HERBS FOR HAIR
From organic foods to herb-based cosmetics, the cycle has turned a full circle back to nature. Synthetic shampoos are now accused of causing several irritations, including dandruff and excessive hair and scalp dryness. The natural goodness and purity of nature’s gift to beautify hair and skin have been rediscovered. More and more women worldwide are realising the actual worth of natural herbs for cosmetic purposes.
Vegetable dyes and rinses were already known in ancient times. But these have come back into fashion in the past two years. Synthetic conditioners, tints, rinses and dyes deprive the scalp of natural oils and proteins.
Herbs are being used to bring life to dull hair, to colour grey hair, to change the hair’s original colour and also to clean it.
Rinses like Camomile tea are claimed to give a golden tint to hair, which Chinese tea is supposed to brighten dark hair.
Dyes: Herbs like Henna, walnut bark, and indigo, which were used even in ancient times when women first started being conscious of beautifying their hair and skin, are still in practice.
Indigo: Gives a blue colour to the hair. It is mixed with Henna to make the Persian dye, which is still widely used in the East. The colour obtained varies according to the proportion of the two ingredients. It must be left on the hair for several hours for the dye to be effective.
Walnut Bark: Gives an attractive brown colour to the hair.
Henna is the Persian name for a small shrub. A paste made of powdered henna leaves is of ancient reputation as a cosmetic. Egyptian and Indian women have used it to dye their fingernails and make intricate patterns on their hands and feet in an orange-red colour, which adds to their beauty.
It was and is still used for dyeing hair, beards, and horse manes. Moreover, distilled water from the flowers is used as a perfume too.
Beauticians use Henna to get bright red, burnished copper, or highlights. Henna gives a coppery bronze or reddish effect. Mixed with coffee seeds, the hair assumes a rich brown colour.
When used on grey hair, Henna gives a carroty red colour; dark hair provides a rich brown tone. Henna is usually applied on strands of clean, shampooed hair while it is still damp and is left on the hair for an hour or so.
Hair, your crowning glory, needs thorough cleansing and gentle care. Synthetic shampoos have been accused of leaving the hair ‘squeaky’—which means they wash off the natural oils from the hair. Herbs like reetha, shikakai, and amla have retained their popularity and are used by many to keep hair clean. But a new brand of herbal shampoos has been introduced to overcome the messy, tedious process of using these herbs. These herbal shampoos claim to be 93 per cent pure, made from herbs procured in India and abroad. These are obtained in four different varieties to suit four kinds of hair: Orange Blossom for oily hair, Camomile for dry hair, Wild Cherry for normal hair and Rosemary for dandruff. The shampoos are made from the softest water and pure extract of fresh cured herbs in a floral, oily and cherry base.