Did you ever notice? Your clothes can look great, your jewelry can sparkle. But if your hair is a mess, you just don’t feel beautiful!
Don’t despair. In just minutes a day, you can have a headful of beautiful locks with pampering products that nourish and gently repair your hair. They are easy and inexpensive to make, and work like a charm!
Following are ten “recipes” for natural hair rinses, shampoo and conditioners made from nature’s finest ingredients. Enjoy!
Natural Hair Rinses
Hair rinses are a great way to treat the hair and scalp that are damaged from blow dryers, dry indoor air, outdoor pollutants, ultraviolet lights, permanents, strong shampoos and hair dyes.
Natural rinses strengthen damaged hair, nourish the hair follicle to stimulate healthy new growth, and stimulate scalp circulation.
Here are some general tips and a few great recipes for simple rinses you can make at home:
In general, you should prepare a rinse in the same manner that you make a cup of tea. Pour a cup of boiling water over a teaspoon of herbs, steep for ten minutes, and strain. Massage the rinse into the scalp gently and evenly, and leave it on your hair without rinsing. Dry your hair with a soft towel, not a blow dryer to prevent heat damage.
To add shine and body to your hair, use a rinse of flat beer once a month. The B vitamins and natural sugar in beer give dried out hair a new vitality and a great hold. Just apply the beer to your hair and scalp and rinse with warm water. For extra conditioning, leave the beer in your hair. Don't worry, the smell dissipates quickly!
To reduce sun damage, massage a few tablespoons of sesame oil into your hair and scalp before going out in the sun for prolonged periods.
If you have a problem with split ends, rub olive oil into the ends of your hair two or three times a week. For optimal results, leave the oil on overnight and wash it out the following morning.
To bring out healthier natural highlights in blond hair, combine the juice of one lemon and 1/4 cup of warm water and apply it to your hair. Leave it on for five minutes then rinse with cool water. Lemon juice is also an effective treatment for an oily scalp.
Sage Rinse
1 cup boiling water
1 tsp dried sage
Use for a period of three weeks to reduce the buildup of oil on the scalp, and to stimulate healthy hair growth.
Birch Leaf Rinse
1 cup boiling water
1 tsp dried birch leaves
To add softness and shine to the hair, use this rinse regularly. It keeps the scalp healthy, and is reputed to prevent hair loss. DO NOT use this rinse on blond or gray hair, as it will darken the color!
Linden Flower Rinse
1 cup boiling water
1 tsp linden flowers
Use for a period of 6 weeks to repair hair that is dry and brittle from over-coloring.
Chamomile Rinse
1 cup boiling water
1 tsp chamomile flowers
This rinse soothes a dry scalp, makes your hair shine, and lightens blond hair.
Homemade Shampoos and Conditioners
Herbal shampoo
2 tablespoons catnip
1 tablespoon liquid castille soap
1/4 cup boiling water
Place boiling water and catnip in a cup.
Steep for 10 minutes. Add castille soap,
mixing well. Apply entire portion to wet
hair and lather well. Rinse with cool
water.
Leave-in conditioner for dry hair
handful of fresh rosemary
handful of fresh mint leaves
1 cup apple cider vinegar
Put the rosemary and mint leaves in a glass
jar with a lid. Cover with apple cider vinegar.
Seal the jar and let it sit for two weeks.
Strain the mixture before using. After
shampooing, pour a tablespoon onto dry hair.
Do not rinse.
Conditioner for oily hair
1 lemon
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
Wash, slice, and de-seed the lemon. Whir the
lemon in a blender to a smooth pulp. Strain the
pulp through muslin. Mix with apple cider
vinegar. After shampooing, blot hair with a
towel and rub the lemon-vinegar mixture into
the scalp. Leave on 5-10 minutes, then rinse
with cool water.
Conditioner for fine hair
2 strips kombu (Japanese seaweed)
3/4 cups boiled spring water
Steep the seaweed in spring water for
30 minutes, then remove it. After
shampooing, massage into hair. Rinse.
Easy dandruff remedy
4 or 5 drops tea tree oil
1 tablespoon jojoba oil
In a glass jar with a tight lid, combine
ingredients. Shake well. After sectioning
wet hair, dab the mixture onto a clean cotton
ball and stroke along the scalp. Wrap hair
in a towel and let sit for 2 hours. Work
shampoo into hair with a little water to
remove oil. Rinse well with warm water.
Hot jojoba-oil treatment
3 tablespoons pure jojoba oil
Warm the jojoba oil and apply it directly to
your hair. Begin at the ends and work up to
the top of your head. Wrap hair in a towel for
an hour, or leave the oil in overnight. Rinse
and shampoo hair as usual. Do this weekly or
more often if your hair is extremely dry.
Irene Helen Zundel is a freelance writer, educator and mother, and an expert in child development, home schooling and creative parenting and home making.
Visit her online at http://www.irenehelenzundel.com
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