But one that might benefit your tresses!
I had to post this between natural herbal remedies from your kitchen because it amazed me so much. Next time I will cover herbal remedies for a healthy heart, promise.
I ran across an article the other day that was intriguing. And it got me to wondering what they did in the olden days for shampoo. As you know, lye soap has been around forever, I’m not sure about its history but shampoo’s only been around since the 1930s. So what did they use to keep their hair clean?
This is not exactly a natural herbal remedy but it’s a way to get more chemicals away from your life. I feel the fewer chemicals we use the better-off, health wise, we will be. I recently changed shampoo and my head has been a constant itch since then and being the logical person I am I deducted it’s the new shampoo I’ve been using. Good deduction, huh?
This article “Ditching shampoo–a dirty little beauty secret” on MSN said there are some hairstylists and dermatologist who recommend going a few days between washing your hair to improve the condition of your hair. It allows the natural oil to condition the hair.
I personal wash my hair everyday and feel dirty if I don’t, so going a few days without washing it kind of gives me the creeps. But this article got me to thinking (always a scaring thing), about what they put in shampoo and how good it is for our hair.
According to my research, shampoo is loaded with chemicals that actually dries out hair causing you to buy hair conditioner and that forces you to buy another shampoo which makes it necessary to buy another hair conditioner and so on and so on… Good for people with oily hair by bad for those of us who have dry hair.
Now, several weeks ago I lost one of my rosemary plants. I thought is a big waste to throw it in the compost heap without taking the essential oils out of the bark. So I boiled it down into a concentrated form and put it in the refrigerator. While doing research on my new book, due out in a couple of weeks, I came across a recipe for hair rinse using rosemary and rose petals. I didn’t have any roses blooming so I just used the rosemary concentrate, about a ¼ cup to a pint of water, since it was concentrated, and put it on my hair after shampooing.
I was amazed at how well it worked as an untangler, if there is such a word. I had very little tangles and my hair tangles easily, but the comb went through it like I used a conditioner.
So the reason I’m telling you this is after reading this story about “no poo” (that’s what they call it and it means no shampoo hair care) is because they use vinegar, honey and any number of different brews so their hair won’t be dry or oily and not smell dirty.
My research took me to a very old herbal (that’s what they call a book of herbal recipes) and I found that as far back as the 1300s they have been using rosemary water to condition hair. It will also lighten dark hair and bring out red highlights. Pretty cool, huh?
So, to do the “no poo” way instead of using shampoo they suggest using baking soda or bicarbonate of soda to wash your hair and use vinegar as a rinse. I’m not sure I can do this but I do know the rosemary water works better than the hair conditioner I was using and my hair stays cleaner longer. If you can believe that!
My Test: I washed my hair on a Monday and would let it go until Saturday just to see what happens. During this week I noticed my hair was okay until Wednesday but after that it was starting to get real oily and had a different smell to it. Not a dirty smell, just different. So on Thursday I used the rosemary rinse and the baking soda (which I dislike. My head doesn’t feel clean) and by Saturday my hair was still clean and it smelled good too.
From then on I used my rosemary water as a rinse instead of store-bought and I still use chemical shampoo but I’m looking around for a shampoo that has fewer chemicals in it. For a natural herbal remedy for oily hair or hair that has a built up of hair spray, conditioners and shampoos I highly suggest using rosemary water as a rinse.
To make rosemary water—take some fresh rosemary and simmer it in water for about 30 minutes. Discard the rosemary and keep the water in the refrigerator. Use ¼ cup of herb to 1 pint of water. To make it stronger add more herb and gentle boil it down to ½ pint of water.
I left mine in the bathroom for a week and notice there was mold growing on the top. I now keep mine in the refrigerator and it lasts about a month. I usually make a quart and that lasts me for a month.
I use ¼ cup and add water if I need it. It sure does clean my hair! Make some up and try it out and let me know how it works for you.
And as for the “no poo”, I don’t think it’s for me but you can try it and let all of us know how it works…
Next time, for sure, I’ll cover A Medicine Cabinet in Your Kitchen - Herbs to Maintain a Healthy Heart…
Enjoy!
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Whether you call it home remedies or not, but oils are really good for the hair as well. Further information about using diets and oils to keep hair healthy can be found by clicking the previous link.