Herb and Vinegar Hair Rinse – special – Hope you will like this one also, it is one of the best special. View the video also if available, and feel free to comments, share.
Vegeterian Tips: Keep your favorite salad dressings on hand. I find that I m much more likely to eat my greens or some raw veggies when my favorite salad dressings are in the fridge. A little variety is great too I try to keep at least two kinds, either store bought or homemade on hand at all times. Some of my favorites are homemade goddess dressing, Thai peanut sauce from my local Asian grocer and rasberry vinaigrette. A vegan ranch dressing was helpful as well when I was trying to wean myself off dairy.
Ingredients (use vegan versions):
- 1 teaspoon cider vinegar (pref. organic)
- herbs of choice (see below)
- up to 10 drops essential oil of choice (optional but useful)
- 300ml boiling water or enough to cover herbs in jug
Directions:
Not only is this rinse much cheaper than the chemical gunk
you can buy commercially, but it is easy, effective, far
better for your hair, and smells wonderful – there is
nothing like using fresh rosemary to give you a lift!
You can use either fresh or dried herbs for this. If you
have a rosemary bush handy, use a sprig or two (say 10cm
long): rosemary is one of the best herbs for hair. Fresh
lavender is also nice to use; most of the herbs you can
grow in your garden will probably be useful in some way or
other. Fresh herbs are wonderful to use, but do remember
to rinse them if they have been sprayed with anything,
whether rose feed, pesticide, or contributions from a
passing dog.
If using dried herbs, you can use them either loose or in
teabags if they are available as such, e.g. one chamomile
teabag. Loose herbs, provided you have access to these (my
local herbalist has a large selection), give you more
choice; however, they can be messy to use. Use either an
infuser ball (I find a few bits always escape, though) or
tie a few teaspoonfuls of herb up in a bit of muslin or
similar fabric. You don”t want to have bits of herb caught
in your hair afterwards!
1) Put the herbs into a jug and add the vinegar and your
essential oil.
2) Add the boiling water and stir to disperse the essential
oils. Set to one side while you wash your hair: this gives
it time to steep, and also for the water to cool a little.
If you want a stronger herbal infusion, you can boil up
herbs in a pan on the stove for ten minutes.
3) When you have finished washing and rinsing your hair,
add enough cool water to fill the jug nearly to the top and
also to make it a bearable temperature. If you”re feeling
brave, go for cold water as it will give your hair added
shine.
4) If you have very long hair, as I do, you can dip your
hair into the jug before pouring its contents over your
head, rubbing into the scalp and catching any stray bits of
herb before they get caught in your hair. Avoid getting
the rinse in your eyes, particularly if you have used
essential oils.
5) Make sure you rinse out the shower afterwards, as some
herbs can leave it looking slightly stained; similarly,
watch out for your towels. The staining is only temporary
and washes off/out very easily; it is more likely to occur
with extra strong infusions.
Useful herbs:
Rosemary – excellent for all hair types and problems.
Sage – traditionally used to restore colour to greying hair.
Chamomile – another very useful herb for hair,
traditionally used for lighter colour hair.
Thyme – good for oily hair and dandruff.
Useful essential oils:
Rosemary and chamomile: see above. I would not advise
thyme oil, since it is very strong and a potential skin
irritant. Sage oil should not be used (unless by
professionals, but I don”t think they use it on hair);
clary sage is a good substitute.
Cedarwood: very traditional oil for all hair types and
conditions.
Lavender and geranium: useful for all hair types.
Lemon, patchouli, tea tree, ylang-ylang: useful for greasy
hair and dandruff.
You can use any essential oil you fancy, provided it is not
a skin irritant (I would never suggest using clove oil, for
example). If I am in meditative mood I sometimes use
frankincense, for example, or sandalwood (good for dry
hair) if I want the lingering smell of sandalwood that day.
In general, this rinse keeps your hair in good condition
and adds considerable shine, as well as seeming to make it
tangle less. It is also a useful way of treating hair that
is not looking its best, for example if it is dry, greasy
or prone to dandruff. I have hair I can sit on, and people
are always telling me how beautiful it looks and smells.
If you like doing facial saunas or face masks, before you
wash your hair is a good time to do so. Here is what I
usually do:
1) Put the herbs into the jug together with the boiling
water, but do not add the vinegar yet. Put in only 2 drops
of essential oil after the water has been added.
2) Put a towel over your head, tying long hair back, lean
over the jug, and inhale the steam for 5-10 minutes. Be
careful not to scald yourself: if the steam is too hot, let
it cool for half a minute or so.
3) Use a little of the infused water to mix up a face mask
with clay and anything else you may use.
4) While the mask is drying on your skin, add the cider
vinegar and the rest of the essential oils to the jug.
5) Wash the face mask off (I find it is easiest to do so in
the shower) and proceed as above with the hair rinse.
Preparation time: 2 min
Serves:
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