Guest Author - Evelyn Roether

Our hair is a big part of our identity. Sometimes when we feel the need for a dramatic change in life, a haircut or color change is a simple fix. Unfortunately, many of us spend so much time messing with our hair that we damage it.

There are many herbal hair products that can help to heal and maintain a healthy head of hair. Unlike chemical shampoos and conditioners, herbally based hair care products nourish your hair as they clean and condition. When choosing a shampoo or conditioner, look for herbal ingredients that feed your hair and sooth your scalp. Here are some suggestions:

To promote hair growth: stinging nettle, rosemary, peppermint, basil
To get prevent or treat dandruff: southernwood, rosemary, tea tree, myrrh, clary sage
To highlight and nourish lighter (blonde) hair: marigold, mullien, chamomile (and lemon)
To highlight and nourish darker (brunette) hair: rosemary, raspberry leaf, sage
To condition dry hair: comfrey, sage, parsley, marshmallow, stinging nettle, calendula
To condition oily hair: yarrow, rosemary, witch hazel bark

Overwashing, blow drying and using chemical products on our hair are all detrimental to the health of our locks. All of these activities tend to dry and make hair brittle. One way to alleviate this problem is to condition your hair with herbal oil. You can easily make it yourself.

Start with a base of olive, coconut, almond, sunflower or jojoba oil. Gently warm the oil and add some of the above-mentioned essential oils or herbs that are known for their benefit to hair. Then dampen your hair and massage a teaspoon or two of the warm oil into your hair. Make sure to get it onto your scalp and thoroughly through your hair. Then put a shower cap or plastic bag over your hair and cover that with a warm moist towel. The heat of the oil and the towel will help the oil into your hair. After 20-60 minutes, remove the cap and towel and wash your hair with a mild shampoo. Even if no herbs or essential oils are available, your hair will love the lubrication of an occasional straight oil treatment.

Vinegar is also a great medium for delivering herbal treatment to your hair. You can use apple cider or wine vinegar as the base for an herbal rinse. Vinegar is good for reducing dandruff, and returning the natural acids to an itchy scalp.

To make a vinegar rinse, just fill a jar with vinegar and your selected herbs, making sure the herbs are fully submerged in the liquid. Put the jar in a warm place for a few weeks and shake it every day.

When it’s ready, use a piece of cheesecloth to strain the herbs from the vinegar. At this point you can add some essential oils to reduce the vinegar-y smell and add more herbal benefit to your rinse.

Use the herbal rinse after shampooing, diluting the rinse with water (1 part rinse to 4 parts water). Work the rinse through your hair and into your scalp, massaging it in as you go. Then rinse it out with warm water. If you’re up for a final cold rinse, you’ll find that will cause your hair to lie flat and be shinier.

Your hair will love this TLC and will respond accordingly!