NATURAL HAIR CARE FOR YOUR HAIR TYPE
Shiny, luxurious, healthy hair is everyone’s dream!
Beautiful hair add grace to your personality and give you a more youthful appearance so it is no wonder that hair care products is a multi-million-dollar industry. Like most cosmetic products, hair products are also loaded with toxic chemicals such as Formaldehyde, Toluene, Methyl methacrylate, P-phenylenediamine, and Ammonium persulfate. These chemicals have cancer causing effects on the body.
Are these hair care products worth risking getting a cancer?
Not at all!
You don’t have to risk your health to look gorgeous! You can use all natural products and still get amazing, long-lasting results. Here are some of the ways you can care for your hair naturally.
Let’s start with the product we use regularly—shampoo.
Shampoos usually contain very harsh chemicals which clean the hair but strip them of their natural oils. You need these natural oils to keep your hair strong and soft. There are companies that make safe and toxin-free shampoos but they are usually on the pricey side. If you can’t afford to buy an organic product, no need to fret…you can make your own!
How to Make Your Own Shampoo
Baking soda works wonders on hair. It’s the weakest alkaline and it very gently clarifies hair from chemical buildup. The standard amount for hair care is one tablespoon of baking soda to one cup of water. If you have thick or curly hair, take a little more; if you have fine hair, take a little less.
Put the ingredients in a squeeze bottle and shake until thoroughly mixed. In the shower, wet your hair, squeeze the mixture onto your scalp and massage thoroughly. Wash as you would wash a shampoo.
How to Make Your Own Conditioner
Apple cider vinegar works great as a natural conditioner. It is mildly acidic so it works great to counteract the alkaline effects of the baking soda. It detangles the hair follicles, and balances the hair’s pH balance, making them healthier. The standard amount for hair care is one tablespoon apple cider vinegar to one cup of water. You can mix the ingredients in an old conditioner bottle and leave them in the shower. If the smell of apple cider vinegar is unpleasant for you, add a couple of drops of your favorite essential oil.
It’s really that easy!
Some of the companies that make natural hair care products are…
In order to properly care for your hair, you need to know what kind of hair you have. Once you know that, you will be able to do what is right for your particular hair type, what works for them, and what doesn’t.
Here are some things you can do to add life to your hair.
NORMAL HAIR
Normal hair, like normal skin are fairly easy to maintain. They are neither dry, nor oily; and irrespective of whether they are curly, straight, coily, or wavy, they maintain their texture without much effort.
Your hair get affected by the chemicals in the environment that they are exposed to. Despite using natural shampoos and conditioners, once in a while they need additional treatment in the form of a nutritious mask. Your hair care treatment might not look much
different from a delicious breakfast! That’s the point…put on your body what you will put in your mouth. It is not always going to be the case, but you can try your best!
Here are some of the treatments for normal hair…
Whole Egg
There is nothing better for hair than protein rich egg. If you can get over the smell, it is the best thing you can do for your hair. Here is how you use it:
Apply a whole egg to clean, damp hair. If there isn’t enough egg to coat scalp and hair, use more as needed. Leave on for 20 minutes, rinse with cool water and shampoo your hair. Do this treatment once a month.
Indian Gooseberry
Indian Gooseberry, also known as Amla, is a well-known secret in the Asian beauty industry. It works like a tonic for the hair. It strengthens the roots of hair, maintains color, and improves luster. Eating freh gooseberries or blending them and applying its paste on hair roots improves growth and color. Amla oil is very popular in South Asia because it has been shown to reduce hair loss and baldness.
Honey Hair Mask
Take a few tablespoon of honey—enough to cover your hair and scalp. Wrap your hair with cling plastic wrap or wear a shower cap to prevent dripping. Leave it on for half an hour or more and then wash with warm water. It will leave your hair smooth, soft and stronger.
Fenugreek Seed Wash
Soak two to three tablespoons of fenugreek seeds in water for 8 to 10 hours. Use the water that the fenugreek seeds soaked in overnight as a hair rinse. This will encourage hair growth and also get rid of dandruff. (Eat the seeds or use them in your smoothie.)
DRY / DULL HAIR
Dry hair are usually sensitive hair that have either been mistreated or are easily affected by the environment. They need proper nourishment—both internally through nourishing diet and externally. They need gentler shampoos and conditioners compared to natural hair, and need to be regularly conditioned and moisturized.
Here are some of the treatments for dry/dull hair…
Aloe Vera Gel
Aloe Vera is a gift from God for all hair types, but it is especially effective for dy and dull hair. It detangles, moisturizes, heals scalp, removes dandruff, restores pH levels, decreases frizz, enhances cellular regeneration, and generates hair growth.
The best is to have a small aloe vera plant at home so you have access to it at all times, or you can purchase a leaf from any grocery store.
Buying aloe vera gel in a bottle or tube is unecessarily expensive. Just peel the leaf, remove the gel from inside, blend it in a blender to have a consistent mixture and rub it on your scalp. Wash it after it dries. You can use it as often as you like.
Papaya Hair Mask
You will need:1 cup ripe papaya, diced; 1 cup ripe banana, diced; 1-tablespoon molasses; 1-tablespoon coconut oil; and 1-cup yogurt.
Directions: Blend ingredients together thoroughly, there should be no chunks whatsoever, especially from your banana. Apply to damp hair. Cover with a plastic cap or cling wrap. Allow to stay in hair for an hour or more, wrap a towel around the plastic cap to generate heat. Wash out from hair and style as usual. Apply once every other week.
Yogurt Mask
Massage 1/2 cup sour cream or plain yogurt into damp hair and let sit for 20 minutes. Rinse with warm water, followed by cool water, then shampoo hair as you normally would. Treatment can be applied every other week. It is especially effective for dull hair.
Leave-in Conditioner
You will need: 1 1/4 cup water; 3 tablespoons natural conditioner; spray bottle
Directions: Warm the water slightly on the stove top in the microwave to aid in mixing. Add the conditioner. Stir, pour into a squeeze bottle and shake. Apply after washing or when styling.
OILY / LIMPY HAIR
We all have oil glands which secrete oil to protect our hair shafts from breaking, keep scalp in good condition, and give hair a nice shine. Sometimes these glands become overzealous and produce more oil than necessary. In some cases, oily hair are caused by hormonal changes. Whatever the reason, Ooily hair need extra cleaning and extra caring.
Here is what you can do to treat oily hair…
Corn Meal or Corn Starch
It is a very effective—and inexpensive—way of removing grease or oil from your hair. Pour 1 Tbsp cornmeal or cornstarch into an empty salt or pepper shaker and sprinkle onto dry hair and scalp until you’ve used it all. After 10 minutes, use a paddle hairbrush to completely brush it out. You can apply this treatment every other day.
Aloe Vera Gel
Aloe Vera is great for oily hair. In a cup of mild natural shampoo mix a tablespoon of lemon juice as well as one teaspoon of aloe vera gel that you have taken out from a fresh aloe vera. Mix this well and apply the required amount on your oily hair, leave it in your hair for a few minutes and then rinse it off completely. You can store the remaining shampoo mixure in your fridge for about a week and use it every day.
Tea
Tea has one of the most important ingredients known as the tannic acid that will help in making your hair dry. All you need is to boil black tea leaves or tea bag in a cup of water. When it is in lukewarm state, apply this tea mixture on your scalp and hair. Leave it there for three to five minutes. Rinse it off with water and shampoo your hair. You can do this treatment twice a week.
Henna Powder
Henna powder is a time-tested ingredient that will help in keeping the hair smooth and shiny as well as helps in removing excess oil. Mix six tablespoons of henna with two cups of water to make a smooth paste. Now apply this paste on your hair and leave it till the paste dries on your hair. (You may want to wear a shower cap or wrap your hair with cling wrap to avoid shedding henna as it dries on your head.) Rinse your hair with water. Apply this once a month.