Pamper Your Hair and Scalp with Herbal Rinses

 
A natural, easy, and inexpensive way to clean and condition your hair and scalp is with herbal rinses. Just a little bit goes a long way and the benefits are fabulous. There are various herbs that can be used to cleanse, heal, repair, strengthen, stimulate growth, and enhance or change hair color. It is no more complicated than making a cup of tea. Boiling water is poured over dried or fresh herbs and steeped until cooled, and then strained. A squeeze bottle or spray bottle can be used to apply to saturate hair and scalp. As a general rule, use a teaspoon of dried herb for every cup of boiling water. The average adult will need at least 2 cups rinse unless hair is very long. 

[If you prefer using fresh herbs then increase amount to 1/2 cup herbs per cup of water].


Different herbs offer different benefits and many are compatible when mixed together. Chamomile, horsetail, nettles, rosemary, and sage are very popular ones for rinses. Make sure you do your research on the specific herbs to use based on the specific needs of your hair and scalp. The part of the plant such as leaf, root, flower, bark, etc., should be noted. Be sure to become familiar with herbs that darken or lighten hair color to avoid unwanted effects. While applying the rinse, be aware of any unpleasant or unusual reactions which may indicate skin sensitivity or allergic reaction. Of course, if you experience any adverse response be sure to immediately rinse out with lots of water.

Here are a few herbal remedies that you might like to try:


For dry itchy scalp with or without dandruff
burdock root, chamomile, comfrey, juniper, nettle, rosemary


For slow hair growth or hair loss
burdock, horsetail, lavender, nettle, sage, saw palmetto


For oily scalp and product build-up
lemon balm, lemongrass, peppermint, rosemary, thyme, white willow bark

Do you use herbal rinses on a regular basis? Do you know of any particular recipe that is exceptionally effective or therapeutic? Have you ever had an adverse reaction to an herbal rinse? If yes, which herbs were the culprits and how did you remedy the problem?