How to care for hair naturally

Healthy hair is not really difficult to achieve. What one needs is awareness on the kind of treatment it deserves, so that we can protect it and restore its beauty. Natural ingredients are ideal and some of these are easily available at home.

Home hair cleanser: Take one handful each of dried reetha, shikakai and amla. Add them to one litre of water and allow them to soak overnight. The next day, simmer the herbs with the water on a low fire, till the water reduces to half the quantity. Do not boil it on high fire. Allow the mixture to cool and strain it through a clean cloth. Use the liquid to wash your hair.

Oils: Oils have their own particular properties and benefits. Olive oil helps restore the normal acid-alkaline balance of the scalp. It is useful for oily hair with dandruff. Castor oil is said to have hair darkening properties. It will not turn white hair black, but it will restore darkness to hair that has turned brown due to excessive sun-exposure or protein deficiency. Pure coconut oil is most commonly used in India. It helps to improve hair texture and is said to promote growth. Almond oil is very nourishing for extremely dry hair. Oils can also be mixed with various other ingredients and applied on the hair.

Hair oil with amla and methi:  Take 10 to 15 gms of dry amla and one teaspoon fenugreek (methi) seeds. Grind both amla and methi seeds coarsely. Add them to 100 ml pure coconut oil or sesame seed (til) oil. Put all the ingredients in a glass jar with a tight fitting lid. Keep it in the sun daily for 15 days, shaking it each day in order to stir the ingredients. After 15 days, strain the oil through a clean muslin cloth and keep the oil in a glass jar. This oil may be used to apply on the hair. It will benefit all hair types, as well as dandruff conditions.

For dry, damaged hair with split ends: First cut off the split ends. Once or twice a week heat pure coconut oil or almond oil and apply on the scalp and hair. Then dip a towel in hot water, squeeze out the water and wrap the hot towel around the head, like a turban. Keep it on for 5 minutes. Repeat the hot towel wrap 3 or 4 times. Hair is actually porous and this helps the hair and scalp absorb the oil better. Leave the oil on overnight and wash your hair the next morning.

For split ends and dry, brittle hair: Take 2 tablespoons honey, one tablespoon sesame seed (til) oil and one egg yolk. Mix together and apply on the scalp and hair. Wearing a plastic shower cap will help. Wash your hair after half an hour.