There is an infinite number of ways to make herbal pastes or rinses - no one taught me how, I just mixed and matched. Here is some information on what each herbs do, how to apply it, and how to rinse it off.
Here are some of the things that (Indian) herbs are good for:
Neem - can help get rid of pimples and dandruff. Good hair conditioner.
Amla (gooseberry) - Thickens, darkens, and nourishes hair.
Shikakai - Hair cleanser (used frequently as a shampoo) and conditioner.
Reetha/Aritha (soap nut) - Helps rid hair of dandruff. Hair cleanser and conditioner.
Mehndi (henna) - Strengthens (gives it protein) and conditions hair. Also used as a herbal hair dye.
Ghritkumari (Indian aloe vera) - Promotes hair growth, helps stop hair loss, adds shine to hair when used as a rinse.
Chandan (sandalwood) - Smells heavenly! Conditions and helps darken hair.
Til (sesame) - Promotes hair growth, darkens hair.
Bhringraj - Darkens, strengthens, and conditions hair. (I have found that it is best used in conjunction with other herbs for more beneficial conditioning).
How to make and apply a herbal paste/rinse:
You will need the powdered form of the herb for the paste (and it can be used for the rinse too). You can use almost any herbs with each other for the benefits of all of them, but you should first consider what you are trying to achieve; for example, if you want your hair to be darker, you would want to choose herbs that will help darken it.
For hair that is average to thick and around waist length, you will probably need about 6 tablespoons of herbal powder. If you want this paste to act only as a cleanser and conditioner, you could use 3 tablespoons of shikakai (cleanser) and 3 tablespoons of sandalwood (conditioner). It doesn't matter how much you use of each; all of the mixing and matching I have done have produced good results.
Once you have decided which powders to use and have put the amounts in a bowl, you will want to add hot/boiling water. If it is for a paste, you will want it to be fairly thick, but not so thick that it is difficult to apply (if you have ever used henna, it should be very similar to that). If it is for a rinse, you will want to make it into a liquid, but don't dilute it too much. Try to put use just as much water as is required to fulfill the task, and not put too much, because this can dampen the effect of the herbs.
Applying pastes/using rinses:
Now you have finished making your paste/rinse. How do you use it?
I will usually get upside down over a bathtub or sink. This really helps the cleaning up when you are done.
If you have made a paste that is to be used for conditioning purposes only, you can just apply it to the length of your hair and leave it in for however long you want before rinsing. If it is for cleansing as well, you will want to rub it into your scalp. I like to flip my head over and first rub the paste into my scalp, all over; then I work from the roots down, applying the paste. I twist the hair as I apply the paste, making sure I get it to all of the areas. Then I secure it in a bun on top of my head, with a towel wrapped around if I'm going to sleep with it in.
If you have made a rinse, you can use this either as a final rinse, or wash the rinse out with cool water. Either way is effective, but I prefer rinsing with cool water afterwards so that no powder stays in my hair. If you had steeped the leaves of the herbs in water/vinegar and used that as a rinse, it might work better as a final rinse.
Rinsing out the paste:
I get upside down, undo the bun, and spray the length and scalp with cold water from my hand-held shower head. As I spray it, the twisted length unravels. I find it is very easy to rinse out herbal pastes. If it is not easy, you might want to try the bucket method - fill a bucket with water and dunk your length in. This is very effective in getting the paste out of your hair (it works really well with henna, too!)
Another idea for herbal pastes:
I like to oil my hair first and then use a herbal paste to cleanse and condition my hair and scalp. It works very well
Edited on January 23, 2005.
Some other ideas for herbal pastes:
- Adding yogurt. After mixing the herbs with boiling water (just enough to create a thick paste), add some yogurt. How much you add depends on the length of your hair and how much is in your herbal mixture.
- Honey. When you are done mixing the herbs with boiling water, you can add a few tablespoons of honey. This will, like yogurt, help boost conditioning qualities of the herbs.
Applying to wet/dry hair:
Should you apply the herbs to wet hair or dry hair? That is a matter of personal preference. I usually apply it to dry hair, because it is the quickest for me, and I don't need to get into the shower first to do it. However, once I shampooed my scalp
before applying the herbal paste, and I applied the paste to wet hair. I found this much easier to do. The application was faster and the herbs went on more places in my hair. I preferred the application on wet hair, but it was more time consuming because I had to shower first.
Love,
~*Leia*~
2bNiii
18/30.4/35?
Waist length!
First goal: 30" in March <--
goal reached
Second goal: Tailbone (33"?) by the end of 2004
Final goal: 35" in February 2005
Growing since January 2003, found TLHL end of June 2003 and was at 25"
Leia's Hair Journal
Last Updated: March 10, 2004
Before every wash, rub some oil into your scalp (olive oil works best for me). Make sure you massage it in and get it to every part of the scalp... you should spend about 10-15 minutes doing this.
). Then take the conditioner/sugar mixture and start scrubbing it on your scalp. Make sure, though, that the sugar hasn't melted into the conditioner, or it won't have much of an effect. Scrub the sugar all over your scalp.
*Thanks to Carlynn for this gorgeous doll!*