While chemicals are a preferred choice in treating other ailments, everyone detests using them for skin and hair care. Sarada Anastasia Von Sonn suggests some natural remedies to preserve your beautiful tresses
Haircare and general well-being is a part of everyone’s life these days as it has become an important part of our beauty routine. Taking care of hair and maintaining it, benefits not only the hair but also elevates an individual’s overall personality.
Hair fall, dryness, dandruff, premature greying and split ends are some of the most common problems that shatter the dream of a bountiful mane. Our lifestyle and genetic factors determine which routine and set of products would work best for us. Junk food, processed and canned food items have deprived our body of essential nutrients that nourish and bolster hair, making it pertinent to provide additional support.
Amid so many hair care solutions in the market, figuring out a particular routine has become a challenge. However, it has been observed that most people today are switching to organic products.
While chemicals are a preferred choice in treating other ailments, everyone detests using them for skin and hair care. Ayurveda, the alternative medicine system practised in the Indian subcontinent for centuries, provides various remedies for the growth and maintenance of hair.
Ayurvedic hair care practices have been intertwined with our lifestyle in a manner that one may find their use in every household. Pharmaceutical majors have also bowed down to the immense benefits of organic products in skin and hair care.
Some of the most prominent herbs that can rejuvenate our tresses are amla, jojoba, bhringraj, coconut oil, sesame oil and lemon oil et al. These natural ingredients are power-packed with essential nutrients that can enrich our hair and treat our scalp.
Amla: The wonder fruit amla is a depository of essential nutrients like vitamin C, vitamin A, polyphenols, amino acids, proteins, carbohydrate, magnesium, iron, potassium and calcium and more. Modern medical research has proved that amla has the potential to inhibit the 5-alpha reductase associated with male baldness. Amla can be used to strengthen the scalp and hair, stimulate hair growth, reduce hair loss, curtail premature pigment loss from hair (greying), prevent and treat dry scalp, dandruff, fungal or bacterial hair and scalp infection and improve the overall appearance of your hair.
Bhringraj: Coming from the sunflower family, these flowers are often referred to as the king of herbs. Bhringraj oil is rich in vitamin D, vitamin E, iron, magnesium and calcium. It prevents hair fall, increases the volume of hair, treats dry scalp, premature greying of hair and reduces dandruff while improving blood circulation that nourishes the hair and assists its growth.
Jojoba: Often confused with jujube, these shrubs come from the southwestern part of North America. They are native to Arizona, Mexico and Southern California. The oil-like wax extracts from the jojoba fruits are used in making hair and beauty products. The fruit is rich in vitamin B, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, zinc and copper. Jojoba oil strengthens hair, and thus, it can prevent hair loss; it also moisturises the scalp and hair follicles to reduce dryness. These inherent qualities have made it a popular ingredient of hair oils and conditioners.
Coconut oil: Coconut oil is a rich source of fatty acids like lauric acid, myristic acid, capric acid, caprylic acid and stearic acid. The oil is rich in antioxidants and has anti-fungal, anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties. It has a lipid structure similar to the hair, and thus, it can penetrate the hair. It is one of the best natural conditioners available and is among the most primary hair care resources in every household. Coconut oil can moisturise the hair, prevent dryness and dandruff, repair and prevent split ends to stall hair breakage.
Sesame oil: Sesame is rich in protein, antioxidants and is a source of vitamin B, Vitamin E, calcium and some other minerals. The moisturising properties of sesame oil make it a deep conditioner that prevents dryness and strengthens hair from the roots.
Lemon oil: Lemon oil is a powerhouse of antimicrobial ingredients. It helps in clearing flaky skin, restores and maintains pH balance that can reduce oil build-up which is essential for a healthy scalp.
Lemongrass oil: Lemongrass oil has anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties. It removes dandruff, provides a flake-free scalp while nourishing the scalp. It can provide relief from scalp irritation by eliminating itchiness.
Lavender oil: Lavender oil is a natural antiseptic that can help in improving blood circulation while lubricating your scalp and nourishing hair.
While many of these can be directly applied to the scalp and hair, some of these ingredients require carrier oils like coconut oil, sunflower oil and jojoba oil for application. Along with the carrier oils, they can be considered as the primary or essential oils for hair care, and they should be increasingly used to maintain healthy and shiny hair. Bad hair days would become a thing of the past with regular application of these essential oils.
(The writer is an Ayurveda expert at Organic India.)