Originally published November 27 2009
Use Natural and Safe Treatments for Dry, Damaged and Frizzy Hair
by Fleur Hupston
(NaturalNews) Aromatherapy oil combinations and simple homemade herbal hair packs can provide gentle, non-harmful ways of moisturizing and repairing damaged hair. Regular use of over-the-counter shampoos and conditioners laden with toxic chemicals can dry and strip hair. Instead, try these easy home-made treatments to help revive, shine and clean hair in the best way possible, the natural way.
Hair Products to Avoid
Hair will certainly be stripped and damaged with the continual use of detergent type shampoos. Look out for shampoos containing Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (SLS). This chemical is a skin, lung, and eye irritant, is suspected to cause cancer and damages hair follicles, according to the Journal of the American College of Toxicology.
Aromatherapy treatment for dry hair is simply a matter of adding essential oils of choice to a base oil appropriate for dry hair, such as coconut oil, almond oil, avocado oil, grapeseed oil, jojoba oil or olive oil.
Some of the best essential oils to choose from for dry hair are Lavender, Rosemary, Rosewood, Geranium or Sandalwood.
Aromatherapy Recipe for Damaged Hair
1 teaspoon Sesame oil
1 tablespoon Sweet Almond oil
1 tablespoon Peach Kernel oil
Half teaspoon Avocado oil
Half teaspoon Evening Primrose or Borage oil
2 drops Carrot essential oil
3 drops Geranium essential oil
Apply to hair and allow to soak into the hair, for 20 minutes or so.
Home-Made Shampoo for Dry Hair with Chamomile
Place 5 tablespoons of chamomile flowers in a bowl and add 4 cups of boiling water. Allow to steep, covered, for half an hour. Strain the liquid and add 4 ounces of Castile soap flakes. Shake the bottle and use this as shampoo. Used continuously, hair should eventually lose its dryness.
Hot Oil Treatment Recipe for Frizzy, Dry Hair
Apply warm olive oil or coconut oil all over hair. Massage into the scalp. Cover the head with a warm towel and leave for 20 min. Then take a bath and wash hair with a gentle, natural shampoo.
Hair Pack for Damaged Hair
Mash a ripe banana with a few drops of almond oil and massage into hair. Leave it for about 15 minutes. Rinse with water and shampoo in the usual way.
Recipe for Soft, Silky Hair
Mix 3 tablespoons of olive oil with 2 tablespoons of honey, massage into hair. Wrap the hair with a towel or shower cap and let it rest for 15 minutes. Shampoo and rinse the hair.
Tips on Treatment for Damaged Hair
Even if a good, healthy diet is being followed, avoiding the following practices will result in hair that is less dry and damaged and easier to manage:
Avoid central heating, overly hot water in baths or showers, over-washing of hair, rough towel drying, hot rollers and the use of harsh dyes and shampoos.
Stay away from hair styling products like gels, hair sprays, colorants and so on which have a damaging effect on hair. Perming, blow drying, straightening or curling hair can cause dryness.
Sources:
http://www.skin-care-recipes-and-remedies.co...
http://www.healthy-communications.com/slsmos...
The Complete Book of Essential Oil & Aromatherapy by Valerie Ann Worwood (New World Library, 1991)
About the author
Fleur Hupston is a professional freelance writer. She is passionate about natural, healthy living and is currently studying to be a naturopath. She divides her time between writing for Natural News and various other sites, home schooling her children and studying part time.
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