Lifestyle Choices

Restoring Lustre to Dull Hair

Dry hair

250 ml (1 cup) strong rosemary tea, 250 ml (1 cup) herb to 250 ml (1 cup) boiling water

12,5 ml (1 tbsp) sweet almond oil

few drops rosemary or lavender oil

Use as a setting lotion or brush a little into the hair after shampooing.

Oily hair

2 eggs

250 ml (1 cup) rum

250 ml (1 cup) freshly made rosewater (boil up 500 ml (2 cups) rose petals in 375 ml (11/2 cups) water for 5 minutes.

Stand, cool, strain)

Whisk eggs and rum into rosewater and massage through the hair. Leave on for 15 minutes. Rinse with a herbal rinse.

Dandruff

A dry, flaky scalp indicates a sloughing off of matured skin cells and a few flakes is quite normal. It is only when this becomes excessive that it has to be considered a problem. There are two types of dandruff, one oily and one dry. Oily dandruff is usually found amongst adolescents and adults with an excessively oily scalp. Dermatologists often recommend cutting out oily foods in the diet, fatty, fried food, chocolate, butter and iodised salt. There are several ways of treating dandruff and once again there is no better way to start than to include salads and fruit and lots of fresh water in the diet. Correct eating goes a long way to improving the condition. Other methods worth trying are as follows:

1. Brushing: Vigorous daily brushing helps increase the circulation of blood to the scalp.

2. Vinegars: One of the quickest ways to remove dandruff is to massage herbal vinegars into the scalp; the irritating itch will disappear at the same time. Make herbal vinegars — rosemary, nettle, yarrow, bay, basil, sage, marjoram etc (see Bathtime Herbs), or use apple cider vinegar. Rub into the scalp daily.

3. Oils: Massage warm oil into the hair and scalp once or twice a week. Use castor oil, sweet oil, wheat germ oil or maize oil. After massaging the oil well in, put on a plastic shower-cap, and keep covered with a towel for half an hour. Shampoo with a mild shampoo and rinse with a herbal vinegar or infusion.

4. Lemon juice: Massage freshly squeezed lemon juice into thescalp after shampooing. Rinse out with rosemary tea.

5. Rosemary and nettle paste: Pour 250 ml (1 cup) boiling water over 250 ml (1 cup) nettle leaves. Liquidise. Add 500 ml (2 cups) finely minced rosemary and 37,5 ml (3 tbsp) borax. Rub this paste into the scalp just after shampooing. Rinse out with a herbal infusion.

6. Astringent hair rinse: This rinse is good for all hair types. It closes the pores and removes dandruff. Take 250 ml (1 cup) each: comfrey leaves, scented geranium leaves and sweet basil leaves. Simmer in a litre (4 cups) water. Cool and strain. Add 125 ml (¹/2 cup) apple cider vinegar. Massage into the scalp.

Natural Hair Colouring

There are several natural hair colourings that will gently tint the hair. They are infinitely preferable to harsh commercial dyes which can damage the delicate hair shafts.

Reddish colouring

Boil up equal quantities of radish leaves and radishes with privet or myrtle leaves, in enough water to cover them. Use as a wash and a rinse.

Brown colouring

Make a strong sage tea (250 ml (1 cup) herb to 500 ml (2 cups) boiling water) and use as a rinse.

Crush 20 green walnuts, shells, leaves and husks. Cover with water, add 12,5 ml (1 tbsp) salt, and a few more leaves. Stand overnight. Strain. Rub into the hair.

Use ivy berries to make a strong tea, and use as a rinse.

Raspberry leaves and red poppies can also be made into a strong tea (250 ml (1 cup) herb to 500 ml (2 cups) boiling water) and used as a rinse.

To blacken hair and darken grey hair

Artichoke leaves (globe artichoke), marjoram and elderberries are all effective hair darkeners. Boil up any one of them in enough rainwater to cover. Stand overnight. Strain, and use as a rinse.

Arab remedy for darkening grey hair

Thinly peel 6 green oranges. Steep the peel in maize oil or sunflower oil, just enough to cover the peels. Store for 3 months. Strain and comb the oil through the hair. Cover with a shower-cap and leave on for half an hour. Shampoo in the normal way. Use this once a week and you’ll soon notice a rich darkening of grey hair.

Fair hair

To lighten hair make a strong herbal tea, using chamomile flowers, verbascum flowers, privet or myrtle flowers, or rhubarb root. Use as a rinse.

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