Herbs and aromatic plants have been used to beautify hair for centuries and many of the ingredients in traditional recipes are as effective today as they were in your grandmother’s time. Chamomile, rosemary, southernwood and the common nettle are all top hair herbs which have stood the test of time.
Rinse And Repeat
Rinses in the form of herbal infusions are one of the simplest ways to benefit from the properties of plants. Quick and easy to make, they have a variety of purposes, from adding body and shine to reducing oiliness or treating dandruff. As they are made with fresh materials, they won’t keep and should be used up immediately.
Color Wash
Herbal rinses are a gentle but effective way of enhancing hair color too. An infusion of chamomile flowers for example, adds sheen and lustre to fair hair, although it cannot actually lighten it - this is only possible by using chemicals such as bleach. Color enhancing rinses are made by steeping dried herbs in boiling water for up to four hours. Use them in the same way as the treatment rinses.
Henna, from the thorny shrub Lawsonia inermis, is one of the best known herbal hair colorants. It adds red or auburn highlights to brown or very dark hair, but isn’t suitable for blond hair and turns grey or bleached hair an unsightly orange. Available as a powder it is mixed with water to make a paste. Neutral henna adds glows without color and makes a good conditioning treatment when mixed with egg yolk and milk.
DIY Hair Rinses
Rosemary Rinse (For Body And Shine)
Rosemary’s high essential oil content and stimulant, restorative properties add sheen to the hair.
Ingredient
* 600ml boiling water
* small handful fresh rosemary springs
Pour the boiling water over the rosemary and leave to infuse for 2 hours before straining off the herbs. After shampooing, pour repeatedly through the hair, catching the rinse in a small basin so you can re-use it.
Southernwood And Lemon Balm Rinse (To Reduce Oiliness)
Southernwood (Artemisia abrotanum) is an easy to grow, shrubby plant with feathery, lemon smelling leaves. Alternatively you can buy it from specialist herbal suppliers.
Ingredient
* 600ml boiling water
* 15g fresh southernwood
* 15g fresh lemon balm leaves
Make and use as Rosemary Rinse above.
Cider Vinegar Rinse (To Remove Build-up)
Ingredient
* 1 tbsp cider vinegar
* 600ml tepid mineral water
Add the cider vinegar to the water and pour over hair as a final rinse.
Nettle Rinse (To Combat Dandruff)
Nettles lose their sting in boiling water and are a traditional dandruff remedy.
Ingredient
* Handful fresh nettles - wear rubber gloves to pick leaves from the tips of the plant
* 600ml boiling water
* 2 tbsp cider vinegar
* 5 drops pure lavender essential oil
Wearing rubber gloves, put the nettles in a bowl, pour over the boiling water and leave to steep overnight. Strain off the nettles, add the vinegar and essential oil and pour over the hair as a final rinse.
DIY Hair Tonics
Hair tonics help to restore bounce to hair which has lost its shine, due to stress, illness or being run down.
Herbal Hair Tonic For Dull, Lifeless Hair
Ingredient
* 15g each of fresh parsley, sage and watercress
* 4 tbsp water
* 1 tbsp kaolin powder
Blend the herbs and water in a food processor. Stir in the kaolin powder to form a paste. Apply to the hair, cover with a shower cap and leave for 30 to 40 minutes. Rinse well.
Stimulating Lavender Tonic
All hair will benefit from regular scalp massage, as it increases the blood flow to this area. This tonic is especially worth trying if your hair is thinning out of brittle, as massaging the scalp with a lavender based tonic can help to stimulate healthy new growth.
Ingredient
* 15g dried lavender flowers
* 300ml vodka
* 5 drops pure rosemary essential oil
Put the lavender in a sterilized jar, pour in the vodka, cover and leave for 24 hours. Strain off the lavender, add the rosemary essential oil and decant into a bottle. Using 1 tsp of this mixture to 1 tbsp of water, apply to the head and massage gently into the scalp. Keeps for 4 to 6 months.
