Carefully, direct steam to all parts of your head. You can even divide your head in 5 parts: top, back, left, right and middle. Middle is the most difficult to get your steam to. For back and middle, bend backward on the bowl or sauna. So, place the bowl/sauna at a comfortable position. And, remember, steam is very hot and you would not be able to bear it more than a few seconds on the more sensitive portions of your skull so keep the steam time to a minimum. Once you try this, you would get used to it. Do this for at max 15 minutes. That would be enough to let the scalp absorb the mask well. Switch off the fans and AC in your room or you will end with a headache due to the temperature differences.
After opening the hair follicles a bit, apply the mask by massaging it into your scalp. Start from one side and end with the other or part your scalp in 5 parts again. That makes easy application of the mask. After covering the scalp, part your hair along its length and dip them into the mask and spread it evenly. Keep maximum at the ends.
After whole of the hair is covered in mask, massage it a little for 10-15 minutes and cover with a shower cap.
If you have a drier, set it to warm setting and direct the flow of air evenly on your scalp to provide warmth for better absorption. Or, wet a towel and heat it in microwave for 30 seconds and wrap it around the head. You can repeat the towel wraps as many times as you want reheating it after it has cooled.
Now, wait for as long as you can. Preferably, do this treatment in the evening because there is more to come.
Go and rinse your hair after your tolerance is over. Do not shampoo or condition. Just rinse with lukewarm water and get all the egg out of your hair. Egg tends to stick to hair.
Come out of the shower. I know you are smelling nasty !! So, let your hair air dry first.
Now, comb your hair and untangle it. Now, take a cup of your favorite oil and warm it a little so that oil is tolerably hot to touch.
Apply the oil to your hair and massage well. Yes, a hot oil treatment after a homemade deep conditioning treatment. Massage your scalp gently but firmly for 30 minutes. It really helps.
Leave the oil overnight and wash off with a mild and nice smelling shampoo the other day. You would not even need to condition it but you can apply a little to the ends if you want.

Tips:

Use any hair mask in place of egg+honey mask. You can even use the commercially available deep conditioning treatments.
Use a strong smelled oil for hot oil treatment so that it will mask the smell of egg. Coconut is great for that but only unrefined.
You can add vitamin E or Evening Primrose Oil supplements to the mask and oil as well for extra nourishment and shine.
You can also use a homemade herbal shampoo which is just a variant of your favorite shampoo.
You can end this hair pampering session with one of your favored hair rinses too. They would give extra bounce to your hair.
Do this once a week to counter the effects of the whole week abuse of your hair.
Results: Hair would be softer and shinier for days together. This treatment will take care of your hair till the next treatment 🙂

Herbal infusions good for Hair

Swathy · October 8, 2010 · 8 Comments

In this post, I have already listed various herbs good for your hair. But, I have not stated why. So, I’ll address that aspect in today’s post and would list down some other herbs too which are good for hair. I have categorized the herbs on basis of their usage. So, check for your immediate requirements and start from there. Many of the herbs share different categories so you can start choosing from them.

Hair Shine and Conditioning

Flowers: Rose, Marigold, Chamomile, Hibiscus, Jasmine, Lavender, Rosemary

Herbs: Basil leaves, Brahmi leaves, Bhringraj leaves, Henna leaves

Kitchen Ingredients: Curry Leaves, Indian Gooseberry (amla), Fenugreek Seeds and Leaves (methi), Lemon peels, Mint leaves

Hair Loss and Hair Growth

Flowers: Lavender, Rosemary, Hibiscus, Chamomile

Herbs: Brahmi leaves, Bhringraj leaves

Kitchen Ingredients: Curry Leaves, Indian Gooseberry (amla), Ginger cloves, Garlic cloves, Sesame Seeds, Cumin Seeds, Black Pepper, Mustard Seeds, Fenugreek Seeds and Leaves (methi)

Hair Coloring

Flowers: Hibiscus, Chamomile

Herbs: Basil leaves, Henna leaves

Kitchen Ingredients: Indian Gooseberry (amla)

Scalp Care (including Dandruff)

Flowers: Lavender

Herbs: Neem leaves

Kitchen Ingredients: Lemon peels

Tip: Every time you infuse your hair oil, use a different oil and a different herb. Otherwise, it would be like using a product which used to be good for your hair but is no longer great. Always make small batches. Read this for instructions on how to infuse herbs in the oil.

I shall keep on adding to this list as I use various other things. In the mean time, you can also suggest some herbs which you feel would be worthwhile.