Saturday 23 May 2009

Rosemary for hair



Before I started this post I just thought from the look of things soon our hair cabinets in the bathroom will resemble the kitchen spice cabinets even more after this post. Apparently, we can use Rosemary to stimulate the hair follicles and hair growth, it's generally believed to slow down or even permanently hold off premature hair loss and gray hair. It heals the scalp of its problems including drandruff. It also helps darken grey hair overtime as confessed by many people though no real scientific evidence has proved this.
If you have blonde or light colored hair you may NOT want to try this recipe as it may darken your hair.
According to the wikipedia: Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) is a woody, perennial herb with fragrant evergreen needle-like leaves. It is native to the Mediterranean region. It is a member of the mint family Lamiaceae, which also includes many other herbs.The name rosemary has nothing to do with the rose or the name Mary, but derives from the Latin name rosmarinus, which is from "dew" (ros) and "sea" (marinus), or "dew of the sea" — apparently because it is frequently found growing near the sea.
Here are a few recipes to use rosemary

Rosemary Rinse
put several handfuls of rosemary into a water-filled pot, bring to boil, and gently simmer for about five to 15 minutes. Allow to cool, strain into a clean container, and pour throughout your hair just after shampooing. Due to a very pleasant aroma and strengthening effects of this rosemary rinse, you do not need to wash it off with additional fresh water.
You could use the rosemary rinse after using the honey conditioner ( a recipe for that here)

Rosemary homemade Oil
wash and dry a handful or two of fresh rosemary sprigs, rub them lightly between your palms to release the flavour, and place them in a clean bottle (you can also add several slices of fresh ginger to intensify the flavour and medicinal qualities of rosemary). Pour extra-virgin olive oil
to cover the herbs, seal tightly, and leave in a dark cupboard for at least two weeks. To use, massage some rosemary oil into your scalp and hair and leave overnight for the beneficial particles of olive oil, rosemary, and optional ginger to penetrate deep into your hair roots and shafts. Repeat weekly and watch your hair quickly regaining its strength and vitality!


Dried Rosemary leaves

Rosemary Vinegar

fill a clean jar or bottle with fresh or dry rosemary sprigs and pour raw, unheated apple cider vinegar over the herbs to cover them completely. Seal and leave to infuse for at least a fortnight in a dark place, shaking the jar occasionally. You can store ready rosemary vinegar in a dark cool cabinet or a cellar to undergo further beneficial fermentation. Use weekly to make a hair rinse by mixing several tablespoons of rosemary vinegar with lukewarm water and pouring the mixture onto your scalp and hair. This rosemary remedy has a power to completely rejuvenate weakening hair just within a few months!
It is advisable to infuse rosemary only in raw and, preferably, organic apple cider vinegar of the highest quality you can find. Apple cider vinegar has long been praised for its hair-rejuvenating properties. Combined with rosemary, this vinegar makes a super-remedy for dull, weak, and shedding hair.
The recipes are by Christiana Roberts

Weleda a well known brand offers rosemary hair lotion, I haven't used it yet, but I think it's worth a try


To get more info on using Rosemary here are a few links
Stop Hair loss
Rosemary for you
Rosemary will make your hair grow
A Natural Herb to make your hair grow

Sunday 10 May 2009

Sweet Locks the after math


Yesterday I finally decided to try out the Sweet locks. Mad thanx to Juju for the tip. If you haven't done it yet, you better try it. I washed my hair as usual and instead of my usual gel I used honey to twist my locks. I sprayed some virgin oil to the honey and mixed it up before using it. I was kind of sceptical at first, but after the results I will definitely go the sweet way. Considering honey isn't as heavy as the gel I usually use, it took sometime to get used to applying to my hair without sticking. Honey might be viscous but it is not really sticky like gel. The best part is it's not oily, but it gives the scalp a glossy look. I'm really loving the honey on my hair no lie.
Another thing I love about using honey on my hair is that my face doesn't react to it. I usually have a few locks falling on my face and when I use the gel, my forehead forms pimples the first few days after a retouch, but considering honey also moisturrizes the skin, my face is loving the transformation as much as my scalp and hair are...
Anyone out there who has tried it out? Please do share your experience...

Tuesday 5 May 2009

Sweet Locks



According to Juju, one of "My Dreadlocks readers" You can use honey to lock your hair.
"...honey is quite good for hair generally, as a moisturiser. I use it to twist my locs and its not smeller or sticky or all those things." I will definitely try it out and tell you what happens. Here are some other comments about using honey on hair from the internet:
"I actually just used a home treatment made of warm olive oil and honey, and it worked very well to moisturize and smooth my hair! I have also heard of people mixing honey with their conditioner to add an extra punch of moisture to their routine. Although you mention its obvious stickiness, it seems to rinse out pretty easily in water IF it is mixed with at least one other ingredient.
Also, I would definitely suggest shampooing after your treatment to avoid residue." by Jen
"Honey is a bleach. It will lighten your hair (remove pigmentation) overtime. People in my home country use it to lighten their skin color." by Shilpa
because honey is a humectant and it does great things for dry hair. I use honey once a week and nothing can moisturize my hair like honey does. My mixtures is adding at least 5 tablespoons to a papercup. Warm it up in the microwave for NO more then 30 seconds and some conditioner to it and mix it together. I then wet my hair and then apply the mix and let it penetrate while I finish taking a shower. It rinses out without any sticky residue left on my hair because when you mix honey it basically liquifies." by Ashley
"You can also use it (honey) as a moisturiser and a hair conditioner. To use it as a conditioner, mix the honey with olive oil. Be sure to wash your hair thoroughly before you go outside." by Ada Onyema
"To give your hair lustrous shine, mix 1 teaspoon of honey into 4 cups of warm water. Use as a hair rinse. And if you're a blond, add the juice of 1 lemon, too." by Bees-online